Amazon & Inca Trail

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado, hub of the easternmost region of the Peru Amazon. Upon arrival you will be met by the naturalist guides and taken to the pier to board a motorized dugout canoe for your 45-minute trip downriver to reach the lodge. After getting settled in your accommodations and receiving an orientation, your Amazon adventure begins. On the first afternoon, accompany your guide on the walking trails around the 2,000 acre reserve to get acquainted with the neo-tropical rainforest environment. After dinner, you may join an evening excursion on the Madre de Dios River to look for caiman and other nocturnal Amazon wildlife and view the southern constellations. (B,L,D)

During your stay, enjoy a range expeditions, accompanied by bilingual naturalist guides, on land and water, including canopy walks, dugout canoe trips and rainforest hikes. Here is a sample itinerary: This morning, hike deep into the Tambopata National Reserve through terra firma forest to reach Lake Sandoval for a dugout canoe ride around this beautiful oxbow lake. Here you will learn about conservation efforts and the native flora and fauna. Be on the lookout for species such as the endangered giant river otter, blue and yellow macaws, red howler monkeys and black caiman. Return to the lodge for a delicious lunch and an afternoon siesta. In the late afternoon, you take a twenty-minute ride aboard a motorized canoe to the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway Interpretation Center. Ascend one of the 98-ft towers and cross the seven hanging bridges that connect the treetops 91 feet above the forest floor. After descending, you walk along the 656-ft wooden bridge over the aguajales palm swamps, home of the legendary anaconda. Here you will learn about the fauna and flora of these flooded ecosystems, part of the largest natural monoculture in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Return to the lodge for a delicious dinner, followed by an optional night walk. (B,L,D)

Transfer back downriver to Puerto Maldonado where you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight to colonial Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire. Your guide picks you up at the airport for a quick tour of the beautiful Plaza De Armas. From there, you will be taken to your hotel, where you will be free for the remainder of the day to relax and acclimate to the altitude. (10,856 feet) (B)

Today begins with a guided walking tour through Cusco to see the colorful markets, the colonial cathedral and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch of regional cuisine, you tour the remaining prominent Inca sights in and around Cusco. These include the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; Puka Pukara the small fortress that once protected the royal capital; and the water temple, Tambo Machay. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to the comfort of your hotel to relax or continue to explore Cusco on your own. This evening you will meet with your guide for a briefing session regarding your upcoming trek. (B)

Embark upon a day-long excursion through snowcapped mountains to the Incas’ legendary Sacred Valley. The first stop is Pisac’s hilltop citadel, featuring the civilization’s agricultural terracing along the steep valley walls, panoramic views of jagged granite peaks and the temple ruins. Descend down to the town of Pisac, known for one of the best Andean textile markets in Peru. After taking in some of the local culture and enjoying a traditional lunch, depart for Ollantaytambo (9,185 feet), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress. Tour the ruins and enjoy this small traditional town. Overnight at a hotel in Ollantaytambo. (B)

Rise early this morning for a bus ride to (Km 82), where your Inca Trail trek begins. After meeting the porters, you cross the Urubamba River by bridge. Continuing along the winding path between the sloping banks of the river, where you have a stunning view of the Vilcanota mountain range and Mt. Veronica, which sits at 18,745 feet. The route travels through the narrow Cusichaca valley, with slopes that show the clear imprint of an ancient culture and its agriculture practices. Later, you’ll arrive at the small indigenous community of Huayllabamba (9,843 ft.), where you camp for the night. (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 7.46 miles; approximately 5-6 hours hiking
Altitude min/max: from 8,438 ft. to 9,843 ft. (camping at 9,843 ft.)

After a hearty breakfast at camp, continue along the trail through the narrow hanging valley where you begin to see a cloud forest where the Quenua tree grows, a rarity of the Andes. From here, your Inca Trail trek ascends steeply to large pampas and continues to Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest pass on the Inca Trail at 13,796 ft. After a short break, you’ll begin the descent to where you will camp overnight at Pacaymayo (11,788 ft.). (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 6.84 miles; approximately 6-7 hours hiking
Altitude min/max: from 9,843 ft. to 13,796 ft. (camping at 11,788 ft.)

Today’s Peru tours take you through most of the archaeological ruins seen along the Inca Trail. The first is Runkuracay. At this small resting place, you’ll visit the ruins before reaching a second pass and then gradually climbing towards the second highest pass on the trek (12,960 ft.). Here you’ll have a spectacular view of the Cordillera of Vilcanota. After a break, you’ll descend towards the Inca village of Sayacmarca (11,850 ft.). Along the way, you observe a marvel of Inca engineering, and then come upon the beautiful ruins of Phuyupatamarca (11,975 ft.), where you’ll camp for the night. (B,L,D)

Hiking Details: 6.21 miles; approximately 6 hours hiking
Altitude min/max: from 11,788 ft. to 12,960 ft. (camping at 11,975 ft.)

Todays Peru trekking begins by passing the Phuyupatamarca ruins and then follows the flagstone trail that winds sharply down into the cloud forest leading to the ruins of Wiay Wayna (8,855 feet). Wiay Wayna is located along the same watercourse as Phuyupatamarca and contains well-restored Inca ruins. After two more hours of trekking the Inca Trail, you pass through a cloud forest and then arrive at your long-awaited destination, Machu Picchu (7,970 feet), entering through Intipunku, the Sun Gate. After a brief tour, you travel to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes (6,690 ft.) to spend the night at a relaxing hotel. (B,L)

Hiking Details: 6.20 miles; approximately 6 hours hiking
Altitude max/min: from 11,975 ft. to 7,970 ft. Machu Picchu

Today, you’ll have the opportunity to experience Machu Picchu during the early morning hours. Explore the numerous ruins including an optional climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu. By midday, you return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and an early afternoon train ride back to Ollantaytambo. Your private vehicle will be waiting at the station to deliver you to the Chinchero textile market, where members of the local weavers’ collective will explain the traditional weaving methods of the Sacred Valley. Continue on to your Cusco hotel for the evening. (10,856 feet) (B)

Huayna Picchu Hiking Details: 1.25 miles; approximately 2-3 hours hiking, the trail is narrow and very steep
Altitude min/max: from 7,970 ft to 8,835 ft.

Transfer to the Cusco airport for your flight back to Lima and your connecting international flight, marking the end of Southern Explorations’ services. If your schedule permits, trip extensions to other regions or extra days may also be arranged. (B)