12 Day – Amazon Luxury and Machu Picchu

After Breakfast, a representative of Valencia Travel Cusco will pick you up from the hotel (time to be confirmed) and take you to the airport where you will take your flight to Iquitos. Your Amazon adventure begins when members of the crew greet you at the airport in Iquitos. We’ll then set off in our private transport to Nauta, a small river port town on the banks of the Marañón River.  

Once we arrive in Nauta, you’ll have a VIP greeting at the private port where the beautiful Delfin III river cruise ship will be waiting. Once you’re on board, our friendly and highly qualified staff will show you to your suite. It will be immediately obvious that this is a truly luxurious riverboat experience, with orthopedic mattresses, 100% cotton sheets, 100% natural latex pillows, cotton robes, air conditioning and a private bathroom with a hot shower.  

As you get settled in, the Delfin will begin its journey. As it navigates the Amazon River, you will have the most fantastic panoramic views from the observation area on Deck 3, which is elegantly equipped for your comfort. Our staff will then serve you an exotic cocktail made with regional fruits and pisco, Peru’s iconic national brandy. The fully-equipped bar is always at your disposal, just ask the barman for any of the regional and international liquors and beers on offer.  

Your naturalist guide will then give you an overview of the trip ahead: the activities, the route, the flora and fauna we will see, and the geographical and historical background of the Amazon Rainforest. Our first stop will be at the "Union of the Rivers", where we can admire the different colors of three rivers as they merge into one. It is here that we find the confluence of the Ucayali River and the Marañón River, which is generally considered the start of the Amazon River proper. Here you’ll have you first chance to photograph the sunset over the Amazon Rainforest, the colors of which are, at times, so intense you’ll feel like you’re on a different planet. 

Our day begins with a trip to Fundo Casual, where we’ll find a trailhead that takes you into the depths of the jungle. As you walk, your guide will point out all the creatures you can see, as well as interesting trees and medicinal plants. 

Afterwards, we will start crossing through the Yanayacu and Pucate rivers, into one of the best preserved and protected areas of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.  

At Yanayacu-Pucate, we’ll see numerous streams and lagoons, and your expert jungle guide will point out all the biodiversity of this region. If you want to get out onto the water on your own, you can use one of our kayaks or paddle boards. Or you can go for a swim in the river, keeping an eye open for gray and pink river dolphins. 

We’ll start the day by heading off in our river skiffs. The skiffs carried by the Delfin III let us explore tributaries and other locations otherwise inaccessible to the Delfin. Traveling in these smaller boats also gives us the best chance of seeing more wildlife. We’ll take our skiffs along the Samiria River and its tributaries, where an abundance of wildlife hides in the deep rainforest, including blue and yellow macaws, scarlet macaws, toucans, umbrella birds, monkeys, river others, capybaras and more. Our experienced jungle guides will be on hand to spot animals that the untrained eye could easily miss, giving you the best chance to see firsthand the incredible biodiversity of this region. This is also a favorite spot of the gray and pink river dolphins, who come to feed on the fish in these rich waters.  

After a delicious lunch we will visit Nauta Caño Creek. This is another great place for wildlife spotting, and you can also go fishing for the famous piranha, a delightful and challenging experience you won’t forget! As night approaches, your guide will take you on a night safari in search of caiman and other nocturnal birds and animals. The sounds of the jungle at night are mesmerizing, and you’ll hear all kinds of weird and wonderful howls, cries, shouts and hoots. We’ll start the day by heading off in our river skiffs. The skiffs carried by the Delfin III let us explore tributaries and other locations otherwise inaccessible to the Delfin. Traveling in these smaller boats also gives us the best chance of seeing more wildlife. We’ll take our skiffs along the Samiria River and its tributaries, where an abundance of wildlife hides in the deep rainforest, including blue and yellow macaws, scarlet macaws, toucans, umbrella birds, monkeys, river others, capybaras and more. Our experienced jungle guides will be on hand to spot animals that the untrained eye could easily miss, giving you the best chance to see firsthand the incredible biodiversity of this region. This is also a favorite spot of the gray and pink river dolphins, who come to feed on the fish in these rich waters.  

After a delicious lunch we will visit Nauta Caño Creek. This is another great place for wildlife spotting, and you can also go fishing for the famous piranha, a delightful and challenging experience you won’t forget! As night approaches, your guide will take you on a night safari in search of caiman and other nocturnal birds and animals. The sounds of the jungle at night are mesmerizing, and you’ll hear all kinds of weird and wonderful howls, cries, shouts and hoots. 

In the morning we’ll visit the community of San Francisco, from where we will take a short skiff ride and jungle walk to meet local villagers who have called the Amazon their home for generations. Here we will also visit a market featuring amazing arts and crafts from the local women.  

