20 Day Peru Adventure: Historical Cities and Nature's Wonders

Welcome to Peru! At Lima Airport you will be welcomed by your driver who will bring you to your hotel in the city center. Use the rest of the day to explore the city on your own!  

Overnight: Lima 

Accommodation: Pullman San Isidro 

Meals: -/-/-  

Early in the morning, we will enjoy our City Tour, we will go to the famous Love Park located in Miraflores, where we will have a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, our guide will lead us on a panoramic visit to the Huaca Pucllana and then visit the city center of Lima. We will visit the Main Square, the Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Cathedral, and the Municipality, and finally, we will visit the Convent of San Francisco where we will discover the mysterious underground passages of the Catacombs of Lima.  

Emblematic flavors in Latam’s coolest neighborhood: 

During this Lima food tour, you will sample more than 15 Peruvian foods and drinks in one of Lima’s nicest neighborhoods – artsy and bohemian Barranco. You will even have the opportunity to interact with our local hosts to learn how to prepare the famous ceviche and pisco sour. You will learn about all the historical and cultural details behind each dish that you will have the chance to taste during this 4-hour Lima food tour. 

Overnight: Lima 

Accommodation: Pullman San Isidro 

Meals: B/L/-  

Today your driver will take you to airport to catch your flight to Trujillo. 

Later on in the afternoon, we will take a tour of the city, stopping at the Plaza Mayor, the Mayorazgo, Urquiaga, and Emancipación colonial homes; we will also visit the Santa Clara Church, the Trujillo Cathedral, and the Cassinelli Museum, which houses artifacts from the Mochica and Chimú cultures. 

Overnight: Trujillo 

Accommodation: Casa del Sol Wyndham Trujillo 

Meals: B/-/-  

We will begin our tour to Chan Chan’s Archaeological Complex, the largest clay city in the world, at the designated time.  

During the visit, we will learn about the Rainbow Temple, also known as Huaca del Dragón, and the Tshudi Palace, exploring its ceremonial squares, adoration rooms, water reservoirs, mills, the elder council room, its cementerios, etc. After these visits, we will get to know the Caleta de Huanchaco, a famous fishing port where we can see the renowned Caballitos of Totora (a traditional Mochica vessel). Return to the hotel.  

Overnight: Trujillo 

Accommodation: Casa del Sol Wyndham Trujillo 

Meals: B/-/-  

Today your driver will take you to the airport to take your flight back to Lima so you can explore the city at your own pace. 

Overnight: Lima 

Accommodation: Pullman San Isidro 

Meals: B/-/-  

Our transportation will take you to the bus station to go to Ica, located south of Lima. Upon arrival, an agency representative will pick you up to take you to the hotel.  

Pick up at the chosen Hotel (around the City) we will visit the Main Square of the City and we will walk through the main streets of Ancient and Modern Ica. Then we will visit the Regional Museum of Ica where we will appreciate the evolution of the five most representative cultures of the region such as Paracas, Nasca, Wari, Ica Chincha, and Inca. We will visit an artisan winery where we will have a wide explanation of the elaboration of wine and Pisco with its respective tasting. 

Finally, we will visit the Huacachina Lagoon also called “THE OASIS OF AMERICA” where we will appreciate the wonderful desert landscape surrounded by impressive dunes where you will spend the night. 

Overnight: Ica 

Accommodation: Hotel Vina Quirolo 

Meals: B/-/-  

Today you will take a 90-minute flight south aboard a 12-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan to view the sprawling Nazca Lines. You will get a chance to see many of the most famous geoglyphs, including the hummingbird, dog, tree, whale, lizard, and more.  

These massive images, the longest of which are 1,200 ft (370 m), vary from geometric lines to figures of animals and people. Due to the stable environment of the Nazca desert, these geoglyphs—which were created by removing the top layer of iron-oxide coated pebbles to reveal the light-colored clay underneath—have been remarkably well preserved.   

Overnight: Lima 

Accommodation: Pullman San Isidro 

Meals: B/-/-  

Today, you will enjoy a free day for self-exploring. Puno is called the “folkloric capital of Peru” due to the vast number of dances they have as well as the colorful celebrations taking place in February for the Virgin of Candelaria, a local saint whose festivity includes big parades by devoted dancers from all over Peru. Overnight: Puno 

Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium Puno 

Meals: B/-/-  

Today, you will enjoy a free day for self-exploring. Puno is called the “folkloric capital of Peru” due to the vast number of dances they have as well as the colorful celebrations taking place in February for the Virgin of Candelaria, a local saint whose festivity includes big parades by devoted dancers from all over Peru. Overnight: Puno 

Accommodation: Casa Andina Premium Puno 

Meals: B/L/-  

This morning, we will take the comfortable tourist bus to Cusco. during the travel, you can enjoy the amazing scenery and visit interesting places of magical charm and ancient history, such as the Mythical Lithic Museum of the Pukara Culture, The Majestic Paso de la Raya (road limit between Cusco and Puno with a view of the Snowy Chimboya), Raqchi – The Imposing Temple of the god Wiracocha and The Sistine Chapel of Andahuaylillas, a beautiful church with awesome paintings of the cusquenian school. 

