A Private PERU Tour OF INCA RUINS, JUNGLES & CITY  | lima, AMAZONAS, sACRED vALLEY, mACHU PICCHU, CUZCO

Day 1 Arrive Lima 
Upon arrival in Lima, be met and transferred to your hotel for your next 2 nights' accommodations.

**Note: if arrival is during the day, we can move the night city & foodies tour to this day. 

Day 2 Lima (Pachacamac Ruins)
This morning, take a short drive outside Lima to Pachacamac, a Pre-Incan archaeological site of more than fifteen pyramids built by the Wari people between 600 and 800 AD. According archaeologists, Pachacamas was the most important pilgrimage center in ancient Peru. Return to your hotel to relax, freshen up and explore the city on your own.

After Pachacamac, the tour will take you through Lima in its 3 historical periods: Pre-hispanic, Colonial and Modern. We will first show you a panoramic view of “La Huaca Pucllana” and then pass by the Main Square, where the Government Palace is located, there will be a short visit to the Cathedral, where we will find the remains of the conqueror Francisco Pizarro and also visit to the religious Museum of the Cathedral. Return to the city for a brief tour of La Huaca Pucllana, San Francisco Church and Museum of Religious Art. Return to your hotel for a brief rest if time permits.  

Later, kick off the night off with a Peruvian food tour covering Lima's Miraflores and Barranco districts. After a beachside cocktail-making class, head to the award-winning Amaz restaurant, a favorite of the late Anthony Bourdain. Here, you'll have an opportunity to make your own Amazonian dish accompanied by Lima Gourmet's jungle tasting menu. Afterward, indulge in an array of delicious Peruvian dishes at the famous Huaca Pucllana restaurant with spectacular views of pre-Incan ruins. End the evening with a stroll through the bohemian Barranco neighborhood followed by a delectable dessert. (B,D)

Day 3 Lima / Amazons
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, get acquainted with the Amazon jungle on a 45-minute boat ride along the Madre de Dios River to Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica lodge. Later, take a guided walk along the trail system where you will discover the Amazon Basin winding past impressive trees offering excellent opportunities for bird watching and observing exotic insects. This evening, enjoy a Twilight River excursion — a boat ride on the Madre de Dios river for wildlife viewing. Dinner is served at the lodge this evening. (B,L,D)

**Note: boat transfers and excursions on join basis. 

Day 4 Amazonas 
After breakfast, enjoy an excursion to Lake Sandoval in Tambopata National Reserve. Glide in a wooden canoe, across a beautiful, mirror-like oxbow lake that is home to the endangered giant river otter, as well as red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles and black caimans. Return to the Lodge for lunch.  Afterward, embark on a Canopy Walk atop a network of suspension bridges linking eight observation platforms that rise 29 meters above the forest ground spanning over quarter of a mile. During this hour-and-a-half expedition, be on the lookout for bright toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, monkeys and the three-toed sloth.  After your descent from the Canopy, experience the Anaconda Walk along the 200-meter wooden bridge over the Aguajales swamps to observe various species of amphibians, birds, mammals,  snakes in the flooded marshland. Dinner and overnight at Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Lodge. (B,L,D)

**Note: boat transfers and excursions on join basis. 

Day 5 Amazonas / Cuzco / Sacred Valley 
After breakfast, return  to Puerto Maldonado by  boat. Visit the Butterfly House before boarding your flight for Cuzco. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari, a historic mansion that boasts superb views of the surrounding countryside. Continue by road to Sacred Valley and check-in at tour resort for your next 3 nights' accommodations. (B,L) 

**Note: boat transfers, Butterfly House tour & airport transfers on join basis in Amazonas/Puerto Maldonado. 

Day 6 Sacred Valley (Chinchero, Moray & Maras)
Today's itinerary features three of the region's most popular sites. Starting with Chinchero, a small rustic town famed for its Ican architecture, local market, Peruvian weaving and its 17th century adobe style church. Chinchero is also believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Enjoy a weaving demonstration before heading to the salt flats at Maras for a photostop.  Last and certainly not least, continue to Moray, a small community famous for its embedded amphitheater that is formed by circular terraces which seemingly disappears into the ground. Scientists believe Moray had played an important role in agricultural research conducted by the Incas. Return to your hotel in Sacred Valley. (B)

Day 7 Sacred Valley 
Today's program features horseback riding through the Sacred Valley countryside. After reaching “Hacienda del Chalán” at the start of the ride, cross the Vilcanota river over a traditional suspended bridge. The next part of the path goes along the side of the river crossing through an area of native forest where it is possible to see one of the biggest Inka cemeteries along the side of the path. We pass through the heart of the village of Yanahuara, cross through many cornfields, and ride until we reach the other part of the river and once again cross the suspended bridge of Paucarbamba and return to Hacienda del Chalán. Return to your resort and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure to relax and soak up the beauty of Sacred Valley. (B) 

