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10 Days Wildlife & Wild Places: Peru Tour Package
Few countries can offer the diversity of Peru's natural and cultural treasures. An immersion into the primeval rainforest at Manu takes us deep within the most biodiverse region of the Amazon Basin. Home to a staggering array of wildlife, including the elusive jaguar, the park’s 13 ecological zones host nearly a thousand species of birds alone. West into the high green peaks of the Andes lies another marvel, this one of human origin: Machu Picchu, the mystical stone city built by the Incas in the 15th century, and below, the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba River, replete with myth and ruins. Tour Itinerary Day 1 - Lima Upon arrival at the airport in Lima, you will be greeted by your local host and transferred to the hotel Hotel: Sonesta El Oliver Breakfast at the hotel followed by a private transfer to the airport, where you will catch your morning flight to Puerto Maldonado.Your journey will take you into the heart of the Tambopata National Park, where you will experience the magnificent beauty; the sounds, the scents, the colours and the solitude of the rainforest. You will find yourself surrounded by a vast natural environment, in a way that many of you have never experienced nature before. Upon arrival, you will be greeted at the Puerto Maldonado Airport by lodge staff members, who will assist you with your luggage. Next, you will be driven to the river port, where you will take a 45-minute boat ride on the Madre de Dios River to the fascinating world of Reserva Amazonica. Reserva Amazónica offers 14 A-La-Carte Excursions, with duration of ¼ day, ½ day, or one day, and at three levels of intensity. Since this will probably be your first rainforest experience, we suggest starting with a guided walk along one of the trails as a wonderful introduction to the incredible world of the Amazon rainforest. The trails wind past such important giant trees of the forest as the kapok and the strangler fig, and you may see superb examples of bird and insect life. An excursion to a Native Farm is also an option. Later in the late afternoon, you can take a boat ride along the Madre de Dios River to see the change in the environment as twilight gives way to darkness. Animals and birds are replaced by special species adapted to darkness, such as nightjars, owls, capybaras, and caimans. Enjoy cocktails and dinner in the dining room of the lodge’s main pavilion, then relax on the porch of your cabaña before retiring for the night. Hotel: Reserva Amazonica Wake up early to observe the sunrise over the Madre de Dios River before breakfast. Gather in the Eco–Center and board a five-minute boat ride to the Canopy Interpretation Center. Ascend 45 meters above the forest floor and spend 90 minutes walking between treetops on suspension bridges looking down upon giant strangler fig trees, orchids, toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, and with luck, monkeys or a three-toed sloth. Next, a 30-minute walk takes you to a nearby wetland area, an important rainforest ecosystem that is host to many exotic plants and birds. Return for a buffet lunch and siesta before your afternoon excursion to Lake Sandoval. Travel by boat to the Tambopata National Reserve and walk the trail through the wildlife-rich reserve, to the breathtaking oxbow lake, Lake Sandoval. See the endangered giant river otter as well as rare red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, point-tailed palm creepers, and side-neck turtles. Return for cocktails and dinner. Hotel: Reserva Amazonica After a buffet breakfast meet in the Eco–Center to receive instruction and supplies for the full-day Gamitana excursion. Your journey begins with a 45-minute boat ride to Gamitana farm. Enjoy a three-hour walk through the rainforest and along the bank of a winding dark water creek, home to piranhas, caimans, turtles, and many different species of birds. Return by canoe to the lodge to rest and enjoy its luxurious facilities. Dinner at the lodge. Hotel: Reserva Amazonica This morning after breakfast check out of the lodge and return by boat to Puerto Maldonado, an hour and a half upriver. Visit the city’s Butterfly Farm where you can experience several dozen of the more than 3,800 varieties of butterflies and moths found in Peru. Depart on your flight from Puerto Maldonado airport to Cusco. Upon your arrival you will be transferred to the Sacred Valley of the Inca, the best place to start the exploration of Cusco. It offers privileged climate, beautiful sceneries, picturesque villages and friendly local people at a moderate altitude. En route we will stop at Awanakancha where Andean artisans will demonstrate weaving and dyeing techniques. You can also see many South American camelid species here, including llamas, guanacos, vicuñas and alpacas. Spend the rest of the afternoon to relax and acclimatize to the high altitude. Hotel: Hotel Sol Y Luna This morning you will visit Ollantaytambo, the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas, which shows the best surviving example of Inca city planning. Its fortress, with its extremely well built walls, was both a temple and a fortress to the Incas. The spectacular steep terraces that guard the Inca complex mark one of the few places where the Conquerors lost a major battle. The temple area is at the top of steep terracing, which helped to provide excellent defences. Stones used for these buildings were brought from a quarry high up on the opposite side of the Urubamba River - an incredible feat involving the efforts of thousands of workers. The complex was still under construction by the time of the conquest and was never completed. Continue on to Cachiccata, an impressive and small well located community, its economy is based in agriculture and now it is more involved in tourism projects. You will have the chance to walk around and visit some projects like the camping area, the houses of the community, built with stones and adobes (mudbricks) and the botanical garden which follows the aim to create a local Reserve with interpretative trails and a reforestation plan; here you can participate and leave one native tree in your name. The reforestation will create a better future to the next generations and it will be the base for their economy due to biodiversity. Capture carbon to be exchanged for oxygen will be another input of this project. We will have an spectacular lunch called “Pachamanca”, a typical dish cooked under ground with a variety of meats and vegetables, served at Restaurant Las Canteras, which means the quarry. Hotel: Hotel Sol Y Luna Transfer this morning to Ollantaytambo train station to board your train to Machu Picchu in Vistadome Service, which provides panoramic windows enhancing scenic views and photographic moments. Upon arrival, we will be met and transferred