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Discover Peru Tour, Visits the Amazon, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca
Discover Peru Tour
Duration: 14 Days
4+ Travelers: $3,170 per person
2-3 Travelers: $3,570 per person
Upgrade: +$220 - Flight to Lake Titicaca (Cusco - Juliaca)
Upgrade: +$220 First Class train to Lake Titicaca (Cusco - Puno)
The First Class Train departs Cusco on the following days:
April to October: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
November to March: Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
This comprehensive and diverse Peru travel takes you through the Amazon rainforest, to the lost city of Machu Picchu, along the legendary Inca Trail and finishes at Lake Titicaca, the worlds highest navigable lake. One of the most popular and active of our Peru Tours, the adventure begins by exploring the Amazon, where experienced naturalist guides lead exciting jungle treks and canoe trips, sharing their immense knowledge of this ecological wonderland. Then you'll hike the Inca Trail, experiencing the majesty of the Andes and the architectural marvels of the Incas. After two days exploring the renowned ruins of Machu Picchu, you'll travel to Lake Titicaca, an experience filled with Peruvian culture and unforgettable vistas. This exciting Peru tour was designed for the active traveler with time to explore multiple areas of Peru.
If a private departure would work better for your schedule, please to discuss details and costs.
Discover Peru Tour Itinerary Details
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Day 1 (Mon) LIMA
View Lima accommodations picture gallery
When you arrive at Lima's international airport, you'll be transferred to your hotel. If you get to Lima early, we can arrange optional museum visits or tours of the city and surrounding areas.
View Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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Day 2 (Tue) LIMA - PTO MALDONADO - AMAZON JUNGLE LODGE
Accommodations at Posada Amazonas OR Sandoval Lake Lodge depending on availability.
In the morning, your Peru tour kicks off with a flight to Puerto Maldonado. From there, a one-hour motorized-canoe ride up the Tambopata River brings you to the lodge, where you'll have time to unwind. A short welcome orientation and presentation about the lodge and Ecotourism Project will precede the afternoon activity, a climb up the Canopy Tower. The Canopy Tower is a scaffolding 115 ft-high that offers spectacular views of the river and the surrounding forest. (B,L,D)
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Day 3 (Wed) AMAZON JUNGLE LODGE
Accommodations at Posada Amazonas OR Sandoval Lake Lodge depending on availability.
You'll rise at dawn to visit Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake, an active time for wildlife. After an early breakfast, depart from Posada Amazonas by boat and a brief walk to the lake shore before continuing your Peru ecotour with a long, easy canoe ride around the lake to scout out giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin and wading birds. Return to the lodge trail for a visit to a small parakeet clay lick where dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of parakeets congregate on clear days to ingest clay. This spectacle provides an extraordinary photo opportunity for visitors. In the afternoon, visit the community's ethno-botanical center. Hike the trails around the center with one of the residents who will explain the many uses of forest resources in everyday life including medicine, construction, food and textiles. Return to the lodge for the night. (B,L,D)
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Day 4 (Thu) PTO MALDONADO - CUSCO
View Cusco accommodations picture gallery