Day 8 Sacred Valley / Ollantaytambo / Aquas Calientes 
This morning, visit Ollantaytambo famed for its impressive fortress which served as the last Inca stronghold, and earned the distinction of being one of the only battles the Inca successfully repelled against the Spanish forces. Afterward, board the 1.5 hour VistaDome train for Aquas Calientes. Equipped with panoramic windows beside and above your seat, the Vistadome offers the passenger a unique connection with mother nature as she makes her way to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, be met and transferred to your resort in Aquas Calientes for your overnight accommodations. Dinner is served at your resort this evening. (B,D)

***Note: Please bring only carry-on bag (5 kg limit) for your overnight stay in Aquas Calientes. The rest of your luggage will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Cuzco directly. 

Day 9 Machu Picchu / Cuzco
This morning, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to retrace history and one of the greatest architectural marvels of mankind to Machu Picchu. Re-discovered in 1911 by the explorer Hiram Bingham, this citadel is considered to be one of the most extraordinary examples of landscape architecture in the world. Located in an enclave on the saddle of a mountain overlooking the deep canyon of the Urubamba River, in an area of lush tropical forest, it served as a place of worship, a site for star-gazing and a private hacienda of the family of the Inca Pachacutec. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. After this unforgettable visit, enjoy time at leisure at your resort or at Aquas Calientes town before boarding your late afternoon VistaDome Train (approx. 3.5 hours) to Cuzco. Upon arrival at Poroy Station, be met and transferred to your hotel. (B)

Day 10 Cuzco 
Enjoy a morning tour of beautiful Cuzco. With an altitude of 11,000+ feet surrounded by the Andes, this city of scenic and cultural charm boasts a colorful history, both Inca and colonial. As you wander through the streets of what once was the capital of the Inca Empire, you feel like you are traveling through time. Our walking tour begins with Cuzco's main square, called Huacaypata (Warriors Square) by the Incas. Stroll past one of the most impressive buildings in Cusco, the city's cathedral built between 1560 and 1664 with the red granite stones from the Inca Fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Next, continue to Koricancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo. The conventwas built on top of the most important Inca temple dedicated to the worship of the sun, with walls covered with gold leaf. (B)

This afternoon, enjoy a choice of Chocolate Workshop or Cusco Street Food tour:

Option 1 - Chocolate Factory: Learn the entire chocolate-making process starting with the cocoa tree from the
Peruvian jungle and make your own chocolates (120 g) with milk or dark chocolate and more than 15 different flavors to choose from. Prepare three drinks during the workshop: a cocoa tea, a sacred drink of the
Mayas and the European hot chocolate. Get your own handmade chocolates, made the way you like and bring them back to your friends and family. The workshop lasts 2 hours and you can pick up your chocolates 45 minutes after
the end of the workshop.

Option 2 - Cuzco Street Food Tour: Discover local specialties and experience yourself why Peruvian cuisine is world famous! At 3 pm, you start this experience with a visit to the San Pedro market to learn more about the country’s exotic fruits and vegetables. Then, head to ‘La Causa Rellena’ to try either ‘recoto’ or ‘causa’, two delicious
specialties from Cusco. The next stop is Plaza San Blas, where you have the opportunity to have a cup of coffee while the guide shares his knowledge about this part of the city. After walking down the ‘Cuesta San Blas’, you reach another typical restaurant to try a ‘tamal’, a corn dish from the Andes packed in a palm leaf. End the tour with a set dinner at Nuna Raymi Restaurant.

Day 11 Cuzco 
Today's program features a visit to Pisac, an archaeological complex built between the 10th and 11th centuries AD. Pisac showcases the Inca People's vast ingenuity through the construction of enormous walls, palaces and turrets with stone blocks, all done without any type of cement or adhesive. After exploring the ruins, take a stroll through Pisac Market,  one of the most famous markets in the Cusco region where indigenous Quechua communities from the surrounding highlands come to sell their produce and stock up on supplies for the week (note: the local market is bigger on Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday). Return to Cuzco and enjoy balance of the afternoon at leisure to eat, shop and explore charming Cuzco on your own. (B) 

Day 12 Depart Cuzco 
Transfer to Cuzco Airport for your flight to Lima. Tour ends upon arrival at Jorge Chaves International Airport in Lima. (B)

• Prices are per person, based on double occupancy
• For 4 passengers traveling together, deduct $400 per person from the tour price. 
• Prices includes all entrance fees, domestic air taxes, hotels taxes & service charges
• Price excludes personal expenses, beverages during included lunches/dinners, gratuities to guides and drivers.
• Holiday surcharges for the following periods:
  • X-Mas Holidays (Dec. 24 - Jan. 03)
  • Holy Week (Easter Holiday)
  • Inti Raymi Festival Jun. 20 - 26)
  • Independence Days Jul. 28-29
• All flights, hotels and land services are subject to availability at time of reservation