Peru & the Amazon: Cusco to Lima

Feel the energy of Cusco as you wander the cobblestone streets past the mix of Spanish colonial-style architecture and Inca stonework. We welcome you to Peru, a diverse land of natural beauty and traditional cultures and we invite you to open yourself to curiosity and wonder as you embark on this adventure to the Amazon and beyond. Arrive to Cusco at any time and transfer to the hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head to a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner with new friends.

Included Experiences

• Arrival Transfer: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
• Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

The options of what to do in Cusco are seemingly endless, and today you'll get the choice to approach the day on your terms. Take to the trails on a hike outside of the city past ancient ruins with sweeping views of the city or stay local to dig deeper into the history and the delicious local cuisine as well as learn how to prepare some dishes at a cooking class. Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening to choose from one of the many great restaurants, or join the CEO at their local favourite.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Enjoy a free afternoon and evening in Cusco. Spend time exploring before getting dinner on your own at one of the many great restaurants in the city.
• Hike to Templo de la Luna or Historical & Culinary Tour of Cusco: Option 1: Begin the day with a hike to Templo de la Luna and Inkilltambo Ruins with a picnic lunch. The hike is around 14km (9 miles) and typically takes 3.5 hours to complete. There will be around 632m of elevation gain on this hike. This Inca site with a quechua name has tombs, irrigation channels, ceremonial places, and Andean terraces used for both ceremonies and architecture. Option 2: Visit Koricancha in the heart of Cusco and learn about it's importance to the Inca Empire. From this landmark you will visit the San Pedro market to select ingredients for the cooking class which will take place before an included lunch of your creations.

Optional Experiences

• Inka Museum: Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.
• Cusco Tourist Ticket: This ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

The Amazon has sparked the imagination for as long as curious travellers have known about it, conjuring up images of lush green vegetation and exotic wildlife. The biodiversity of plant and animal life is staggeringly varied, and the cultural traditions of those who live here have thrived along the rivers and from living off of the land. Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and continue by boat upriver to the jungle lodge, your base of exploration by boat and on foot for the next couple of days. Local community members make up the majority of lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides. Take the opportunity to learn about the area’s rich flora and fauna and locals' extensive use of medicinal plants and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Motorized Canoe: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
• Free Time: Take advantage of free time this afternoon to relax and settle in to your lodge in the Amazon. Dinner will be served this evening in the cozy eating area.

Awake to the sounds of the forest, hearing tropical birds and animals moving through the canopy above you, and maybe the eerie call of a howler monkey in the distance. You never know what you might see on any given occasion which is part of the adventure, and the anticipation adds to the excitement as new and incredible animals, birds and plants could be spotted around every corner or bend in the river. Head out early to catch the jungle at its wildest (and coolest). Walk slowly through the forest searching for wildlife before heading out on an oxbow lake by canoe. Search for anaconda, the elusive giant river otter, or black caiman. Even if you don't spot these shy creatures, there are plenty of other birds, interesting plants, and other animals about.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Spend time around the lodge or go further afield. Free time can be used to explore any way you want.
• Caiman-Spotting Cruise: Head out after dark by motorized canoe to search for caimans on the river banks. Enjoy a lesson on caimans from the expert guide. Take advantage of the keen eyes of the expert naturalist guides – they are truly spectacular at spotting these elusive smaller cousins of alligators hiding on the muddy banks.
• Jungle Excursions: Enjoy visits to oxbow lakes to learn about the jungle and its inhabitants. Be introduced to the area’s rich flora and fauna by expert naturalist guides, who can teach extensive uses for medicinal and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques. Be prepared to go early morning or evening to avoid the heat of midday. Enjoy a leisurely pace – the trip requires some walking, but nothing too strenuous.

By now you willl have realized just how incredibly diverse Peru is, both culturally and geographically, from the mountains to the jungle and to the desert coastline. Equally as diverse and delicious is the regional food, highlighted and concentrated in Peru's capital city of Lima, which has become a hotspot on the global food map and with good reason. Celebrate the old and new over a final dinner with your travel companions next to an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of the city. Return to Puerto Maldonado for the flight to Lima. Stop to Visit the bohemian neighbourhood of Monumental Callao on the way to Miraflores from the airport and enjoy a farewell dinner next to the ruins of Huaca Pucllana.

Included Experiences

• Motorized Canoe: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
• Dinner at Huaca Pucllana: Enjoy a delicious Peruvian meal next to an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of Miraflores.
• Plane: Take a van from the pier to pick up stored luggage before heading to the Puerto Maldonado airport. A private vehicle will be waiting to take the group to the Lima hotel.

Today your adventure comes to an end, but the memories made during your time in Peru will live on. Depart at any time.