Peru Highlights A Bespoke Itinerary Created For Wanderlust Travel Dates: August 2019 This tailor-made tour is a genuine all-encompassing adventure offering a rare insight into the all of the allure, mystery and excitement that characterises Peru. Experience the stunning Andean mountains, mingle with colourful locals, walk along ancient Inca pathways and absorb Peru s majestic spirit completely.
Day 1 - Arrival in Lima Welcome to Peru! You will be greeted on arrival at the international airport in Lima and transferred to your hotel by private vehicle. Once you have checked in, the remainder of the day is free at your leisure. Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 after he eradicated the Incas and made the city his capital. Lima has many fine colonial buildings and some of the best museums in South America including the Gold Museum, Museum of the Inquisition and the Catacombs below the San Francisco Church. Accommodation: Allpa Hotel Meals: None Day 2 - Free day in Lima Tday is free for you to explore at your own pace. Do not miss Lima s own Bridge of Sighs, a quaint wooden bridge located at the top of the stone steps that wind down to the beaches below Barranco. The San Francisco church is famous for its catacombs which were actually part of Lima s original cemeteries, built under churches. An estimated 75,000 bodies are buried under San Francisco alone, and as many of the remains are exposed, stacked in strange patterns in circular stone pits; a visit is not for the squeamish. The Miraflores district is a haven for food lovers but as a real treat, why not combine history and cuisine. Huaca Pucllana is creatively lit at night, giving the feeling of being on an Indiana Jones film. Here you will have the option to enjoy haute cuisine with a truly unique backdrop from the on-site restaurant. Accommodation: Allpa Hotel Meals: Breakfast Day 3 - Fight from Lima to Puerto Maldonado / Start 3 Day / 2 Night Amazon Planet Taricaya package This morning you will be transferred from the hotel in Lima to the airport in time for your flight to the Puerto Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 2
Maldonado jungle. Upon arrival you will be collected and transferred to Amazon Planet s head office for registration and to re-pack a small bag ready for the jungle. After your registration you will make your way down to the port to board the motorboat for a 1.5 hour river ride to Amazon Planet while enjoying the wonders of the rainforest. You ll set off down the Madre de Dios River through the heart of the jungle surrounded by flora, fauna and breathtaking scenery. Upon arrival at Amazon Planet you will be able to settle into your private bungalow before heading for lunch in the dining room before meeting with your guide. They will give you an introduction talk about the lodge, and the rainforest, winding past giant Kapok trees, walking, palms and strangler figs while being dazzled by the sounds of nature in search for wildlife. Before dinner, take a walk with your guide and experience the jungle as it transforms from day into night making way for nocturnal animals especially adapted for the dark. Return with your guide to the Main house to enjoy some documentaries about Amazon Planet, the Taricaya Ecological Reserve, the different projects and much more while dinner is being served. After dinner you may return to your bungalow or meet with the other guests or volunteers from Taricaya, for a drink at the bar! Accommodation: Amazon Planet Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 4 - Continue 3 Day / 2 Night Amazon Planet Taricaya package After breakfast, begin your adventure walking through the trails surrounded by 300 year old trees while identifying the flora and fauna by sight and sound. You will arrive at the first platform located 15 metres above ground, situated on top of the branches of an old fig tree accessed by a suspension bridge. You will have time to explore the amazing structure of this tree and the wildlife that live in and around it. Continue your walk into the Taricaya Reserve towards the Canopy platform, the highest tree platform in the Amazon rainforest. Located 45 metres high up in the crown of an ancient Kapok tree and connected by a 90 metre long suspension bridge eep your eyes peeled for the flying Macaws, parrots and Toucans; the views from this platform are truly unforgettable! Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 3
Continuing into the reserve until we reach the Taricaya Rescue Centre where you may encounter many different wild animals including a jaguar, pumas, macaws, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, jaguarondi, bush dog, tapir, turtles and more. These animals are in the process of rehabilitation before being released back into the wild. On the way back to the lodge you and your guide will have the opportunity to stop at the butterfly house before lunch. You ll have the opportunity to enjoy the facilities at the lodge before venturing off or a 30 minute walk to the Agroforestry farm to visit the reforestation project of mahogany, cedar, cocoa, coffee and tropical flowers. Visit the Mahogany workshop and the artificial beaches of the Taricaya turtle project (between July, August and September you will see the flags pointing out the turtle nests in the sand, relocated to be kept safe from poacher). Return to the Lodge along the river on inflatable boats. Enjoy the sunset whilst floating down the river back to the lodge (between July and September you can stop at the beach and enjoy a refreshing swim in the river too). Arrive to the Lodge for rest before we finish the day s activities with a caiman search along the river s edge in the motorboat under the moonlight. We will search for white caiman, black caiman and spectacle caiman with a flashlight as they lay along the river banks at night. Return to the lodge for dinner and rest or enjoy a classic Pisco Sour and more at the bar. Accommodation: Amazon Planet Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Day 5 - Finish 3 Day / 2 Night Amazon Planet Taricaya package /Flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco Check out from your bungalow and wander down to the dining room for your last breakfast in the jungle. The motorboat is ready to leave at 08.00, where you will then transfer back to Puerto Maldonado city. Say goodbye to the jungle as we go up the river for an hour and a half before heading back to the office to pick up any stored luggage. A transfer will be ready to take you to the airport in time for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival at Cusco airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the afternoon will be at your leisure. Accommodation: Siete Ventanas Meals: Breakfast Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 4
