Inca Journey & Manu Rainforest
Day 1: Lima
Arrival from international flight and transfer to a boutique or luxury hotel. Overnight Lima.
Day 2: Lima / Cuzco / Sacred Valley
Transfer to the airport for yourmorning flight to Cuzco (3400m/11,220ft). On arrival into Cuzco, you will be transferred to the Urubamba or Sacred Valley, which lies at lower altitude and makes acclimatization easier. Villages, markets and archaeological sites dot the valley, and along the way you will visit the ruins of Pisac and its famous market. Lunch at a local restaurant. Overnight in bungalows at a lovely hotel, or in a villa that is ideal for families.
Day 3: Ollantaytambo & Chinchero
Drive with your private guide to the village and Inca site of Ollantaytambo. Lunch at the lovely Hacienda Huayo Ccari, the private estate of one of Cuzco's oldest land owning families. There will be a textile demonstration and cocktails in the garden. In the afternoon you will have the choice of either visiting the colonial village of Chinchero or the Inca site of Moray and the salt pans of Maras. Both are approximately 45 minutes away from the Hacienda. Overnight Sacred Valley.
Day 4: Machu Picchu
Transfer to the village of Poroy, 40 minutes away from Urubamba, where you will take the Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival have a visit of the site with your private guide. Machu Picchu, also known as "The Lost City of the Incas" is one of the world's most celebrated archaeological sites and rightly so. Its location is spectacular - nestled in the Andean cloud forest on a high ridge straddling between two mountains...with the Urubamba river curling like a snake below it. The site itself is spectacular, with some of the finest and more complex Inca architecture known. Overnight within ruin complex or at a hotel outside town.
Day 5: Machu Picchu
This morning you will be able to enjoy Machu Picchu almost to yourself and will be able to access the site as soon as it opens to watch the morning unfold. Machu Picchu at this time is pure magic. All day at leisure in Machu Picchu. Afternoon return by train from Machu Picchu to Cuzco, where you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight Cuzco.
Day 6: Cuzco
Today enjoy a walking visit of Cuzco with your private guide. Visit the Cathedral, Korikancha (the Sun Temple) and walk around this wonderful city, observing the juxtaposition of Inca and colonial architecture and getting the feel of its wonderful atmosphere. Lunch at MAP café, one of the city's best restaurants. It is located in the outdoor courtyard of a wonderful colonial palace, which is now the Precolumbian Art Museum, and well worth a visit. Afternoon visit of Sacsayhuaman and other Inca sites around the city. Overnight Cuzco.
Day 7: Cuzco / Manu
This morning fly to Manu on a chartered aircraft with space for 12. Enjoy spectacular views as you cross the Andes and into the Amazon, which emerges like a thick green blanket below. Upon your arrival at Boca Manu you'll transfer to a motorized canoe for a 90-minute journey down the Madre de Dios River to the Manu Wildlife Center. The 44-bedroom Manu Wildlife Center is located in a private 40,000-acre rainforest reserve adjacent to the Amarakaeri Reserved Zone. This is the only lodge in the Manu lowlands that has private, ensuite bungalows. After lunch begin exploring the 30 miles of forest trails surrounding the lodge. You may encounter some of the 12 species of monkey that live here, including the Monk Saki and the Emperor Tamarin. After dinner, you will go on a short night excursion to explore the nocturnal life of the rainforest. Overnight Manu Wildlife Center.
Day 8: Manu
Rising before dawn, you travel by boat downstream for 25 minutes to the only large macaw and parrot ‘clay lick’ in the Manu area. From a floating catamaran blind you will be afforded excellent views of the hundreds of medium-sized and large parrots arriving at the lick, followed by the large Red and Green Macaws arriving to eat the clay. This detoxifies the seeds and nuts they ingest during the day. You have a choice of lunch options: eat at the Center, or pack your lunch for a leisurely 60-75 minute hike to the Amazon’s largest known tapir clay lick. Here you will climb a observation platform, perched six meters (20 feet) above the ground, to wait for the lumbering tapirs to arrive. Overnight Manu Wildlife Center.
Day 9: Manu
It’s another early morning departure by boat followed by a short hike to the Blanco Oxbow Lake. Here you may have the chance to see a large variety of aquatic life and birds, including the prehistoric-looking Hoatzin and a family of Giant Otters. After lunch at the Center, you can explore the forest with or without your guide. In the evening, you will have the chance to search by boat for Caiman and other nocturnal life along the river bank. Overnight Manu Wildlife Center.
Day 10: Manu / Cuzco / Lima
You'll rise at dawn for the two-hour return trip to Boca Manu, where you will catch your flight back to Cuzco. At Cuzco airport, our representative will assist you to connect with your one-hour flight to Lima. Overnight Lima.
Day 11: Lima
You will have a full day visit of Lima today, which will be conducted by an erudite guide who is an expert in his or her field. In the morning visit of the colonial center of Lima, including the Cathedral, the Convent of San Francisco and other architectural gems of Spanish Colonial America. Lunch at the historic mansion “Casa Aliaga” in downtown Lima or Casa Garcia Alvarado, a Republican home in Miraflores where you will be hosted by the owner. In the afternoon you will have a vehicle and driver at your disposal to go wherever you prefer. Transfer to the airport to catch your evening international flight.
Note: This trip can be also be done with other Amazon experiences, such as a river cruise or a stay in the Tambopata Nature Reserve
