11 Day Enchanted Peru & Amazon

Welcome to Lima, the City of Kings!

Upon arrival at Lima airport, please make your way to the starting point hotel. Tonight you will meet your tour guide and the rest of your fellow travellers at a welcome meeting held at the lobby of your hotel at approximately 5pm. Your tour guide will leave more information in this regard at the hotel’s front desk. 

While Peru’s capital officially began life in 1535, Lima was in its prime during the Spanish colonial days and much of the city’s attraction now lies in its well-preserved historical centre. You’ll find excellent museums – a given considering the history and culture of its surroundings – and interesting colonial architecture. One such museum, the Museo de la Nación, is the largest museum in Lima and an ideal place to begin exploring Peru’s ancient history.

At night, the Magic Water Circuit show in the Parque de la Reserva is a tourist drawcard. Every one of the 13 fountains at the park is illuminated with different colours and synchronised to music.

Arrival Information: The easiest way to transfer between the airport and your hotel is by taxi. Official airport taxi boots are available after clearing customs and inside the airport building. Avoid engaging transport providers outside the airport building. Alternatively, you can pre-book your arrival transfer with us at the time of booking.

After breakfast, your tour leader will take you on an orientation walking tour of Miraflores and its surroundings.

The afternoon is free for you to continue exploring Lima at your own pace. Perhaps consider joining an optional city tour.

Enjoy breakfast before being transferred to Lima airport in time to board your flight to Puerto Maldonado. 

Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to the lodge’s office located just 5 minutes away to pack your bags with necessary items for the 2 nights in the amazon. The bulk of your

luggage will be stored in a secure room. Then, you’ll continue the journey to the indigenous community of Infierno, followed by a motorboat along the warm and calm waters of the Tambopata River. The estimated travel time is approximately 30 minutes, during which we will enjoy a delicious lunch typical of the Peruvian jungle.

Nape Lodge is not only a very comfortable and cosy lodge located in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, but it is also one of the only lodges in the area that is 100% owned and operated by the local community - the native community of Infierno. The community is composed of ethnic populations and differentiated indigenous groups, including the indigenous population of Ese Eja. All lodge staff are members of the community and all income generated goes directly to support this indigenous community in one of Peru’s most remote corners.

This area is the least populated territory in Peru, with its lush tropical rainforest. Of course, it’s more than a rainforest – it’s a complex ecosystem, with a dazzling array of flora and fauna. You’ll observe life in the jungle, its thrilling landscapes and the fascinating wildlife that call it home.

When you arrive at the lodge and settle in, enjoy your first activity. A member of the community will explain how the Ese Ejja people made and used the bow and arrow to hunt in the area for food. You’ll have a chance to practise this fun activity, using the bow from a long distance.

After dinner, you’ll search for caiman. We’ll return to the river with flashlights in search of the red reflection of caiman eyes lurking along the riverbank. With any luck, we’ll see some nocturnal animals as well. It’s a magical experience to witness them in the wilderness.

In the morning, we’ll travel by boat for 30 minutes and then walk for 25 minutes to reach the water’s edge of the lake adjacent to Tambopata National Reserve. This reserve is one of the largest areas of untouched rainforest in the world, a vast expanse home to fascinating landscapes and wildlife.

Take in the amazing view of the lake, surrounded by aguaje palms. There is a vibrant array of jungle fauna, like hoatzin, monkeys, macaws, black caiman, flying parrot – perhaps even a family of endangered giant river otters (pteronura brasiliensis).

When we return, we’ll pass a parrot feeding ground. After a 15 minute boat ride, we’ll arrive at a hidden spot to see a cliff formed by the river – the inland collpa, or clay lick, where a dazzling array of famous macaws and other species of birds flock to feast on the nutrient-rich clay.

The macaws begin by ceremoniously circling the cliff area. The birds consume the salt for 20 to 25 minutes and they depart.

We’ll return to the lodge for lunch and some relaxation before heading out again.

We’ll head to the nearby medicinal garden to meet the shaman of the community, who will talk to us about the immense variety of medicinal plants and traditional remedies considered part of the ‘natural pharmacy’ used by inhabitants of this region. We’ll then visit the facility where medicines are prepared.

After dinner, an excursion into the Amazon rainforest promises real adventure. Explore this thrilling jungle on one of the lodge’s trails, home to nocturnal animals with intriguing behaviour patterns. Experience this hidden world in the dark and search for insects, amphibians, tarantulas, bats and nocturnal birds. If lucky, we’ll see some nocturnal mammals.

After breakfast, wave goodbye to the lodge’s staff and travel back to Puerto Maldonado in time to board your flight to Cusco.

Upon your arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Your Cusco tour leader will meet you and the rest of your fellow travellers early in the afternoon before heading out to start discovering the city of Cusco in a leader-led orientation tour.

Cusco is the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city and was the home of the Inca Empire for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today Cusco is a fascinating combination of both cultures. Inca-built walls line the central streets and many of the elegant colonial buildings are built on or around Inca foundations. This is a city steeped in history, tradition and legend and is a perfect base for explorations into the Inca world.