Overnight: Cusco 

Accommodation: Terra Andina Hotel 

Meals: B/-/-  

After a delicious breakfast, you will be picked up in your hotel for a city tour. You will visit the Cathedral, Koricancha (Temple of the Sun) and the nearby ruins: Qenko (Ceremonial and Ritual center, place where sacrifices were made), Puka Pukara (this complex was probably used by Emperor Pachacutec as a Tambo), Tambomachay (also called “The Bath of the Inca”) and Sacsayhuaman Fortress (the place where the main Inca Festivals, Inti Raymi and Warachicuy take place). After your city and nearby ruins tour, you return to your hotel for an overnight stay. 

Overnight: Cusco 

Accommodation: Terra Andina Hotel 

Meals: B/-/-  

After a delicious breakfast, you will be picked up in your hotel for a city tour. You will visit the Cathedral, Koricancha (Temple of the Sun) and the nearby ruins: Qenko (Ceremonial and Ritual center, place where sacrifices were made), Puka Pukara (this complex was probably used by Emperor Pachacutec as a Tambo), Tambomachay (also called “The Bath of the Inca”) and Sacsayhuaman Fortress (the place where the main Inca Festivals, Inti Raymi and Warachicuy take place). After your city and nearby ruins tour, you return to your hotel for an overnight stay. 

Overnight: Cusco 

Accommodation: Terra Andina Hotel 

Meals: B/-/-

Today will begin with an early pick-up from your hotel in Cusco for the 3.5-hour drive to the start of the trek. 

When we reach the trailhead, we’ll enjoy some breakfast before starting the hike. After breakfast, we will begin the hike from Chillca, at 3,700 m/12,139 ft elevation. From here, it will be a 4-hour, uphill hike to reach the famous Rainbow Mountain. 

Along the way, you will enjoy amazing views of the Andes, glacial peaks, red mountains, rocky hills, along with llamas and alpacas grazing along the valley. Once you arrive at the top of Rainbow Mountain, you will have enough time to absorb the majesty of the red mountains that surround this area. You will also see amazing views of the valleys and Ausangate Glacier Peak in front of you. Ausangate is the tallest mountain of the Cusco region (just under 21,000 ft elevation) and is part of the Cordillera Vilcanota Range. 

After taking in the view, we’ll descend back to our car and driver for the drive back to our hotel in Cusco. 

 Overnight: Cusco 

Accommodation: Terra Andina Hotel 

Meals: B/-/-  

Early in the morning, we will begin our journey through the Sacred Valley of the  

Incas. We will visit the popular Pisaq Market, recognized for its quality crafts.  

Lunch in Urubamba, we will enjoy a walk through the Ollantaytambo fortress.  

Then we will transfer you to your hotel in Valle Sagrado. 

Overnight: Sacred Valley 

Accommodation: Aranwa Hotel & Wellness  

Meals: B/-/- 

After breakfast, take the local train to Aguas Calientes, the base for most Machu Picchu adventures. The ride takes you through a valley and into the Urubamba River canyon, then into the cloud forest as you near the Machu Picchu sanctuary.  

Aguas Calientes contains a train station, a craft market, restaurants, and a variety of hotels for those who prefer to spend the night at the foot of the mountain and climb it early in the day. Stop here for lunch before taking the 25-minute bus ride up to the Machu Picchu ruins.  

This 15th-century Inca citadel is located at 7,970 ft (2,430 m) and is a masterpiece of engineering that served as a sanctuary and retreat for the Incan Emperor Pachacutec and his royal court. Machu Picchu, which means “Old Mountain,” is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.  

Built as a seasonal residence for the Inca family, Machu Picchu was rarely home to more than 800 people, and during the royals’ absence, a mere 100 servants would remain at the site to maintain the grounds. Machu Picchu was abandoned 100 years after construction and remained largely hidden from the outside world until the early 20th century.  

Your guide will lead you around the site and explain the different buildings and curious corners of the building complex. Approximately one-third of the site has been reconstructed into its original structure, giving visitors a sense for the grandeur and artistry of the original citadel. 

