Cusco, Machu Picchu & Manu National Park

Reception and assistance at Jorge Chavez Lima airport. We will be waiting you with a sign with your name on it. Transfer to your selected hotel.

In the afternoon, you will visit Lima City, Colonial and modern. The historic center is packed with 16th- and 17th-century marvels, including immaculately restored homes such as the Casa de Aliaga and the Palacio Torre Tagle.

The city tour starts on the Plaza Mayor, which is graced with a bronze fountain from 1650 and flanked on one side by the Catedral, which was built in the late 16th century.

It contains the carved wooden sepulcher of Francisco Pizarro, who was murdered in 1541 by mob of Almagristas, a rival political faction. As you enter, the first chapel on the right is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and contains a carving of Jesus that is considered to be among the most beautiful in the Americas.

But the highlight of the cathedral are the choir stalls carved in the early 17th century by Pedro Noguera. Also, you will observe the Government Palace, which forms the other side of the Plaza Mayor and was built by the Spanish on top of the home of Taulichusco.

Then, you will have a small visit to Lima’s antique post office, the Casa de Correos y Telegrafos, which has a small stamps museum.

Finally, you will visit the 16th-century San Francisco Monastery, with its beautiful cloister and entrance, as well as the catacombs or public cemetery, where slaves, servants, and others without money were buried until 1821 (rich citizens were usually buried in their home chapels). The underground labyrinth is a series of wells, some 20 meters deep, where bodies were stacked and covered with lime to reduce odor and disease. After they decomposed, the bones were stacked elsewhere.

Then you will travel back to the XX century visiting modern districts with beautiful squares, small squares and avenues, as well as Miraflores with its beautiful beaches, intensive commercial trading and active nightlife. You will visit the Park of Love, where stands a big sculpture representing a “Couple of Andean Lovers” facing the Pacific Ocean.

Transfer back to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport to board your flight to Cusco.

The city of Cusco has the shape of Puma and its head was the Sacsayhuaman site. Reception and assistance at the airport of Cusco.

To avoid the « Soroche » or high altitude sickness, you will be transferred to the Sacred Valley located 2400 m.a.s.l. besides Cusco which is 3399 m.a.s.l.. On the way touring the countryside, stopping to view the Cordillera Vilcanota and small towns along the way. You will stop at Pisac and you will enjoy the ruins of Pisac and have a walk through them for approx. 1.5 hours.

After that you will visit the Indian market of Pisac with lost of handmade blankets, clothes and curious Inca handicrafts (Only Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). You will be able buy some beautiful textiles, jewelers and ceramics at good prices.

On the way you will get nice pictures of the valley, and you can have lunch in some of the very good buffet restaurants, some with splendid views and famous Peruvian cookers.

After lunch we travel to Ollantaytambo, discovering the ruins and the town – “The Cradle of the Inca Empire “. The Fortress of Ollantaytambo is a large site characterized by its terraces, canals, granaries, fortress wall, and the temple of the sun. The fortress was used by the Inca emperor Manco Inca to conduct successful attacks on Francisco Pizarro and other Conquers, who were based in Lima.

You will stay overnight in the Sacred Valley. (Overnight Sacred Valley) (B).

Today you will take the early train to Aguas Calientes.

Arrival to the Aguas Calientes Train Station around 08:30, from where you take a 20 minute bus ride to the ruins of Machu Picchu. The ruins are on the eastern slope of Machu Picchu in two separate areas: the agricultural and the urban.

Guided sightseeing through the archaeological site of Machu Picchu visiting the Main Plaza, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Sun Dial (the greatest Intihuatana), the Royal Quarters, the Temple of Three Windows and various burial grounds.

Time free to stroll by the archaeological site and to have lunch in Aguas Calientes town.

In the afternoon you will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes and from there take the train back to the Sacred Valley.

(Overnight Sacred Valley) (B,L)

Your driver will pick you up in the morning for another interesting Valley trip. You will enjoy the spectacular views of the salt mines situated between the mountains that surround the Sacred Valley.

Later on, you will visit Chinchero an Indian village In its main square, which is dominated by a formidable Inca wall composed of huge stones and 10 trapezoidal niches, you’ll find the famous Chinchero markets. Here you’ll be greeted by bustling artisan sellers, dressed in traditional clothing, and eager to win your attention (and secure a purchase). You will stop on the way to have lunch.

