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| Title: |
AMAZON JUNGLE |
| Interest: |
Ecotourism |
| Destinations: |
Lima, Mercado de Pisac, Complejo Arqueológico de Ollantaytambo, Parque Arqueológico de Sacsayhuamán, Cusco, Valle Sagrado de Los Incas, Machu Picchu, Centro Histórico del Cusco, Selva Amazónica, Río Amazonas, Iquitos, Templo del Koricancha |
| Trip Length: |
09 days / 08 nights |
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Day 01:
... / LIMA
Upon arrival you may choose, depending on your arriving time, between staying at the airport’s hotel and rest to board your early flight or being transfer to an hotel in the cosmopolitan Miraflores area of Lima, where, if the hour permits it, you may just walk around Miraflores, which is known for its shopping areas, restaurants, gardens, flower-filled parks and beaches. Overnight in Lima.
Day 02:
LIMA / CUSCO
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to selected hotel. You may find the altitude a little hard to handle at first so we recommend the rest of the morning to rest and acclimatize. In the afternoon, at the appointed time, you will explore the most magical city, capital of the Inca Empire (15th century), experiencing the architectural legacy visible in many buildings and ruins. This guided sightseeing tour includes The Plaza de Armas, center of the city, surrounded by colonial arcades, and historical buildings; The Koricancha (Temple of The Sun), the Inca ruin that forms the base of the colonial Church of Santo Domingo, which is believed walls were covered with gold during Inca times; The Cathedral, dating back to 1559, the primary church in Cusco, and has a fine collection of paintings from the Cusco School of Painting, as well as beautiful carved altars and woodwork; La Compañia, whose foundations include stones from the palace of the last Incan ruler; and La Merced, the colonial church containing the tombs of famous conquistadors. After seeing the sights of the ancient city, drive out the city to visit the ruins of the impressive fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a true testimonial to Incan architectural skills built of gigantic rocks upon each others that nobody knows how the Incas moved, overlooking the red-tiled roofs of Cusco and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the city. The attraction of the site is a magnificent zigzag walls that remain from the original fortifications. Also visit Quenqo (“The Labyrinth”), an Incan shrine dedicated to Pachamama (“Mother Earth”) where you will see a large limestone rock completely covered with carvings, and an underground cave with altars carved into the rock. Continue to the small fortress of Puka Pukara, a small ruin known as the “red fort”. and finally stop at Tambomachay, known as the “Baths of the Incas”, a sacred bathing place. Return to the hotel. At night we recommend visiting any restaurant or bar near the Main Square and enjoy the night atmosphere trying the delicious Peruvian cuisine with and a Pisco Sour, while listening to traditional Inca music. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 03:
CUSCO / VALLE SAGRADO / CUSCO
After breakfast you will enjoy a full day guided excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas experiencing unforgettable view as you cross over the mountains from Cusco and drop down into the Urubamba Valley. The road follows the meandering Urubamba River and passes through rich agricultural lands and picturesque villages. Upon arrival to the colorful town of Pisac you will visit its lively and colorful Indian market. Here locals, following ancient traditions, sell and exchange a variety of crafts (textiles and ceramics). After visiting Pisac you will stop for a delicious lunch to finally continue to the Inca fortress and the village of Ollantaytambo, built to guard the entrance to this part of the Valley, protecting it from possible invasion from the tribes in the lower jungle. This astounding feat of construction and ingenuity is considered a Living Inca Town as it is the only Inca settlement that has been continually inhabited since its inception. Above the village, the Incas built an impressive fortress that included a temple, agricultural terraces and an urban area. Ollantaytambo, considering its distribution, was an important administrative center with military functions. After the excursion, return transfer to your hotel. At night we recommend visiting any restaurant or bar near the Main Square and enjoy the night atmosphere trying the delicious Peruvian cuisine with and a Pisco Sour, while listening to traditional Inca music. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 04:
CUSCO / MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO
