Journeys: Iconic Peru (Machu Picchu by Train)

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Included Experiences

• Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting: The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your Expedition Leader will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.

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.
• 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.

Fly to Puerto Maldonado and continue by motorized canoe to our comfortable lodge, situated near the Tambopata National Reserve in the Amazon rainforest. Spot local bird species along the lush shores of the Tambopata River en route to the lodge, and set off on an evening walk with a naturalist guide before dinner, keeping an eye out for some of the rainforest’s nocturnal creatures. 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, spot bird species typical of the local river and 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 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. Enjoy a welcome drink and orientation. Before dinner, head out for a night walk around the lodge grounds.

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: Head by private vehicle to the lodge's office in Puerto Maldonado to store large luggage. From there, travel about 1 hr to reach the boat landing.
• 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.

Spend the day exploring the thriving ecosystems of the rainforest with our lodge’s naturalist guides. Scan the treetops for toucans, howler monkeys, and sloths, and glide along oxbow lakes on canoes for a chance to glimpse river otters, turtles, and, if we’re lucky, anacondas. After dinner, embark on a river tour by motorized canoe on the lookout for caimans, the smaller cousins of alligators, which are often found hiding near the muddy banks. 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 birds, interesting plants, and other animals about.

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 go further afield. Free time is yours 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.

Travel out of the jungle by boat and catch a flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco, soaring above the Andes into Peru’s Inca heartland. This evening, visit the Cusco Planetarium for a presentation on the skies of the Southern Hemisphere, and learn about the vital role that astronomy played in the lives of the ancient Inca. Weather permitting, peer through the planetarium's telescopes for a dazzling look at the stars. Afternoon arrival into the Inca capital. Time for strolling around the plazas and markets. Admire the cobblestones streets, and visit some museums and Cathedral.

Included Experiences

• Motorized Canoe: Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Free Time: Take it easy this afternoon and acclimatize to the higher altitude.
• Cusco Planetarium: Look to the night sky for a different view of the city. Explore the Cusco Planetarium surrounded by the serene nature of the Llaullipata Ecological Reserve. Enjoy a presentation on the southern sky, contemporary astronomy, and the ancient Incas’ relationship with the cosmos. Check out the on-site museum and use the telescopes to admire the stars (weather-permitting).

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. The group will see the colonial architecture and influence visible in Cusco and visit the beautiful Sapantiana waterfalls before having lunch at Nuna Raymi in the city. Afterwards, enjoy free time to continue exploring Cusco. Opt to visit Plaza de Armas, the historic main square; the 15th-century Sacsayhuaman fortress; or some of the city’s ornate churches, such as the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and La Catedral, which fuse pre-Columbian and colonial design. You may also visit the Inca Museum, which houses a fascinating collection of Inca jewelry, metalware, pottery, textiles, mummies, and more.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Spend more time getting to know this fascinating city and surrounding area. Free time is yours to explore any way you want.
• 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.

Optional Experiences

• 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.
• Inka Museum: Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.

Drive to the scenic Sacred Valley for a full day of exploration with a local guide. Tour the G Adventures–supported Parque de la Papa, or Potato Park, a rural Andean community working to preserve hundreds of varieties of native potato. During this exclusive experience, you'll walk through the park to learn about potato cultivation, traditional weaving, and the importance of both these practices to Andean culture. We’ll also visit the fascinating Inca ruin of Pisac, and enjoy a meal at the G Adventures–supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosqo.

Included Experiences

• 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.
• Traditional Andean Experience: In Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Inca, six communities of approximately 6000 indigenous people are working together to preserve over 700 species of potato – a cornerstone of life here. As part of an experience exclusive to National Geographic Journeys travellers – and part of our G Adventures for Good program – visit this area, named “Parque de la Papa” (“Potato Park”), to learn about life in an Andean agricultural community. Walk through the park here with a local guide, dropping by the seed bank (which has direct ties to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway) and then head out to the fields to watch the planting or harvesting process, depending on the season. After, enjoy some of the delicious varieties of potato and visit the small stone hut where traditional weaving takes place. Learn about the natural dyeing process and witness alpaca wool strands being transformed into beautiful textiles through a centuries-old backstrap weaving style. Your visit to this special community means this local enterprise can continue earning an income that supports their development and conservation goals.
• Parque de la Papa (Potato Park): Parque de la Papa (meaning "Potato Park") serves two important purposes for the community of Pampallacta: the preservation of agricultural biodiversity and economic opportunity. National Geographic Journeys travellers visit the park to learn about life in a rural agricultural Andean community and take a tour of the seed conservation program, which is preserving heritage potato species. They also learn about traditional planting, harvesting and indigenous weaving practices. With G Adventures' support, the community is able to create jobs in the area and invest in local businesses, which helps the community preserve their culture.
• Pisac Ruins Guided Tour: Tour the fascinating hilltop citadel of Pisac, an Incan ruin with plunging gorges, a ceremonial centre, and winding agriculture terracing that's still in use today. Be captivated by this truly amazing site sitting amid sweeping green valleys and mountain peaks. Explore the back of the site to see a pocketed cliff across Kitamayo Gorge, which once contained hundreds of Inca tombs.

Continue exploring the Sacred Valley. Visit the Ollantaytambo ruins and walk up the 200 stone steps to the top. After, visit the terraced salt pans of Maras, which have been used for salt extraction since pre-Inca times, and tour the Inca site of Moray—believed to have been an agricultural laboratory where priests would test soils and crops. Then set off on a scenic drive through the lush Andean countryside, dotted with peaceful villages. Then, visit the Chincheros ruins, known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow and featuring incredible views of the Andean countryside.