Your walking tour will visit some of the most characteristic places in the centre of Cusco, such as the Stone of Twelve Angles at the Inca Roca Palace.  You’ll walk by the Qoricancha temple, considered the most sacred Inca building. According to archaeologists it housed over 1000 priests and attendants. It was built over an Inca palace dedicated to the worship of the Sun. 

Then, you will visit the heart of the city, “the Plaza de Armas”, surrounded by colonial arcades and four churches. Pass by the beautiful “Cathedral” of Cusco. This enormous Cathedral was built in the XVI. It contained nearly 400 colonial paintings, including many from the Cusco School, which was prominent in the 17th century. The cathedral is a fine example of colonial baroque art. 

Finally, explore the San Pedro Market where you will find vegetables, meats, local cheeses (which you should certainly try), local chocolates, herbal medicines and many local handicrafts. It’s a great place to purchase some souvenirs. The market is also a place where many locals go to eat ‘mystery soups’. Some may be just chicken; however, the most popular amongst the locals are usually the more unusual ones like frog soups or soups that contain the nose or tail of various animals.

 Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading out to start discovering the city of Cusco in a leader-led walking tour.

You will visit some of the most characteristic places in the centre of Cusco, such as the Stone of Twelve Angles at the Inca Roca Palace.  You’ll walk by the Qoricancha temple, considered the most sacred Inca building. According to archaeologists it housed over 1000 priests and attendants. It was built over an Inca palace dedicated to the worship of the Sun. 

Then, you will visit the heart of the city, “the Plaza de Armas”, surrounded by colonial arcades and four churches. Pass by the beautiful “Cathedral” of Cusco. This enormous Cathedral was built in the XVI. It contained nearly 400 colonial paintings, including many from the Cusco School, which was prominent in the 17th century. The cathedral is a fine example of colonial baroque art. 

Finally, explore the San Pedro Market where you will find vegetables, meats, local cheeses (which you should certainly try), local chocolates, herbal medicines and many local handicrafts. It’s a great place to purchase some souvenirs. The market is also a place where many locals go to eat ‘mystery soups’. Some may be just chicken; however, the most popular amongst the locals are usually the more unusual ones like frog soups or soups that contain the nose or tail of various animals.

In the late afternoon, you will learn all about one of the most traditional drinks of South America: Pisco Sour! We’ll visit a local venue to learn about the distillation process before learning what it takes to blend the perfect Pisco Sour – and yes, you will get to savour the frothy result of your hard work — salud and enjoy responsibly!

Today you will travel  by private car through the Sacred Valley on the outskirts of Cusco. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, the lush, fertile valley has long been the main source of food for the high Andes. Maize crops can be seen surrounding the river and covering the terraces carved high into the valley walls.

You will head to the town of Pisac and spend time browsing its market stalls in search of hand-painted beads or warm ponchos and maybe practising some of the local language, Quechua. 

Later you will continue to the town of Ollantaytambo which has been built over an ancient Inca town. This is a magnificent example of Inca urban planning and one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish.

Sleep-in a little, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and perhaps visit the Ollantaytambo archaeological site. The upper terraces of this site offer great photo opportunities of the squared grid town below. 

Later on you will make your way to Ollantaytambo train station which is located 5–10-minute walking distance from your hotel and board the train towards Aguas Calientes. 

The train ride to Machu Picchu is one of the most beautiful journeys you can experience in Peru. It’s an almost two-hour journey that passes through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, then descends gradually along the edge of the Urubamba River, before finally reaching the cloud forest. The train reaches its last stop in Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly Aguas Calientes), on the foothills of Machu Picchu. From here it’s a short bus ride – about 30 minutes – up the steep, zigzagging road to the famed ancient site.

In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour around Aguas Calientes along with your tour leader.

Today is an early start. By 6.30am you will board a bus to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a jewel in South America’s crown.

At 2430 metres above sea level, Machu Picchu is in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing creation of the Inca Empire at the height of their reign. The stonework has to be seen up close to truly comprehend its intricate beauty. Giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments.

Upon arrival, we’ll enter the archaeological zone of Machu Picchu and the tour guide will show you the most important sectors of this great Inca City, such as the great Intiwatana (solar clock) and the Sun Temple, among others. Machu Picchu is divided into two sectors, the urban sector in the northern part and the agricultural sector on the south-east side.

After the tour, we’ll return to Aguas Calientes by bus before taking the tourist train back to Ollantaytambo and a bus ride to Cusco.

Today is free for you to recover from a busy day and to enjoy the stunning town of Cusco one more day.

If you are feeling active, perhaps consider taking an optional tour to the ever photogenic Palcoyo Mountain, commonly known as the Rainbow Mountain.

Enjoy one last delicious breakfast this morning, before your Peruvian adventure comes to an end. At the appointed time, you will be transferred to the airport in time to board your flight to your next destination. 

We hope you’ve been inspired. 

Check out: Check-out time is generally between 10am-12pm. You are welcome to leave your luggage at the hotel reception and spend your final moments of free time exploring the area or alternatively please speak with hotel staff if you would like to extend your check-out time.