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Taste of Peru 17 Days / 16 Nights

Day 1 - Lima
Arrival to Lima, assistance and transfer to the selected hotel.
Overnight at the selected hotel.

Day 2 - Lima
Free morning to relax
During the afternoon visit the city of Lima to learn about its history from pre-Hispanic, Colonial and modern times. Includes a guided tour of Huaca Pucllana, a magnificent ceremonial and administrative site, the historic downtown the Cathedral and the modern areas of San Isidro and MIraflores.  Overnight at selected hotel. (B)

Day 3 - Lima / Arequipa
Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Arequipa. On arrival in Arequipa, transfer to selected hotel. Know as the “White City”, Arequipa is located in southern Peru at an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet and is surrounded by the towering peaks of El Misti, Chachani, and Picchu Picchu.
Afternoon guided tour to visit the 16th century Santa Catalina Convent. For centuries nuns lived their whole lives here, isolated from the rest of the World. We include the Plaza de Armas, one of the most beautiful in all Peru, the Cathedral, and San Francisco churches. Overnight. (B)

Day 4 - Arequipa / Colca Canyon
Early morning depart to Colca Canyon, reputedly as the world´s deepest canyon.
Drive through the nature reserve of Pampas de Canihuas where it is possible to encounter Alpacas and Llamas.
We will arrive on time for lunch. I the afternoon we will explore the canyon and visit the Yanque town.  Overnight at selected hotel. (B)

Day 5 - Colca Canyon
Early wake up call to visit Cruz del Condor, a lookout point with a magnificent view of Mt. Misti and the swiftly flowing river far below. It is here that the Andean Condors are most often sighted.
After lunch we will explore other towns of Colca Canyon and the thermal baths.
Overnight.  (B)

Day 6 - Colca / Puno
Morning depart to Puno by motor coach. Box Lunch on the way.
Arrival in Puno and transfer to the selected hotel. Overnight. (B, BL)

Day 7 - Puno
Early in the morning, boat excursion on Lake Titicaca to visit the Uros Indians, who build their homes on “floating islands” of totora reeds and are known for their boats made of the same material. Then continue to Island of Taquile. Members of this self-supporting Aymara community receive visitors to show them their costumes and show them around the island. Taquile is renowned for its fine decorative weavings. Come back to Puno.
Overnight at the selected hotel. (B, L)

Day 8 - Puno / Cusco
Transfer to the bus station, to go to Cusco. The way will allow enjoying colorful natural landscapes of the Peruvian plateau. It was appraised small towns and farmer with his flocks of flames and vicunas. On the way we will visit Pucara, the temple of Raqchi, power center per excellence constructed in honor to the God Wiracocha, and the colonial town of Andahuaylillas that has a chapel that called the Sistine Chapel of the Andes. Lunch included.  Arrival to Cusco and transfer to the Hotel.
Overnight at the selected hotel. (B, L)

Day 9 - Cusco
Morning guided tour of the city and its highlights like the Cathedral the  Main Plaza, narrow streets, etc. Then continue to the nearby ruins including Kenko, the ceremonial bath of Tambomachay, and the amazing Sacsayhuaman fortress.
Free afternoon. Overnight at the selected hotel. (B)

Day 10 - Cusco / Sacred Valley
Full day tour, including visits to the colorful Pisac Indian Market and the Ollantaytambo Fortress located at the Urubamba Valley, or Sacred Valley of the Incas, This area was intensively cultivated with terraces increasing its harvest several fold.  Small villages lined the valley floor, while the stone fortresses of Ollantaytambo and Pisac served the dual purpose of providing protection and serving as religious centers.  PLEASE NOTE THE PISAC MARKET ONLY TAKES PLACES ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS.
Overnight ate the selected hotel in the Sacred Valley. (B, L)

Day 11 - Sacred Valley / Machu Picchu
Breakfast in hotel
Morning transfer to the station to take the tourist class train to Machu Picchu.  The 3 hour train journey passes through picturesque Andean scenery, passing traditional villages, Inca ruins and rushing rivers.  ON arrival, we will take a bus ride up to Machu Picchu, perched 600 meters above the river.  The famous lost city of the Incas is one of the most magical and mysterious places on Earth. Situated on the spine of a jungle-cloaked granite peak towering some 600 meters above an entrenched meandering of the roaring river below, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced by the powerful equatorial sun. Overnight at Machu Picchu or Aguas Calientes hotel. (B, L)

Day 12 - Machu Picchu / Cusco
Morning free to explore the ruins on your own. After lunch (on your own) train back to Cuzco and transfer to hotel. Overnight at selected Hotel in Cusco. (BL)

Day 13 – Cusco / Puerto Maldonado / Heath River Wildlife Center
Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Puerto Maldonado.
ON arrival, reception and transfer through town to the Tambopata River port. After boarding motorized canoes, we travel downriver to the mighty Madre de Dios, which we follow for approximately four hours to the Heath River. We then travel up this wild and intimate river, which forms the wilderness border between Peru and Bolivia, and arrive at the Heath River Wildlife Center. Note that the Lodge is located on the Bolivian side of the Heath River so passports are required to clear Bolivian passport control.  (L, D).

