Peru Discovery Tour: Rainforest To Ruins

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 will be met by your private guide and escorted to your hotel – the Costa Del Sol Wyndham Airport Hotel, conveniently located adjacent to the airport. This modern hotel features 130 rooms, restaurant, bar, business center, wireless internet, spa, and beauty salon. Buffet breakfast included.

On the following morning you will take a short walk on your own to the airport terminal to check in for your flight to Puerto Maldonado.

Day 2 : Lima – Puerto Maldonado – Amazon Rainforest

You will be met at the Puerto Maldonado Airport upon arrival and transfer to the dock for your boat transfer to Hacienda Concepcion.

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion is located 25 minutes downriver from Puerto Maldonado on 819 hectares of natural rainforest within walking distance of beautiful and solitary Lake Sandoval.

The lodge was built on a former cacao and rubber plantation, on the grounds of what was back in the 1950’s “Fundo Concepción”, an Amazon Catholic medical mission center. The rainforest acts as a buffer zone between the Tambopata National Park Reserve and the shores of the vast Madre de Dios River.

There are 8 rooms and 7 cabanas equipped with two twin or one king bed, private bathrooms with light and hot water, natural essence toiletries; ceiling fan, evening turn down service. Cabanas also come with a sitting area with hammock. Services include daily happy hours (5-7pm) with complimentary Pisco sour.

Enjoy lunch with organic ingredients and native flavors. After lunch, take a walk through Concepcion Trails, our inside property nature trails, where you will discover and learn about primary and secondary rainforest, its components, uses, transformations by the human being, and its relevance for the world. At dusk navigate by outboard motorized canoe, at the Twilight River excursion.

By sailing on the Madre de Dios River, you will learn about its ecosystem, Amazonian creeks, nocturnal animals’ behavior, and the southern constellations. In the evening enjoy a nice dinner in the Casa Grande’s dining room.

All meals and guided excursions are included and served at the lodge.

Day 3 : Hacienda Concepcion

New experiences are ahead and after taking a nutritious buffet breakfast, get ready for a long trek through terra firma into the Tambopata National Reserve towards Lake Sandoval. Here you will understand why Madre de Dios is called the biodiversity capital of Peru, while learning about the Reserve’s conservation efforts and the lake’s formation.

Navigate by dugout canoe across this mirror-like oxbow lake that is home to the endangered giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus), black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), and one of the world’s biggest fresh water scaled fish, the paiche (Arapaima gigas).

Back to the lodge for lunch, and later the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway and Anaconda Walk await for you. Take a 20-minute ride by outboard motorized canoe to the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway Interpretation Center where you will learn about its construction and the conservation projects of ITA-Inkaterra Asociación (NGO).

Ascend one of the two 98-foot towers and cross the 7 hanging bridges that connect the treetops at 91 ft. high. Enjoy the breathtaking vistas and get the chance to watch white-throated toucans (Ramphastos tucanus), woodpeckers, trogons, squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) and the three-toed sloth (Choleopus hoffmani). After descending keep on feeling the incredible primary rainforest energy going along the 200-meter wooden bridge over the swamps (aguajales).

You will learn about the fauna and flora of this flooded ecosystem. At night get ready for an adventure at the Hidden Rainforest excursion, where you will explore the Amazon rainforest that gives way to nocturnal animals who display intriguing behavior patterns, and enhanced senses as adaptation mechanisms. Listen to nocturnal living naturesounds, and penetrate this hidden world. Return to the lodge and enjoy a nice dinner.

Day 4 : Hacienda Concepcion

The sun rises once again and after an early breakfast you will take our Native Farm excursion where you will be able to learn local techniques of cultivation and taste some of the products during the visit.

Then visit the Botanical Garden, discover the immense variety of medicinal plants considered part of the “natural pharmacy” used by the habitants at the amazon region. Compare the medicinal uses of local medicine with traditional remedies.

Getting back to Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion you will have lunch. Take a rest and get ready for the Cocha water excursion. Enjoy a dugout canoe ride on the Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion natural pond (cocha). Try native fishing applying the “catch and release” techniques, as you enjoy the scenery observing hoatzins (Opisthocomus hoazin), a diversity of fly catchers, and gray-necked woodrails Aramides cajanea).

Disembark at the remains of Fitzcarrald steamboat; learn about its history and how it inspired Inkaterra to ask Werner Herzog to film the award winning “Fitzcarraldo”, best director at Cannes, 1982. You will be able to participatein the Inland Collpa during the evening, where you will see different species and their night routines by observing through our “blinds”. End your day with a pleasant dinner.

Day 5 : Puerto Maldonado – Cusco – Sacred Valley

On the final morning you will transfer back to the Puerto Maldonado Airport for your flight to Cusco.

You will be met at the airport upon arrival and driven to your hotel located near Urubamba, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

The Hotel Hacienda del Valle is located just 10 minutes from the Ollantaytambo Train Station in the Sacred Valley. Hotel facilities include Taypicamaña Restaurant, warm and cozy bar.  Daily breakfast included – 2 nights.

