Amazon – cusco – Lake Titicaca
13 Days / 12 Nights

Welcome to Peru! Our representative will be waiting for you at the airport in Lima, ready to take you to your hotel in Lima.

No further services will be arranged on this day unless requested.

Today, our representative will come to your hotel in Lima ready to take you to the airport for your departure flight to Puerto Maldonado. This flight should be arranged in the morning hours, as your arrival to Puerto Maldonado should be by no later than 12:00 hrs.

Upon arrival to Puerto Maldonado, you will be met at the airport by your naturalist guide and transferred to a dugout canoe for the trip up the Tambopata River to the lodge. On the journey, the vegetation changes from colonized deforested areas to virgin rainforest. A box lunch is provided on board. Once you arrive, you’ll be offered a welcome drink and meet the rest of the staff. In the late afternoon, you set off for an introductory walk into the “terra firme ” forest behind the lodge (trail two), dominated by giant Brazil-nut and Dipteryx trees. Frequently seen mammals on this trail are Saddle-back Tamarins, Brown Capuchins, Agoutis, Pacas, Blue-Morpho butterflies, Trogons, Toucans and many other species of birds. After dinner, there will be a night walk to find nocturnal animals or insects by the eye-shine, a specialization for increasing the light and to see better. About 50 percent of the animals in the rain forest are nocturnal.

Please note that upon arrival at Puerto Maldonado Airport, you will be taken to the lodge’s office, where you will leave your main suitcases in secure storage and transfer the essential items for your stay into a duffel bag provided by the lodge. This is necessary because large suitcases cannot be transported on the boat for safety reasons, as they may affect the boat’s stability during navigation.

After an early breakfast, you and your nature guide will board the motorized canoe, once again. You will partake in a short journey to the trailhead to begin a morning’s exploration by foot and paddle canoe of the lake system of Condenado, which is rich in bird and aquatic life. A family of Giant Otters lives in the vicinity of the lake and is often observed. Birds to look forward to are: Rufescent Tiger-herons, Great Egrets, Wattled Jacanas, Hoatzin, and the noisy Donacobius, among many others. Remember to bring your hat and sunscreen, for there is no shade out on the water. You will return to the lodge in time for lunch. The afternoon is for exploring the forest close to the lodge (with or without your guide) or relaxing and bathing in the Gallucunca (a cool clear stream beside the lodge). After dark, you will go searching for caiman (alligators) and other nocturnal animals by motorized canoe along the Tambopata River.

After an early breakfast, you will take a short boat ride down river to the trail head. Here, you will embark on a longer trail which leads to a spectacular hidden lake, requiring the crossing of streams and swampy ground, past the giant Lupuna trees (Kings of the Jungle), which abound in this part of the forest. On the walk you are introduced to more aspects of the forest and its animals. At the lake itself, it is possible to spot the elusive Black Caiman and Giant Otters. We will return for lunch. The afternoon is free for relaxation and bathing.

Your morning activities will be based on when your flight is leaving Puerto Maldonado. Try to schedule your flight departing around noon. If time allows, you will enjoy the morning watching the wildlife that is particularly active at this time, often the sounds of howler monkeys surround you. When you are ready, you will make your way back to the airport for your next adventure.

Once in Cusco, our representative will be waiting for you ready to take you to your hotel in Cusco.

No further activities will be arranged on this day.

Your briefing session for the Inca Trail hike will take place at 18:30 hrs at the Alpaca Expeditions headquarters. You will meet your guide and fellow hike members during your briefing session. We will use this time to check in as well.

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel lobby in Cusco, at 8 a.m. You will be taken on a road that winds around the mountains north of Cusco. On the way, we will stop at a famous point known as El Mirador (Lookout Point). From there, we will be able to see the Sacred Valley and gain some insight into Inca history. The Sacred Valley was one of the main areas the Incas settled. There is an unusual abundance of fertile plains in this high area of the Andes. You will also witness vast contour terracing and irrigation channels left behind by the Incas.

Later on, we will drive towards the ruins of Pisac. Here, you will witness and learn about Inca culture. You will see amazing works of stone art and impressive agricultural terraces. After exploring, we will drive back to the lower town of Pisac to stop at a bustling handicraft market. After you spend some time walking around the market bargain hunting, we will meet for lunch at a local Andean restaurant. This meal is not included in the tour, so if you prefer a different restaurant, just let your tour guide know.

After lunch, will drive along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo. Once we reach Ollantaytambo, we will visit the ruins, an important area of Incan construction, built during the Inca’s heydays. This is an extraordinary Inca site because you can find rock formations representing the Inca god, Wiracocha.

We will spend the night at Ollantaytambo to start our Inca Trail early the next day.

Your short Alpaca Expeditions Inca Trail tour to Machu Picchu starts with you being picked up from your hotel at 4 a.m. Next, we’ll go to the train station and leave on the 6:10 a.m. train from Ollantaytambo. The trail follows the Urubamba River until we reach Km 104, where we’ll begin our trek. Along the way you’ll see spectacular views of farmlands, snow-capped mountains and the mighty Urubamba River. The Urubamba River is one of the sources of the massive Amazon River so it’s very impressive to see. At 104 km (2,000 m), we’ll begin our breathtaking trek. Once you’re off the train and ready to go, we’ll provide you with snacks and take a group photo. Then we’ll set off to visit our first Inca site. We’ll give you a short orientation about this historical Inca site as well as a walking tour. Then we’ll begin hiking as we head for the Classic Inca Trail. We’ll have tremendous views of Machu Picchu, the Urubamba River and other surrounding Inca Sites.