Depart downriver early to Pto. Maldonado and then transfer to the airport for a short flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire. Southern Explorations' guides will be there when you arrive to take you on a quick tour of the beautiful Plaza de Armas and then on to your hotel. You'll have the rest of the day free to acclimatize to the altitude (10,856 ft) and relax. (B)
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Day 5 (Fri) CUSCO
View Cusco accommodations picture gallery
Start the day with a guided walking tour of the bustling markets of Cusco, the colonial cathedral, and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch break, you'll take an afternoon tour of Inca temples and other sights in and around Cusco. Visit such Peru tour highlights as the fortress of Sacsayhuamán with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with its carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; the small fortress of Puka Pukara that protected the royal capital from attacks, and the Tambo Machay water temple. In the evening, you'll have a briefing session to prepare you for the upcoming trek. (B)
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Day 6 (Sat) CUSCO- SACRED VALLEY
View Sacred Valley accommodations picture gallery
Today’s Peru ecotour is spent on a guided excursion through snowcapped mountains to the Incas' legendary Sacred Valley. You'll see Inca terracing that climbs steep valley walls and visit the ruined temples of Pisac, offering panoramic views of the jagged granite mountains. You'll spend some time in the village of Pisac where one of the best textile markets in the Andes is located. After lunch, you'll head for Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress, spending the night at a local hotel. (B)
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Day 7 (Sun) SACRED VALLEY - PAUCARCANCHA
Camp - Life on the Inca Trail
Wake up early for the bus ride to Km 82, where the trek begins. After meeting your porters you'll cross the Urubamba River bridge following a river trail that affords stunning views of the Vilcanota mountain range and Mt. Veronica (18,745 ft). You'll undoubtedly take many photographs as souvenirs of your Peru travels today. The route continues through narrow Cusichaca valley, where slopes show the clear imprint of an ancient culture's agriculture practices. Before arriving at tonight's campsite in the archaeological zone of Paucarcancha (9,025 ft), you'll pass by the small indigenous community of Huayllabamba. (B,L,D)
Inca Trail Hike Details:
5.62 miles | 6 Hours
Altitude:
from 8,910 ft to 9600 ft.
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Day 8 (Mon) PAUCARCANCHA - LLULLUCHAPAMPA
Camp - Life on the Inca Trail
Along the trail, through the narrow hanging valley, you begin to see a cloud forest with Queñua trees, a rarity of the Andes. From here, the trail ascends steeply to pampas below the first pass. Camp overnight at Llulluchapampa (12,300 ft.), where you awaken to the breathtaking view of Mt. Huayanay. (B,L,D)
Inca Trail Hike Details:
4.37 miles | 5 Hours
Altitude:
from 9,600 ft. to 12,700 ft.
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Day 9 (Tue) LLULLUCHAPAMPA - PHUYUPATAMARCA
Camp - Life on the Inca Trail
This, the most arduous day of the trek on your Peru tour, begins on a steeply ascending trail leading to Warmiwañusca pass (13,680 ft.). The trail then descends to the Pacaymayo River before climbing slowly past the ruins of Runkuraqay. A lower pass takes you from Runkuraqay to the Sayacmarca ruins (12,628 ft). Along the trail, you'll observe evidence of Inca engineering skills, before arriving at the beautiful ruins of Phuyupatamarca (12,000 ft), where you camp for the night. (B,L,D)
Inca Trail Hike Details:
8.75 miles | 8 Hours
Altitude:
from 12,700 ft to the pass 13920 ft. and to over night at 11850 ft.
