Inca & Amazon Explorer

An adventure travel column by Joyce Hill,
Travel Manager, Macleod Trail Centre

Destination

Explore the towering Andes Mountains, the remnants of the ancient Inca Empire and the incredible Amazon rainforest on this family adventure. Having discovered some of Lima's most interesting colonial sights you'll fly across the Andes to the city of Cusco, the centre of the Inca universe. You'll explore the beautiful Plaza de Armas and the huge cathedral before stepping into the narrow, cobbled-stone backstreets to discover the real delights of this ancient city. Further out into the Sacred Valley is the colourful market town of Pisac and the towering fortress ruins of Ollantaytambo. Then comes magnificent Machu Picchu, eagles nest of the Inca Empire and a real highlight of your adventure. Our final insight into Peru will be on a two-day safari into the dense rainforests of the mighty Amazon basin.

Trip Highlights

Day 1 / Lima: On arrival at Lima Airport you are transferred to our hotel in the heart of the city's well-known coastal district of Miraflores. In the evening you meet your tour leader and the other members of your group for a pre-tour briefing. Please check the notice board at the hotel reception for confirmation of the exact time and place of the meeting. This meeting is generally followed by an optional group dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 2 / Lima: Today we start our exploration of the Peruvian capital. Founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador, Francisco Pizarro, it was from Lima that all Spanish territories in South America were governed. Few cities at that time could rival Lima's power, wealth and opulence. However its glory days ended in 1746, when the city was virtually destroyed by an earthquake. Many of the colonial buildings were rebuilt and we get a first-hand look at several of them on our city tour. The Plaza de Armas, flanked by some of the most important buildings in town such as the Cathedral, the huge Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace, constitutes the heart of the city. We visit the Cathedral and the Government Palace, as well as the nearby San Francisco Monastery with its catacombs containing some 70,000 human remains. We also visit the impressive Archaeological Museum. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax back at the hotel or further explore Lima at your own. Meals included: 1 breakfast

Days 3 - 4 / Cusco - The Sacred Valley: Today we fly to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco. This fascinating city is a favourite destination of many visitors to Peru and we enjoy a walking tour to discover its many attractions. Cusco's main sights radiate outwards from the main Plaza de Armas, which is dominated by the 17th Century Baroque Cathedral. It was in this very plaza that the Spanish conquistadors put to death the last Inca king, Tupac Amaru. As we wander the streets and side alleys of the city we witness the perfect tapering Inca stonework that provided the foundations for many of Cusco's colonial and modern buildings. Our comprehensive sightseeing tour includes the Cathedral of Cusco, Religious Art Museum, Church of San Blas and Santa Catalina Museum. We also take to the surrounding hills and visit the impressive ceremonial ruins of Sacsayhuaman. Massive stone blocks form the walls of this site and give us an awesome picture of the Inca's highly developed and skilled civilisation. The Sacred Valley, located between the towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, was greatly treasured by the Incas because of its climate, fertile lands and the presence of the Urubamba or Sacred River. Today we can still see evidence of the Inca's engineering skills in the ruins of aqueducts, irrigation canals, damming of the Urubamba River, imposing sets of terraces and centres of worship dedicated to Mother Earth or 'Pachamama'. On our full day tour of the Sacred Valley we visit the ruins of Qenko, Puka Pukara, Tambo Machay and Ollantytambo, as well as the colourful market at Pisac village. Meals included: 2 breakfasts

