The Peruvian Highland Trek tour takes us to a scenic and rugged mountain route following an authentic Inca path leading us through the Lares Valley offering splendid views of unspoiled Andean nature. This Lares Trek leads us to Machu Picchu meeting local farmers and villagers wearing traditional colourful cloths continuing their way of life in an unchanged way during the past 500 years. These people excel in weaving techniques so we can learn or buy something from them while passing impressive snow peaks and mountain lagoons in a company of lamas (Andean cameloids) and mulas. The trek offers a unique insight into ingenious people lifestyle. The trek is an ideal Inca Trail treks alternative. In the end of the trek, we are given a guided tour of the splendid "New Wonder of the World" - Machu Picchu then plenty of time to explore this magnificent archelogical site.
During the tour, we also visit Cusco, which was once considered as the "Navel of the World" by the Incas, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas observing its ancient monuments and natural beauties.
Another highlight of the tour is a visit of the Amazon Rainforest called the "Lungs of the World" because of its enormous production of oxygen. There, we can explore its amazing flora showing us 500 year old trees and other exotic plants that cannot be seen in any other part of the world. We can also observe a huge number and variety of rainforest animals such as capybaras, Giant River Otters, black and white caymans, jaguars, tapirs, anteaters, peccaries, deer, 13 monkey species, 10 species of toucans and uncountable number of colourful birds. So you surely will enjoy the tour.
Accommodation: 3* hotels (5 nights), jungle lodges (2 nights), campsites (2 nights) and a hostel (1 night).
Meals: 10x breakfast, 5x lunch, 5x dinner and 02 afternoon tea.
Transportation: 3x domestic flight, transportation by private van, motorboat transportation, 1x train (Expedition Class).
Camping equipment: All camping equiment included
Day 01: Arrival to Lima
Day 02-04: Peruvian Jungle Tour/Cusco
Day 05: Sacred Valley Tour
Day 06-09: Lares Trek to Machu Picchu
Day 10: Cusco City
Day 11: Departure Day
The Peru Highland Trek tour starts with an arrival to the airport of Lima where our Representative awaits you holding a sheet with your name to take you to your hotel afterwards.
Please note! The first day is an arrival day and no activities are planned, so that you can arrive at any time!
The capital of Lima is also known as the "City of the Kings" as it was founded by Francisco Pizarro on the Day of the Three Kings (Epiphany) in 1535! The Plaza de Armas (main square) is a heart of old Lima. There can be found the Cathedral, Governmental Palace and Archbishop´s Palace.
Today, your holidays to the Amazon Rainforest starts so we take you early in the morning to the Lima´s airport to take a flight to the city of Puerto Maldonado. Then, we travel by a motorized boat over the Madre de Dios River to our lodge settled deeply in the jungle. On our journey to the lodge, you have a chance to see bird species typical for the river and the forest´s outskirts such as a black skimmer, a pied lapwing, a capped heron, a roadside hawk (Buteo magnirostris), a kingfisher, a swallow or a tyrant flycatcher.
The jungle lodge combines a native architecture and materials with a low-impact technology intending to preserve the local environment. Rooms of the lodge are simple, but comfortable, containing mosquito´s nets over each bed, flush toilets, showers (but without hot water) and kerosene (paraffine) lamps for lighting (there is no electricity). Staff of the lodge as well as multilingual Naturalists-Guides mostly consist of local communities' members.
Every day, you have a chance to discover loads of typical rainforest animals and plants while receiving explanations and advices of our local specialist Tour Guide. The Amazon jungle covers about a half of Peruvian territory and it is located in the Amazon Basin. Thanks to its isolation it keeps hidden to casual travellers. Puerto Maldonado is the main city of the region and is mostly accessed by air from the capital and from Cusco. The city lies on confluence of the Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers. It is a busy and booming tropical frontier city which principal activities are gold mining, cashew nut collecting, timber exploitation, agriculture and ecotourism.
The area of Tambopata ranges from Andean highlands situated around headwaters of local rivers through last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Peru´s Amazon Basin. Tambopata is famous for a wide variety of plants and animal populations that include over 1,300 bird species (including 32 parrot specias that are equal to 10% of the world parrot population), 200 mammal species (4 species of primates included), 90 species of frogs, 1,200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of higher plants! All of them are protected by law!!! Harpy eagle, a prehistoric looking hoatzin, tapir, peccary, jaguar, ocelot and playful river otters inhabitating its oxbow lakes are just a few to name some of these rainforest rare species.
On the last (third) day of this Amazonian trip, we transfer you back to the airport at Puerto Maldonado for your flight to Cusco located in the high Andes. You are welcomed by our Representative there and taking to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to be able to acclimatize to the high altitude as well as relax and explore some of this fascinating city.
