The Luxury Machu Picchu, Amazon & Lake Titicaca all in one Peru tour! From the verdant Amazon interior to the mist-shrouded Andean summits to the stark high plains, this sample tour of Peru spotlights the sheer diversity of the country’s landscapes.
After a brief stay in Peru’s exciting capital, Lima, leave the urban environs behind for a luxury escape to a jungle lodge set in the midst of the Puerto Maldonado jungle.
Here, you’ll discover just how the so-called “lungs of the world” function as well as glimpse the seemingly never-ending number of species that creep, crawl, swing, and slither their way around.
Swap the jungle for the heady heights of the Andes as you immerse yourself in a unique hybrid culture that blends aspects of the country’s Inca and colonial histories.
This is also when you’ll get to finally lay your eyes on Peru’s star attraction: Machu Picchu. The fun continues with a luxury journey to the crystalline waters of Lake Titicaca!
When your international flight arrives in Lima, look for your Samextoursperu host holding a sign with your name on it! We know you’ll most likely be a little tired after your long flight, so we’ll save you the stress of trying to navigate and bring you straight to your hotel adjacent to the airport where you can shake off that icky flight feeling with a shower and a sleep. Relax into the evening and enjoy a good night’s rest before your flight to Puerto Maldonado early in the morning!
Your Samextoursperu host will take you to the airport early in the morning for your flight to Puerto Maldonado. Once you touch down there, you’ll be transported by boat to the Refugio Amazónas lodge in Tambopata for an Amazon luxury travel experience. Lunch will be served en route. After dinner as the sun sets, embark on a guided walk as the rainforest transforms itself into deep darkness. Armed with flashlights and headlamps, you will enter a world inhabited with animals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects that have adapted to life in the darkness. Tonight, fall asleep to a symphony of jungle sounds!
Early this morning, you and your guide will trek through the jungle past the hanging nests of Oropendola birds and fruit bats until you reach a tranquil jungle of waterways, the Oxbow Lake. What belies Oxbow Lake’s calm water and beautiful landscapes are wild creatures lurking just below the surface. Then hop on a traditional wooden canoe with your guide to spot for wildlife. You will have a chance of seeing the Hoatzin, a bizarre, dinosaur-looking bird, along with troops of Squirrel Monkeys, rare Giant Otters, huge Caiman, and majestic Macaws flying overhead. Bid “goodbye” to the otters and start hiking through the winding jungle trails as you marvel at the huge trunks of the rainforest before reaching the Canopy Observation Tower. Here you and your guide will hike up the 25 meter Canopy Tower. Once on top, you will have a bird’s-eye view of the majestic forest stretching in every direction. You will also have a chance to spot for monkeys, Toucans, macaws, and other exotic jungle animals. After lunch, we will set out to visit Don Manuel’s Amazonian farm. Here we will learn about the variety of popular and exotic Amazon produce he grows and that just about every plant and tree you see serves a purpose.
At dawn this morning, you will have the opportunity to spot amazing tropical birds, while learning about a strange jungle diet. We will either take a 15-minute boat ride or a 60-minute walk through the jungle to a clay lick used by parrots and parakeets. Your guide will take you inside to a well-hidden viewing platform built from clay and thatch where you will have the opportunity to get a super close look at the 7 to 10 species of these birds as they descend to munch on nutrient-rich clay. Researchers at the Macaw Project have studied these larger birds as they eat clay around the region and they believe that these animals eat the clay to supplement salt in their diet as they live far away from any ocean. Come and observe these tropical birds and decide for yourself. In the afternoon, we will be talking a short walk to a small clay cliff that attracts dozens of species, especially mammals who come to eat on the salty clay. The most well-known of these mammals are the White-Lipped Peccaries. These are wild rainforest pigs that show up in herds of 5 to 25 individuals to eat clay in the late morning. Chances of spotting them are around 15%, but a well worth the short hike. Other wildlife also shows up including deer, guan and parakeets. Return to the lodge for one final night in the Amazonian Jungle.
After breakfast, we will bid goodbye to the Amazon jungle as the Refugio Amazonas team will escort you back to Puerto Maldonado, retracing your boat journey through the Amazon. They’ll bring you to the Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight to Cusco. From Cusco, a guide will accompany you to the stunning Sacred Valley, whose bucolic farming and weaving towns – a few thousand feet lower in elevation than Cusco – are ideal for acclimatizing. On the way out there, stop at Manos de la Comunidad Living Museum. At this “living museum,” you’ll come face-to-face with some of South America’s most endearing inhabitants, including alpacas, llamas, vicuñas and guanacos, as well as learning about traditional weaving.