Day 5 / Pumamarca Ruins - Peru's Challenge - Cusco: Your time this morning is free to do as you please; however, in the afternoon we have a great program in store. Firstly we visit the Peru's Challenge Community Project in the tiny village of Pumamarca. Peregrine is a proud sponsor of Peru's Challenge and this is a fantastic opportunity to witness rural life first hand, as we wander through the fields and watch the locals tend their crops. In the village we may have the opportunity to visit the local school and also see women make handicrafts. Another short stroll through the fields takes us to the rarely visited Pumamarca ruins. More than 500 years ago King Pachacutec ruled the Incas from Cusco, which was the capital of this massive empire. The rural community of Pumamarca (meaning the 'Place of the Sacred Puma') was part of this empire and was situated just eight kilometres from the capital. Surrounded by beautiful Inca terraces and fields where the locals grow their produce we find the Pumamarca Hacienda, which, during the reign of the Incas, was a palace built for the wife of Pachacutec. Wandering through the ruins we discover great examples of classic Inca architecture; the meticulous and exact proportions of the stonework showed that the Incas were expert engineers. The gardens once contained tranquil water channels and fountains with aqueducts and communication tunnels that joined this palace to the centre of Cusco. Peruvian archaeologists actually believe that Pumamarca is the probably oldest Inca palace in existence. For this reason the Institute of National Culture has plans to slowly reconstruct the palace, together with its paradise gardens, and restore them back to their original glory. Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 6 / Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu: We depart Cusco on the early morning train to Machu Picchu. The journey will take approximately four hours to reach the town of Aguas Calientes. Once we arrive there we check into our hotel before boarding the bus for Machu Picchu. The site is open from 7am to 5pm daily. If you wish to, you could walk from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu - this will take approximately two hours. After experiencing our stunning first views of the ruined complex, which is often referred to as the 'Lost City of the Incas', we are taken around on a guided tour and learn about its history. We then have time to further explore this amazing site by ourselves before taking the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, where we spend the night. Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 7 / Aguas Calientes - Cusco: Most of today is a free day, so you may decide to return to Machu Picchu to further explore the site. On a clear morning the view from the Sun Gate can be quite stunning and creates a lasting impression that will stay with you long after you return home. Alternatively you can wander around the little town of Aguas Calientes. There are some small shops and restaurants in town to while away the time or you can choose to soak in hot thermal baths, located around 10 minutes' walk away on the edge of town. They are open from 5am to 10pm. We return to Cusco today on the late afternoon train and, on arrival, are transferred back to our hotel. Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 8 / Cusco: Today is a free day to spend in Cusco. There are plenty of opportunities to shop or wander around the cobbled streets and visiting museums, churches and colonial sites. Or, as our tour is coming to an end, you may just wish to relax with a 'cerveza' or a 'pisco sour' in one of the restaurants and penas surrounding the Plaza de Armas. Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 9 / Amazon Jungle Lodge:Today we take a flight to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. On arrival we board a boat for the two-hour trip along the Tambopata River to our jungle lodge. After settling in we receive a short briefing on the lodge, before heading off into the jungle with a local native guide. They will share with us their wealth of knowledge explaining about the local flora and fauna and pointing out plants that are used for food and medicine. We visit a small parakeet clay-lick, where dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of blue-headed parrots, orange-cheeked parrots, cobalt-winged parakeets and sometimes even the rare rock parakeet are seen congregating. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 10 / Amazon Jungle Lodge: Travelling in canoes we go in search of giant river otters, freshwater turtles, hoatzin and wading birds. We return to the lodge for lunch before embarking on an afternoon excursion to visit the indigenous farmlands, where we get to understand better how their cultivation system has proven to be so sustainable over such a long period of time. We then return to our lodge in the late afternoon to relax and savour ambience of being in the middle of a tropical rainforest and far away from civilisation. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 11 / Lima: After breakfast we are transferred to the airport, where we fly back to Lima. Our tour ends on arrival at Lima Airport. If you wish to extend your stay in Lima, it is possible to book additional accommodation. This should be done at the same time you book your holiday. Meals included: 1 breakfast

Itinerary Variation

INCA TRAIL TREKKING ALTERNATIVE

The 4 day/3 night camping trek along the famous Inca Trail can be hiked from Day 5 to Day 8 of the tour. The trek reaches a height of 4,200 metres and is suitable for children 14 years and over. Please contact Peregrine for additional cost details and further information

Accommodation

2 nights jungle lodge, 8 nights comfortable hotel

Additional accommodation

Extend your holiday by booking some pre or post tour accommodation - ask your travel agent

Meals

10 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

Included

Peregrine tour leader, local guides, arrival and departure transfers, transport, sightseeing and entrance fees.

Not included

Airport departure taxes, visas where required, meals not included in the itinerary, insurance, laundry, any optional tours or activities during free time, tips and items of a personal nature.

Age

Tours designed especially for families with children. Daily activities are varied and interesting and tiring travel is kept to a minimum.

Transport

Boat, bus, canoe, on foot, plane, train

Cost

From $2060.00 adult and $1720.00 child.
Prices are land only, per person and in Canadian dollars. Rate does not include international air, mandatory insurance or service fee.