The Best of Magical Peru & Amazon

Once you arrive in Lima, a local representative will meet you at the arrival hall and assist you with your transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is for you to relax and witness the beauty of Lima and its surroundings.

Your first stop on our Lima City Tour is the beautiful archaeological site of Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores. Once you are done exploring Huaca Pucllana accompanied by your bilingual guide, drive to the Historic centre of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Go to the stunning Plaza de Armas (Lima’s Main Square) surrounded by impressive colonial and Republican-era buildings having ornate wooden balconies. Popular buildings include the Cathedral of Lima, the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union.

Visit the spectacular structure of the Cathedral of Lima, home to the tomb of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Inside, you’ll see the paintings and sculptures that decorate the interior. After this, walk one block to the Convent of Santo Domingo. Walk around the interior of the convent and see the stunning Sevillian Azulejos (ceramic tiles) on the walls.

Have your breakfast, get picked up from the hotel (the time is yet to be confirmed) to proceed to the airport for your flight to Arequipa. As you arrive at Arequipa airport, our team will welcome you and assist your transfer to your hotel. Get complimentary coca tea and muña tea (these help your body adjust to the high altitude of the White City).

Begin your day early in the morning as we leave the White City of Arequipa and head along the route to the Colca Valley.

This beautiful drive passes through rugged pampas, snow-capped volcanoes, picturesque and lively villages, and terraced farms. Also, make a few stops along the way - the first being at Aguada Blanca National Reserve and see alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas grazing on the plains. See flamingoes, visible during the migration period, over Salinas Lake.

As you leave the reserve, drive around the edge of Chucura Volcano till you reach the Patapampa Andes Viewpoint. Currently at 4,900 metres above sea level, look across the stunning landscape consisting of snow-capped mountains and volcanoes, including Sabancaya, Hualca Calca, and Ampato, in the Arequipa Region.

The next stop is the town of Chivay, which is the gateway to the Colca Valley. Have a traditional lunch in the town (not included) before you check in to your hotel. Have the entire afternoon to explore the town on your own, and if you like, visit the hot springs at La Calera, located 3 km away from Chivay.

Start the day early as the day is full of explorations. Head for the lookout point Cruz del Condor (Cross of the Condor) near the small villages of Maca and Cabanaconde. Sight huge Andean Condors soaring high here normally in the early morning and late afternoon. Also, feel mesmerised by the depths of the Colca Canyon.

Head back to Chivay, before that stop off at the traditional village of Pinchollo and the Antahuilque viewpoint, offering spectacular views of 1,500-year-old agricultural terraces curving along the hillsides like amphitheatres. Also, spot several beautiful lagoons of the Colca Valley.

Have lunch in Chivay in the afternoon and proceed on your journey to Puno, the capital of Peruvian Folklore. On the highway, stop briefly at Patapampa which is the highest point of your journey in Peru so far. Enjoy excellent views of volcanoes such as Ampato, Misti, Sabancaya, and Chachani. Appreciate a great pile of stones left here by trailers and pilgrims since time immemorial. Finally, arrive in Puno at around 6 p.m.

Further, our team will help you to get settled in your hotel and enjoy a well-deserved rest period on Lake Titicaca’s shore.

Today, a full-day trip starts around 7:00 a.m. Get a pick-up from your hotel in Puno. Head down to the port and board our comfortable motor launch to ride out to the island of Taquile. Meet some master weavers of this ancient Andean community whose textiles are said to be the best in the country. On Taquile, find men here are weavers whereas the women spin the yarn. Further, head down to the small port on Taquile at around midday and head by boat towards the Chucuito Peninsula.

Visit a small and rarely visited rural community of Luquina - enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch at the local fisherman’s house.

In the afternoon hours, as you start heading for Puno, visit the spectacular Floating Islands of the Uros people. Once you arrive, you will be stunned by the scale of these floating reed constructions. Explore the main island, and see the houses, watchtowers and other structures, all built of reeds. One of the locals will then give a brief presentation about how the islands are made, and then you can meet one of the local families to see how they live. After visiting the Uros islands, we’ll head back to Puno, where you will be transferred to your hotel.

Get pick-up from your hotel around 6:10 a.m. and head for the bus station. Around 7:00 a.m., the bus departs to Cusco. Once you are boarded, continue your trip with your first stop at the Pukara Lithic Museum, which has a range of ceramics and sculptures representing zoomorphic figures, including the famous HATUNÑAQAC sculpture.

Further, continue your trip for around 50 minutes as you reach Paso de la Raya, the highest point between Puno and Cusco. Continue for approx. 30 minutes as you arrive at a local restaurant for lunch (buffet), containing a range of national and regional foods, fresh vegetables, garnishes, richest desserts, etc.

Once you enjoy this sumptuous lunch, continue your visit to The Archaeological Complex of Raqchi - Temple of the God Wiracocha. Once you are done exploring this gorgeous archaeological centre, head to the Andahuaylillas Chapel, a 17th-century church. Take a break for around 1 hour till we reach our final destination, the navel of the world, which you arrive on by bus around 5:00 p.m.

The tour begins in the morning as you head for the wonderful Koricancha, located next door to Santo Domingo Church. Your guide will take you around the Koricancha showing you intricate details of the place. Next, head for Cusco Cathedral, situated on the Plaza de Armas.

