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Machu
Picchu and Amazon
7 days / 6 nights
Cusco - Sacred Valley - Machu
Picchu - Cusco - Tambopata
From $1478
Combine the natural wonders of
Tambopata with the cultural, scenic and archaeological marvels
of Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. This tour includes
a 2 day overnight trip to Machu Picchu.
Day 1 Lima / Cusco
Upon your arrival into Cusco
airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel, later
that day, explore the magical capital of the Incas on a tour
including a visit to Plaza Regocijo, Plaza de Armas, the
Cathedral and the Santo Domingo Convent Monastery. The Santo
Domingo monastery was built over the Koricancha temple, one of
the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun.
According to the chronicles, it was covered in gold sheet and
filled with golden representations of nature. Then walk around
the old town with its very narrow streets. After seeing the most
interesting sites of the city, you will drive to the countryside
outside Cusco to visit some of the remarkable inca ruins in the
area: the cult centre of Sacsayhuaman, the temple and
amphitheatre of Kenko and the Red Fortress of Puca Pucara.
Breakfast.
Day 2 Sacred Valley of the
Incas
Drive to the "Sacred Valley of
the Incas", a succession of picturesque towns, agricultural
terraces, and many archaeological sites, as well as the world´s
most famous corn, combine with an exceptional climate to visit
Ollantaytambo, the Inca fortress, which guarded the entry of
this part of the valley and protected it from possible invasion
from the lower jungles. The fortress consists of a series of
superimposed terraces of carved stones accessed by long
staircases.
An opportunity to walk through
the quaint streets of the nearby town, the design and
foundations of the majority of its buildings date from the Inca
era, when it was a strategic military, religious, and
agricultural center. Lunch at a nearby inn. Visit Pisac, a
lively and colorful Indian market where locals sell or exchange
their products, as the ancestors did hundreds years ago.
Overnight at selected hotel. Breakfast & lunch.
Day 3 Machu Picchu
Transfer to Ollanta´s train
station to board the Orient Express rail coach for a one and a
half hour train ride to Machu Picchu, discovered in 1911 by the
American explorer Hiram Bingham. Then make the 25-minute motor
coach ascent to ´The Lost City of the Incas.´ This citadel is
considered one of the most extraordinary examples of landscape
architecture in the world.
It straddles a mountain ridge surrounded by lush tropical forest.
The guided tour of this fascinating place is an awe-inspiring
experience. Visit the Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the
Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun
Dial and Burial Grounds. Overnight at selected hotel. Breakfast
& lunch.
Day 4 Machu Picchu / Cusco
Morning at leisure (no guide
included this day). Early rise is recommended to admire Machu
Picchu at sunrise, a truly mystical experience. For hiking
enthusiasts, going up the Huayna Picchu peak overlooking the
site is suggested. Afternoon rail coach transportation to Cusco.
Upon arrival transfer to selected hotel. Breakfast.
Day 5 Cusco / Puerto Maldonado /
Tambopata
Transfer to Cusco airport,
assistance on departure flight. Upon arrival in Puerto
Maldonado, transfer to the pier, enjoy a twenty-five minute
motor-canoe ride down the Madre de Dios River to the starting
point of a half hour trek.á After arriving at a small channel,
board a dugout canoe for a short trip to Lake Sandoval.á
Continue the journey on a catamaran to reach Sandoval Lake Lodge.
After lunch, board the catamaran
again to visit the west side of the Lake. Early in the evening,
observe the macaws arriving to the place to spend the night.á
After dinner, canoe expedition in search of the impressive black
caiman. click for map B/L/D
Day 6 Tambopata
Wake up at dawn to be at the lake
at sunrise for a hopeful encounter with the family of giant
otters, frequently visiting the Lake. A good chance to see and
photograph the very rare prehistoric-looking hoatzin bird.á
After breakfast, walk through the
upperá jungle near the lake to see towering wild brazil nut
trees, where you can see the natives techniques to collect, open,
pack and commercialize this product. This is a very important
economic activity in the area. After lunch, visit to the east
area of the lake to appreciate some of the five species of
monkeys inhabiting the place, especially the most remarkable
brown capuchin. Mid-day is best for resting, due to the heat.áá
After dinner, evening exploration:
this is the time when the rain forest comes alive with about 90
species of bats, 40 species of frogs, 70 species of large
katydids (rain forest grasshoppers), and cat species, the
jaguar, the puma, the ocelot, and the margay. You will have the
opportunity to explore along different trails through the
primary forest and to hear the night sounds of the jungle. B/L/D
Day 7 Tambopata / Puerto
Maldonado / Lima
After a breakfast at about dawn,
take a final shorter paddle around the western end of the lake
to try to glimpse the giant otters and to take some final
pictures of lake birds before entering the canal again, walking
back to the river, boarding a motorized canoe from Tambopata to
the pier in Puerto Maldonado and transfer to the airport. B
Note: for the Peruvian Amazonian
you need to obtain a Yellow Fever vaccination.
KEY: B breakfast / BL box lunch/
L lunch / D dinner. |