Summary
Short description
Predate ancient civilisations with Peru’s wildlife and rainforests
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Highlights
- Explore a true world wonder in Machu Picchu along with the Sacred Valley's winning combination of nature and unrivalled heritage
- Predate ancient civilisations with a stay in a luxury Amazonian lodge where excursions bring you up close to the region's wildlife
- Call into Peru's grand capital and Cusco, where colonial majesty rubs shoulders with Incan archaeology
In Brief
- 2 Nights Lima
- 3 Nights Amazon Rainforest
- 2 Nights Sacred Valley
- 1 Night Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu)
- 2 Nights Cusco
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
August holidays | History & culture | Jungle | May holidays | Natural world | Wildlife
Between stays in the depths of the world’s largest rainforest and trips to ancient cities this is your chance to experience the very best of Peru. Start with its foodie capital where colourful colonial architecture combines with South American exuberance before a riverboat brings you into the depths of the Amazon Rainforest. Staying in a luxury lodge, night safaris, canopy walks and wildlife reserve treks will introduce you to the sheer biodiversity of this unique part of the world. You’ll then move on to the ancient sights of the Sacred Valley where Incan ruins tell the story of a lost civilisation. Prime among them is Machu Picchu, one of the world’s true wonders.
Day by day itinerary
Day
1
UK/Lima
Start your trip with a day flight, arriving into the Peruvian capital in the evening to be transferred to your city centre hotel. Renowned for its gastronomy, Lima has long blended Peruvian flavours with international influences brought from all corners of the world by its migrant population. Perhaps explore the city lights and culinary extravagance on an optional Lima by Night tour.
Stay: Hotel B, Lima (Deluxe) or Belmond Miraflores Park, Lima (Deluxe)
Day
2
Lima
After breakfast, a tour of Lima’s sights will start with its historic centre, a World Heritage Site, known as ‘the City of Kings’. Its crowning jewel is its main square, host to the 16th century Government Palace, neoclassical Cathedral, ornate Archbishop’s Palace and the colonial City Hall. When taken with the baroque pink of the Santo Domingo Convent, it’s a heritage counterpoint to San Isidro, your next stop and the city’s upscale modern district. Continue on to Miraflores whose galleries and pretty gardens constitute Lima’s cultural centre. End at Parque del Amor for views out over the Pacific.
Stay: Hotel B, Lima (Deluxe) or Belmond Miraflores Park, Lima (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
3
The Amazon Rainforest
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado where a 45-minute motorboat ride along the Madre de Dios River will bring you to Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica. This collection of thatched, contemporary lodges is set deep in Amazonia; it’s the ideal launchpad to explore the region’s incredible range of flora and fauna. And, there’s not time to waste as – after lunch – you’ll make use of the reserve’s trail system to head into the jungle and gain an appreciation of the rainforest ecosystem up close. Later that night, a guided canoe ride will take you out in search of nocturnal birds and wildlife that prefer the evening cool before returning for an indulgent evening meal.
Stay: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Puerto Maldonado (Superior)
Meals: B L D
Day
4
The Amazon Rainforest
In the morning, a trip into the Tambopata National Reserve will introduce you to a few of Lake Sandoval’s endangered species, which include the giant otter and red-bellied macaw. Then, following lunch, you’ll gain a new perspective with a canopy walkway. Observation platforms – set some 30 metres off the forest floor – are linked by bridges, making for regular encounters with treetop species, including sloths, monkeys and toucans. Then, after the treetop circuit, continue onto the Anaconda Walk. Here, 200 metres of wooden footbridges are suspended over flooded jungle swathes, the natural habitat of an array of amphibian life.
Stay: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Puerto Maldonado (Superior)
Meals: B L D
Day
5
The Amazon Rainforest
After breakfast, a motorised canoe will bring you the short distance to Gamitana Creek. Here, you’ll snake through intertwining waterways as you stop to observe the lush vegetation and exotic wildlife before reaching Sanipanga, where you’ll be treated to everything from prinahas and turtles to caimans and birds. It’s also the site of the Gamitana model farm where native cultivation techniques are still employed to this day. Your afternoon will then be spent in the Inkanterra Hacienda Concepcion, where you’ll learn about the surprising uses and benefits of its 200 species of plants. Come nightfall, you’ll once more make use of the reserve’s trail system, this time to the wild sounds of the rainforest by night.