We’ll also take the skiffs along the Marayali River, where we should be able to see sloths and iguanas. Recently, this area has also become a favorite hangout for Amazonian anteaters. It’s also a paradise for birdwatchers, who can spot yellow-rumped caciques, very elegant egrets and a host of other colorful birds. 

Our final day on the Amazon is always tinged with sadness as we head back to the port in Nauta to disembark. When we arrive in Nauta, our staff back on dry land will be waiting for you, and they’ll drive you back to Iquitos. But the trip isn’t quite done yet! On our way from Nauta to Iquitos, we’ll visit the River Mammals Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (ACOBIA) where you will have the opportunity to meet orphaned baby manatees, which are quite possible the cutest, chubbiest little things you’ll ever see! You’ll learn all about the manatees and the threats they face. The center is also home to other animals that have been rescued from hunters and the illegal wildlife trade.  

Afterwards, we’ll take you to Iquitos Airport if you have a flight to catch or drop you off at your hotel. Our staff will be with you all the way, to help with any arrangements or questions you might have. We really hope you enjoyed your time in the Amazon and aboard the beautiful Delfin III, in Lima Airport you will be assisted to the Hotel (5 minutes walking). 

After your arrival to Cusco, your cultural excursion will begin when we pick you up in Cusco and drive you out to the Ccaccaccollo Community. When we arrive, we’ll meet some of the locals who live in the community, which is home to some 50 families. Here, the two main activities are farming and weaving, with the men working the land while the women doing the weaving.  The weaving techniques have been passed down from one woman to another for centuries, and today Ccaccaccollo produces some of the most amazing textiles in Peru. During your visit, you’ll be able to attend a talk and see a demonstration about how these textiles are made, learning all about the ancient techniques that are still used today.  

One of the Quechua-speaking weavers will tell us (through a translator) about the secrets of the traditional iconography used in their designs, and will show you the entire manufacturing process from the shearing of the wool to spinning and the washing of the wool with natural soap. You’ll also learn about the plants and flowers that are collected to use as dyes.  

You can also have a go at weaving a blanket, a poncho, a chullo hat or one of the many other items made by the women weavers of Ccaccaccollo, after the weaving, you’ll have the rest of the day to explore the community at your leisure, getting to know the locals and seeing what else they do to keep the community thriving and, of course, you’ll be able to purchase the amazing high-quality textiles on offer, helping to support the community directly, later in the day we’ll say or goodbyes and return to Cusco, where we’ll drop you off at your hotel.  

Then spend the remainder of the day at leisure. 

We’ll pick you up from your hotel at 08h30 and then set off towards the Sacred Valley. In Pisac, we will visit the colorful traditional market, where you can browse the array of local artisan work and other souvenirs – which of course you can buy to take home with you. We’ll spend about 30 minutes here, and then head up to the ruins of Pisac which sit atop a hill at the entrance to the valley. 

At the Pisac archaeological site, we’ll explore the extensive ruins and enjoy the beautiful views across the valley. You’ll be given a guided tour of the ruins, passing through various structures that once served as homes, storage rooms and temples, and you’ll see Inca altars, carvings, tunnels, caves and the famous Intihuatana, the “hitching post of the sun.” We’ll explore Pisac for about 90 minutes. Alternatively, if you’d like to spend more time in the market in Pisac instead of seeing the ruins, you can talk to your guide and arrange a time and a place to meet when the tour group returns through the market after the ruins. 

After visiting Pisac, we have visit to the nearby Potato Park! The Potato Park is a community-led and rights-based conservation project where approximately 2,300 of the 4,000 known potato varieties in the world are grown. You can meet the local community, learn about the unique process of potato cultivation, and learn the stories that lie behind each humble potato. 

We’ll now head on towards Urubamba, where we’ll stop for about 45 minutes for lunch (not included). After another 30-minute drive, we’ll reach the wonderful Inca town and archaeological site of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built the town and a ceremonial center. We’ll spend about an hour exploring these magnificent ruins, visiting the amazing Temple of the Sun and seeing massive blocks of rock that were perfectly carved and polished by master Inca stonemasons. Ollantaytambo is also a fine example of Inca agricultural construction and hydro-engineering, with a complex series of stone water fountains, channels and agricultural terraces, the latter organized by elevation to create different microclimates for crop experimentation.  We’ll see the extent of the water system when we return to the town, where fast flowing water channels built by the Incas are still in use today. Walking to the town square, we’ll have great views of the ruins above us, as well as Inca granaries and store houses built on the sides of the surrounding mountains. Here we can also watch the daily life of Ollantaytambo, where many of the locals still wear traditional dress, after the visit to Ollantaytambo, return to hotel in Sacred Valley. 