After breakfast, transfer to the train station to board the morning train service to Machu Picchu and the village of Aguas Calientes (little town on the foot of Machu Picchu). This spectacular journey through the Sacred Valley by narrow gauge railway to Machu Picchu is one of the world’s great travel experiences. The train follows the meandering Urubamba River through beautiful farmlands and picturesque villages. Hidden by mountains and the semi-tropical jungle, Machu Picchu is widely considered the most spectacular sight on the South American continent and the most renowned examples of Incan architecture. Upon arrival, a bus waits for a half-hour ride up several switchbacks to take you to the actual site to enjoy your guided tour through the main spots in this breathtaking Incan citadel, including The Main Plaza; The Royal Quarters; The Temple of the Three Windows; The Circular Towers; The Sacred Sun Dial; and The Burial Grounds. Machu Picchu, the master jewel of the Incas, demonstrates their high level of development and the superior knowledge achieved in astronomy and astrology. After the excursion you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch of traditional Peruvian cuisine, before boarding the afternoon train service back to Cusco. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel in Cusco. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 05:
CUSCO / LIMA / IQUITOS
After breakfast, at the appointed time, transfer to the airport to board your flight to Iquitos, via Lima. Upon arrival, reception and, after brief city orientation, transfer to the Explorama dock at the Amazon River, where a motorized boat ride will take you to Ceiba Tops Lodge. Upon arrival, after a short briefing, you will settle into your beautiful cabaña for a refreshing siesta. In the afternoon, after lunch, you will enjoy a hike along the "Lake trail" or an open boat excursion through lowland rainforest that will give you an excellent introduction to the environment of the jungle. After dinner, you will enjoy a night guided excursion seeking for nocturnal animals, while enjoying the sounds of the rainforest. Overnight at Ceiba Tops Lodge.
Day 06:
CEIBA TOPS LODGE
After an early breakfast, you will enjoy a morning birding excursion along the "Bushmaster Trail", where scientific studies by the Missouri Botanical Gardens have found the world's highest biodiversity of trees per square hectare. Then you will visit a small village of Yagua Indians, where you will have an opportunity for a demonstration of the customs and traditions of this tribe. In the afternoon, after lunch, you will enjoy an open boat excursion in search of the two species of freshwater river dolphin found in Amazonian waters. It will also be a good chance for an afternoon swim. Overnight at Ceiba Tops Lodge.
Day 07:
CEIBA TOPS LODGE / EXPLORNAPO LODGE/ CEIBA TOPS LODGE
An early morning motorized boat ride will take you to the mouth of the Napo River and then to the ExplorNapo Lodge. After breakfast, you will enjoy an excursion to the spectacular canopy walkway, a suspended bridge connected by tree platforms, to enjoy landscapes and vistas that would be unimaginable from below, millions of species, many still undiscovered, spend their entire lives in this realm. After lunch, you will visit the "ReNuPeRu" Ethno botanical Garden, where over 240 medicinal plants are cultivated by a local shaman who will explain the nature of Amazonian natural healing and the uses of some of the plants. Return to Ceiba Tops Lodge. Overnight at Ceiba Tops Lodge.
Day 08:
CEIBA TOPS LODGE
After an early breakfast, you will enjoy a morning birding excursion. At mid morning you will enjoy a motor boat excursion to the Monkey island, a private reserve where more than five species of tropical primates including small tamarins, saki, titi and large woolly monkeys are protected. After lunch, you will enjoy a boating excursion in search of sloth, found in Cecropia trees at the water’s edge, and the two species of freshwater river dolphin, pink and grey, found in Amazonian waters. If weather permits it, you will enjoy a beautiful Amazonian sunset on the river before returning to the lodge. . Overnight at Ceiba Tops Lodge.
Day 09:
CEIBA TOPS LODGE / IQUITOS / LIMA
After breakfast, you may choose between a morning walk along an Amazon River trails or a river boat excursion to enjoy for the last time the Amazon wildlife. In the afternoon, at the appointed time, motorized boat transfer to Iquitos. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to the airport to board your flight to Lima. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to selected hotel. Overnight in Lima.
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