If time permitting you will visit Moray as well, an interesting and photogenic Inca greenhouse. After this spectacular visit you will come back to Cusco.

(Overnight Cusco) (B).

Today you have time enough to discover Cusco.

In the afternoon, city tour of Cusco visiting the impressive Colonial Cathedral that contains over 400 paintings from the Cusqueña School, several altars. After that, we go to visit the Temple of the Sun, main religious center of the Incas dedicated to the Sun Cult. According to the chroniclers, the walls of this temple were entirely covered with gold. From here we go by bus to visit the four surroundings ruins located at less than 8 km.

We start with the Sacsayhuamán Fortress. People think it was an astronomic observatory and is used for meditation because of its great accumulated cosmic energy.

You will visit Q’enqo, this place was used for worship and ceremonial center, Puca-Pucara which means “Red Fortress” this site was an administrative and military center, and Tambomachay or Inca’s Bath, considered as a place of the cult to the water.

Return to the hotel *** (Overnight Cusco) (B).

We leave Cusco early in the morning, visit the interesting pre-Inca tombs of Ninamarca, the colonial town of Paucartambo, and then down to the Cloud Forest. Here, a thick cloak of clouds provides perpetual humidity and makes an ideal habitat for epiphytic plants such as bromeliads.

This varied and fascinating world is home of the Cock of the Rock, the Spectacled Bear, Orchids, Tree Ferns (one of the oldest living plants), mosses and lichens. At least 50% of the plant species found here are endemic to this region.

Overnight in our open air lodge “San Pedro”.

We observe the ritual mating dance of the Cock of the Rock (Rupicola peruviana), Peru’s national bird, from the platform (“lek”).

After breakfast we continue in our overland transport down the narrow road between waterfalls and canyons toward Pilcopata town. After 30 minutes bus ride we will arrive to the Port of Atalaya, board our covered motorized boat and head down the Alto Madre de Dios River for approximately 30 minutes toward our private reserve “Erika Lodge” where we will spend the next two nights.

Short walk around the lodge.

The great diversity of wildlife around the lodge is due to the wide altitude range of this beautiful site. Immediately after breakfast, we start walking and our guide will explain us about insects, medicinal plants, trees, reptiles, mammals, etc. Before returning for lunch we can have the chance to swim in the clear water of natural pools of a stream close to the lodge.

Early in the afternoon we will have a short boat ride to visit a small lake near the Alto Madre de Dios River. Here we will have the chance to see the Hoatzin, a primitive bird, black caimans, many species of birds, insects, etc. This will be our last night in this wonderful Amazon jungle.

Overnight in the lodge.

Early wake up to board our boat. After five minutes ride, we will arrive to a small “Collpa”, which is a wall of clay in the riverbanks where many species of parrots feed for mineral and salt supplements to their diet of seeds and fruits. After this colourful and noisy show we continue by boat to Atalaya Port and then the bus back to Cusco arriving late in the afternoon. Transfer to your hotel and overnight. (Overnight Cusco)

Breakfast at the hotel. You will be picked up for the transfer to the airport to take your flight back to Lima. Arrival at Jorge Chavez Lima’s Airport and transfer to your hotel.

In the afternoon, optional visit to the Gold Museum. On our tour of Peru ‘s Gold Museum , visitors will appreciate a dazzling collection of gold artifacts from various pre-Colombian civilizations, some more than 3,000 years old.

Metal pieces and jewelers of incalculable value in gold, silver and precious stones used by the Incas-the children of the Sun God and monarchs of the vast Inca Empire-are shown in this collection. Five hundred years ago, the gold of Peru attracted many European adventurers who conquered the Inca and founded the Vice-Royalty of Peru under the Spanish Crown.

Peru ‘s Gold Museum also houses a valuable collection of old and modern weapons that ranks among the best in the world. The halls in this section show the Arms of the World Collection of armor, uniforms and various ancient war artifacts and weapons from various time periods around the world, some dating back to as long ago as 1300 B.C.

Finally, transfer back to the hotel and overnight. (Overnight Hotel Lima) (B)

Breakfast. At fixed time transfer from your hotel to the airport to board your domestic or international flight.