Welcome to Peru!

At arrival, your driver will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel located in Miraflores area. If you arrive early in Lima, a walk around Miraflores is recommended. Go from Central Park (Parque Kennedy) to Larcomar via Larco Avenue. Alternatively, go to Parque del Amor (Love Park) for a nice view of Lima’s beaches. Other options are a tour to Pachacamac (approximately 30 kilometres from downtown Lima), the Museo de la Nacion and the Gold Museum.

In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel in Lima heading out to the south of Lima for about 30 kms. On the way, your local guide will give you an introduction to the history of Lima and will also talk about important aspects of modern Lima. After a 40 minutes ride, you will arrive at the ruins of Pachacamac. In order to get better understanding of this important archaeological site, you will visit first the Pachacamac Museum, which is located at the entrance of the ruins. At this museum you will be able to see various ancient relics found at the site during archaeological excavations. Among the remains, you will see various decorated ceramics, textiles and carving woods representing Pachacamac God. After you leave the museum and you will explore the site with your local guide. During the walking through the sanctuary you will visit its most important pyramids, in which stands out the north pyramid, a well preserve estructure with truncated shape. The north pyramid allows from its top amazing views of the nearby Lurin Valley and the Pacific Ocean. From the top you can also see the large plazas the Incas built to receive hundreds of pilgrims who venerated this god. On the tour you will also see the Acllahuasi temple or the house of Mamaconas (name given to a particular group of women, sent from Cusco or other important cities to come to the place and take care of the religious ceremonies and the production of fine textiles for the nobility).
After your excursion in Pachacamac you will continue to your first wildlife experience. The Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge (located in Santiago de Surco, Lima, Peru) is a 263-hectare protected habitat for more than 208 species of birds including local residents, Andean migrants, and northern and southern hemisphere migrants. The wetlands were formed from waterways of the Rímac River and in ancient times formed a wet prairie between the Lima area and the Pachacamac area. The Quechuan word “waylla” meaning “green prairie” is considered the origin of the name “Villa”. The remnant wetland in the refuge, once located far to the south of Lima, has become surrounded and thus threatened by the growing urban area. You will explore the traditional trail, 1.5 km roundtrip for about 1 hour, passing by two viewpoints from where you will appreciate the Main Lagoon with an extension of 50 ha. and 3 meters depth.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the bus station to board a comfortable tourist bus towards Paracas (4 hours). Transfer to your hotel in Paracas. In the afternoon, you will visit Paracas National Reserve. The reserve is home to many species of wildlife, particularly birds, which are largely concentrated at the water’s edge. Near the entrance inside the reserve is the Site Museum ͞Julio C. Tello, named after the archeologist who made major discoveries about the ancient Paracas culture, it features artifacts as well as information about the flora and fauna of this unique region. The main purpose of this National Reserve is to preserve the marine ecosystem and protect the historical cultural heritage related to ancient indigenous people, mostly of the Paracas culture.

Early in the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the harbor located nearby. At the Paracas dock you will board a speed-boat equipped with life vests and comfortable seats. At this point is advisable to wear a good jacket or wind breakers as it gets very windy once the boat gets in motion. You will leave then towards the Ballestas Islands. Along the way you will see the famous figure known as The Candelabro, an enigmatic design etched on the desert floor hundreds of years ago. The
Candelabro is overlooking the Ocean, so here you will have the chance to take pictures, as well as to learn about the most popular theories about it. Afterwards you will continue to the Ballestas Islands. The Ballestas Islands are inhabited by an amazing marine life, with over 200 types of migratory and resident birds, including Peruvian Pelicans, Belcher’s gulls, Humboldt penguins, guanay cormorants, redlegged cormorants, Inca terns, Peruvian boobies, turkey vultures, among others. In addition you will also see around the Islands hundreds of sea lions resting at the beaches, sleeping on the rocks or swimming nearby. The Islands also provide shelter to the shy Humboldt penguins which are usually seen at the entrances of small caves near the cliffs. After touring around the islands for about 1 hour you will return to the Paracas harbor. Depending on the departure time of tour bus to Lima, you may have some free time at leisure.

Transfer to local airport for your flight to Cusco. At arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel located in Sacred Valley. On the way, you will stop at Awanakancha, a cultural center showing the textile tradition of ancient Peruvians which is still preserved and promoted in this place. The members of this project are a living source of information in pre Columbian weaving techniques and textile related arts, and are still making their own clothing, aiming to maintain and recover generational legacies which must not become extinct. You will observe examples of the Andean camelids whose fur is sheared to produce the finest textiles, well known around the world. Continue your journey into the Sacred Valley visiting a local community where you will learn a little more about the daily life of Peruvians. Enjoy a delicious typical lunch based on local products. Transfer to hotel located in Sacred Valley.