Stay: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Puerto Maldonado (Superior)
Meals: B L D
Day
6
Sacred Valley
As you leave the Amazon, a 45-minute motorised canoe ride will once again bring you back along the Madre de Dios River to Puerto Maldonado. Here, you’ll visits its famed butterfly gardens. Country-wide, Peru features over 3,700 varieties of this delicately beautiful insect, many of which can be spotted here. A direct flight will then bring you to Cusco. Much more than a mere gateway to Machu Picchu, it hosts an Incan heritage all of its own while its verdant, mountain-lined valley makes for spectacular views.
Stay: Hotel Sol y Luna, Sacred Valley (Superior) or Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, Sacred Valley (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
7
Sacred Valley
Wake early for a full day trip to explore the picturesque Sacred Valley. First stop off at the enormous Moray Incan terraces before a visit to the Maras salt pans. After lunch, make your way to Ollantaytambo. Here, an expansive, immaculately kept archaeological site tells the story of an ancient Incan centre that still bears all the hallmarks of its military, religious and agricultural past. From here, you’ll enjoy views down to its town namesake whose narrow streets and canals have not changed since they were first built by the Incas.
Stay: Hotel Sol y Luna, Sacred Valley (Superior) or Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, Sacred Valley (Deluxe)
Meals: B L
Day
8
Machu Picchu
Today, you’ll summit one of the true highlights of world travel – Machu Picchu. Begin with a winding train ride up to its craggy, carpeted mantelpiece before a bus takes you the last stretch. An expert will then guide you between its complex jumble of palaces, plazas, temples and residences that have puzzled scholars since its 1911 discovery. Its dramatic location supports theories that place it as everything from a military stronghold and palatial retreat to a ceremonial site and religious centre. Either way, its rock buildings blend seamlessly with its granite escarpments, making for postcard-perfect vistas at every turn.
Stay: El Mapi (Superior) or Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel (Deluxe)
Meals: B L D
Days
9-10
Machu Picchu/Cusco
In the morning, make use of your return bus tickets to explore Machu Picchu further before boarding a train to Cusco. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its blend of colonial and Incan history makes for unique architecture and a rich past. The next day, a city tour will take it all in. Start with Coricacha Temple, an Incan palace and place of worship. Once the Spanish conquered Peru, the Dominican order built the perfectly proportioned Santo Domingo Church over its foundations. Your next stop is the Sacsayhuaman Fortress where enormous stone blocks – expertly shaped by the Incas – form imposing battlements that look out over Cusco. The tour then continues with visits to three archaeological sights – Qenko, Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay – which comprise a collection of important religious and administrative sites that once again date back to the Incas. Lastly, a visit to Inka Expression will introduce you to Andean art. Watch as craftsmen work on silver pieces and wood paintings at this boutique workshop.
Stay: Inkaterra La Casona, Cusco (Superior) or Belmond Hotel Monasterio, Cusco (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
11
Depart for UK
Transfer to the airport to make your flight to Lima where you’ll connect for your last leg back to the UK.
Meals: B
Day
12
Arrive UK
Following your overnight flight you’ll arrive back in the UK.
Map
Pricing
Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.
Accommodation rating:
12-day tailor-made holiday
from £4,700 pp incl. flights
Superior
Low Season
from £4,700 pp. incl. flights
High Season
from £4,990 pp. incl. flights
Includes:
- Complimentary UK airport lounge access
- Return flights between London and Lima
- Domestic flights between Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cusco and Lima
- Private airport transfers
- Motorised canoe ride between Puerto Maldonado and Amazon lodge
- 6 nights accommodation in typically 4* (Superior) hotels on a B&B basis
- 4 nights accommodation in 4* (Superior) lodges/hotels on a full-board basis
- Shared touring in the Amazon
- Private touring in Lima and Cusco including half day Lima city tour, full day tour of the Sacred Valley with lunch, full day Machu Picchu tour with Vistadome train and lunch, Cusco city & ruins tour
Terms & Conditions
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.
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