Day 1 ARRIVE LIMA
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Arrival and transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early, we can arrange optional tours to explore the city, including museum visits, and other sites of interests.
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Day 2 LIMA - PTO MALDONADO - AMAZON JUNGLE LODGE
Posadas Amazonas Jungle Lodge picture gallery
Sandoval Jungle Lodge picture gallery
A morning transfer gets you to the airport for a flight to Puerto Maldonado in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. To reach your accommodations, you'll take a one-hour motorized canoe ride up the Tambopata River. After unpacking and relaxing a bit, you'll be welcomed and receive a briefing about the lodge and Ecotourism Project before the afternoon's amazing Amazon Rainforest activity, climbing the Canopy Tower. The Canopy Tower is a 115-ft scaffold that offers spectacular views of the river and the surrounding Amazon Rainforest. (B,L,D)
Day 3 PUERTO MALDONADO
Posadas Amazonas Jungle Lodge picture gallery
Sandoval Jungle Lodge picture gallery
Early in the morning, you visit the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake where fascinating wildlife is sure to be found. After breakfast, you'll depart from Posada Amazonas by boat and take a brief walk to the shore followed by a long, easy canoe ride around the lake. Here you may see giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin and wading birds. Returning to the Amazon Rainforest eco-lodge trails, you'll visit a small parakeet clay lick where dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of parakeets congregate on clear days to ingest clay. This afternoon's Amazon Rainforest tours consist of an excursion to the community's ethno-botanical center and a hike along the surrounding trails with a resident guide who will explain the everyday uses of forest resources in medicine, construction, food and fiber. The relaxing evening will be spent at the lodge. (B,L,D)
Day 4 PTO MALDONADO - CUSCO
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Your Amazon tours end with an early departure downriver to the airport of Pto. Maldonado for the short flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire. Your Peru tour begins as Southern Explorations' guides pick you up at the airport, stopping for a quick tour of the colonial Plaza de Armas. From there, you will be taken to your hotel and be free for the rest of the day to explore the city and acclimatize to the altitude (10,856 ft). (B)
Day 5 CUSCO
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This morning, your Peru travels take you on a guided walking tour through the colorful markets of Cusco, the colonial cathedral and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch of regional cuisine, depart for an afternoon tour of prominent Inca sights in and around Cusco. You'll see the fortress ofSacsayhuamán, with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with its carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; the small Puka Pukara fortress that protected the royal capital from attacks; and the water temple, Tambo Machay. In the late afternoon, return to your hotel to relax or further explore the fascinating mix of Cusco cultures. (B)
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Day 6 CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY
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Embark on a day-long guided excursion through the Andean countryside of the legendary Sacred Valley, passing Inca terraces along the steep valley walls before reaching the ruins of Pisac temples that offer panoramic views of granite peaks. In the town of Pisac, you'll find bargains at one of the best textile markets in the Andes. After lunch, you reach the small town of Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft.), to visit its famous Inca fortress and spend the night. (B,L)
Machu Picchu offers mystical scenes from every angle
Day 7 SACRED VALLEY - OLLANTAYTAMBO - MACHU PICCHU
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You'll enjoy a satisfying breakfast at your hotel before beginning a walking tour of the Ollantaytambo ruins and town. By midmorning, you'll take a leisurely walk from the hotel to the train station at Ollantaytambo. Following the Urubamba River through a scenic cloud forest, you arrive at the station in time for lunch before boarding a bus that will take you to the hidden citadel of Machu Picchu (7,875 ft.). Here you'll spend an unforgettable day, learning about Machu Picchu history as you explore the famous ruins. You'll return in the late afternoon to nearby Aguas Calientes for a soak in the local hot springs, a dinner of Peru cuisine and overnight at a nearby hotel. (B)
Day 8 MACHU PICCHU - CHINCHEROS TEXTILE MARKET - CUSCO
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If you choose to wake before dawn, you can see a once-in-a-lifetime Machu Picchu sunrise with few other visitors. Your morning will be spent exploring Machu Picchu on your own which might include a climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu or a walk through the lush cloud forest to the Temple of the Moon. You'll return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and then take the mid-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo. Your private van will travel to the cooperatively run Chincheros Market, source of some of the most remarkable textiles in Peru. Here you'll enjoy an informative session with weavers, learning how they shear, dye, spin and weave using traditional methods. This is a perfect opportunity for last-minute shopping before returning to Cusco and a final evening at the hotel. (B)
Day 9 CUSCO – LIMA – QUITO
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In the morning you'll be taken to the airport for the return flight to Lima and your connecting international flight to Quito. Arrival and transfer to your Quito hotel. (B)
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Day 10 QUITO – GALAPAGOS
Morning transfer to the Quito airport for a flight to the Galapagos Islands to board your cruise. (B,L,D)
Spend exciting days exploring the Galapagos Islands and observing the unique Galapagos wildlife Day 11-13 GALAPAGOS CRUISE
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Here you'll spend exciting days exploring the Galapagos Islands and observing the unique Galapagos wildlife, staying on a comfortable yacht. Itinerary specifics vary based on which Galapagos cruise vessel you select. Please Contact Us to discuss available Galapagos cruise options during your timeframe. (B,L,D)
Day 14 GALAPAGOS - QUITO
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You return to mainland Ecuador today, landing at Quito's airport to connect with your international flight to Lima, Peru. On arrival, you'll be taken to your lodging. (B)
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Day 15 QUITO - HOME
Transfer to the airport for the international departure home, the end of Southern Explorations services. If you are interested in more Galapagos tours, trip extensions to other regions or extra days in Quito, we would be happy to arrange them. (B)
Key:
(B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
