Experience nature in the Peruvian Amazon. Follow trails to hides, climb canopy towers and cruise lakes to view animals and birds.
With it’s unspoilt rainforest teeming with life, the world-famous Amazon is on every nature lover’s wish list. Spending time in this precious environment is both a pleasure and a privilege. The Manu and Tambopata reserves are in different parts of the Peruvian Amazon and both provide excellent jungle experiences and homely lodges, while a cruise provides more creature comforts when resting between excursions.
Expect to be amazed by the Amazon’s richness and diversity. The dense primary rainforest contains many thousands of plant species ranging from towering trees to delicate orchids, colourful bromeliads to giant water lilies. All manner of wildlife thrives here: monkeys, tapirs, jaguars, giant otters, caiman and birds galore including parrots and macaws often seen en-masse at clay licks.
Tambopata National Reserve
This huge reserve contains floodplains, wetlands and lakes as well as tropical jungle and is home to an impressive array of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds. Water and land-based activities showcase this richness and expert guides ensure you don’t miss a thing. Keep a special lookout for giant otters, harpy eagles, black caiman and, if you’re very lucky, a jaguar.
Iquitos
The largest city in the Amazon region is under two hours flight from Lima and offers day trips into the rainforest to observe wildlife and visit indigenous tribes as well as being a starting point for Amazon cruises. In the city you can see the grand mansions of former rubber barons built during the rubber boom of the early 20th century including an iron house designed by Gustav Eiffel, the central square and main church.
Inca Heartland & the Rainforest Itinerary
Spend time immersed in the Inca heartlands then onto the natural world of the Amazon basin.
An exhilarating 12 days that immerse you in two fascinating aspects of Peru – the history and culture of the Andean heartland of the Incas and the wildlife and nature of the Amazon basin.
We pack a lot in to these 12 days – it’s an exhilarating adventure with expert guides, but we never forget that you need some time to yourself as well. After spending a night in Lima, you have six days to explore Cusco and the wonders of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then we whisk you off to the Peruvian Amazon.
Following a three-hour boat trip to your remote lodge you’ll spend three nights in the heart of the rainforest, with a range of activities to choose from to ensure that your time in this amazing location is spent in the way that suits you best, whether that’s on foot, by water or in the tree tops. You’ll even have the option to contribute to scientific research at the lodge.
All transfers and services are pre-arranged, so you don’t have to worry about anything, just enjoy the experience of Peru. We have included a guide where we think that this will add to your experience, but you also have times when you can explore on your own. In the rainforest you are escorted the whole time by a professional nature guide, on walks, boat trips, bird watching and so on.
This is a lovely and diverse holiday with a great balance of sightseeing and nature. You’ll stay at high-standard but mid-range hotels and lodges, and there’s the flexibility for you to upgrade hotels or stay in a private rainforest lodge if you wish.
Hotels you could be staying in….
12 days from £2,915pp* (plus international flights)
*subject to availability at time of booking, based on two sharing
Although you may picture iconic sights like Machu Picchu or Lake Titicaca, there are countless off-the-beaten-track, authentic experiences for your clients to immerse themselves in – many of which you will explore.
SACRED VALLEY
Take a glimpse into the traditional lifestyle of a remote Andean community. After meeting the friendly locals, share an authentic Peruvian meal before they perform their thank you ceremony to the mountains.
EXPERT TIPS
Ideal for exploring traditional culture – This is such an educational tour to experience. If your clients are interested in exploring Peru’s local culture and meeting new people, this is perfect. Take a guided walk of Arequipa city & Santa Catalina Convent
You can discover ancient religious architecture like Jesuit churches and the tranquil Peruvian districts of Carmen Alto and Yanahuara with the view of Misti, Chachani and Pichu-Pichu volcanoes utterly spectacular.
Exploring Santa Catalina Monastery is a must: learn about the nuns residing there and their extraordinary lives within the boundaries of the convent.
Delve into the vibrant Barranco neighbourhood to savour its diverse dishes and mural masterpieces. Each food stop is filled with lively flavours, from ceviche to lomo saltado.
Pisco sours are served everywhere in Peru, but sipping one in the oldest bar in Lima is something special. We can also arrange a lesson from the bartender and learn how to make one yourselves.
Macaws in Peru Rainforest Itinerary
Day 1
Lima
You’ll be met on arrival at Lima Airport and transferred to the Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport hotel, where you can enjoy a good night’s sleep after your flight. The hotel has a bar, restaurant, indoor pool, spa and fitness centre, and you’ll have time to relax before settling down for the night.
Day 2
The Sacred Valley
This morning you’ll make the short walk back to the airport to catch your flight to Cusco. On arrival at Cusco you’ll be met and taken to Hotel Pakaritampu, a charming hotel set in pretty gardens in Ollantaytambo, 1½ hours from Cusco. Ollantaytambo is at a lower altitude than Cusco, so you’ll be able to acclimatise to altitude more easily here.