After the two-hour tour, take the bus back to Aguas Calientes to connect to your train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco. 

Overnight: Cusco 

Accommodation: Terra Andina Hotel  

Meals: B/-/- 

Your private driver will pick you up at the hotel to take you to the Cusco Airport for your scheduled flight to Puerto Maldonado, the Capital of Biodiversity. Upon arrival, begin your Amazon adventure with a 25-minute boat ride navigating the clay-coloured Madre de Dios River to reach Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion lodge. Settle into your stylish stilted wooden cabaña or room on our private eco-reserve and then head to the palm-thatched Casa Grande dining room for a buffet lunch before exploring the rainforest on foot, starting from the Eco Center. Take a walk along the Concepcion Trails, winding through the property’s nature trails for an immersive introduction to the intricate ecosystems of the Amazon basin. Backed by the protected Tambopata National Reserve and built on the grounds of a former cacao and rubber plantation, Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion harbours primary and secondary rainforest inhabited with exotic wildlife and tropical plants. At dusk witness the enchanting transformation of the rainforest from a diurnal to a nocturnal environment on a guided Twilight River boat ride, as animals and birds of the daytime give way to species specially adapted to the shadows of the night. See if you can spot caimans lurking on the riverbanks and stars of the southern hemisphere. In the evening enjoy à-la-carte dining, drawing on local Amazon ingredients for inspiration. Retreat to your cabaña or room to listen to the curious calls and croaks of the rainforest at night. 

Overnight: Puerto Maldonado 

Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion 

Meals: B/L/D 

Sandoval Lake today! A crystalline mirror of water found within the Tambopata National Reserve, one of the most diverse areas on the planet. As you walk through a sunny wooden passageway leading to the lake, you will learn with the local guide interesting anecdotes of unexpected encounters with poisonous frogs and camouflaged creatures. You will then board a carved wooden canoe for a leisurely paddle through the mangroves and then sail across Lake Sandoval, flanked by beautiful palm trees. This serene lake is inhabited by thousands of bird species, including the endangered river otter, howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, turtles, and black caimans. You will return to the Lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon, you will take a 20-minute boat ride on the Madre de Dios River to climb the thrilling Canopy Walkway, a safe and sophisticated system of ecologically built suspension bridges 344 meters (1,135 feet) long, connected by eight platforms and two panoramic observation towers. Originally built by the local community to carry out conservation projects, the Canopy Walkway offers an unforgettable opportunity to watch the Amazon rainforest from the treetops and understand its colossal size. Ascend the first dizzying tower 38 meters (124 feet) above the ground, with senses alert for toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, monkeys, and the three-toed sloth. In the evening, under the cover of darkness, explore the forest on foot as your senses sharpen to detect movement among the vegetation and the wild sounds of the jungle. Back at the lodge, a delicious dinner will be waiting for you. 

Overnight: Puerto Maldonado 

Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion 

Meals: B/L/D 

After breakfast in the lodge, discover the rainforest´s tropical plants and their intriguing medicinal uses by local communities by visiting our organic bio-orchard. Later, continue to our 30-hectare Palmetum; a collection of Amazonian palms in a plot reserved for rainforest restoration and conservation. 

After lunch in the Casa Grande dining room, enjoy a relaxing paddle boat ride in a dugout canoe on Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion’s oxbow shaped lagoon, or cocha. Row out onto the clay-coloured water to enjoy the scenery and spot hoatzins, fly catchers and graynecked woodrails, perhaps with the sounds of red howler monkeys bellowing in the distance. Get close to the remains of a semi-submerged steamboat in waters that also hide caimans and piranhas. Using the practice of catch-and-release, you can put your fishing skills to the test on the lookout for piranhas, as the local indigenous communities do by using a simple wooden rod. During the evening, you will be able to take the Inland Collpa excursion where you get the chance to look out for different species of animals while doing their clay-lick behavior in search of salt. 

Overnight: Puerto Maldonado 

Accommodation: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion 

Meals: B/L/D 

Enjoy your last morning waking to the sounds of the rainforest as parakeets chatter away in the trees and monkeys swing through the treetops. Breakfast is served in Casa Grande with check-out at 10:00. 

Depending on the time of your departure flight, Box lunch can also be arranged. Embark your ready-waiting motorized wooden boat for the 25-minute return trip along the Madre de Dios River until arriving at the airport.  

Overnight: Lima 

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Lima Airport 

Meals: B/-/- 

Enjoy the most out of Lima this morning, then, your driver will pick you up to take you to the airport to take your flight back home. 

Farewell day! 

Overnight: N/A 

Accommodation: N/A 

Meals: -/-/-