Today, valley explorations begin. We’ll start in the ancient town of Ollantaytambo, where the centuries-old influence of the Incas is still very much visible: water from the mountains trickles down to the Inca-built street canals, while original Inca walls and trapezoidal doors are still found here. With your guide by your side, ascend beyond the stepped, slope-side terraces to the ruins of a centuries-old fortress above town, where the Incas secured an important victory over the Spanish conquistadors. Inspect the intricately hewn stone constructions and have your guide show you the distant quarries from where the Incas sourced these huge stone blocks. This site also afford fabulous views of the valley and the Urubamba River that meanders through it. From there, your exclusive tour of Peru will take you to another valley town – Pisac – where you’ll have the chance to rub shoulders with locals as you survey the artisan offerings of the market. Vegetables, textiles and silver jewelry are just some of the items that are sold here. End the day with one more archaeological site visit, this time to the abandoned mountainside ruins of the original Inca Pisac village (Spanish conquerors built their village further down the hillside). From here, you’ll be able to see the verdant farmland where the Incas once cultivated their crops and where modern-day Quechua people continue to farm. Later, return to the hotel of your choice.
Prepare for a climactic day! In the morning, we will board the train in Ollantaytambo for our journey to Machu Picchu. Watch the cloud jungle pass by through the large glass windows! Upon arrival to Aguas Calientes, we’ll tuck in to an early lunch in order to refuel before ascending to Peru’s lost citadel. After a bus ride to the gates of this wonder of the world, you will pass through the main gates with your private guide to finally emerge at the top of the world – Machu Picchu. The incredible Inca stone construction will be spread below, alternately hidden and revealed by clouds. Your expert guide will give you a private tour of the ancient city. Upon conclusion of your tour, return for an evening in Aguas Calientes. Enjoy an excellent dinner on-site at your hotel and fall into bed, lulled to sleep by the sound of the cloud forest around you.
Today you have the option to hike two different trails – Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, so it’s completely up to you on how you would like to culminate your Machu Picchu luxury tour. Consider hiking the steep slope of neighboring Huayna Picchu, which offers unrivalled views over Machu Picchu. Please note that only a limited amount of hikers are allowed to climb Huayna Picchu each day and tickets will need to be purchased in advance along with your Machu Picchu entrance. In the afternoon, reconvene in Aguas Calientes and board the return train to Ollantaytambo. Your Samextoursperu host will meet you at the station and bring you to your hotel for a well-deserved good night’s rest.
It’s time to get acquainted with Cusco, a gorgeous city that wins the heart of most every traveler that passes through it. Get to know the real Cusco during a private tour. After breakfast, meet your guide and wander among the archaeological remains of Sacsayhuaman, where the Incas staged a great battle against the conquistadors. Return to the city and roam the atmospheric streets of the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas, which is known for its free-spirited scene. Explore Qoricancha and the Santo Domingo monastery (a colonial structure built on top of the ancient Inca temple of the sun); see where the locals make their grocery runs at the open-air San Pedro market and pass the famous 12-angled stone, whose image appears on the bottle of the local Cusqueña beer. At the end of the tour, your guide will suggest places to visit for lunch!
This morning we will bring you to the Cusco airport for your flight to Juliaca, the jumping-off point for Lake Titicaca. From Juliaca airport, your guide will be meeting you as we begin our drive to the high plains of Peru. Your first stop will be the Lagoon of Umayo, where you will see ancient family tombs from the Colla Civilization called Chullpas of Sillustani. Finally, as we descend the hills into Puno, Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, will appear before you, filling the landscape to the horizon.
Today, you’ll enjoy a guided private tour around Lake Titicaca. Travel by boat to the floating islands of Uros, home to an ancient community whose ancestral lineage stretched back to pre-Inca times. Thanks to their self-made reed islands, which require continual renovation, the Uros people have managed to preserve their unique way of life and survive not just the Incas and the Spanish, but also the threat of encroaching modernity. Next, sail out to Taquile Island, whose residents are honored by UNESCO for their weaving skills. Eat a lunch prepared by the hospitable islanders, before returning to Puno for transfer to your hotel of choice.
First, we’ll bring you to Juliaca airport for your return flight to Lima. In Lima, a Samextoursperu host will meet you and take you to the seaside bohemian district of Barranco. See the streets of Barranco come alive as you visit a number of local art galleries and shops that support local artisans. Finally, enjoy a first-class gourmet meal featuring world-renowned Peruvian flavors in a restaurant of your choosing before returning to the airport for your journey home! Good Bye Amigos! Notes: There are many other activities that can be added to the Amazon, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca private tour, as our tours are entirely customized to your interests, hobbies, and expectations! Please note that Huayna Picchu has a limited entry quota per day and needs to be booked 4 – 5 months in advance.
The “Luxury Machu Picchu, Amazon & Lake Titicaca” 12-day tour was an extraordinary journey that offered an immersive and comprehensive exploration of Peru’s natural and cultural wonders. From the bustling cityscape of Lima to the serene and mystical realms of the Amazon rainforest, the tour was impeccably organized and tailored to provide a luxurious yet adventurous experience.
