Travel Peru by Land and River

Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.

Day 1: Lima

Upon arrival in Lima, you’ll spend the night in the Wyndham Costa del Sol Airport Hotel, located just outside the terminal.

Day 2: Lima – Cusco – Sacred Valley

In the morning, a short flight takes you to Cuzco, where you’ll be picked up and shuttled to scenic Urubamba, in Peru’s Sacred Valley. This gorgeous landscape was the Inca heartland, and your hotel, the Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay, will let you acclimate to the region’s altitude in comfort and style.

Day 3: Urubamba – Machu Picchu – Cusco

However many selfies you’ve seen of that iconic sugarloaf backdrop, nothing can prepare you for the moment when you get to the top of the ridge and actually see Machu Picchu for yourself. With its sun temple, royal quarters, and purling fountains, this New World Wonder dazzles with its imperial stonework.

On this day, you’ll take a luxury train from Ollantaytambo, after which you can climb to the sun gate and cross an Inca bridge. You’ll overnight at El Mapi Hotel in Aguas Calientes, huddled beneath Machu Picchu Mountain.

Day 4: Machu Picchu – Cusco

Most visitors feel one day at Machu Picchu is too short. So the next morning, you can hike up to the Sun Gate or climb Huayna Picchu, the sacred mountain containing hidden Inca shrines. From there, it’s back by train to Cuzco, where you’ll rest at the Maytaq Wasin Boutique Hotel, just steps from the main square.

Day 5: Cusco

Inca walls on every corner; three-tiered fortresses; Quechua women in colorful traditional garb: this is Cuzco, which the Incas considered the spiritual center of the universe. Even today, the city’s energy is unmistakable, as you wander through echoing churches and the most sacred Inca temple of them all, the Qorikancha.

You’ll also visit several Inca ruins just outside the city, including Sacsayhuaman, the citadel where the Incas nearly defeated the Spanish in battle—and which is carved from some of the most massive stones on the planet.

Day 6: Cusco – Lima – Iquitos

In the morning, fly to Iquitos, the largest city on Earth inaccessible by road.

Your guides will meet you at the Iquitos airport upon arrival. You will be transferred to the Doubletree by Hilton Iquitos Hotel, the meeting point, for a welcome lunch and your first briefing about the trip. Then you will be transported by a private vehicle to the Iquitos main dock. Board the El Zafiro, your home for the following four nights.

Cruise staff will take you to your elegant suite, specially equipped with all the modern comforts: comfortable beds, sheets made from pure Peruvian pima cotton, pillows, cotton bathrobes, air conditioning, a private bathroom with a beautifully accentuated walk-in shower, amenities, and a private balcony in each suite on the second deck.

During the next five days El Zafiro will sail the Amazon, the Ucayali and Maranon rivers and their impressive tributaries full of wildlife.

While El Zafiro begins its initial navigation, you can enjoy panoramic views from the observation area located on the third deck. Enjoy the panoramic views from the elegant indoor and outdoor lounge also located on the third deck. Your bartender will be waiting to serve you an exotic cocktail prepared with fruits from the region and pisco, the national liquor of Peru.

Before the welcome dinner, your naturalist guides will give you an overview of the travel program, activities, routes, important moments, wildlife and vegetation, the geographical and historical background, and other interesting details.

Onboard is an open-door policy so you are welcome on the bridge so you can spend time with the captain anytime if you want to learn about the boat and its navigation systems.

Welcome dinner. Begin your trip with one of fine South American wines accompanied by excellent Peruvian gastronomy prepared with a delicious Amazonian influence. (The menu offers several options, including a vegetarian option – please let us know of any special food requirements in advance.)

After dinner, from the third deck you can enjoy spectacular views of the stars as we enter the depths of the Amazon rainforest, or relax with live music with a varied repertoire of Amazonian, national, and international music.

Day 7: Birth of the Amazon – Vista Alegre – Yarapa – Piraña Creek

Before breakfast we will head towards the expedition boats and then we will be in route to the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers; in this union there is the birth of the majestic Amazon River—the perfect place to see different types of birds and the famous pink dolphins. Return to El Zafiro, to enjoy a full and delicious breakfast

View the Vista Alegre Community. After breakfast, we will visit the community of Vista Alegre, where we will meet the inhabitants of this Amazonian community through our guides, who will act as interpreters. We will have a culinary demonstration by a local inhabitant, who will expand his knowledge about the local cooking techniques of this community. Before returning to El Zafiro, we will visit the Vista Alegre butterfly farm project, where you will learn about butterflies in the Amazon and their importance to the environment.

Return to El Zafiro and lunch. Once aboard El Zafiro we will share a new lunch and take some time to rest.

Expedition to the Yarapa River. After lunch, we will continue exploring the waterways in the expedition boats— sailing towards the place where the pink and gray freshwater dolphins swim. We will take a walk in Yarapa, where you will have an unforgettable experience looking for wild life enjoying the incredible panorama that the jungle has to offer. We will continue exploring until we reach Piraña Creek,one of the first tributaries of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. This area is excellent for piranha fishing.

Return to El Zafiro to enjoy a delicious dinner.
Later, we will make a nocturnal excursion in search of black caimans, fireflies, tarantulas, snakes and countless specimens.

Day 8: Yanayacu de Yacapana – Amazon River – Zona Tamishacu

Breakfast. We will start the day with a full breakfast on board El Zafiro.

Expedition to Yanayacu de Yacapana. After breakfast we will continue exploring the water paths in the expedition boats in search of monkeys such as the capuchin monkey, choros monkeys, marmosets and other primates. We will enjoy a unique landscape of the tropical humid forest, in which we will explain the arboreal species in the riverbanks and aquatic plants and their function within the environment. Also, during the expedition, the guides will sharpen their senses to locate the sloths in the trees, macaws that fly over the area, the curious dolphins that gather near the confluences, and whirlpools of fish formed by the river currents. During the tour you will find fishermen and residents in different activities with which they will interact and show us the fruits of their day’s activities.

Return to El Zafiro. While El Zafiro continues to sail, we will have a cooking demonstration by our Chef where we will learn first-hand about the local cuisine and taste the Amazonian culinary art.

Amazon River Expedition. After lunch, we will explore the Amazon River. Wildlife sighting. We will admire the creatures that inhabit the banks of the Amazon River.

Return to El Zafiro. Once on board, the ship will continue its course downstream, sailing towards Iquitos through the night. We will have a small information session in the interior lounge and recapitulation of the itinerary. Dinner.

After dinner, your naturalist guides will introduce you to the crew members you may not have met during the trip.

Day 9: Nauta – Disembark – Manatee Rescue Center – Departure

Very early you will board the expedition boats for the navigation to the city of Nauta, the second most important city in the region. In Nauta you will board the most common local transportation in the area, motorcycle taxis, for a tour of the city and its most important market.

Along with your guides, you will visit the market and learn how to trade with the locals, as well as learn about the different important foods and ingredients used in the Amazon.

Return to El Zafiro for a farewell breakfast with your fellow passengers. Disembarkation.

On the way to the airport, you will visit the Amazon Rescue Center (CREA), where biologists and volunteers take care of the endangered species of manatees that the authorities have rescued. See how the manatees are cared for and how they are prepared for their reintroduction to their natural habitat. Transfer to the airport. Your guides will assist you with your check-in and departure formalities.

Fly to Lima and connect with your international flight.