A DEEP JOURNEY IN PERU

LIMA – CUSCO – INCA TRAIL - MACHU PICCHU – POSADA AMAZONAS
(12 days / 11 nights)

DAY 01
LIMA

Reception at the airport, transfer to Selected Hotel. Lunch at the Rosa Nautica Restaurant built on top of the Pacific Ocean. In the afternoon city tour in Colonial Lima, shared services, this visit includes the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and its museum, the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs, the San Martin Plaza, the Osambela Residence and the Santo Domingo Church. Transfer to Local Restaurant and back to hotel.

DAY 02
LIMA-CUSCO (Breakfast)

Early breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Cusco. Reception in Cusco and transfer to selected Hotel. Rest of the morning at leisure to get used to the altitude. In the afternoon guided visit to the ruins nearby Cusco, the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, overlooking the city of Cusco, a pre Inca architectural masterpiece, Kenko a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is a monolithic altar representing a puma and the red Fortress of Puca-Pucara, the Main Square with its Cathedral and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun. Return to the hotel and overnight.

DAY 03
CUSCO - INCA TRAIL (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel. Early start from Cusco by bus to Chilca in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Hike along the Vilcanota River to the enormous Inca Ruins of Llactapata, continue up side valley to camp.

DAY 04
INCA TRAIL (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Breakfast. Climb steeply up through field and forests, along Huayllabamba, Llulluchapampa above 3,600 m.a.s.l. Magnificent views of snow peaks and ruins, descend to our camp in Pacaymayo at the valley bottom.

DAY 05
INCA TRAIL (breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Breakfast. Cross a second pass and follow a fine Inca road down to the ridge-top ruins of Sayaqmarka. Further on, pass through a tunnel amid luxuriant vegetarion. Camp at Phuyupatamarka, superb ruins overlooking the Vilcanota River far bellow. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

DAY 06
INCA TRAIL - MACHU PICCHU (breakfast, lunch)

Breakfast. The royal road descends steeply through orchi-rich cloud forest. Enjoy the magnificent view of the Machu Picchu ruins from the Inti Punku or Door of the sun. Reach Machu Picchu, guided visit of the ruins. Machu Picchu which is totally built of stone blocks, fitted with masterful precision. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. In the afternoon continue by minibus to the town of Aguas Calientes, overnight at selected hotel.

DAY 07
MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO (breakfast)

Breakfast. Free day to discover this wonderful town.

DAY 08
CUSCO – PUERTO MALDONADO (breakfast, lunch & dinner)

Breakfast. Free day to discover Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport. Upon arrival from Lima or Pto. Maldonado reception and transfer to our office in Puerto Maldonado. Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling, booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism. After a brief survey of the town we will drive thirty minutes to the Tambopata river port in the community of Infierno. We will board our boats for a one hour trip by motorized canoe to Posada Amazonas. Depending on the arrival time of the plane we will have a boxed lunch aboard the boats or have lunch upon arrival at Posada Amazonas. During our voyage we may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork, Roadside Hawk, and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. When we arrive at Posada Amazonas we will unpack and unwind. Posada Amazonas is a comfortable yet unobtrusive 30 room lodge owned jointly by Rainforest Expeditions and the Local Community of Inferno. We will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing on the lodge and the Ecotourism Project before our afternoon activity : the canopy tower. In this activity, we will visit a 35 meter scaffolding tower that is 15 minutes walking from the lodge. The scaffolding tower is built so that you safely climb using the internal staircase with verandahs on each side, and rest in platforms present every 2 meters. From the top you not only get spectacular views of the river and the surrounding forest but also excellent opportunities to observe birds from the canopy including parrots, toucans and macaws.