Day 14 - Heath River Wildlife Center
We rise early in the morning to board a motorized canoe for the 10-minute journey up the Heath River to the macaw and parrot clay lick. Brightly-colored parrots and macaws fly in by the hundreds to feed on the clay that detoxifies certain seeds and nuts they eat. Marvel at the cacophony of sound and color as Red-and-green macaws vie for the best clay-eating position. A specially-designed floating blind allows for proximity and complete concealment -- so you can even have breakfast and coffee while the birds are performing their morning ritual.
When we return to the lodge, the guide leads us on an ethno-botanical walk through the forest, pointing out flora used in the daily lives of rainforest people. The guide explains how certain plants are used for medicinal or healing purposes, which ones can be made into the best bows and arrows, and how to select trees and leaves for home construction.
After lunch and a short rest, we hike through the rainforest to the Pampas del Heath, the largest remaining undisturbed savanna in the Amazon. The contrast is striking as we emerge from the mature rainforest onto the grassland plain of the Pampas. (B, L, D)

Day 15 - Heath River Wildlife Center
We breakfast in the floating blind at the macaw and parrot clay lick for a last round of looks and photos.  Then we return to the lodge to explore some trails.
After lunch we could visit the Ese'Eja native community of Sonene, where there will be an opportunity to interact with the community and purchase local handicrafts or explore the trails.
After dinner we'll explore the forest by flashlight, including a visit to a small mammal clay lick if it is active. (B,L,D)

Day 16 - Heath River Wildlife Center / Puerto Maldonado / Lima 
Early morning departure to Puerto Maldonado.  During the river trip back downstream, families of Capybaras are often spotted on the banks of the river. Weighing up to 120 pounds (55 kilograms), this giant, three-toed relative of the guinea pig is the largest rodent in the world. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to the airport for the flight back to Lima.
Arrival, reception and transfer to selected hotel.
Overnight at selected hotel.  (B)

Day 17 - Lima
At appropriate hour transfer to the airport to.

Prices per person in USD

Based in a minimum of 2 passengers travelling together Small and large groups rates available

What's Included

• Airport transfers
• Guided Sightseeing as detailed in the itinerary
• Ground transportation (bus and train)
• Meals accoding the program
• Entrance fees
• Accommodation at selected hotels with breakfast.
• Accommodation at Heath River Wildlife Center with full board
• River transportation according the itinerary

What’s Not

Domestic flights, meals not noted in itinerary, optional tipping to guides and local staff; airport taxes; and items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.)

More about Machu Picchu

Perched high above a sinuous bend in the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu has lured explorers, poets and pilgrims to its mist-wreathed ridge top ever since its discovery by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in July, 1911.
No one lived here before the Incas. Those mighty empire builders from Cusco discovered this extraordinary place, finding it rich in natural features sacred to their religion. Both inspired and humbled by its dramatic natural beauty, their answer was to create on a vast scale one of the planet's most sensitive and harmonious works of art. The aesthetic genius of its layout and architecture coupled with the durability of its brilliant planning and engineering have given us today this finest of jewels among the UNESCO world heritage sites.
Scholars still argue about the meaning of Machu Picchu: why it was built and what purpose it served, who lived there and when they departed. Most agree that its main intent was spiritual and ceremonial.

Suggested reading list
All available through http://www.amazon.com and/or http://www.longitudebooks.com

Lost City of the Incas, The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders
Hiram Bingham
EXPLORATION • 2001 • PAPER • 263 PAGES • BEST SELLER
A first-rate tale of adventure by the man who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911. This classic account is a gripping story of exploration, archaeology and natural history -- and still an outstanding overview of the site itself. With original expedition photographs. Originally published in 1952, the book is still an excellent account, not only of the expedition but also of the site itself.

The Incas, People of the Sun
Carmen Bernard
EXPLORATION • 1994 • PAPER • 192 PAGES • BEST SELLER •
A pocket-size encyclopedia in the acclaimed "Discoveries" series, this jewel of a book features hundreds of archival drawings and photographs, a chronology and long excerpts from the journals of early explorers. It's a guide to the ancient monuments, daily life of the Incas, and history of exploration.

Conquest of the Incas
John Hemming
HISTORY • 1970 • PAPER • 641 PAGES
A masterful, prize-winning history of the Inca struggle against the Spanish invasion. This classic account, by one of the best writers on South America, brings together wide-ranging scholarly material in the interests of telling a good story. With a chronology, family tree, bibliography, notes and references.

The Incas and their Ancestors, The Archaeology of Peru
Michael Moseley
ARCHAEOLOGY • 2001 • PAPER • 288 PAGES
An outstanding survey of the archaeology of the Inca, Moche and Nasca civilizations. With hundreds of color illustrations and line drawings, it's an in-depth look at the ancient cultures and history of Peru, the best general introduction to the subject.

Hidden Amazon
Richard Lutz
TRAVEL NARRATIVE • 1999 • PAPER • 155 PAGES
An enthusiastic account of land and river journeys on the Amazon with International Expeditions, this book is a compact introduction to the Peruvian Amazon -- and an excellent overview of what to expect on your adventure.

Insight Guide Amazon Wildlife
Huw Hennessy • Hans-Ulrich Bernard
GUIDEBOOK • 2003 • PAPER • 368 PAGES
An illustrated guide to the region, its wildlife and conservation by an international team of biologists and photographers. It covers biogeography, habitats, animal groups and conservation problems in a series of short essays. Several chapters are devoted to the people of the region and to a country-by-country survey of the river's features. It also includes some practical travel information and a short checklist of mammals and birds

A Neotropical Companion
J.C. Kricher • Mark Plotkin
NATURAL HISTORY • 1999 • PAPER • 536 PAGES
A tropical primer aimed at the motivated general reader. It's a systematic overview of the ecology, habitats, animals, plants and ecosystems of Central and South America. For those not put off by Latin names and concepts like Batesian mimicry, this handbook is a great introduction to the region.

Airport taxes

• Domestic Flights         USD 6.82
• International Flight      USD 31.00
• Charter flight              USD 18.00

Prices are per person and will be paid at the different airports.

More information:

Machu Picchu hotel options  Tambopata information  Photo Gallery  Tambopata Map