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.
• 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.
• 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.

After breakfast at the hotel in the Sacred Valley, the group will catch the scenic train for a journey following the Urubamba River Valley 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

• 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 Expedition Leader and they will have an orientation walk through the town of Aguas Calientes. Your Expedition Leader can then help you coordinate any optional activities you may want to try during your time here.

Optional Experiences

• Machu Picchu by Train with 1-Day Inca Trail: Are the 4-day Inca Trail permits sold out or are you taking the "Machu Picchu by Train" itinerary and looking for a taste of the trek? Then this is the option for you. Traverse cloud forests while enjoying spectacular views on this '1-day Inca Trail' trek. Start by disembarking the train at km 104. Follow the local guide as the trail rises steeply up into the mountains and winds past the archaeological sites of Wiñay Wayna and Inti Pata. Gain insight into the fascinating culture of the Incas en route to the trek's culmination at the Sun Gate. Enjoy a packed lunch along the way, and reach the Sun Gate in the late afternoon. Enjoy time to take in the views of Machu Picchu before the guided tour the following day. After, take one of the buses from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes to spend the night in a hotel in town. Opt to visit nearby hot springs to soak sore muscles, if time permits. **Please note this must be pre-booked as it requires an Inca Trail permit, which is on request and subject to availability. This option is also only available as part of the "Machu Picchu by Train" itinerary and is not available with the 4-day Inca Trail or Lares Trek. Please speak to your GCO or travel agent for more information.
• 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.

This morning, embark on a guided tour of Machu Picchu—the 15th-century Inca citadel famously introduced to the world by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in the April 1913 issue of National Geographic magazine. After being taken through the temples and terraces of this awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage site, return to Cusco by train Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with the guide. Enjoy a guided visit of the ruins. When ready, head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group and take a train 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.

Optional Experiences

• Inca Bridge Visit: Use any leftover energy from your Machu Picchu hike to visit the Inca Bridge site nearby (thought by some to be a secret back entrance to Machu Picchu). Trek up to the bridge that's cleaving to a 579m (1,900 ft) cliff, and soak in amazing views of cloud forest along the way.

Free day in Cusco — explore this city, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at your leisure. Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class. Opt to visit museums and ruins or try rock climbing. Cusco is considered the mecca of Peru and rightly so. This beautiful colonial town offers nearby ruins, cobblestoned streets, museums, churches, and a lively atmosphere. The more adventurous optional activities available in Cusco include horseback riding around archaeological sites such as Sacsayhuaman, Tambo Machay, and Puca Pucara; and mountain biking down to the Sacred Valley, perhaps visiting an Inca ruin along the way.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Options range from cycling to enjoying more leisurely pursuits such as visiting museums, shopping, or people watching in a café on the main square.

Optional Experiences

• 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
• Cusco Cathedral Visit: Enjoy a visit to this beautiful cathedral; its construction began in 1559 and continued for another hundred years. Be sure to check out its excellent collection of colonial art, and the vault containing the remains of the famous Inca historian, Garcilaso de la Vega.
• Inka Museum: Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.
• 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.

Head south on a scenic drive to Puno, perched on the western shore of Lake Titicaca. The journey will take us through the Altiplano, a vast, windswept landscape of plateaus and plains that counts among the planet’s most extensive highlands. Arrive in Puno, the region’s commercial hub, and settle into your hotel. Enjoy spectacular views of the countryside on this full day of travel from Cusco to Puno, through the high Altiplano.

Set out to discover Lake Titicaca—one of the highest navigable lakes in the world and the second largest lake in South America. On a guided boat tour, visit the floating Uros Islands—built entirely of reeds—and step ashore Taquile Island, home to a thriving indigenous textile industry. For lunch, we’ll head to the small rural community of Luquina Chico. Enjoy a traditional meal in the home of a local family while taking in sweeping views of Lake Titicaca and its picturesque isles. Later, opt for a tour of Sillustani, a fascinating pre-Inca burial site. In the morning, board a comfortable 35-foot, fully equipped speed boat to explore the lake. Stop at various islands to enjoy the lake's scenic splendor and to meet the friendly people of these communities.

Included Experiences

• Day Trip to Lake Titicaca: Head out for a day on beautiful Lake Titicaca. Travel to Taquile Island to visit the community and check out the spectacular views. Do some shopping at the local weaving cooperatives and learn about the Taquileños, known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing. Continue on to the floating islands of Uros. Learn about the 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.
• Luquina Chico Community Visit: Enjoy a visit to the community of Luquina Chico on Lake Titicaca, where 40 families have been working to preserve their traditions, and with the support of G Adventures and Planeterra, are creating opportunities for future generations to thrive. Connect on a deeper level with the local community members whom call this place home, and learn more fascinating details about their unique ways of adapting to life away from the mainland.
• Lake Titicaca Community Home Lunch: Visit the Luquina Chico community on the shores of beautiful Lake Titicaca and take in sweeping views of the lake and its islands. During lunch in the home of a local family, get a personal view of everyday life in rural Peru.

Optional Experiences

• Sillustani Burial Towers Entrance: Take a guided tour of the Sillustani burial towers known as "chullpas." Be awed by these fantastic ruins located outside Puno – their remarkable towers stretch up to 12m (39 ft) in height.

Transfer to the Juliaca airport to catch a flight back to Lima. Spend your last evening in Peru at leisure, opt to explore the streets of Lima’s World Heritage-listed historic center and enjoy mouthwatering Peruvian tapas and pisco sour—the country’s national drink.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Depart at any time.