Machu Picchu, Whitewater Rafting, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking and the Amazon - Ultimate Peru
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be taken to your hotel. Evening free to settle in and relax/explore.
Day 2: Lima
You will start your bike tour around Lima in Miraflores, roaming around its charming little hidden streets, then stop for a while at Huaca Pucllana, an impressive pre-Inca site in the heart of the city, surrounded by beautiful houses from colonial times (called casonas) and restaurants. Then you will immerse yourself into the old but beautiful olive garden located in San Isidro, including its old hacienda. Back in Miraflores, you will stop for lunch at a traditional place in town. You will finish up the tour riding along the boardwalk and taking in the view of the ocean, cliffs, and parks in Miraflores, biking through modern shopping centers, sculptures, a bridge, and an old lighthouse. An excellent way of taking in and enjoying the city of Lima. Overnight at your chosen hotel, early morning departure for Cuzco.
Day 3: Lima - Cuzco. (City Tour)
You will be taken to the airport for your flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be taken to your hotel and have some time to rest. In the afternoon, you'll enjoy a walking tour around Cuzco and soak in the historical sights of the colonial side of the city, which was built over the foundations of Inca palaces. First, you will visit the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun; then, you will head to the Main Square to visit the Cathedral, with impressive wood carvings. You will finish the tour by visiting the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas, known for housing the best artists in town. Overnight at your chosen hotel.
Day 4: Cuzco (Horseback Riding)
You will horseback ride along the city outskirts where several archaeological sites from Inca times can be found. Start with the Sacsayhuaman Inca Fortress, entirely built in stone, each piece carefully carved to fit perfectly to the other. This Inca fortress is also the chosen site for the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun), celebrated every June 24th. Even more archaeological marvels are ahead: Kenko (labyrinth or maze in Quechua), a ceremonial site; Puca Pucara, a place where you will find the tambos (watchtowers) from Inca Time. Finish the day by horseback riding along the picturesque road to the local community of Corao. Overnight at your chosen hotel Cusco.
Day 5: Cuzco - Sacred Valley (Whitewater Rafting)
You'll be picked up in the morning and head towards the banks of the Urubamba river to have a short orientation on safety and equipment to be used. Then you will enjoy rafting along the river in rapids of class II, III, or IV (depending on the season); after having some fun in the water, you will enjoy a delicious lunch by the river. Overnight at your chosen hotel.
Day 6: Sacred Valley (Mountain Biking)
You will start your biking tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas at Cruzpata in Pampas de Chinchero; you will bike from Huaypo Lagoon until reaching Moray, an experimental agricultural site from Inca times made of terraces shaped as concentric circles. Then you will continue your bike journey towards the nearby town of Maras, where you will stop to enjoy a delicious picnic lunch before heading to the traditional salt mines found in this town. This one-of-a-kind experience finishes with a descent towards Pichingoto and across the Urubamba River, where the bus that will take you back will await you. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 7: Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu (Train and Tour to Incan Ruins)
Early in the morning, you will be taken to the train station and start the journey towards the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu. Finally, you will arrive at Aguas Calientes and take the bus up to the citadel where your guided tour will begin, and you will be able to enjoy this New Wonder of the World and part of UNESCO's World Heritage. After which, you will enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and then take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, where you will spend the night at the hotel.
Day 8: Machu Picchu - Cuzco (Tour Ruins and Train To Cuzco)
You will have the chance to revisit the Machu Picchu citadel this morning, hiking up and the nearby peak, the Huayna Picchu, the perfect spot to soak in the energy of this mystical site. In the afternoon you will take the train back to the city of Cuzco where you will spend the night. Upon arrival at the train station, you will be taken to your hotel. Overnight at your chosen hotel.
Day 9: Cuzco - Lima
You will be taken to the airport to take your flight to Lima. Upon your arrival, you will be taken to your hotel. Afternoon and evening free to explore/relax. Overnight in Lima.
Day 10: Lima - Iquitos
You will be taken to the airport to take your flight to Iquitos. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted by a Jungle Lodge representative. Next, you will board a boat that will take you up the Amazon river and towards the lodge, located in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve, famous for the great diversity of mammals that call it home. After getting settled in, you'll start with jungle survival training. Many activities are available for visitors and can be combined according to their preference. For instance, you can start by learning how to build a shelter in terms of size, soil type, and wood used to create it, like the irapay palm. Afterward, you can also learn how to make a fire with local woods and copal resin, or dry an interior to fight humidity. Overnight at Jungle Lodge.
Day 11: Iquitos (Jungle Lodge)
This day you can fish for piranha and learn more survival techniques, such as how to look for pure water sources in the jungle, like the yarina, local fruits, puca huasca vine or cano huasca vine; or how to look for food sources in the jungle-like how to gather palm fruits, palm hearts, beetle grubs, inga genus or barbasco, and how to identify and use sap to stun fish, cana brava to build fish traps and tamshi vine to make snares. You can also learn how to build rafts by identifying local balsa wood, tying it together with tamshi vine, and making an oar from remo caspi. Overnight at jungle lodge.
Day 12: Iquitos (Jungle Lodge)
This day you tour the jungle rainforest and continue to learn how to identify and use resources to survive, like the use of nasutitermes termites as a mosquito repellent, or how to make fishing spears from cumaceba, bows from cashapona, string from chambira, arrow shafts from bamboo and arrowheads from cumaceba. You can finish up your survival training by learning some local medicine, to treat snake and insect bites, fever, wound disinfection, wound dressings, anti parasitical, and the treatment of dysentery or stomachaches (hierba luisa). Overnight at Lodge.
Day 13: Iquitos - Lima
You will say bye to the Amazon jungle and take a boat back to the city of Iquitos, upon your arrival a representative will take you to the airport to take off. Upon your arrival, you will be taken to your hotel.
Day 14: Departure from Lima
You will be taken to the airport to make your international flight.