Absolute Peru: Amazon Jungle & Machu Picchu by Train

Arrive at any time.

If you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 (10:30 from Aug-Dec) and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 13:00. Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Peru (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.

Included Experiences

• Meet Your CEO and Group: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to 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.

Optional Experiences

• Lima Cooking Class (4hrs): Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa, and Japan. Please note that if you are travelling with a family there is no age restriction on this activity and the cooking class is acceptable for children.

Enjoy a free morning in Lima before travelling by bus to Paracas. Take the morning to explore more of Lima before journeying down the coast to Paracas. Walk the town’s lively peatonal (pedestrian avenue) and find a café to sample some Peruvian food, such as ceviche or papa a la huancaina (potatoes with a chili cheese sauce). Try your first Pisco sour while staying in Pisco's neighbour of Paracas.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: There's not a lot of time to explore this morning as the bus to the station picks up around midday.
• Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
• Minibus: It's bigger than a van, smaller than a bus, and just the right size for adventure.

Optional visit to Ballestas Islands before travelling to Nazca. En route, stop at a winery and at the Oasis of Huacachina.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Make the most of some free time.
• Huacachina Winery Visit: Learn about the wine and pisco production in the area and enjoy a tasting of different varieties, which are all available for purchase.
• Huacachina Oasis visit: Stop by this beautiful oasis and opt to try your hand at the favourite local sport: sandboarding. The oasis is also a great place to walk around and explore.

Optional Experiences

• Sandboarding in Ica: Drive into the dunes in a sand buggy, making four stops along the way. Take some photos of the magnificent scenery before trying your hand at sandboarding down dunes of different sizes.
• Ballestas Islands Wildlife Tour: Get ready to see some amazing wildlife on this trip to the Ballestas Islands (aka Peru's Little Galápagos). Spot playful sea lions, Humboldt penguins, boobies, pelicans, and more than 200 sea birds. Be sure to bring your camera along!

Take a guided tour of the Nazca desert cemetery and potter's studio. Opt for a flight over the Nazca Lines before the overnight bus to Arequipa.

Included Experiences

• Nazca Desert Cemetery and Potter's Studio Guided Tour: See remains of the Nazca culture during an included tour of the ancient Pre-Inca desert cemetery site of Chauchilla. Spot 1500-year-old mummies, bones, and pottery on the desert floor. The entire desert area was also once home to the ancient Paracas and the Nazca cultures, which preceded the Incas by more than half a millennium. Stop for a visit at an artisan’s workshop, where modern masters create Nazca style pottery.
• Overnight Bus: This comfortable double decker bus has toilet facilities on board.

Optional Experiences

• Flight over Nazca Lines: Take to the skies for the best view of the enigmatic Nazca Lines, a series of patterns and pictures etched in the ground, crisscrossing a wide area of flat desert. Marvel at the lines measuring up to 10km (6 mi) in length, yet, remaining perfectly straight. See depictions of birds, insects, and animals only recognizable from the air. Decide for yourself the origin of the lines – who drew the lines, and why, remains a mystery. Current beliefs suggest that they may be part of complex agricultural calendar. Please note that this activity does not include a tourist ticket fee of S/.47 PEN per person, payable directly by each traveller at the airport in Nazca.

Enjoy a free day in Arequipa. Opt for a city tour or visit to the Santa Catalina Monastery.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Make the most of your time here.

Optional Experiences

• Juanita Museum: Visit the Museo Santuarios Andinos, also known as the Juanita Museum for the well-preserved mummy of a young Incan girl sacrificed to the Incan Gods in the 1500s. Juanita remained preserved on the top of Mt Ambato until quite recently, she was discovered in the mid-90s and was briefly displayed in the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• Arequipa City Tour: Get out and explore "the white city" on this walking tour, stop at picturesque viewpoints to capture the surrounding volcanoes, marvel at the white volcanic sillar rock architecture, and visit one of the most stunning colonial buildings in the country, Santa Catalina Monastery.
• AlaSeña Meal Experience with Peruvian Sign Lanuage: Enjoy a memorable meal at a G for Good partner restaurant, AlaSeña, where delicious food is served with a unique twist. You'll be hosted by a deaf team member who will teach you basic Peruvian Sign Language, allowing you to order your food and connect in a meaningful new way. This is an interactive dining experience that fosters inclusion, breaks down communication barriers, and creates lasting impact.