Find elements of deep indigenous religious symbolism, such as the carved head of a jaguar, incorporated into the church by native people. The next stop is the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, sitting on a hill above Cusco. Witness nice examples of Inca stonework and construction which include massive rocks carefully cut and put together. Explore Sacsayhuaman and head for the hill to the Tambomachay Archeological Complex. The last stop on this tour is Tambomachay before you head back into Cusco and drop off at the hotel.

Get pick-up from your hotel in Cusco at 7:30 a.m. and leave for the Sacred Valley. As you leave Cusco, pass through the town of Ccorao before heading into the mountains, descending about 1,500 ft to the bottom of the valley.

Meet next to the sacred Urubamba River and the gorgeous town of Pisac. When in Pisac, visit the colourful traditional market where you can find the work of various local artisans and other souvenirs, which you can of course take home. Spend about 30 minutes around here and then head for the ruins of Pisac, located on the top of a hill at the entrance of the valley. At Pisac, explore extensive ruins, enjoy spectacular valley views, and get a guided tour of the ruins (explore Pisac for 90 minutes).

Note: if you’d like to spend more time in the Pisac market and see more than just the ruins, talk to your guide and arrange a time and place to meet when the tour group returns. Next, head for Urubamba and stop for about 45 minutes for lunch (not included).

Post another 30-minute drive, arrive at the wonderful Inca Town and the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Spend an hour exploring these beautiful ruins as you visit the spectacular Temple of the Sun and see massive blocks of rocks perfectly carved and polished by Inca Master stonemasons. Experience the extent of the water system when we return to the town where the fast-flowing water channels are still in use. As you walk towards the town square, enjoy excellent views of the ruins above you along with the Inca granaries and warehouses built into the surrounding mountain slopes. Watch the daily life of Ollantaytambo where the locals still wear traditional clothing. After this, head for Chinchero where you spend around 30 minutes visiting a local factory and take part in a textile exhibition by the locals and learn about rich ancestral traditions. Enjoy spectacular views from Chinchero showcasing beautiful snow-capped peaks of Chicón and Verónic - the last destination of our tour of this Sacred Valley. Next, get transferred back to your hotel.

At Cusco, get a pickup at 9:00 a.m. and head for the train station to board your train to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo which is the gateway to Machu Picchu). The train leaves around 11:30 (may vary). The train will pass through river canyons and rolling hills (total time 2 hours). Enjoy plenty of time walking around the city and exploring colourful markets and the dynamic ambience of Peruvian settlement.

Spend the remainder of the day resting as you will be up for an early start the next morning for your visit to Machu Picchu.

Today, get an early start around 5:40 a.m. (to reach the citadel in time). Walk up to the bus departure point for a short and thrilling ascent up the road to Machu Picchu. Pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Begin your walking tour with an experienced guide accompanying you. The tour lasts for 2 hours.

Witness stunning attractions such as Intihuatana, House of the Guardian, Sacred Plaza, Temple of the Sun, etc. By the end of the Machu Picchu tour, get the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can enjoy a relaxing time. Have some lunch before boarding the train back to Poroy and Cusco. Once you arrive at the station, get transferred back to your hotel in Cusco.

Up for a new adventure as you relish a delicious breakfast as you leave La Ciudad Imperial and fly to Madre de Dios - Puerto Maldonado. This exciting Amazon adventure begins as you get a pickup from the airport in Puerto Maldonado. First, drive for 10 minutes to our Puerto Maldonado headquarters. (In case, you possess luggage you don’t need to require for the upcoming days, you can safely leave here, which helps with keeping the boats and cargo light.)

Next, drive to the Tambopata River Port and enter the native community of Infierno. From there, take a 45-minute boat ride to Posada Amazonas in the community’s primary forest reserve. As you arrive at the lodge, the manager will give you a nice welcome and some needed navigation and security tips. Have your lunch, and head for a 20-minute walk from Posada Amazonas leading to the 30-metre canopy tower. Enjoy spectacular views of the magnanimous expanse of the rainforest with the beautiful Tambopata River gliding through it from any of the platforms above.

Also, see beautiful toucans, macaws, and parrots flying over the jungle. In the evening, enjoy a lovely dinner at the lodge and watch a beautiful nightly presentation about the Infierno Ecotourism Project by a knowledgeable local staff member.

Head for the Three Chimbadas Oxbow Lake. Board the boat and cruise along the river for 30 minutes, followed by a thrilling 45-minute hike. Once you arrive at the lake, paddle around on a catamaran as you search for the resident family of nine giant river otters! (60% of visitors do see them.) Besides, see hoatzin, caiman, and horned screamers.

Further, take a 20-minute boat drive downriver leading to a trail carefully designed by the staff of the Centro Ñape (communal organisation producing medicines). The train particularly takes you through medicinal plants which you will be guided about by a local guide.

In the evening, go for a night walk. Witness the sound of the jungle at night decorated with some nocturnal animals that are active in the dark adding to the overall fun of these experiences.

Enjoy your breakfast when it is time for your return journey to Puerto Maldonado. Head back to the Tambopata River Port and carry on your journey to the city. Once you arrive, take your flight to Lima. From Lima Airport, get an assisted transfer to your hotel (with 5 minutes of walking).

Have your breakfast and check out at the hotel before getting transferred to the airport for your onward flight.