We will pick you up from your hotel around 08h00 to take you to Moray “The Inca agricultural greenhouse or laboratory.” We will drive for about 1 hour and 20 minutes through the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, through lush yellow fields of wheat, past some villages.  Finally, you will arrive at the fascinating display of terraces in Moray. Moray boasts three amphitheatre-like terraces made by the Incas. These terraces, which are carved deep into the earth in a bowl shape, were thought to be used to determine the optimal conditions for growing crops. When we finish exploring Moray, we will continue and visit the salt mines of Maras, which is about 2 miles away.  This village is known as a former salt-producing center that is thought to date back to pre-Inca times. There are over 3000 salt pools all carved into the mountainside; the highly salty water emerges at a spring, a natural outlet of the underground stream. The flow is directed into an intricate system of tiny channels constructed so that the water runs gradually down onto the several hundred ancient terraced ponds. The water, which is exposed to the sun, leaves salt on the land.  

Afterward, visit the village of Ccorcco (Chincheros) to the north west of Cusco. This picturesque village was an important Inca centre and is known for the traditional Andean weaving techniques still used by its people & eating a delicious Pachamanca lunch. 

Pachamanca comes from the Quechua language pacha “earth”, manka “pot”. It’s a traditional Peruvian meal that is prepared with the aid of hot stones. The earth oven is prepared by heating stones. Here they used granite, since it’s very common. First, dig out a wide hole in the ground and arrange the stones over them like a makeshift oven. Next, start a fire inside it. When the stones reach the proper temperature they are ready to be used in cooking food. 

After this fantastic visit, we will drive back to hotel. 

Afterward. transfer to Train Station Ollantaytambo. The train leaves at 15h37 (time may change depending on availability and changes to timetable). After a 2-hour journey of majestic views you arrive to Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs Town) where you will spend the night.  

You´ll wake up early and have a great breakfast at your hotel. Then a local guide will be happy to show you around the impressive gardens of the hotel. There are 180 species of birds native to this area of Peru, from the cock-of-the-rock to a record of 18 different species of hummingbirds. After Breakfast at the hotel you will go exploring the 7th Wonder of the Modern World, Machu Picchu. It is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of your lifetime.  

Feel free to enjoy this marvelous Incan masterwork that was built centuries ago. Some of the recommended sites to visit are: House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Sacred Plaza. 

This is your opportunity to soak up some of the atmosphere of this magical place, at around 14h00 you will enjoy the buffet Lunch at the famous Belmond Sanctuary Lodge which is right beside the Citadel, soon it will be time to go back down to Aguas Calientes and catch your train back to Cusco.  

Your train ride to Cusco will be aboard the exclusive and luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham. Enjoy the sophisticated dining car as well as the bar car. There will be special Peruvian cocktails and live music in the bar car. Upon your arrival at the Poroy station you will be picked up and driven back to your hotel. 

Our Cusco city tour begins in the morning, when we’ll first head to the wonderful Koricancha, next door to Santo Domingo Church. According to the chroniclers who wrote during the period directly after the Spanish Conquest, the Koricancha was the most sacred and most important temple in the Inca Empire. Its walls were covered with gold, and life-size statues of plants and animals – all made of pure gold and silver – decorated its rooms and hallways. Sadly, this wealth was stripped out by the Spanish conquistadors. It remains a magnificent temple, however, and your guide will take you around the Koricancha, showing you details that you almost certainly miss if you visited without a guide.  

After visiting the Koricancha, we’ll head to Cusco Cathedral, located on the Plaza de Armas. Built between 1560 and 1654 on top of the foundations of an existing Inca temple, this spectacular cathedral houses many works of art by the Cusco School of painters, and its main altar and pulpit are covered in gold and silver relief work. Look carefully and you’ll also see elements of indigenous religious symbolism incorporated into the church by the native people who worked on its construction, such as the carved head of a jaguar on the doors.  

Our next stop is the imposing Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which sits on a hill above Cusco. Here you will see some of the finest examples of Inca stonework and construction, including massive rocks that were carefully cut and perfectly fitted together to form the walls. From here you’ll also have beautiful panoramic views of Cusco.  

After exploring Sacsayhuaman we’ll head up the hill to the Tambomachay Archeological Complex. The exact purpose of this site is unknown, but it may have functioned, at least in part, as an Inca spa. Inca hydro-engineering is apparent here, with a series of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls running through the terraced rocks. 

Tambomachay is the last attraction on our city tour, after which we’ll head back down into Cusco and drop you off at your hotel. 

After breakfast enjoy your last day at leisure before transferring to the airport for your return flight home via Lima.