Travel to Chivay, a village near Colca Canyon, relax or take an optional dip in the thermal baths. Travel a rough, rutted road through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve. Along the way there are chances to see vicunas, alpacas and llamas. Stop at Mirador de Patapampa lookout, the highest point on the tour at 4,910m with views of nearby volcanoes.

Optional Experiences

• Hot Springs: Soak your weary bones in steaming hot water pouring from the earth and relax.

Rise early for a tour of Colca Canyon to spot condors. Continue by bus to Puno. Arrive with a little time to wander the markets and explore the city. Climb over the mountains today, descending at Puno, which is on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Titicaca is also the largest lake in the world above 2000m, and the views from its Islands are stunning.

Included Experiences

• Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
• Colca Canyon Guided Tour: Spot condors on this guided tour, and keep your eyes peeled for other unusual animals. Look for three different species of camelids: alpaca, llama, and vicuña, which are all typical of Peru.

Enjoy a guided tour of Lake Titicaca with a homestay in a small village. Head out by boat across Lake Titicaca. Visit the community on the Taquile Islands and opt to have lunch in a local restaurant with spectacular views. After, cruise to another village for an overnight homestay on the shores of the lake. This experience provides an opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and to participate in local traditions.

Included Experiences

• Lake Titicaca Guided Boat Tour Day 1: Board a boat on Lake Titicaca and head to Taquile Island for an optional delicious Peruvian lunch at a restaurant followed by some shopping at the local weaving cooperatives. Taquileños are known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing, men are taught how to knit around age five and they create the majority of the textiles. After, enjoy an overnight stay with a host family and a chance to learn about life on the islands.
• Lake Titicaca Homestay: In the aymara community of Luquina Chico on Lake Titicaca, 40 families welcome you to experience their way of life. Thanks to the support of G Adventures and Planeterra, the local families here have strengthened their communities, preserving traditions and creating opportunities for future generations. Split into smaller groups and get a taste of local life firsthand as we move into family homes for the night. Play soccer with the children, enjoy some dancing, watch dinner being made, learn about regional cuisine, and dress up in local clothes for an unforgettable evening with the whole village, enjoying traditional music and dancing. Lend a hand the next morning, and help out with chores like feeding animals, harvesting local produce, or bringing back buckets of water from the well.

Visit the floating islands of Uros before returning to Puno. Opt to visit to Sillustani burial site.

Included Experiences

• Lake Titicaca Guided Boat Tour Day 2: Spend the morning with the homestay families, then depart after lunch. Visit the floating islands of Uros on the way back, and learn about the unique lifestyle of the locals. Meet residents and learn how they built the islands with totora reeds, which are also used to make their homes, boats, crafts (and are also edible!).
• Uros Floating Islands Visit: Take a tour of these unique islands. Learn about the buoyant totora reeds that grow in the shallows of Lake Titicaca used to make everything from the islands themselves to the boats the islanders use for transportation (if constructed well, they last up to six months ). Find out from locals how the islands are constructed; as the layers closest to the water start to rot, they are replaced with fresh reeds on top.
• Free Time: Make the most of one last afternoon in Puno.

Optional Experiences

• Lake Titicaca Kayaking: Take to the waters of the highest navigable body of water in the world, Lake Titicaca, and paddle out to Laquina Island. Get a glimpse into local island life before heading back across the lake to Puno.

Hop on the bus for a full day's drive to Cusco. The trip from Puno to Cusco takes the better part of the day, with stark, beautiful scenery en route as you travel through the high Altiplano region. Check out a bit of Cusco, find a spot for dinner, or get prepared to head into the Sacred Valley.

Included Experiences

• Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Take advantage the day to choose from a wide variety of optional activities like the Rainbow Mountain hike, a cooking class, or simply explore the city by foot and relax in a café.

Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Enjoy a full day to explore all that Cusco has to offer!