Day 6 - Afternoon half day private Cusco City Tour The morning has been left free for you to decide your own activities; explore a little at your own pace or hole up in one of the pretty cafes and just soak up the atmosphere - the choice is yours. This afternoon you will join a group to explore the churches and cathedral around the charming Plaza de Armas. Your next stop will be the complex of Koricancha which contained the Temple of the Sun, the most sacred site in the Inca religion. It was the centrepiece of a vast astronomical observatory. Little remains of it today except for sections of its stone walls which hint at the sites once massive size. The Christian monastery of Santo Domingo was built on top of the complex, no doubt to signify that one religion had been replaced by another. Afterwards, you will drive to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman which reveal the Incas extraordinary architecture. Like all Inca constructions, the stones fit together perfectly without mortar and it would be hard to fit a single sheet of paper even between the biggest. It took almost one hundred years and thousands of men to complete. Next it is on to a site shrouded in mystery, the large rock and intricate complex of Qenko. The site is named for the zigzag channels carved into the rock which are believed to have been used by Inca priests to pour sacred chicha or llama blood into as part of an annual ritual. Tambomachay is thought to be have been used to worship water as the source of life. Two aqueducts, artistically carved on the rock, transport and keep a constant flow of clean water. Your final stop is the red fortress of Puka Pukara which took its name from the colour of the stones (especially at dusk). Accommodation: Siete Ventanas Meals: Breakfast Day 7 - Sacred Valley Tour Departing from Cusco, you will spend the day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas with your guide and group. Here the Incas lived, farmed and enjoyed the natural wealth of this verdant region. You will have a wonderful panoramic view of the Inca citadel of Pisac and visit the colourful and vibrant arts and crafts market in Pisac. The nearby Inca site also has a turrets, military fortresses and astronomical observatories. The largest Inca cemetery in South America is also located here. With your guide you will travel along the Vilcanota River to the city of Urubamba where you will enjoy an included lunch. Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 5
It is then time to travel on to the town of Ollantaytambo where newer buildings have been built on top of Inca foundations and many of the traditions from that time have been kept alive by the people here. Climb up above the town to the temple/fortress with its enormous Inca terracing constructed on the side of a steep mountain. Following the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the evening is at your leisure in Ollantaytambo. Accommodation: Ccapac Inka Ollanta Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Day 8 - Start 2 Day/1 Night Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Today you will begin the 2 day / 1 night Inca Trail trek with a private guide. The trek today takes you along the most impressive stretch of the Inca Trail. You will visit beautiful Inca sites, see a variety of flora and fauna and get to take in the fantastic panoramas of the Andean mountains. Covering 10km of the trail, your journey begins in the Sacred Valley and works its way up along an original Inca Trail to the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna before continuing on to Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate (Inti Punku). As you make your way to Machu Picchu, you will pass through the lush and verdant cloud forest that covers the mountain and get to see a variety of plants, flowers and birds en-route. You may also see some larger mammals such as Vizcachas (rabbit-like Chinchillas) and Spectacled Bears (if you are very lucky). After a full days trekking, you will arrive at the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) in the late afternoon and get your first views of Machu Picchu spread out on the mountain below. The light at this time of day is great for photos and with fewer tourists at the site, it is a perfect time to take some pictures. After you have passed through the Sun Gate, you will carry on along the trail a little way before taking a side trail that leads us to Aguas Calientes in the valley below where you will check in to your hotel. Accommodation: Waman Hotel Meals: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch and Dinner Day 9 - Finish 2 Day/1 Night Inca Trail to Machu Picchu / Aguas Caliente to Cusco Waking up early you will take the first bus back up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. You will have a 2 hour guided tour of the site during which you will learn about the Incas and visit the most important areas of Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 6
the citadel. After your tour, you will have free time to explore the site by yourself. In the afternoon, you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo from where you will carry on by bus to Cusco. Accommodation: Siete Ventanas Meals: Breakfast and Lunch Day 10- Departure Day Today is sadly your last day in Peru You will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel in Lima Meals: Breakfast End of services Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 7
Including: All accommodation, as per the itinerary or similar All transfers and transportation, as per the itinerary All meals, as mentioned above Excursions listed in the itinerary Service of English-speaking local guides Excluding: International and departure taxes Travel insurance (compulsory) Visa fees and/or visa travel authorisation if applicable Early/Late Check in/out at hotels (unless otherwise specified) Personal expenses such as phone calls, souvenirs and laundry Tips for guide and drivers Camera and video fees Insurance:: Travel insurance is compulsory for this trip. Travel Insurance is a cost effective way to protect yourself and your equipment in the event of problems due to cancelled trips, delays, medical problems, baggage loss or damage. Important Notes: This itinerary is a guide. Changes may be made before or during your tour to improve the running or due to unforeseen circumstances such as adverse weather. Tailor-made Travel Itinerary Page 8