Amazon Adventures

Peru Tours and Travel

Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca Kayak Expedition

Day 1: USA - LIMA
• Arrival to Lima
• Greet upon arrival and transfer to hotel
• Overnight in Lima

Day 2: LIMA
• Buffet breakfast ah hotel
• AM at leisure
• PM Lima City Tour: Lima was founded in 1535 and in a short period of time became the most important city in the Americas. Today, there are more than eight million inhabitants, and its historic center in on UNESCO´s World Cultural Heritage List
1. Lima Cathedral: It is placed where the first Main Church of Lima was. The interior is austere, although it shelters real historic jewels like the finely carved wooden pews of the Baltasar Noguera choir, different side altars, and the remains of Francisco Pizarro. In addition, you can visit the Museum of Religious Art that possesses an important collection of canvases, sculptures, chalices, and chasubles
2. Convento de San Francisco is the Spanish name for Saint Francis Monastery located in Lima, Peru. The building is noted for its 17th century architecture, a high example of Spanish Neoclassicism. Catacombs are built under the monastery, and are said to connect to other catacombs beneath the cathedral and other area churches. The convent's library is world-renowned.
3. Larco Herrera Museum: Founded in 1926, the museum provides an excellent overview on 3,000 years of Peruvian history. Located in a unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century, it features a famous erotic archaeological collection. For an unforgettable experience, Larco Herrera is one of the few museums in the world where visitors can enter the storage area with its 45,000 classified archaeological objects (guided by a museum curator)
• Private dinner at LA CASA ALIAGA: The Casa Aliaga was built in 1535, on a piece of land given by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro to Geronimo de Aliaga as recognition for his military services during the conquest of Peru. Since then, it has been inhabited by members of the Aliaga family and it is kept in perfect state of conservation.
• Overnight in Lima
• B, D

Day 3: LIMA - CUZCO
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Lima airport and assistance with flight to Cuzco
• Flight to Cuzco
• Greet upon arrival and transfer to hotel
• Balance of the morning to rest and better acclimatize to altitude
• PM Cuzco City Tour: According to the legend, Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire, was built by Inca Pachacuti, who transformed Cuzco into the Inca empire. The Spaniards arrived in 1533, and undertook the construction of a new city on the foundations of the old Inca city, replacing temples with churches and palaces with mansions.
1. KORIKANCHA or Temple of the Sun. As Cuzco was the center of the Tahuantinsuyo (Inca Empire), this is one of the most important of Inca temples. Originally a temple of the Killki culture, its walls served as the foundation for the construction of the Convento de Santo Domingo.
2. CUZCO CATHEDRAL: The first Cuzco Cathedral was built in 1539 at the Suntur Wasi Inca site; in 1560, the construction of a new cathedral on the Kiswir Kancha lot, palace of Inca Wiracocha, was ordered.
3. SACSAYHUAMAN: This fortress was likely a religious construction for cosmology veneration and investigation (although some investigators believe it had a military function). The construction is herculean given the size of the megaliths, some of which weight between 90 and 128 tons.
• Dinner at the MAP CAFÉ restaurant
• Overnight in Cuzco
• B, D

Day 4: URUBAMBA SACRED VALLEY
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• Full-Day Urubamba Sacred Valley
1. Chinchero: Chinchero´s population is composed of twelve indigenous communities that maintain the ayllu system, even though it does not correspond anymore to the organization system in force before the Spanish conquest.
2. Center for Traditional Textiles of Cuzco was established in 1996 to aid in the survival of Incan textile traditions. By researching and documenting complex styles and techniques of Incan ancestors, the Center helps to ensure that 2,000-year-old textile traditions will not be lost for future generations..
3. Maras: Maras is recognized because of the salt mines, exploited since Inca times. The mines are made up by approximately 3,000 small pools, and the work consists in filling them with salt water until the water evaporates and the salt remains.
4. Ollantaytambo: This typical Inca town was named in honor of local chieftain, Ollanta, who according to legend fell in love with one of the daughters of Inca ruler Pachacútec and was punished for daring to set his sights on royalty.
• Private gourmet picnic in Maras including “Tribute to the Mother Earth” Inca ceremony: In the Andean world, pre-Colombian religious fervor has survived until today in rites that link man to nature. The Pachamama or Earth goddess provides her fruits to feed Man. Thus, within the reciprocal nature of the Andes, villagers make offerings called pagapus. These offerings are made to the apu, the spirits of their ancestors who dwell within the mountains
• Overnight in Cuzco
• B, L

Day 5: CUZCO– MACHU PICCHU
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Poroy train station and VISTADOME train to Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of the Machu Picchu citadel
The ruins of Machu Picchu, rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham, are one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world. While the Inca people certainly used the Andean mountain top, erecting many hundreds of stone structures from the early 1400's, legends and myths indicate that Machu Picchu (meaning 'Old Peak' in the Quechua language) was revered as a sacred place from a far earlier time. Whatever its origins, the Inca turned the site into a small (5 square miles) but extraordinary city. Invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs, Machu Picchu seems to have been utilized by the Inca as a secret ceremonial city. Two thousand feet above the rumbling Urubamba River, the cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation. These structures, carved from the gray granite of the mountain top are wonders of both architectural and aesthetic genius. Many of the building blocks weigh 50 tons or more yet are so precisely sculpted and fitted together with such exactitude that the mortar-less joints will not permit the insertion of even a thin knife blade. Little is known of the social or religious use of the site during Inca times.
• Buffet lunch
• Dinner at the hotel
• Overnight in Machu Picchu (Aguas Calientes)
• B, L, D

