Peru Holidays 10 Days, Tambopata National Reserve, Cusco & Machu Picchu

Today your real Peruvian adventure begins. You will fly to Puerto Maldonado which is considered to be the world´s capital of biodiversity and is located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Begin to experience the enchantment of the rainforest as you take the boat ride along the Madre de Dios River. In 45 minutes you will arrive at the Reserva Amazonica Lodge by Inkaterra. After a short briefing, you can settle into your beautiful bungalow and then enjoy your lunch in the dining room. Take a nap, followed by a refreshing tea break and get ready for the afternoon excursion.

After getting together with your Inkaterra Explorer Guide, you can choose from the various excursions available at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica. On your first day, we recommend a guided walk along the trail system and into the Reserve’s natural area where you will start discovering the best of the Amazon Basin. This trail offers an excellent introduction to the jungle environment. It winds past impressive trees such as the staggeringly tall kapok, and the strangely beautiful strangler fig. You will be able to view exotic tropical birds and all the wildlife.

We also recommend that you take our Twilight River excursion on the first night. Witness the transformation from a diurnal to a nocturnal world as the animals and birds of the daytime give way to nighttime species. As you enjoy their paradise you will learn about their habits, while you search for nightjars, owls, capybaras and three different species of caiman.

Enjoy dinner served in the main dining room from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. After dinner, you may retire early to your own bungalow, or share your experience in the rainforest with other guests and interpreters, as you listen to the intriguing sounds of the jungle at night.

Wake up late or rise early, the choice is yours. Breakfast begins at 5:30 am. for those folks who want to avoid the heat and enjoy nature at its fullest. A full breakfast buffet is served from 5:30 am. to 9:30 am.

Early in the morning you can go on an expedition and explore Lake Sandoval, and then go even deeper into the jungle. Glide in a wooden canoe across the beautiful, mirror-like oxbow lake that is home to the giant river otter which is endangered species. Red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles and black caimans will be discovered as you travel under the canopy. Return to the Lodge for lunch after a magical experience.

After lunch, climb up the first 29-meter tower of our canopy walkway. Encounter nature in the treetop realm. For more than a quarter of a mile, you will literally walk on top of the rainforest on a suspension bridge network linking eight observation platforms. During this hour-and-a-half excursion be on the lookout for colorful toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, monkeys, and sloths. If you wish you may extend your excursion and appreciate the sunset from one of the towers. The excursion finishes by returning to the lodge. Once you are at the lodge, you can enjoy the daily nature presentation in the Eco Center. Dinner starts at 7:30 pm.

Enjoy a trip to Gamitana Creek which is located 25 minutes by boat from the Lodge. For an hour and a half you will be able to explore up and down the banks of this winding, dark-water creek that is home to piranha, caiman, turtles and birds. Navigate your way downstream as you observe the abundant flora and fauna along the trail. On the way back to the lodge you will take a short, guided tour of Gamitana Farm. This is the perfect place to observe how local farmers grow fruits and vegetables.

After lunch walk along the lodge trails to the Reserva Amazonica Rainforest Garden that you will find nearby behind the bungalows. This interesting native garden was started by locals more than ten years ago. It showcases native plants, trees and orchids. An in-depth explanation familiarizes you with the traditional uses and the highly interesting benefits of these plants and trees which are used medicinally and in construction, including those which were used while constructing the Lodge.

Then explore the Rainforest by Night on our 2-hour nighttime excursion through the Inkaterra Ecological Reserve. Here the biological activity differs greatly between night and day. Venture into the forest ecosystem and experience the mysterious activity of the animals that wake up when the sun goes down. After this unforgettable experience, return to the Lodge, relax and get ready for the following day’s adventures.

On your last morning in the jungle you will have free time to do whatever you like. Enjoy a full breakfast before you leave the Reserva Amazonica. After a 45-minute return trip by boat on the Madre de Dios River you will arrive at Puerto Maldonado. There you will visit the Butterfly House. Peru boasts the greatest variety of butterfly species in the world with 3700 known species. Many of these can be seen at the Butterfly House which showcases the variety, the beauty and the adaptability of these fascinating insects.

From Puerto Maldonado you will fly up to the Imperial City of the Incas, Cusco. Once you land at the Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport in Cusco, our TRAVEL 1 team will be on hand to welcome you. Then they will drive you through picturesque little towns and over majestic Andean highways until you reach your fantastic resort hotel in the incredible Sacred Valley of the Incas.

This will be an absolutely special day for you because today you can explore the amazing Sacred Valley of the Incas in your own style. Wake up and eat breakfast at any time you like. Relax around the hotel or take a fantastic tour to the incredible fortress at Ollantaytambo or to the quaint marketplace town of Pisac. Up above Pisac you could visit the stunning archeological ruins. All these locations are along the Urubamba River in Sacred Valley of the Incas. There are not very far from your hotel.

