Incas and Rainforest : Inca Trail & Amazon

Day 1 Arrive Lima

Overnight.

Days 2-4 Lake Titicaca and its Floating Islands (B,D)

An early morning flight takes you to the shores of mystical Lake Titicaca. Legend has it that the first Inca rose out of its azure waters. On Day 3 you'll visit the floating islands of the Uros people and stop for the night on Amantaní Island. Here you'll split into small groups and overnight with local families. A night on Amantaní is a journey 500 years into the past. Residents till the dry soil by hand and weave all their clothing on small wooden looms. Share in the hospitality of the Aymara Indians and experience a short day in their lives. After breakfast with your families, you'll make your way back to Puno for night 4.

Day 5 Journey to Cusco (B,L)

A spectacular bus ride to Cusco crosses the 14,403 feet La Raya pass. Grab a window seat and enjoy Peru's altiplano. Along the way, enjoy optional visits to the "Sistine Chapel" of Peru and a pre-Incan site, as well as a huge lunch featuring traditional Peruvian cuisine.  Entrances to the sites are additional (around $10 per person), but the lunch is on us! Your final destination is the Navel of the World--Cusco, Peru!

Day 6 Explore Cusco (B)

Andean history comes alive in Cusco. Quechua speaking descendents of the Incas fill the streets and markets, colonial churches sit atop bases of smooth stonework laid centuries before the Conquistadors, and campesinos in colorful dress move busily back and forth across the plazas. The morning is yours to wander Cusco's narrow streets. In the afternoon your tour leader takes you through Cusco's local market and explains a bit about what you'll find in the adjacent Witches Market. You will visit the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco, a local organization committed to preserving the region's weaving traditions. (If visiting the Sacred Valley on Sunday, you will visit their center in Chinchero instead). Watch weavers demonstrate their craft and learn about the history and processes of Peru's most well-known art form. This evening enjoy a folkloric show at one of Cusco's typical restaurants.

Day 7 Journey to Ollantaytambo (B,L)

This morning you'll visit the ruins of Sacsayhuamán. You'll test your bargaining skills with the locals while visiting one of the great textile markets in the area. You may hike to the inspiring ruins of Pisac, or take a short walk through the countryside to the seldom-visited town of Maras and its pre-Columbian salt mines (still in use today with salt being collected in traditional fashion) as well as the Inca agricultural terraces of Moray, thought to have been a nursery to experiment with and modify different varieties of crops.  Eventually, you will make your way to the living Inca city of Ollantaytambo where you can relax for the night. Tonight, relax in front of the fire in the shadow of one of the great Inca citadels.

Days 8-10 Pilgrimage on the Inca Trail (3B,3L,3D)

Walk in the footsteps of the great Inca civilization as you journey along their ancient trail to the sacred city of 'Machu Picchu'. Andean history comes to life along this ancient route as each day you pass ever larger ruins. Scenery changes from snowcapped mountains to lush green cloudforest. The trek is made with pilgrims from all over the world, and your friendly crew of guides and porters will take great care of you along the way.

Trek Details

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Day 8 - KM 82 TO HUAYLLABAMBA -- Trek length: 7.8 miles (5-7 hrs) Camp elevation: 9,691 ft
Day 9 - HUAYLLABAMBA TO PACAYMAYO -- Trek length: 5.1 miles (5-7 hrs) Camp elevation: 11,833 ft. Warmiwanusca pass (13,776 ft)
Day 10 - PACAYMAYO TO PHUYUPATAMARCA --Trek length: 4.5 miles (4-6 hrs); Camp elevation: 12,067 ft
Day 11 - PHUYUPATAMARCA TO MACHU PICCHU -- Trek length: 6.9 miles (5-7 hrs); Machu Picchu elevation: 7,875 ft

Some itineraries will hike farther on day three and camp at a closer location to Machu Picchu, making the hike on day four shorter. This will be up to the discretion of your Tour Leader and the Peruvian National Park Service. Your Tour Leader will notify you locally of your camping itinerary.

Day 11 Machu Picchu (B)

The group descends 3,000 feet from their campsite at Phuyapatamarca to reach spectacular Machu Picchu in the afternoon. Explore the ruins and continue to the village of Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly called Aguas Calientes) below the ruins.

Day 12 Machu Picchu - Cusco (B)

Explore the great city at your own pace today. Climb the pinnacle mountain of Huayna Picchu for one of the most spectacular views of Machu Picchu or wander through the cloudforest on a recently discovered Inca pathway trail to the seldom visited Temple of the Moon. In the afternoon, you'll travel by train bypassing the Inca Trail as you return to Cusco. At night, travelers from all over the world fill Cusco's restaurants, pubs and dance clubs, providing the most vibrant and unique nightlife on the continent. Dance with Chileans, Germans, Finns, Americans, Colombians, French, English...the list goes on! Then toast to your Cusqueño hosts!

Day 13 Amazon Lodge (B,L,D)

Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and transfer from the airport to the river port on the Madre de Dios River. A 25 minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe brings you to the end of the trail into Sandoval Lake Lodge. From here the trail takes you on a 2-mile walk or rickshaw ride through secondary forest, until you reach a small canal where you'll board canoes and are paddled 220 yards through a flooded forest of 100-foot tall Mauritia palms. As the canal opens onto the shimmering surface of the lake, you'll transfer to a catamaran and are leisurely paddled halfway across the lake to the lodge. After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, you'll once again board the catamaran and set off to explore the entire west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest you'll drift to the sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied Macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. You'll return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner. After dinner you will return to the canoes to look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans. If it's a clear starlit night, you'll take advantage of the stupendous stargazing as you float in the middle of the lake.

Day 14 Amazon Lodge (B,L,D)

A pre-dawn wake-up call will enable you to be on the lake for sunrise, when the resident wildlife is most active. With luck you'll encounter the family of Giant Otters which frequent the lake. Most of the fish-eating water birds around the lake actively fish in the early morning as well, and this outing should provide excellent views - and photographs - of the prehistoric-looking Hoatzins. After returning for a late breakfast, you'll set off into the cool understory of the tall virgin forest around the lake. You'll pass through towering wild Brazil Nut trees, and see a demonstration of how your hosts collect, open and commercialize this important natural product. Once you've eaten lunch and had an hour or so to relax, you'll once again board the catamaran to explore the eastern part of the lake. You'll hope to see one or more of the five species of monkeys, like the Brown Capuchin Monkey, which live in the forest near the lake. There is an opportunity again after dinner to try and spot some Black Caimans on the lake, or to go on a short night walk through the primary forest.

Day 15 Amazon Lodge (B,L,D)

Rising once again at dawn, you'll have a quick snack before boarding the catamarans to explore the western end of the lake in the hope of an encounter with Giant Otters. After a late breakfast you'll explore some of the rainforest trails with your knowledgeable resident naturalist guide. As you walk, the forest will be brought to life as your guide explains the ecology of the rainforest and its diverse flora and fauna. You return for lunch, and then have an optional rest for those wanting to escape the early afternoon heat. For those still full of energy, there is an option to independently explore some of the forest trails. In the cooler late afternoon you will once again board the catamaran to explore the eastern end of the lake, and hopefully experience a spectacular sunset over the lake before returning to the lodge for dinner. After dinner, there is a final chance to look for Black Caiman on the lake, or to go on a short night hike through the forest.

Day 16 Fly Lima and Return Home (B)

After an early morning breakfast we take a final, shorter paddle around the west end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before returning to Puerto Maldonado to catch our flight to Lima