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Day 10 (Wed) PHUYUPATAMARCA - MACHU PICCHU
View Machu Picchu accommodations picture gallery
From the Phuyupatamarca ruins, follow a flagstone path that winds sharply down into a cloud forest and to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna (8,855 ft). Wiñay Wayna is located along the same watercourse as Phuyupatamarca and has well-preserved Inca ruins. A two-hour walk through a cloud forest along the Inca Trail leads finally to Intipunku, the Sun Gate entrance of Machu Picchu (7,875 ft). After a brief tour, you'll go into the small nearby village of Aguas Calientes to spend the night in a hotel. (B,L)
Inca Trail Hike Details:
8.12 miles | 8 Hours
Altitude:
from 11,850 ft to 7,875 ft. (in Machupicchu)
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Day 11 (Thu) MACHU PICCHU - CHINCHEROS TEXTILE MARKET - CUSCO
View Cusco accommodations picture gallery
Wake up early to explore extraordinary Machu Picchu at your leisure. The day holds various opportunities for your own exploration, including a climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu or a walk through the lush cloud forest to the Temple of the Moon. Return mid-day to Aguas Calientes for lunch and your afternoon train returning to Ollantaytambo. From this Sacred Valley train station, meet your driver to take you to the Chinchero Market. The market is home to some of the best textiles in the country and friendly artisans who will explain their craft and its rich traditions. After purchasing last minute gifts, travel back to Cusco for your final night in the Inca capital. (B)
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Day 12 (Fri) CUSCO - LAKE TITICACA
View Puno accommodations picture gallery
Your third Peru adventure begins with a day of high-altitude views as you cross the altiplano (high plains) by bus. As an alternative, you may choose to reach Puno via the backpacker train at no extra charge. Upon reaching Puno, one of the villages along the shores of Lake Titicaca, you'll be transferred to your hotel. (B)
Upgrade: +$220 - Flight to Lake Titicaca (Cusco - Juliaca)
Upgrade: +$220 First Class train to Lake Titicaca (Cusco - Puno)
The First Class Train departs Cusco on the following days:
April to October: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
November to March: Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays
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Day 13 (Sat) LAKE TITICACA
View Puno accommodations picture gallery
In the morning, your Peru travel continues with a short drive to Puno harbor for an 8 AM departure. Spend the day learning about this sacred Inca landmark, first stopping at the famous floating Uros Islands before continuing on to peaceful Taquile Island. Here a community of male weavers and spinners lives and works in a Mediterranean-like setting. Return to land in the late afternoon to spend some time shopping in Puno, known for its alpaca wear. (B, L)
The cradle of Incan civilization, Lake Titicaca is the largest fresh water lake on the South American continent. Extending from southeastern Peru to western Bolivia, the lake is 122 miles long, averaging 35 miles wide. This remnant of an ancient inland sea, Lake Titicaca is fed by the Andes, making it un-inviting to swimmers. The lake's blue waters make a photogenic contrast to the parched, windswept altiplano.
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Day 14 (Sun) LAKE TITICACA - LIMA - RETURN HOME
Enjoy a free morning and breakfast at the hotel. Later, you'll visit some mysterious pre-Inca ruins called chullpas (funerary towers) outside of Puno. The finest are located on a peninsula in Lake Umayo at Sillustani. Remnants of the Colla civilization, a warrior nation that spoke Aymara, this is where the tribe buried its elite in giant cylindrical tombs, some as tall as 40 ft. Many archaeologists and historians find this exquisite stonemasonry more complex and superior even to Inca workmanship. After exploring the area, you'll travel on to the airport in the town of Juliaca for your flight to Lima, arriving in the late afternoon to await your connecting international flight, marking the end of Southern Explorations services and your Peru tour. (B)
View Optional Post-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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Key:
(B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
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Inca Trail Trip Notes
Only 500 people are permitted on the Inca Trail each day. Peru's Inca Trail permits are issued on a "first-come, first-serve" basis, making early booking essential. If you wish to take a Southern Explorations Inca Trail tour between May and October, please provide us with your full name, date of birth, nationality and passport number immediately.
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Details about hiking the Inca Trail
Our Inca Trail Hiking Tours consist of daily hikes six to eight hours in duration. Plenty of time is built in to allow you to set your own pace. You will only be carrying a small daypack of essentials, and porters carry all of the additional clothing, personal effects, and camping equipment. Guests are provided with North Face tents and air mattress sleeping pads. Our guests appreciate not having to deal with a heavy pack so they have more time for photography, observation, and discovery on this Inca Trail Peru tour.
You will be awakened early each morning with a cup of hot tea, along with a bowl of hot water for washing delivered to your tent. All of your meals will be provided by experienced trail cooks, consisting of fresh vegetables, beef, and chicken. Vegetarian options are also available.
Each day's trek begins around 8 AM to cover most of the day's distances by lunchtime. We like to arrive at the campsite by mid-afternoon to give you plenty of time to unpack and to enjoy your surroundings. This Peru hike is a trekker's dream.
