13-Nights Peru: Inca Trail & the Amazon - The Geluxe Collection from $6,729

G Adventures: Peru: Inca Trail & the Amazon

Day 1: Cusco: The Land of the Incas
The air is a bit thinner when you step off of the plane and you can immediately sense the magic of Cusco as you make your way to the city centre along the cobblestone streets past grand buildings and ancient Inca stonework. We welcome you to Peru, a diverse land of natural beauty and traditional cultures and we invite you to open yourself to curiosity and wonder as you embark on this adventure up in the Andes.
Arrive to Cusco at any time and transfer to the hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head to a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner with new friends.
Day 2: The Sacred Valley: Pisaq Ruins and Cultural Traditions
The Sacred Valley is aptly named for its importance to the people who have lived there and it is also stunningly beautiful with mountain scenery and colourful farmland along the Urubamba River. You'll see the massive ruins of Pisaq perched up above the town as you approach and you'll get to spend time with a local community on the way up to the site. Lunch is an experience unto itself at a community-run restaurant, using locally-grown ingredients for a delicious and traditional meal. Back at the hotel for dinner, feast on a traditional pachamanca meal consisting of various types of meat, potatoes and vegetables cooked for hours in the ground under hot stones.
Travel from Cusco into the Sacred Valley. Visit the Cuyo Chico community for a snack and to learn about their traditional ceramics and adobe before taking a guided tour of Pisaq archaeological site. Continue to the hotel after lunch. In the evening enjoy a pachamanca dinner.
Day 3: The Sacred Valley: Your OMG Day
Sitting at a slightly lower altitude than Cusco, spending time in the Sacred Valley helps to get you used the altitude in these parts. Choose from a scenic acclimatization hike to a waterfall or get the adrenaline flowing by scaling a via ferrata network of rungs and ladders for lunch with a view.
Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch.
Day 4: The Sacred Valley: Living Traditions
Beyond the natural beauty of the Sacred Valley lies a long history of cultural practices that endure throughout the region. You'll marvel at Inca stonework at Ollantaytambo and also see living traditions like ceramic-making that embody both the local spirit as well as be an expression of those that lived here in the past. You'll get the chance to appreciate the old and the new as well as eat some delicious local food along the way.
Take a morning tour of Ollantaytambo ruins before heading to Urubamba for a visit of Pablo Seminario's ceramic workshop where, if lucky, you may get the chance to meet him. Have lunch at the beautiful Hacienda Huayoccari before returning to the hotel for a free evening to relax.
Day 5: Cusco: Maras and Moray
Evidence of the Inca in these parts is astounding as ancient ruins and archaeological sites are scattered all over the landscape. Driving along the Sacred Valley you may catch a glint of white up in the mountains before you ascend, as the salt pans of Maras shine in the sunlight with Moray lying just beyond.
Drive up out of the Sacred Valley with stops to visit the salt pans of Maras and the Moray archaeological site. Continue to the town of Chinchero and explore the ruins on the way back to Cusco for a free evening to choose from one of the many great restaurants near the main plaza.
Day 6: Cusco: The Ancient Capital
Cusco is an incredible city to discover on foot with its beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets and picturesque plazas. You'll explore the city with an expert guide to show you the way, passing by some of the "must-see" historical and cultural highlights as well as some hidden gems and great panoramic views.
Set off on a walking tour of Cusco before a delicious lunch at a restaurant near the main plaza. In the afternoon, enjoy free time for individual exploration, shopping or relaxing near the plaza to watch the world go by.
Day 7: Aguas Calientes: Scenic Train
Watching the mountains go by from a train is the perfect build-up of what's to come, as you follow the Urubamba River along the valley. You'll feel the anticipation building as you get closer and closer to your goal and you'll see the vegetation start to get lusher as the train descends in elevation. Only one more sleep until the big day.
Drive back to the Sacred Valley and catch the train to Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu. Enjoy a free evening with an optional visit to the local hot springs.
Day 8: Cusco: Discover Machu Picchu
Exploring the mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a magical experience, no matter how many pictures you may have seen of it. The history of the ancient Inca that you've heard in the days leading up to this moment seem to all come together as you wander the site's temples and terraces. Relive the memories and take in the views as you return by train on the way back to Cusco.
Take an early bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the ruins followed by lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. Return by train and bus to Cusco and enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 9: Cusco: Capital of the Incas
Feel the energy of Cusco as you wander the cobblestone streets past the mix of Spanish colonial-style architecture and Inca stonework. Soak in a diverse land of natural beauty and traditional cultures and we invite you to open yourself to curiosity and wonder.
Spend a full free day in Cusco to partake in optional activities in the area or to continue exploring on your own before an included dinner in the evening.
Day 10: Cusco: Your OMG Day
The options of what to do in Cusco are seemingly endless, and today you'll get the choice to approach the day on your terms. Take to the trails on a hike outside of the city past ancient ruins with sweeping views of the city or stay local to dig deeper into the history and the delicious local cuisine as well as learn how to prepare some dishes at a cooking class.
Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening to choose from one of the many great restaurants, or join the CEO at their local favourite.
Day 11: Amazon Jungle: Rainforest Wilderness
The Amazon has sparked the imagination for as long as curious travellers have known about it, conjuring up images of lush green vegetation and exotic wildlife. The biodiversity of plant and animal life is staggeringly varied, and the cultural traditions of those who live here have thrived along the rivers and from living off of the land.
Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and continue by boat upriver to the jungle lodge, your base of exploration by boat and on foot for the next couple of days. Local community members make up the majority of lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides. Take the opportunity to learn about the area’s rich flora and fauna and locals' extensive use of medicinal plants and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.
Day 12: Amazon Jungle: In Search of Wildlife
Awake to the sounds of the forest, hearing tropical birds and animals moving through the canopy above you, and maybe the eerie call of a howler monkey in the distance. You never know what you might see on any given occasion which is part of the adventure, and the anticipation adds to the excitement as new and incredible animals, birds and plants could be spotted around every corner or bend in the river.
Head out early to catch the jungle at its wildest (and coolest). Walk slowly through the forest searching for wildlife before heading out on an oxbow lake by canoe. Search for anaconda, the elusive giant river otter, or black caiman. Even if you don't spot these shy creatures, there are plenty of other birds, interesting plants, and other animals about.
Day 13: Lima: Back to the coast
By now you willl have realized just how incredibly diverse Peru is, both culturally and geographically, from the mountains to the jungle and to the desert coastline. Equally as diverse and delicious is the regional food, highlighted and concentrated in Peru's capital city of Lima, which has become a hotspot on the global food map and with good reason. Celebrate the old and new over a final dinner with your travel companions next to an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of the city.
Return to Puerto Maldonado for the flight to Lima. Stop to Visit the bohemian neighbourhood of Monumental Callao on the way to Miraflores from the airport and enjoy a farewell dinner next to the ruins of Huaca Pucllana.
Day 14: Lima
Today your adventure comes to an end, but the memories made during your time in Peru will live on.
Depart at any time.