Day 6 : Pisac Ruins, Market & Ollantaytambo

Depart with your private guide for a full-day excursion to the village and ruins of Pisac, located 7 miles from Urubamba. After exploring the ruins, you will visit the colorful Pisac market where you’ll be able to trade with locals for a variety of handicrafts, including woolen sweaters and ponchos. Lunch will be served in Urubamba, followed by a tour of the town and fortress of Ollantaytambo located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Day 7 : Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu

This morning you will transfer to Ollantaytambo station for your scenic train ride to Machu Picchu.

Upon arrival at Machu Picchu Station in Aguas Calientes, you’ll set off with your guide and depart on a short shuttle ride to Machu Picchu. Explore the walls, stairways, temples, and terraces of Machu Picchu, with engaging and informitive information from your private guide. After a buffet lunch served at the Sanctuary Lodge, you’ll be free to discover this enchanting place on your own.

Overnight at the El Mapi Hotel, a modern, simple hotel located in the heart of Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), giving you convenient access to the restaurants and shops in town. The hotel has 8 deluxe rooms and 40 superior rooms. There is a restaurant, a bar, and guests have access to complementary wi-fi. Dinner and breakfast included.

Day 8 : Machu Picchu – Cusco

Today, you are free to visit to the ruins on your own or explore Aguas Calientes, where there are some small restaurants, a market, and some hiking trails. For the more energetic, a moderate 2-mile hike up to the Sun Gate offers fabulous views overlooking Machu Picchu.

Those in good physical shape (and with a strong head for heights) may wish to hike the very steep trail to the top of Huayna Picchu for outstanding views of the entire region.

This afternoon, return to Machu Picchu train station to depart by train for the return journey to Poroy Station, just outside Cusco. You will be met at the station and driven to your hotel in the center of the vibrant and historical city of Cusco.

The Hotel Ruinas is located two blocks from the Main Square, in the very heart of the city of Cusco; the ancient capital of the Incan Empire and Cultural Patrimony of Humanity. Hotel services and facilities include restaurant and bar, business center, room service. All rooms have wireless Internet access, mini-fridge, safe box, cable TV. Daily breakfast included – 2 nights.

Day 9 : Cusco

Set off with your private guide on a half-day tour of Cusco and the nearby Inca ruins. Cusco, the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent, was the capital of the Inca Empire and is considered by many Quechua peoples to be the spiritual center of the world.

Visit the main square, the Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church, and enjoy a first introduction to Inca stonework at the ruins of Puka-Pukara, Qenqo, Tambo Machay, and the renowned fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking Cusco and the surrounding valley.

Day 10 : Cusco – Puno

Depart on the Andean Explorer train service to Puno. The Andean Explorer’s glass-walled vantage car provides spectacular views of the Andes cutting crisp blue skies behind small villages and herds. Lunch will be included.

You will be met at the train station and driven to your hotel in Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Overnight at the Intiqa Hotel, daily breakfast included – 2 nights.

Day 11 : Lake Titicaca – Taquile & Uros Islands

You will be met at your hotel by your guide and begin your full-day excursion to Taquile Island, located 24 miles east of Puno in Lake Titicaca. On the way, you will visit the floating “totora” islands of the Uro Indians, ancient inhabitants of Lake Titicaca. The island is world famous for its hand weavings and an ancient communal way of life. You’ll spend the rest of the day exploring the island before returning to Puno in the late afternoon. Lunch will be provided.

Day 12 : Puno – Colca Canyon

After being picked up in Puno you will set off with your private guide for the Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world.  You will enjoy spectacular views of the Misti and Chachani volcanoes and visit the National Reserve of Salinas and Aguada Blanca. You will visit quaint colonial villages while learning about Pre-Incan art and agriculture.  Lunch will be included.

In the afternoon, arrive at the Casa Andina Colca Canyon. The hotel is rustic, relaxed and intimate, with individual stone casitas (with thatched or clay roofs), plant-lined walkways, an open-air patio with center fountain, and its own vegetable garden.

The hotel features an onsite planetarium and a spacious, pitched-ceiling restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner – showcasing local musicians and dancers performing Andean and Colca musical traditions.

The hotel is ideally located to experience the Colca Canyon and explore the breathtaking Valley – a place of ancient cultures and astounding natural beauty. Overnight, dinner included.

Day 13 : Colca Canyon

This morning, set off with your guide for the observation points of Cruz del Cóndor and Tapay, known sanctuaries of Andean Condors. You will also pay short visits to the towns of Maca, Pinchollo, Yanque, Lari and Ichupampa. In the afternoon, enjoy a nice walk to the Uyu Uyu pre-Inca ruins and visit the towns of Coporaque and Chivay. Overnight Casa Andina Colca Canyon.  All meals included today.

Day 14 : Colca Canyon – Arequipa

This morning, visit the town of Chivay with its market and handicraft shops. Lunch. In the afternoon, transfer to Arequipa.

The Casa Andina Classic Arequipa is strategically located in the center of town. The hotel has 105 non-smoking rooms with complimentary WiFi access. Hotel facilities and services include full service restaurant, 24-hour snack bar, Internet center, laundry service, ATM. Traditional rooms are equipped with 1 full or 2 twin beds, safe deposit box. Superior rooms and Suites are equipped with king bed, coffee maker, safe deposit box, mini-bar. Suites include Jacuzzi. Daily breakfast buffet is included.