to our hotel. After lunch in the main dining room or in Café Inkaterra, where Andean style food is served overlooking the Vilcanota River, you can choose from a variety of activities available in the grounds of the hotel. Options include an orchid walk on the hotel grounds, where you will find the world’s largest collection of native orchid species in their natural setting within a private facility (372 species). Tonight we will embark upon a twilight walk, experiencing the spirituality in the cloud forest for meditation and mystical connection, visiting pre-Inca rock paintings (pictographs) at Rocotal and Alccamayo, from which the archaeological site of Wiñay Wayna can be seen on a clear day. The walk finishes with a visit to the Casa del Té (Tea House), where you will have a chance to participate in processing tea grown right on the hotel grounds. Watch as the freshly picked leaves are ground by hand over rock or are slowly dried over an open fire. Hotel: Machu Picchu Pueblo After an early buffet breakfast, depart in the mystical pre-dawn light for a 25-minute ride to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu, just in time to catch the sunrise over the enigmatic citadel. Spend the morning exploring these magnificent ruins, the mirador on Wayna Picchu, and surroundings. Experience the energy and atmosphere of one of the most significant and spectacular archeological sites on the planet. Return to the hotel for lunch, then to the train station to board your Vistadome train of Cusco. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel in Cusco. Cusco is the ancient capital and spiritual heart of the Inca Empire and a Colonial center. During the visit, you will discover marvellous Incan buildings as well as Andean Baroque structures from the Colonial Period among its unique cobbled stoned streets. Cusco is nowadays recognized for its extraordinary handicrafts and home to some of Peru’s most talented textile and ceramics’ artists, good restaurants and fun nightlife. Hotel: Casa Andina Private Collection After breakfast, enjoy a private guided journey through out the city of Cusco, starting with the Cathedral, located next to the main plaza. This cathedral offers the city’s greatest collection of colonial art. Then, stop by the famous Koricancha, formerly the Inca Empire richest temple, which became a catholic church. Enter the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, showcase of 450 archaeological pieces. Afterwards, visit Cusco’s main ruins in the outskirts of the city. Sacsayhuamán, which in Quechua means “satisfied falcon”, is thought to be of religious and military significance. It is the most impressive ruin close to the city of Cusco. Thought to be a hunting lodge, Puca Pucara, which means “red fort” in Quechua, is a rock structure which looks pink in some lights. Later visit Quenko, which means “zigzag” in Quechua and consists of a large limestone riddled with niches, steps and carving, including zigzagging channels which gave the site its name. Finally, visit Tambomachay (Cavern Lodge), commonly referred to as the “Baños del Inca” or Inca baths. Tambomachay was a site used for ritual bathing. The excellent quality of the stonework suggests that its use was restricted to the higher nobility, who probably only used the baths on ceremonial occasions. Hotel: Casa Andina Private Collection Enjoy a buffet breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Cusco’s airport to take your flight to Lima. Spend a relaxed afternoon in Lima with optional excursions. Afterwards transfer to the airport to board your flight back home. Hotel: None
Near the riverbank, a sophisticated round dining building sets the tone for this lodge. The elegant dinner buffet, served downstairs, features organic salads and gourmet jungle entrée like paca, which is doncella fish, tomatoes, and onions cooked inside a bamboo tube over an open fire. There are 41 private wooden bungalows, including three luxury suites, with wood porches and hammocks, beds with mosquito netting, hot showers, kerosene lamps, and interesting touches like wooden sinks and the hotel’s own line of organic shampoo and conditioner.
A five-minute walk from the center of town takes you to this stunningly beautiful eco-lodge in its own mini-tropical cloud forest. The stone bungalows, none with the same design, have a rustic elegance, with exposed beams and cathedral ceilings. Activities include a one-day Inca Trail trek, bird-watching excursions, and orchid tours, as well as a twilight nature walk. Dining in the restaurant overlooking the surrounding hills is first-rate -- try the delicious crema de choclo (corn chowder).
Since the 1980s, Steven has worked at WWF-Canada on all aspects of conservation, including endangered species in Canada and tropical forests in Latin American. For 20 years, he has travelled regularly to the Amazon and the Andes to support local conservation work. He has degrees in zoology and botany from the University of Toronto. Outside of work, he enjoys cottage life, birds and canoeing. With a sense of humour, an eye for wildlife, and a wide range of conservation experience, Steven will help you get the most out of your Peruvian adventure. Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Peru Vacation specialist Contact: Travelwizard.com Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252 6/09 |
Located in the attractive San Isidro district of Lima, the Sonesta El Olivar Lima offers easy access to all the charms of the city. The exclusive 134-room Sonesta El Olivar has the tranquility of San Isidro’s majestic 10-acre Olive Grove Wood, together with the comfort and services that only a five-star hotel can offer. Known as one of the best Lima hotels, the Hotel El Olivar offers fine restaurants, health club, meeting rooms, business center and other luxury amenities. 
A lovely addition to the Sacred Valley of the Inca, this hotel has bungalows surrounded by flower gardens. Nearby are the Perol Chico stables, where you can book trips through this beautiful valley on the stable's famous Peruvian caballos de paso. The Viento-Sur Adventure Club at the hotel also offers paragliding, biking, and walking tours
Built in a colonial large house of 16th century, Casa Andina Private Collection Hotel Cusco offers a warm atmosphere and a friendly service. Located in the colonial old part of Cusco City, this property is just a few blocks from the Main Square. The hotel offers 72 guestrooms, all of which are well decorated and equipped with several modern amenities. Attentive room service is also available for your convenience. Guests can dine at the in-house restaurant that serves a wide variety of delicious cuisine. The hotel has a lobby where guests can relax or meet friends and business delegates. You can also avail of the reception and laundry services offered by the hotel.|
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