Peru: Discover Machu Picchu and the Amazon

Arrive in Lima
Welcome to Peru and its legendary Land of the Inca! Sheltered by the soaring peaks of Los Andes, forgotten ruins lie in wait of discovery. Ancient whitewashed villages give a glimpse into mountain life as it has been lived for centuries. Exhilarating, awesome, breathtaking, and unforgettable, Peru is an adventure destination like no other.

During your adventure, you’ll get to know your Peruvian guide, who will help you discover the local art, history, architecture, and landscapes. You are also accompanied by an AdventureWomen Ambassador, committed to helping make your experience a fun and personally rewarding adventure and cheering you on as you reach beyond your comfort zone to take on new challenges in your own unique way!

Upon arrival into Lima, you will be transferred to your hotel. There will be one group transfer provided (time TBD). Transfers will be available for other arrival times at an additional cost. If you plan to arrive early in Lima and you are interested in additional guided excursions, please reach out to us about options. Also, make sure you get a good night’s sleep before your exciting adventure begins tomorrow.

Meals on Your Own

Overnight: Manto Hotel Lima – MGallery

Lima
Rest up and relax after your flights into Peru. Meet your guide, Ambassador, and group late this morning for introductions and a trip orientation.

Visit the Larco Herrera Museum with the museum curator. Founded in 1926, the museum showcases remarkable chronological galleries that provide an excellent overview on 3,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. A special museum curator will guide you on this visit to help you understand Pre-Inca Peru, and begin giving the group a perspective on what you will see in Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Enjoy lunch at the museum.

Casa de Aliaga was built in 1536 on a plot of land given by Francisco Pizarro, leader of the Spanish expedition in Peru, to Geronimo de Aliaga, his main lieutenant. The de Aliaga family members still live in the house to this day, making it the oldest continuously inhabited house in the Americas. Your hostess knows most of the secrets of the house, and she will take you on a journey back 500 years, intertwining Peruvian history with her family’s own history.

Enjoy a lively welcome dinner as you get to know your fellow travelers this evening. Share stories and learn about why each woman in your trip is excited to explore Peru!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Manto Hotel Lima – MGallery

Lima to the Sacred Valley
Enjoy magnificent views of the rugged Andes Mountains during your one-hour flight.

Have a special gourmet picnic lunch in front of the beautiful Huaypo Lagoon.

Take a hands-on weaving class with a master weaver. Textile production has profound historic and cultural significance in the Andes, and this project is part of a highly successful National Geographic Society-supported initiative to rescue and revive this way of life. Women are the owners and drivers of this activity, and you will see how their gregarious processes of spinning, gathering and use of natural dyes, setting up of looms, and the creation of designs, are fundamental to the family and social bonds of these highland communities.

A Pacco (Andean priest), the link between the spiritual and earthly words will conduct the Tribute to the Mother Earth ceremony. This is an act of reciprocity towards Pachamama (Mother Earth), a deity associated with fertility. Dinner is on your own tonight at your hotel.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Hacienda Urubamba

Sacred Valley
To visit the native community of Cuyuni is to literally travel back in time. Here, natives are, in many ways, still living as they’ve been for centuries. The proud villagers will show you how they have managed to survive in such extremely adverse conditions: over 13,000 feet above sea level, where only wild grass grows naturally. Spend some time harvesting potatoes with the locals, surrounded by Guinea pigs and llamas.

On this very special day, the community leaders will accompany the group as you learn not only about their daily lives and activities but also about their ancestral traditions that date to pre-Inca times. Enjoy lunch in the community.

Have dinner at your leisure and relax at your hotel this evening.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Hacienda Urubamba

Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu
This morning is the beginning of a fantastic journey by train to Machu Picchu, “Lost City of the Incas.” Travel by the narrow-gauge switchback train through the fertile valleys of the Andes and along the sacred Urubamba River.

Luggage Note for the Train: There are no large suitcases allowed on the train, so you will have to take your small, collapsible overnight bag or your daypack with you on the train for the two overnights at Machu Picchu. You can leave your large suitcase at the hotel, and all suitcases will be transported to your hotel in Cusco for when you return from Machu Picchu.

Enjoy a guided tour of the famous ruins. Machu Picchu is one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world. While the Inca people certainly used the Andean mountaintop, erecting many stone structures from the early 1400s, legends and myths indicate that Machu Picchu was revered as a sacred place far earlier than the Inca times.

Enjoy lunch at a delicious restaurant in town.

Your hotel has many optional activities, including walking tours, bird watching, and a spa, as well as lovely places to relax this afternoon.