One of the most spectacular days of the tour takes us through the Sacred Valley of the Incas that was once an important source of food to Incan people. Sacred Valley is a lush agricultural region that keep supplying the city of Cusco with much of its production. As it lays 600 metres lower than Cusco, its average temperature is 5ºC higher so it has got a very pleasant climate.
The tour shows us around the major archaeological sites placed in Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. At Pisaq, an optional two hour (5 km) trek allows us to fully appreciate this huge antique Incan city nestled high in this Andean range. Later on, we can observe a colorful handicraft market at the modern Pisac Town that is without any doubt a unique place to find perfect souvenirs. Then, we stop in Urubamba, considered to be the capital of the valley, where we have a buffet lunch offering Andean cuisine (not included in the tour). Afterwards, we continue to the picturesque town of Ollantaytambo, a place that can boast with another large Incan site. Its major ruin is known as the best surviving example of Incan urban planning and engineering. But Ollantaytambo is more than that, it is an alive and breathing Incan town.
Ollantaytambo is strategically situated overlooking the beautiful Urubamba River Valley. We spend the night in this small town to absorb its atmosphere in its total as well as to get ready for our hike to Machu Picchu the next morning.
We leave Ollantaytambo early in the morning and travel by bus through the Sacred Valley of the Incas until we get to the village of Lares. There, we enjoy local medicinal hot springs all the rest of the morning. Later on, we start our trekking upwards the Lares Valley until we reach the indigenous community of Wacawasi where we overnight.
The second day, we cross the challenging Condor´s Pass (4,100 m) offering stunning views of the Mount Veronica (5,750 m)! After that, we descend slowly to the beautiful Ipsaycocha Lake, our last campsite.
On the third day, we follow a trail leading us downhill passing stunning viewpoints of Willoc. Finally, we get to Ollantaytambo again, however, this time not to look around the town, but to take an evening train towards Aguas Calientes (a town just bellow Machu Picchu). There, we spend a night in a comfortable hotel.
In the morning of the fourth day, we get ready for the long-awaited trip to the so called "Lost City of the Incas". Today, we hike to Machu Picchu for about two hours until we reach the entrance of this historic and spiritual centre of the Incas. There, we enter and start our guided tour, during which our Tour Guide introduces us to its history and describes us each part of the "Lost City of the Incas".
Afterwards, we are given an opportunity to hike the peak of Wayna Picchu to observe the Incan citadel from another perspective.
In the afternoon, we return by train to Ollantaytambo (alternatively to Poroy), from where we are taken by van back to Cusco.
FREE OPTION: Those, who are not able or interested in to the trekking, can get back to Cusco or just stay at the Sacred Valley and spend the following 2 days there. In this case, they reach Aguas Calientes by a tourist train (Expedition Service). They overnight in a hotel there. Next morning, they take a shuttle bus to Machu Picchu where they reunite with that first group consisting of the Lares Valley hikers. This option is for no additional cost.
IMPORTANT! If you decide not to do the trek, you must advice us enough time in advance (usually, a couple of weeks ago) in order to secure your train tickets!! Otherwise, we are not able to guarantee you this option for free. If you have any query, please do not hesitate contacting us.
After having experienced the Peru hike, we deserve a relaxing day today. So we can explore the fascinating capital of the Incas, visit its markets, buy some souvenirs, do some optional activities as well as get ready for the last night in the city!
We can also visit some of many very good museums such as Inca Museum, Qoricancha Museum, Archaeological Museum (which also houses a small art exhibition), Regional Historic Museum and Religious Art Museum.
Cusco has got numerous colonial churches too. The most important of them is the Cathedral on the main square. Its construction started in 1559 and it took 100 years to finish!! The Cathedral can pride on the biggest depository of Colonial art of the city! A vault containing remains of the famous Incan historian - Garcilaso de la Vega is just past the entrance. Other churches that are worth seeing are La Compañía, La Merced and San Francisco.
The city is a perfect base for those more adventurous too as it offers a range of optional outdoor activities such as white river rafting on Urubamba River, horseback riding around nearby archaeological sites (Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambo Machay and Puca Pucara) or mountain biking down to Maras-Moray-Salineras and perhaps visiting some Incan sites on the way.
In the morning, we take you back to the Cusco´s airport to take a flight to Lima.
Please note: A return flight to Lima can be arragend upon request!
End of service, or a suitable time to extend your trip.
Meal budget: Please allow USD 150-200 for meals not included.
Single room: Please note that if you have booked the "Single Room" option for this tour, you receive your own single room for all overnights and a single tent during trekking.
Local flights: Two local flights are included in the cost of your tour. There is not included the last flight from Cusco to Lima. It is very important that we have got your passport details at the time of booking in order to process all air tickets. Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to each flight departure.