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 City Tour: Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.
• Rainbow Mountain Hike - Full-day Trip: Lookout over these colourful Andean mountains striped with maroon, turquoise, lavender, and gold. The sediment, elevation, and proximity to the ocean create a landscape that has to be seen to be believed. Get started early to drive around 3 hours approximately to the starting point of this challenging, yet rewarding full-day hike. Reaching 5,029m (16,500 ft) this 8 km hike is no walk in the park, but these unique mountains do not disappoint. The ascent takes approximately 1.5 hours.
• 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.
• Cusco Cooking Class: Channel your inner chef and get a taste of Peruvian cuisine. Learn all about the essential ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes with a local expert

Fill up on breakfast at your hotel in Cusco before walking to the Cusco Cathedral where your guide will meet the group for your walking tour of Cusco's colonial side. See the colonial and Inca architecture visible throughout the city and visit the Sapantiana staircase waterfall aqueduct before having lunch near the main plaza. Afterwards, walk back to the hotel and enjoy free time for the rest of the evening.

Included Experiences

• Cusco Colonial Side Walking Tour: Spend time on a group walking tour of the colonial areas in Cusco. Start in Cusco City and finish with a visit to the Sapantiana waterfalls before having a delicious lunch at a restaurant near the main plaza.
• Free Time: Take advantage free time to further explore this lovely city.

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.

Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar). Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Opt to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them. Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.

Included Experiences

• Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op visit: Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.
• Cuyo Chico Pottery Making Demonstration: In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.
• Parwa Community Restaurant the Sacred Valley: Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

Enjoy the Sacred Valley with your G representative today. Explore the sites of the Maras Salt Mines and the ancient Incan agricultural terraces of Moray. Continue on a scenic drive through small villages and stunning views of the Andean countryside. Then visit the Chincheros ruins. Known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow, this site offers stunning views of the Andean countryside. Return to Ollantaytambo for the evening.

Included Experiences

• Maras Salt Mines and Moray Visit: Tour the unique Inca ruins of Moray, consisting of circular terraces and a sophisticated irrigation system located at 3500m (11483 ft). Learn about the history and study of this fascinating site – speculation has it that it was an Inca agriculture experiment station. Then visit the impressive Maras Salt Mines and see thousands of individual ancient salt pools spilling over a hillside. Learn about the different varieties of salt, and try the renowned pink salt, famous worldwide.
• Scenic Andean Drive and lunch near Maras: Set out on a scenic drive above the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Stop along the way to look out over small farms carved into the hills and small villages dotted along the landscape. Enjoy the views and have lunch near Maras, opt to relax, explore the surroundings.
• Chincheros Ruins Visit: Chincheros is known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow. This typical Andean village has Inca ruins, a colonial church, and sweeping mountain views. Explore the ruins and check out the impressive architecture of this ancient place.

After breakfast visit the Ollantaytambo ruins where you'll walk up the 200 stone steps to reach the top. Then, catch the scenic train to Aguas Calientes. After enjoying a quick orientation walk around the town of Aguas Calientes the group will have free time for optional activities. Opt to visit the Machu Picchu Museum, the Mandor Waterfalls, and the butterfly garden. Or consider taking a dip in some thermal baths to relax those muscles.

Included Experiences

• Ollantaytambo Ruins Visit: Explore this ancient site right in the heart of Ollantaytambo city. Learn about the principles of Incan architecture and get a first taste of climbing around a massive ruins site.
• Train: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
• Aguas Calientes Orientation Walk: The group will arrive at Aguas Calientes with their assistant guide or CEO and they will have an orientation walk through the town of Aguas Calientes. Your CEO can then help you coordinate any optional activities you may want to try during your time here.
• Free Time: Spend free time getting to know the area. Maybe visit the local hot springs for a nice rejuvenating soak.

Optional Experiences

• Machu Picchu Museum Visit: Get an in-depth look at Inca history and learn more about Hiram Bingham, the American archaeologist and explorer that discovered Machu Picchu. The museum holds the largest collection of Inca artifacts excavated from Machu Picchu. Your guide will point out items of interest so you walk away feeling like an explorer yourself.
• Machu Picchu Thermal Baths: After Machu Picchu, the biggest tourist attraction in the town of Aguas Calientes are its thermal baths. Temperatures vary from 38ºC. (100.4 ° F) to 44ºC. (111.2 ° F). The waters come from a natural spring of volcanic origin that is yellowish in colour due to the presence of sulfur.
• Mandor Waterfalls Optional Visit: This botanical garden boasts a beautiful waterfall, varied wildlife and lush scenery. Walk along one of the trails and admire the many orchids.
• Machu Picchu Butterfly Garden: This sanctuary is located inside the National Park of Machu Picchu. There are more than 100 different endemic species here and you'll have the opportunity to see them on this visit to the House of Butterflies.