Day 15 : Arequipa – Lima – Trujillo

You will be met at your hotel by your guide for a private half-day tour of Arequipa and the famous convent of Santa Catalina. The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is a cloistered convent and was built in 1580 in the Mudéjar style.

There are approximately 20 nuns currently living in the northern corner of the complex; the rest of the monastery is open to the public. You will also explore the “White City” and its picturesque surroundings, including the “Plaza de Armas” and La Compañia church.

Afterward, you will transfer to the Arequipa Airport for your flight to Trujillo, with connection in Lima.

You will be met at the Trujillo Airport upon arrival and transferred to your hotel. The Libertador Trujillo Hotel is located on the main square of the city’s historic center. The hotel has 79 rooms, a large dining area and business center. Facilities and amenities include restaurant, bar, gym, sauna, swimming pool and Jacuzzi, wireless Internet access. Daily breakfast included – 2 nights.

Day 16 : Huacas del Sol & de la Luna/Chan Chan/Huanchaco Bay

Today you will set off with your private guide for a tour of the Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna, the Huaca Moche Museum; and Chan Chan, the pre-Columbian adobe citadel of the Chimu Empire, considered the largest of its kind, and the museum ‘in situ’.

Then, a stop at Huanchaco Bay where local fishermen continue going out to sea in fragile straw skiffs or “Caballitos de Totora”. You will also visit the El Dragon ruins, before returning to your hotel.

Day 17 : Trujillo – Chiclayo

In the morning you will be met at your hotel and transferred to Chiclayo. On the way you will visit the El Brujo archaeological complex, which includes richly-colored murals on a Moche pyramid or Pacatnamú, an ancient fortified ceremonial and pilgrimage center, situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Pacatnamú excursion will include a visit to the San Jose de Moro Museum.

In Chiclayo you will be taken to your hotel, located in the heart of Chiclayo, Peru’s fourth-largest city and one of significant commercial importance.

The Casa Andina Select Chiclayo is an iconic modern structure in Chiclayo, the capital of the Lambayeque department, famous for its cuisine and highly developed ancient cultures. Located in the heart of Chiclayo, Peru’s fourth-largest city and one of significant commercial importance, the hotel is just 5 minutes from the main square park and only 10 minutes from the airport.

Also within easy reach are the region’s superb museums, such as Tumbas Reales de Sipán, and spectacular archaeological sites including Túcume, the “valley of pyramids” — making it a great base for exploring the northern coastal desert, one of the most historic regions in Peru.

Facilities and services include restaurant serving full buffet breakfast and a la carte lunch & dinner, free high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access throughout hotel, bar, outdoor pool, Spa, Internet center, laundry services.

Day 18 : Chiclayo – Lima

You will be picked up by your guide and set off to explore Tucume, a vast Lambayeque-period archeological complex, known as the “Valley of the Pyramids” (1000-1500 A.D.). The tomb, found in 1987, was the richest ever found in the western hemisphere. The 3-story pyramid tomb, like the museum, is an attraction in its own right.

You will then visit the museum that conserves all the archaeological material found in Sipan. The exhibition also shows a reconstruction of the Lord of Sipan tomb with his valuable jewels of gold, silver, copper and some additional tombs of warriors. This museum is the result of years of effort of an archaeology team led by Walter Alva.

After your tour you will be transferred to the Chiclayo Airport where you will catch your flight to Lima. Upon arrival in Lima you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

The El Tambo is conveniently located just two blocks from the main avenue Jose Larco, in Miraflores, the tourist district of Lima. Hotel facilities include 57 comfortable rooms and offers services such as a restaurant/bar, Wi-Fi, 24 hour room service, and currency exchange. Daily breakfast is included.

Day 19 : Lima – Ica – Paracas

You will be picked-up at your hotel and transferred by or private vehicle to Pisco.

From here you will depart on a flight over Ica, Palpa and the mysterious Nazca markings. You’ll marvel at the huge birds and animals, geometrical lines resembling landing fields, and other figures.

Afterward, you will make the short drive to Paracas. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Paracas.

La Hacienda Bahia Paracas is situated on the edge of Paracas Bay and surrounded by the Paracas National Reserve. Facilities and amenities include swimming pool, El Huarango Café, Oceano Spa, El Candelabro Lounge, El Coral Restaurant, Marineros Bar. Breakfast is included.

Optional excursion to Ica and Huacachina Lagoon: Depart Paracas with your private guide and visit the Huacachina Lagoon, a lush oasis in the dunes, and take a tour of the Ica Regional Museum with its fascinating collection of mummies, pottery and textiles from the Paracas and Nazca cultures. You will also visit a local winery.

Day 20 : Paracas – Lima

After breakfast you’ll transfer to the dock for a yacht cruise to the Ballestas Islands, inhabited by thousands of guano birds and sea lions. On the way to the islands, look back from the boat at the mainland, where you will see Paracas’ gigantic candelabra on the cliff overlooking the bay. Afterward, you will be transferred by private vehicle back to Lima.