Enjoy dinner as a group this evening.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Machu Picchu to Cusco
For those with advance permits (an additional $25), hike up the steep peek of Huayna Picchu for a view of the ruins from above. Let us know if you’d like to book the permit for this hike – they sell out quickly, so the sooner the better!

For those who choose not to hike Huayna Picchu, wander around the citadel of Machu Picchu, exploring and admiring every corner of this incredible site.

Have lunch in Aguas Calientes on your own. Meet back at the Pueblo Hotel this afternoon before boarding the train for return to Cusco.

Head out to one of Cusco’s excellent restaurants for dinner on your own this evening.

Breakfast

Overnight: Palacio del Inka

Cusco
Head out for a tour of Cusco today. Start with the best view of the city from atop Cerro Pukamoqo, a natural scenic overlook from which the outstretched arms of Cristo Blanco, a massive white statue of Christ, embrace the city. Stop at the Fortress of Sacsayhuamán, a structure of enormous stones which are carved and fit together with incredible precision. Return to the lower part of the city, stopping at the Mercado de San Pedro. As the main street market, this will give you an opportunity to get to know the products of Cusco. Wander through and admire the sights, aromas, tastes, and colors of the region – try a juice made from local fruit, the typical local bread, Andean cheese, and the best Peruvian chocolate.

Just a few blocks away, discover the Korikancha, or the Golden Temple, dedicated to the worship of the Sun God. Finish your exploration with a stroll through the Plaza de Armas, the main square, where you will visit the Cathedral, famous for its exquisite vestibules and priceless paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Enjoy lunch and the afternoon on your own.

Enjoy tonight’s dinner where you will enjoy delicious food, an interesting wine menu, a cozy non-pretentious setting, and the warm attention of their smiling all-Peruvian staff!

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Palacio del Inka

Cusco to the Amazon
Head to the airport after breakfast to connect with your flight to Puerto Maldonado. When you arrive, transfer by boat along the Madre de Dios River. It is about a 45-minute ride to your lodge. Settle into your beautiful cabaña and enjoy lunch in the dining room.

Take a guided walk along the Trail system, into the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica natural area, where you will discover the Amazon Basin. This trail offers an excellent introduction to the forest environment, winding past impressive trees such as the Shihuahuaco, and the strangely beautiful strangler fig, offering excellent opportunities for bird watching and observing exotic insects.

Enjoy a boat ride on the Madre de Dios river. Witness the transformation from a diurnal to a nocturnal world: animals and birds of the daytime give way to species specially adapted to the night. As you enjoy their paradise, you will learn about their habits, while you search for nightjars, owls, capybaras, and up to three different caiman species.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Lodge

The Amazon
Visit the Lake Sandoval excursion into the Tambopata National Reserve. Glide in a wooden canoe across a beautiful, mirror-like oxbow lake that is home to the endangered giant river otter, as well as red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles and black caimans.

Walk along the Canopy Walkway. Ascending the first tower, 29 meters above the forest ground, you begin your encounter with the treetop realm. For more than a quarter of a mile, you will literally walk through the rainforest canopy on a suspension bridge network linking eight observation platforms. During this hour-and-a-half expedition, be on the lookout for colorful toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, monkeys, and sloths. If you wish you may extend your excursion and watch the sunset from one of the towers.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Lodge

The Amazon
Enjoy a trip to Gamitana Creek, located 25 minutes by boat from the lodge. For one and a half hours, explore the rainforest along the banks of a winding, dark-water creek that is home to many piranhas, caimans, turtles, and birds, until the Sanipanga landing point. Navigate your way back downstream, observing the abundant flora and fauna along the way. You will return to Gamitana Farm to take a short tour to learn how local farmers grow fruits and vegetables.

Enjoy the Hacienda Concepcion excursion, with over 200 different plant species, and learn about the uses and benefits of local flora. This is followed by a 30-minute canoe trip to look for turtles, sun grebes, nightjars, and exotic herons.

Head out for a two-hour night excursion. Venture into the forest and experience the mystery of the animal activity that awakens in the rainforest after dark, enhancing animal resources to create new adaptation mechanisms. Listen to nocturnal forest sounds and spot species that only emerge at night.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Lodge

Depart Peru
Take a boat transfer back to the airport in Puerto Maldonado. Enjoy a visit to the Butterfly House in Puerto Maldonado. Peru boasts the greatest variety of butterflies in the world – 3,700 known species. Many of these can be seen at the Butterfly House.

Take your early afternoon flight to Lima.

Take advantage of having a hotel room just across the street from the airport. Shower, repack, and grab dinner on your own at the hotel restaurant.

When you’re ready for your flight home, say goodbye to your new AdventureWomen friends and walk across the street to check in at the Lima airport.

Breakfast

Day Room: Costa del Sol Wyndham Airport

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.