Upgrade option – if you prefer you can stay in the Libertabor Tambo del Inka Hotel in nearby Urubamba. Breakfast
Day 3
Pisac And Ollantaytambo
This morning you will be taken to Pisac, to spend time at the bustling market for which this small town is renowned. You can browse and buy alpaca textiles, paintings, jewellery etc. and watch colourfully-dressed locals trading produce as they have done here for centuries before heading to the impressive archaeological site that sits above Pisac where your guide will explain the history of the site. After lunch you return to Ollantaytambo, to explore this fascinating town which was created by the Incas and features their characteristic narrow alleyways with houses and courtyards. Above the town are magnificent Inca ruins, with baths and a ceremonial complex, and some superb stonework. You’ll return to your hotel in the evening. Breakfast, lunch
Day 4
Train To Machu Picchu
Today you will travel through the Andes in style, taking in the incredible scenery through the train’s huge panoramic windows. On arrival at Aguas Calientes you board the bus for the short uphill journey to Machu Picchu. Your expert guide will give you a comprehensive tour of the site, helping bring this iconic citadel to life for you. Then you head back down the hill to Aguas Calientes in time for a late lunch and to check into El MaPi hotel. This bright, airy hotel has a spa with sauna, heated plunge pool and hydro-massage showers. Don’t lose your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu – you’ll be returning there tomorrow! Upgrade option – Hotel Sumaq in Aguas Calientes. Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5
Machu Picchu
After enjoying the generous breakfast buffet at your hotel you catch the bus back to Machu Picchu and you are free to explore the site at will, perhaps walking to the Inca Bridge or the Gate of the Sun. Then it’s time to take the bus down to the station to catch the train back to Cusco and take in those views again. On arrival at Cusco you’ll be transferred to your hotel, Antigua Casa San Blas . Upgrade option: Libertador Palacio del Inka Hotel. Breakfast
Day 6
Sightseeing In And Around Cusco
Your guide will collect you after breakfast and take you on a half-day tour of Cusco, starting in the bohemian San Blas district, which is full of art galleries, craft shops and workshops. Then you’ll go to the San Pedro market, where you will find, amongst other produce, a quite remarkable number of different varieties of potatoes! Then you’ll head to the Plaza de Armas – great for people watching – and visit the Cathedral and the Convent of Santo Domingo. The convent was built on the remains of Koricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun. Finally, you will drive north of the city to the ceremonial complex of Sacsayhuaman, before lunching at the Inka Grill restaurant and returning to your hotel. Breakfast, lunch
Day 7
Chinchero, Moray And Maras
Today you return to the Sacred valley. You’ll be driven the 45 minutes from Cusco to Chinchero. Sitting at about 3,500m and built on a terrace, this was a very important town for the Inca Empire. The surrounding landscape is beautiful, and you’ll be able to see the snow-capped Chicón and Verónica mountains. Chinchero is particularly known for its large Sunday market, which attracts traders from many communities. From here you will head to the white saltpans at Maras, which have been worked since pre-Inca times. And you’ll go to Moray, a fascinating series of concentric terraces on the plateau, which some believe was an Inca agricultural research centre. You’ll then have a snack before being transferred back to your hotel in Cusco. Breakfast, lunch
Day 8
Cusco To Puerto Maldonado
This morning you will be collected from your hotel and taken to Cusco airport for the 1-hour flight to Puerto Maldonado. You will be met on arrival at Puerto Maldonado and start your jungle adventure with a 45-minute road transfer to the Tambopata River followed by a 3-hour boat trip to the Refugio Amazonas, your home for the next two nights. Set in a private reserve within the Tambopata National Reserve buffer zone the lodge has a wellness centre, a shop selling artisanal crafts, and wonderful canopy views of the forest. One wall in each guest room is open to the great outdoors.
Upgrade option: Amazon Villa – a luxury private villa with hot tub, private dining and garden. Full board
Day 9 And Day 10
Rainforest
For the next two days, whether you’re staying at Refugio Amazonas or Amazon Villa, you will have an identical range of activities to choose from. Both are well located for wildlife viewing, and you can discuss your activity options with the staff. Activities on offer include watching parakeets and macaws at the clay lick, jungle night walks, oxbow lake boat trips, visiting the canopy tower, and taking a sunset river trip. Any youngsters in your party could well enjoy the children’s rainforest trail. The lodge specialises in soft adventure such as kayaking and standing paddle-boarding. You could also hire a private, bilingual guide (additional cost), visit a jungle farm or take part in the Wired Amazon citizen science programme. Full board
Day 11
To Lima
This morning your jungle adventure ends in the style in which it began, with a boat trip followed by a car journey to Puerto Maldonado from where you catch your plane to Lima. You’ll be met on arrival at Lima airport and transferred to the Casa Andino Centro hotel in Miraflores. This comfortable modern hotel is close to Parque Central and Parque Kennedy and a short taxi ride from the Larcomar shopping centre. There are plenty of shops and restaurants in Miraflores itself, and Lima is renowned for its cuisine, so you will have no trouble finding a great place to eat. Breakfast
Day 12
Lima And Home
This may be your last day in Peru, but you still have more to explore. Your guide will meet you after breakfast and take you on a sightseeing tour of Lima. This will be tailored to your interests, so you could, for example, choose to visit the Larco Museum, with its fabulous collection of pre-Inca gold, silver and ceramics. Lima’s colonial buildings are also very impressive, with the 16th century Casa Aliaga being particularly interesting; it has been occupied by the same family since 1532 and its interior is beautifully preserved. Later in the day you will be transferred to the international airport for your flight home. Breakfast
Please ask us at Wildlife Escapes for more details.