Rise early to enjoy a guided tour of Machu Picchu. After, catch the train towards Cusco. Enjoy a guided visit to the ruins, then head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group. Take the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo to meet the van for the ride back to Cusco.

Included Experiences

• Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
• Machu Picchu Guided Tour: Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.
• Train: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Enjoy a free day to explore Cusco or relax. Opt to go mountain biking or get a massage.

If you pre-book the Culinary Bundle, you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 16:00.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Make the most of your time in Cusco.

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 City Tour: Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.
• 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.

Fly to Puerto Maldonado and continue by motorized boat to the comfortable and intimate G Lodge Amazon. Fly to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon Jungle. After a brief stop in town to store large luggage, drive to the pier and travel by covered motorized boat to the jungle lodge. En route, see birds typical of the river or forest edge. The Tambopata Rainforest Area holds the world record for the most bird sightings in one area. Local community members make up the majority of the lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides. Here you have the opportunity to learn from them not only about the area’s rich flora and fauna, but also about their extensive practical uses for medicinal plants and other forest plant resources, through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.

The lodge itself combines native architectural style and materials with low-impact eco-friendly technology. Rooms are simple but comfortable, with mosquito netting for individual beds, flush toilets, showers (with solar-heated hot water), and candles for lighting (no electricity). Please note in periods of high demand you may be accommodated in a nearby Amazon lodge.

Included Experiences

• Plane: On arrival, take a private vehicle to the lodge's office in Puerto Maldonado town to store large luggage. You will be provided with duffels to bring only what you need into the jungle. From there, travel about 1 hr to reach the boat landing.
• Motorized Canoe: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
• Wildlife-spotting Night Walk: Get the lowdown on local flora and fauna, and grab a flashlight to discover what’s living around lodge grounds. Receive help from the talented, expert naturalist guide to locate heaps of hidden creatures! Keep an eye out for snakes, tarantulas, owls, and poison dart frogs, just to name a few.

Enjoy guided excursions by expert naturalists to spot wildlife at nearby oxbow lakes and along jungle trails. Spend some time relaxing in a hammock, enjoying the local swimming hole or visiting a nearby plantation. Go for a caiman-spotting cruise after dinner. 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 to discover.

Included Experiences

• 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.
• Free Time: Spend time around the lodge or further afield.
• 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.

Fly back to Lima for an optional final dinner and night out. Have a final delicious Amazonian breakfast before heading back towards the airport by motorized boat and van. Fly to Lima and opt for a final night out for dinner or Pisco Sours.

Included Experiences

• Motorized Canoe: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
• Plane: Take a van from the pier to pick up stored luggage before heading to the Puerto Maldonado airport. Make a brief stop in Cusco en route to Lima. A private vehicle will be waiting to take the group to the Lima hotel.

Depart at any time.

Optional Experiences

• Lima Cooking Class (4hrs): Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa, and Japan. Please note that if you are travelling with a family there is no age restriction on this activity and the cooking class is acceptable for children.
• Bike Miraflores and Barranco: Head out on a bike tour through Miraflores and Barranco visiting iconic districts in Lima along the way. You will bike a total of 13km or about 8 miles on this particular tour. Take in the colourful atmosphere as you pass by historic house in the Bajada de Baños district and visit the famous Puente de los Suspiros.
• Lima City Tour: Discover Lima’s cultural and culinary highlights on this half-day guided tour. Visit the Santo Domingo Monastery, walk around Plaza de Armas, marvel at the Bodega y Quadra Museum, and get to know some of Lima's lovely neighbourhoods. Stop to enjoy some authentic Peruvian tapas and be introduced to Pisco Sours during a demonstration and tasting.
• Full Day Lima Experience: Experience the highlights Lima along with its important eras in history such as, the Pre-Hispanic Oracle of Pachacamac. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the bohemian district of Barranco and visit the colonial convent of San Francisco and its latest addition, the Magic Water Park.