From Tambopata to Machu Picchu – 12 Days / 11 Nights

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

Welcome to Lima – Peru. At your arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel close to the airport. You can also request a hotel in Miraflores.

Day 2: Lima – Puerto Maldonado

We transfer you to the airport. On arrival you will be welcomed at the airport and driven ten minutes to our Puerto Maldonado headquarters. While enjoying your first taste of the forest in our gardens we will ask you to pack only the necessary gear for your next few days, and leave the rest at our safe deposit. This helps us keep the boats and cargo light.

Skirting Puerto Maldonado, we drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River Port, entering the Native Community of Infierno. The port is a communal business. A box lunch is included enroute.

Tambopata River Port to Refugio Amazonas: The 2.5-hour boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Refugio Amazonas will take us into the Community’s Primary Forest Private Reserve. Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips.

Caiman Searches: We will be out at the river’s edge at night, scanning the shores with headlamps and flashlights to catch the red gleams of reflection from caiman eyes.

Day 3: Puerto Maldonado

Sachavacayoc Oxbow Lake: A two-hour hike takes you to Sachavacayoc Lake. You will then paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of five giant river otters (seen by about 30% of lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers. We hike out at dawn when otters are active. For those who do not want to take the long hike, Condenado Lake, thirty minutes from the lodge, is an alternative.

Farm Visit and Ethnobotanical Garden: Five minutes downriver from the lodge lies a farm owned and managed by Don Manuel from the neighbouring community of Condenado. He grows a variety of Amazon crops and medicinal plants used throughout the region.

Brazil Nut Trail and Camp: A short walk from the lodge leads to an old-growth Brazil Nut forest where you will learn about the sustainable harvesting process from collection to drying.

Night Walk: You will have the option of hiking at night when many mammals become active. Frogs, insects and other nocturnal wildlife are commonly observed.

Day 4: Puerto Maldonado

Parakeet Clay Lick: A fifteen-minute boat ride followed by a sixty-minute walk takes you to a clay lick where parakeets gather to consume mineral-rich clay. Species commonly seen include Dusky-headed and Cobalt-winged Parakeets.

Mammal Clay Lick: A short walk from Refugio Amazonas leads to a peccary clay lick where herds of wild rainforest pigs and other wildlife may be observed.

Canopy Tower: A thirty-minute walk leads to a 25-meter canopy tower offering spectacular panoramic views of the Tambopata rainforest. Toucans, macaws, raptors and mixed-species flocks are frequently spotted.

Tambopata National Reserve Lecture: Evening presentations by the lodge staff discuss conservation projects and the biodiversity of the Tambopata National Reserve.

Day 5: Puerto Maldonado – Cusco

Today we return to the main port and transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is at leisure.

Day 6: Cusco City Tour

In the morning you will be collected from your hotel and taken on a Private City Tour of Cusco. You will visit the Cathedral, Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), Tambomachay (Temple of Water), Qenqo and Sacsayhuaman. The tour lasts approximately four hours and finishes in the Plaza de Armas.

Day 7: Sacred Valley – Ollantaytambo

Today your private guide and driver will take you on a tour of the Sacred Valley. Visit Awanacancha to observe llamas, alpacas and vicuñas, and learn about traditional weaving. Continue to Pisac Market and the archaeological ruins before stopping in Urubamba for lunch (not included).

The final stop is the beautiful Andean town of Ollantaytambo where you will explore its fascinating history and charming streets before spending the night there.

Day 8: Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

Walk to Ollantaytambo Train Station and board the train to Aguas Calientes.

Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and escorted to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free. During the evening you will meet your guide to coordinate the visit to Machu Picchu.

Day 9: Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo

Today we take the first shuttle bus to enjoy the sunrise at Machu Picchu. Your guided tour lasts approximately two hours and includes the most important sectors of the citadel. Afterwards you will have free time to continue exploring independently.

In the afternoon you will board the train back to Ollantaytambo, where you will spend the night.

Day 10: Maras – Moray – Salineras – Chinchero – Cusco

Today we continue exploring the Sacred Valley while returning to Cusco. Visit the village of Maras, the circular agricultural terraces of Moray and the impressive Salt Mines of Salineras, where traditional salt extraction methods are still practiced.

Continue to Chinchero to visit its local market and beautiful colonial church before returning to Cusco during the afternoon.

Day 11: Cusco – Lima

Today we transfer you to the airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Miraflores. The afternoon is free to explore the city at your leisure.

Day 12: Lima – Home

Today we transfer you to the airport for your international flight home. A Lima City Tour is available as an optional activity for travelers with evening departures.

End of our services.

Custom Made

Andean Roots offers programs tailored to fit its passengers’ interests. Tell us what you would like to include or exclude from this program, and we will design an exclusive itinerary especially for you.