DAY 09
POSADA AMAZONAS (breakfast, Lunch and dinner)

We will be up at dawn for a visit to the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake. After an early breakfast we depart, fifteen minutes from Posada Amazonas by boat and a 30 minute walk take us to the lake shore. From here we take a long, easy canoe ride around it. We will look for giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin, and wading birds. The giant river otters that are seen in Tres Chimbadas belong to a resident family of nine. Then we will return to the lodge for lunch before embarking on our afternoon outing. In the afternoon we will visit the community's ethno botanical centre. From this little shop, the community has been registering the uses of medicinal plants from elders and planting, producing and distributing them for over ten years. We will hike the trails around the centre with one of the residents who will explain to us the everyday uses of forest resources in medicine, construction, food and fibre. We will return to Posada Amazonas for dinner and overnight. After enjoying our popular happy hour and refurbishing your spirits with ours, you will be up for an optional night walk to look for amphibians and insects

DAY 10
POSADA AMAZONAS (breakfast, Lunch and dinner)

After an early breakfast we will visit a clay lick. This clay lick is also a ten minute walk from the lodge, but next to the river. Amazingly, the variety of parrots that visit this clay lick is considerably different than the one inside the forest that we will visit later in the day. Some of the large macaws, like the red and green macaw, and larger parrots, like mealy and yellow crowned Amazons visit this lick, as well as the smaller parrots and parakeets. From the blind we have constructed next to this lick, even the amateur photographer can take good pictures of these wonderful birds. We will also have a great opportunity to spot other spectacular wildlife, active at this time of the day, like scarlet or blue and gold macaws and a great deal of other birds. When the activity dies out we will visit a small parakeet clay lick that is a 45 minute walk away. Dozens and sometimes hundreds of Blue Headed Parrots, Orange-Cheeked Parrots, Cobalt-winged parakeets, and sometimes even the rare Rock Parakeet congregate here on clear days to ingest clay. This congregation creates a riotous and colourful wildlife spectacle where the greens, oranges, reds and blues of the parrots dance around the bank as each individual parrot competes for their choice beakful of clay. At times, this spectacle lasts for hours. After lunch, we will have a walk through a trail on primary forest with a community member and our naturalist guide who will explain general aspects of rain forest ecology and natural history, each with their own contrasting viewpoint. We will return to Posada Amazonas where you will be able to reminisce on the happening of the past three days enjoying our happy hour's Amazonian concoctions.

DAY 11
POSADA AMAZONAS - LIMA (B)

After an early breakfast, we depart by boat back to the city of Puerto Maldonado, directly to the airport, in time for our flight to Lima. Transfer to the selected Hotel.

DAY 12
LIMA (B)

Coordination for the Intl. flight

 END OF THE TOUR  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT THIS TOUR INCLUDES:  

Accommodation in double bed room with private bath in the mentioned hotels or similar category. Local air tickets. Air tickets subject to change without previous notice. Meals as specified in itinerary. Transfers, tours and excursions as per itinerary with local English speaking guides based on private services. First-aid equipment. Our guides have first-aid course. Equipment: Tents, mattresses, toilet-tent, dining tent with tables and chairs. Snacks and 03 good meals pr. day made by experienced kitchen personnel. Porters to carry camping equipment plus personal luggage, max. 7 kilos pr. person. Each tourist carries his own daypack with room for water bottle, snacks and changing clothes. 01 Back Packer train ticket Aguas Calientes- Cusco 02 minibus ticket Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes 01 Entrance fee to Machu Picchu ruins. 01 Cusco Tourist Ticket. 1 Full Posada Amazons Expedition Tour. 1 Full Posada Amazons Expedition Tour.

•  Meals not specified in itinerary. International air tickets Airport taxes USD5.00 for each domestic flight departure and USD28.00 for international departure Personal expenses such as telephone bills, laundry expenses, beverages, etc. Insurance against theft, loss, illness and/or accident Tips, baggage porterage or extras not specified.

•  It is important that 10 days prior to the arrival you put the Yellow Fever Vaccine.

•  • Trekking footwear • Mosquito repellent • Sleeping bag • Camera with extra rolls of film • Change of clothes • Purifying tablets • Jacket • Sun-block • Clothes for cold weather • Good socks • Flashlight with extra batteries • Swim-suit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------