Optional Tour: Ollantaytambo ($ 77.00 per person), Pisac Market + Pisac Archeological Site ($ 88.00 per person).

Today is the magical day that you will explore the Seventh Wonder of the World, the ancient Citadel of Machu Picchu. You will get up bright and early, and after eating a delicious breakfast, you will ride to the Urubamba train station where you will board your scenic Vistadome Train which will take you along the rushing Urubamba River to the town of Machu Picchu Pueblo. There will be plenty of interesting things to see on the way, such us peasants farming in the old style, lots of wildlife, and snow-capped mountains reaching up to the sky. You will pass by the historical Incan constructions located at the beginning of the world-famous Classic Inca Trail.

When you reach Aguas Calientes your local guide will meet you at the train station. Then, along with your guide, you will ride the bus that goes up to this unforgettable monument of the Lost Incan Civilization. When you arrive at the ruins, your guide will lead you on a private, 3-hour guided tour of the archeological site. After finishing your guided tour, you will have free time to go exploring on your own. You might want to hike over to the Inca´s Bridge or to the Gateway of the Sun (Intipunku).

Later in the afternoon you can go down to Aguas Calientes and enjoy an exquisite lunch at Cafe Inkaterra by Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Then it will be time to board your train to Ollantaytambo. That is where our team will be waiting to pick you up and take you back to your luxurious hotel in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

After enjoying a great breakfast at your hotel, you will begin your tour of Moray, Salineras and Chinchero. You will get to explore some fabulous sites that not everyone gets to visit on their trip to Peru. First you will discover the great concentric circular terraces that form the Moray Archeological Site. This is where the Incas experimented on plants that originated in places from all over their vast Empire. The different micro-climates on the different levels of the terraces enabled the Incas to successfully adapt important food crops and medicinal plants.

Also, you will stop at the old colonial town of Maras. Here you can observe the coats-of-arms of the Incan nobility that are on the lintels above the doors of the colonial houses. Next you will visit the Salt Mines of Salineras. Salt has been harvested from the briny waters of the Salineras spring for thousands of years. There are more 5000 thousand salt pans nestled in a canyon, which are used to evaporate water to extract the salt. The salty water is directed to the ponds by an intricate network of channels. Once the pond is filled, the flow of water is cut and it is allowed to dry. Salt precipitates in crystals, and when dry it can be harvested.

On the drive back to Cusco you will be able to appreciate the beautiful snow-capped mountains of the Vilcanota Range which you will view across the Sacred Valley. You will explore the Chinchero Archeological Site, and then you will visit the home of a local family of weavers. Chinchero is the focal point where the very best weavers of all South America can be found.

After Chinchero we will drive you to your hotel in Cusco. There you can relax at your beautiful hotel.

One bad thing about a vacation journey is that it has to end. This will be your last tour in the Land of the Incas, at least for now. But it is sure to be a very memorable day, as you will get to see the most impressive sites in the sacred Capital City of the Incas, Cusco.

Our city tour starts at the fantastic Cusco Cathedral. Here in this old baroque church you can find are over 400 paintings made by members of the Cusco School of artists, including the famous painting of the Last Supper with Jesus and his apostles eating cuy. After marveling at the quality of the art work in the Cathedral your next stop will be the Qoricancha, the classic Incan Temple of the Sun.

The back wall of the Coricancha is one of the finest examples extant of authentic Imperial era Incan stone work. On the opposite side of this popular archeological site you will discover an elliptical shaped wall made out a perfectly well-fitted, incredibly hard black stone. The inside this museum is also inspirational.

Next you will leave the city proper and begin your next adventure by visiting Sacsayhuaman. Incan civilization was anchored here at this spectacular ruin. Inti Raymi has been celebrated here for centuries and is still celebrated here every June 24. Finally, you will explore the intricately carved stones of Qenqo, and the Inca´s bath at Tambomachay. This tour lasts about 6 hours.

On this, your last night in Cusco, if you like you can go see the fantastic dance show of traditional Peruvian dances at the Qosqo Center of Native Art. Another option would be to enjoy a farewell dinner at the Chicha Restaurant which is a authentic example of world-famous Peruvian gastronomy.

You will have a farewell breakfast at your hotel. Then, according to your flight itinerary, we will drive you over to the Cusco airport in time for you to check in and catch your flight home, or your flight on to your next destination. Peru will be here waiting for you whenever you would like to return and to dive deeper into her mysteries. And we at Travel 1 are looking forward to seeing you again soon.

If your flight is not reserved for that day, we can arrange for your transportation on the different day. Or we can take you to the bus station or the train station to travel to Puno.