KEY TO MAP
Itinerary Map
PERU ARTICLES & INFORMATION
CONTACT US
CALL
1.877.784.5400
TOLL FREE
OUTSIDE
THE U.S.A. CALL
1.206.784.8111
2012 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES
Monday Start
Sunday End
2 person minimum / 8 maximum
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
17-30
Oct
15-28
Nov
11/19-12/02
Dec
11/19-12/02
10-23
Private Departures can be arranged. Please regarding private departure costs.
2013 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES
Monday Start
Sunday End
2 person minimum / 8 maximum
Jan
15-28
Feb
Mar
11-24
Apr
15-28
May
05/20-06/02
Jun
05/20-06/02
17-30
Jul
15-28
Aug
12-25
Sep
16-29
Oct
14-27
Nov
11/18-12/01
Dec
11/18-12/01
09-22
12/31-01/13
Private Departures can be arranged. Please regarding private departure costs.
INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS
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Included in tour cost
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Professional, english-speaking local guides and camp staff
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Meals as indicated
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Plentiful, nutritious meals and snacks while on the trek (Vegetarian option available)
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All hotel and camping accommodations (twin shared basis)
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All transfers in private Van
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Entrance fees for Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and all scheduled tours and archaeological sites
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Porters to carry camping equipment and any excess gear
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North Face tents - three person
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Air mattresses
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Kitchen, dining and latrine tent
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Hot water in the morning for washing
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Drinking water through out the trek
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2 tickets between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
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Train Ticket back to Cusco - Vista Dome train
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Southern Explorations pre departure services
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First Aid and Oxygen Bottle
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Satellite Phone Communication
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Excluded in tour cost
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International round - trip airfare to and from Peru
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Airfare $550 (Lima / Puerto Maldonado / Cusco / Juliaca / Lima) Subject to change
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Airport taxes international (around $30) and local (around $5)
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Tips and gratuities
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Sleeping bag
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Travel insurance
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Continental breakfasts are included at all hotels. All other meals are not included unless specified in the itinerary.
PHYSICAL RATING
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Difficult - Strenuous
PERU ACCOMMODATION
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Discover Peru Accommodation:
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8 nights hotels
2 nights Amazon Lodge
3 nights camping
(North face 3 person tents for 2)
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
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Additional $745
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Single Supplement is the additional cost of a single traveler not sharing a room in double occupancy. We will match you with another same gender traveler unless you request single accommodations.
Prices based on 3.5% cash discount
You'll rise at dawn to visit Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake, an active time for wildlife. After an early breakfast, depart from Posada Amazonas by boat and a brief walk to the lake shore before continuing your Peru ecotour with a long, easy canoe ride around the lake to scout out giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin and wading birds. Return to the lodge trail for a visit to a small parakeet clay lick where dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of parakeets congregate on clear days to ingest clay. This spectacle provides an extraordinary photo opportunity for visitors. In the afternoon, visit the community's ethno-botanical center. Hike the trails around the center with one of the residents who will explain the many uses of forest resources in everyday life including medicine, construction, food and textiles. Return to the lodge for the night. (B,L,D)
Today’s Peru ecotour is spent on a guided excursion through snowcapped mountains to the Incas' legendary Sacred Valley. You'll see Inca terracing that climbs steep valley walls and visit the ruined temples of Pisac, offering panoramic views of the jagged granite mountains. You'll spend some time in the village of Pisac where one of the best textile markets in the Andes is located. After lunch, you'll head for Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress, spending the night at a local hotel. (B)
In the morning, your Peru travel continues with a short drive to Puno harbor for an 8 AM departure. Spend the day learning about this sacred Inca landmark, first stopping at the famous floating Uros Islands before continuing on to peaceful Taquile Island. Here a community of male weavers and spinners lives and works in a Mediterranean-like setting. Return to land in the late afternoon to spend some time shopping in Puno, known for its alpaca wear. (B, L)