Transfer to Ollantaytambo train station to board the expedition train towards Aguas Calientes, a modern little town close to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The train ride to Machu Picchu is one of the most beautiful journeys that visitors can experience in our country. After passing the Sacred Valley of the Incas the train starts to descend gradually along the edge of the Urubamba River, till finally reach the cloud forest. After approximately 1 hour 45 minutes you will have arrived in Aguas Calientes town, where you will be taken to Machu Picchu, starting with a short bus ride up the steep, zigzagging road to the impressive Lost City of the Incas. Upon arrival, you will get into the archaeological zone of Machu Picchu and the tour guide will show you the most important sectors of this great Inca City, such as the great Intiwatana (solar clock), the Sun Temple, the urban sector, the agricultural sector among others. Machu Picchu was long thought to be legendary. Then in 1911, the explorer Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it remains. Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. After your guided tour, enjoy your free time in Machu Picchu and then head back to your hotel in Aguas Calientes.

If weather conditions are appropriate, you will go a on a morning excursion towards Mandor, a small waterfall 30 meters high. Walking towards Mandor will give you good chances to spot some of the birds species or other animals in their natural habitat. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the activities included in your lodge package like meandering through the orchid garden, visiting the tea plantation, taking part on the bird watching activity or doing the day or night walk.

Take the expedition train back to Ollantaytambo from where your private transportation will take you back to Cusco, the historical capital of Peru (2 hours). In the afternoon, your leader will take you on a walking tour that includes a visit to the Coca Museum.

Transfer to Cusco airport for flight to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival your local guide will wait for you at the airport and drive you ten minutes to the Puerto Maldonado headquarters. While enjoying your first taste of the forest in the gardens you will be asked to pack only the necessary gear for your next few days and leave the rest at the safe deposit. This is to keep the boats and cargo light. Transfer from Puerto Maldonado Headquarters to Tambopata River Port. Skirting Puerto Maldonado, we drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port, entering the Native Community of Infierno. The port is a communal business. Transfer Boat – Tambopata River Port to Refugio Amazonas. The two and a half hour boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Refugio Amazonas will take us past the Community of Infierno and the Tambopata National Reserves checkpoint and into the buffer zone of this 1.3 million hectare conservation unit. Enjoy a boxed lunch on board. Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips. After dinner you may go on a Caiman (from the alligator family) Search. Travelling along the river’s edge at night, scanning the shores with headlamps and flashlights to catch the red gleams of reflection from caiman eyes.

Canopy Tower. A thirty minute walk from Refugio Amazonas leads to the 25 meter scaffolding canopy tower. A bannistered staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. The tower has been built upon high ground, therefore increasing your horizon of the continuous primary forest extending out towards the Tambopata National Reserve. From here views of mixed species canopy flocks as well as toucans, macaws and raptors are likely.
Transfer Boat – Refugio Amazonas to TRC. Four and half hours by boat from Refugio Amazonas, in the pristine heart of the reserve, lies the Tambopata Research Center. One and half hours into our boat journey, as we cross the confluence with the Malinowski River, we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind. Within the 700,000 hectare uninhabited nucleus of the reserve, sightings of capybara, caiman, geese, macaws and other large species will become more frequent. After lunch, visit the Chuncho Clay Lick. Three hours from Refugio Amazonas, deep in the Tambopata National Reserve we will stop at the Chuncho claylick. After a brief walk (~5 minutes) we will have the chance to see dozens of large macaws feeding on the special sodium rich clays of the riverbank. The Chuncho claylick probably attracts more large macaws than any other claylick in the world and the sight of dozens of macaws taking flight is truly unforgettable. The details of our stopover will depend on the weather and the amount of macaw activity, as the birds don’t visit the clay lick when it is raining. Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips. Overlook Trail. A three to five kilometer hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating on old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey. After dinner scientists will provide an in depth look at the biology of macaws, their feeding habits, the theories for clay lick use, their breeding and feeding ecology, population fluctuations and the threats to their conservation.

Macaw Clay Lick. On most clear mornings of the year dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on this large river bank in a raucous and colorful spectacle which inspired a National Geographic cover story. Discretely located fifty meters from the cliff, we will observe Green-winged, Scarlet and Blue-and-gold Macaws and several species of smaller parrots descend to ingest clay. Outings are at dawn when the lick is most active. After breakfast, explore the Floodplain Trail. This five kilometer trail covers the prototypical rain forest with immense trees criss-crossed by creeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat.
Lunch. Pond Platform: Ten minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with a platform in the middle. It is a great place to spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers and parakeets that call this pond their home. Dinner. Night walk: You will have the option of hiking out at night, when most of the mammals are active but rarely seen. Much easier to find are frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.

Breakfast. Terra Firme Trail: An entirely different habitat characterized by smaller, thinner trees atop hills and slopes is covered by this five kilometer trail. Saddleback tamarins are frequently found here. As we walk near the limits of the swamp we will also keep our eyes open for rare tapir tracks. Lunch. Palm Swamp Trail: Growing on the remains of an oxbow lake and providing both arboreal as well as terrestrial mammals with fruits throughout the year, the aguaje palms are one of the most important food sources in the rainforest. Demand for these fruits and great conditions for planting rice, makes the palm swamp also one of the most threatened habitats.

After breakfast. We retrace our river and road journey back to Puerto Maldonado, the office and the airport. Flight Puerto Maldonado –Lima. Transfer to hotel in Miraflores district.

There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time and enjoy the city of Lima and buy souvenirs before catching your flight back home leaving with memories for life.