After hiking for three hours we’ll reach the most beautiful Incan site on the Inca Trail Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) at 2,600 m/8,500 ft. Few people get the opportunity to see these elaborate water fountains, temples and agricultural terraces. These provide a perfect opportunity to learn about the history of the Incas. The backdrop of this site is a dramatic cliff drop with beautiful mountains surrounding the area.

A few minutes of walking from there and you’ll arrive at the Alpaca Expeditions campsite used by hikers who have chosen to do the Classic Inca Trail. Here you’ll be able to enjoy the hot homemade lunch that’s been freshly cooked by Alpaca Expeditions’ chefs. You’ll also get a chance to refill your water and get a little rest after you’ve eaten.

From Wiñay Wayna, we’ll walk to the Sun Gate. This is where we’ll see the picturesque landscape of the famous Machu Picchu. After taking in the once-in-a-lifetime views, we’ll begin our descent to Machu Picchu.

One of the many advantages of this trek is that by the time you reach Machu Picchu the day travelers will have left. This leaves you the whole area to explore with no interruptions. After taking photos and exploring the area, we’ll take the bus down to Aguas Calientes and head to your hotel. After that we’ll head to Indio Feliz for dinner (included). This restaurant is considered to have the best food in Aguas Calientes. After dinner we recommend going to bed early to make the most of the next day.

We’ll wake up early so that we can catch one of the first busses so that we can catch the striking sunrise at Machu Picchu. You’ll have a two hour guided walking tour by your private English speaking Alpaca Expeditions guide. After that you’ll have time to explore Machu Picchu by yourself. Those who have tickets to Huayna Picchu will have time to climb the mountain, which takes approximately an hour and a half round-trip.

After exploring you can either take a bus or walk down to Aguas Calientes for a free afternoon. You’ll need to remember to catch your train, which will depart that afternoon to Ollantaytambo. Once you arrive at the station in Ollantaytambo we will be there to meet you and drive you back to Cusco.

We will pick you up for the Rainbow Mountain hike at 4:00 – 4:30 am from any hotel, Airbnb, or hostel in Cusco. It will be a 2½ hour drive to the trailhead – we will arrive at around 7 am. Here at the trailhead, our chef will make a delicious breakfast, including coffee, hot chocolate, teas, bread, fruit salad, eggs, and hot drinks. Cusco’s elevation is 3300m / 11,300ft, and the trailhead called Phulawasipata is at 4200m/ 14,300ft.

Cusco’s weather is usually quite cold, and the trailhead is even colder, so early in the morning. Be sure to bring a warm jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves.

After breakfast, we’ll hike about 2 hours uphill to the Rainbow Mountain range. At a slower pace, it could be 2¾ hours, or if you are really fit, quick and acclimatized well, some people can do it in 1½ hours. The hike up includes some short breaks where the guide will explain some important information about the mountains and the geography of the area. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to catch sight of some of the locals, including llamas and alpacas that frequent this area.

The trail itself is quite wide and helpful for those with vertigo or fear of heights. The trek is best during the dry season as the trails are not paved. The trail can be a bit dusty, and in the rainy season, it can be slippery since it may be wet. However, with good waterproof hiking shoes and trekking poles, it will be just fine. This is your opportunity to see why Rainbow Mountain has become an Instagrammers delight according to CNBC!

Upon your arrival at the top of Rainbow Mountain, around 9-10:00 am, you will have about 1 hour to explore the spectacular views of the surrounding areas – valleys, mountains and to view the highest glacial mountain in Cusco – Ausangate, whose summit is at an elevation of 6,384m / 20,944ft, making it one of the tallest mountains in Peru.

After giving you a bit of time to take some treasured photos, your guide will tell you some intriguing facts about this fascinating place – like why the colors?! – and he will also share some detail about the Inkan history. A few last photos of this spectacular mountain and we will begin our descent. We do this a little differently than other groups. Instead of hiking the same route as they do, we hike to a lookout point to see the Red Valley and continue with our hike.

This valley is the icing on the cake, and many of our hikers say that it is even nicer than Rainbow Mountain! It is about 2½ hours mostly downhill from Rainbow Mountain, to the end of the trail, which is near where we started the hike. Here you will enjoy a fresh meal prepared by your chef, which includes cold drinks, appetizers, soup, and the main course.
After lunch, it will be another 2½ hour drive to Cusco, where we will drop you off at your hotel at around 4:30 – 5:30 pm.

Your guide will double-check with you about the next day’s activities.

After an early breakfast, we will pick you up between 6:00 a.m. to 6:20 a.m. to transfer you to the bus station, where you will take the tourist bus. This is a full-day ride to Puno. You will enjoy stops along the way and visit some Inca and pre-Inca ruins. When you arrive at Puno, our representative will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel.

Once at your hotel you will get a quick briefing session. This can be done in person or through a phone call.

Pick-up will be between 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. You will be transferred to the lakes port where you will take a boat to the floating island of Uros, where you will have time to explore around.

Following this, you will take a boat ride to the next island, Amanti Island, where you will stay with a local family. Tonight will be a basic accommodation, but a memorable one, as you will be surrounded by a nice family. This will allow for an opportunity to see how the indigenous people of the lake live. In the afternoon, you will climb the mountain up to the Temple of Pachatata to watch the sunset and party with the locals.

You will have an early breakfast with the family and take a boat to the next island called Taquile. This island is known for its intricate and rich textile and weaving traditions and sustainable tourism practices. You will have the opportunity to walk around the island and enjoy a delicious lunch by the lake.

You will return to Puno around 3:30 p.m. and have a free evening to relax in Puno while waiting for your flight to Lima the next day.

We hate to see you leave but hope you enjoyed your adventure exploring the gems of south Peru!

Our transfer will come to pick you up from your hotel in Puno ready to take you to the airport in Juliaca.

No further services will be arranged for this day.

All fees are based on double room occupancy. Single rooms can be booked for an additional fee.