Day 6: MACHU PICCHU - CUZCO
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• Day at leisure to visit the ruins or do ecological activities at the INKATERRA Pueblo Hotel:
1. Nature Walk: Walk along the hotel’s trails, visiting the Rocotal Observatory, sacred pre-Inca pictographs and an enchanting waterfall. Discover the fascinating yet fragile ecosystem of the Machu Picchu cloud forest and learn about its many endemic plants and animals. The Nature Walk offers guests a glimpse of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel’s 372 native orchid species, numerous ferns and bromeliads, as well as an introduction to the Vilcanota river system and the tea house.
2. Orchid Garden: Walk through the orchid garden to observe some of the hotel’s 372 different orchids in bloom. Discover this extraordinary plant family, which has captured the human imagination for centuries. From the largest orchid flower in the world – the lady slipper (Phragmipedium caudatum) – to species new to science that have been discovered on the hotel grounds and tiny flowering specimens that can be properly appreciated only through a magnifying glass; there are orchids to amaze both the newly inquisitive and the expert.
3. Birding Tour: Start at 6:30 in the morning to take advantage of the optimum time of day for cloud-forest bird watching. A river observatory offers the possibility of sightings of the sought-after torrent duck and the white-capped dipper; then proceed to a productive tanager feeding area, where silver-beaked, blue-necked, fawn-breasted and saffron-crowned tanagers can be found. Along the hotel’s pathways, be on the lookout for the cock-of-the-rock, the golden-headed quetzal and many of the 16 different hummingbirds identified on the grounds, including the booted racket-tail and the green-and-white hummingbirds, which are endemic to the area.
• Lunch at the hotel
• VISTADOME train to Cuzco
• Greet at the Poroy train station and transfer to hotel
• Overnight in Cuzco
• B, L

Day 7: CUZCO – PUNO
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Puno
• Archaeological and historical stops along the way:
1. Andahuaylillas: The most important attraction of the quiet Andean town of Andahuaylillas is its church, San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, considered to be the "Sistine Chapel" of America. In spite of its modest architecture, the inside decoration is impressive, as it contains an outstanding collection of the Cuzco Academy. Inside the church there are some remains of Inca buildings, and the baptistery area has writings in five languages: Latin, Spanish, Quechua, Pukina and Aymara.
2. Raqchi: Built in the fifteenth century, it is considered by the historians to be one of the most audacious Inca constructions. The remarkable Wiracocha temple, 100 meters (328 feet) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide is made of adobe walls built on top of volcanic stone foundations. The complex also includes a residential area made for the Inca nobles and dozens of circular warehouses to store food.
3. Sillustani: This complex stands on the shore of Lake Umayo. It is famous for its chullpas, large circular fortified burial towers for the main leaders of the early villages of the Collao plateau. Some are 12 meters high (39 feet), and remarkable for their shape, thinner at the base and wider at the top. Close to the archeological complex is the site museum where different pieces from the Colla, Tiahuanuaco, and Inca cultures are preserved.
• Lunch on route
• Overnight in Puno
• B, L

Day 7: PUNO – TITIKAYAK EXPEDITION
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• AM at leisure
• Lunch at the hotel
• Transfer to Llachón
• Afternoon drive to Llachon, a village on the peninsula of Capa Chica where we spend our first night camping on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Today we prepare the kayaks and review all equipment supplied and brought by participants.Dinner and overnight in rural lodge in Llachón
• B, L, D

Day 9-13: TITIKAYAK EXPEDITION
• 05 –day kayaking expedition on Lake Titicaca
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
• Overnight at campsites or rural lodges
• B, L, D
Day 9: LLACHON / TAQUILE
Early departure by kayak to the Island of Taquile with a short two hours of paddling. We arrive in time for lunch and spend the afternoon roaming the island, overnighting in a rural lodge.
Day 10: TAQUILE / AMANTANI / ISLA TIKONATA
Leaving early we continue towards another interesting island with lots of terracing. From here we head towards the small uninhabited island of Tikonata, with a great camp ground and view onto the mainland.
Day 11: ISLA TIKONATA / ESCAYANI
We follow the shoreline today and see the small houses of the local population sprinkled along the shore with their typical wooden fishing boats. At lunch we arrive at Chillora, a small community located on a bay with a beach. Visit the local church and school and continue out of the bay towards Escayani – along this shoreline we will set-up our third camp.
Day 12: ESCAYANI / PLAYA KOJELA
Passing the main community we travel along the reed shore, near the main inlet of the lake. Huge masses of reeds and plenty of water – fowl with a view of the bottom of the lake and its algae and mosses through clear water, make this one of the most fantastic days, right on the National Reserve. We will probably come accross local fishermen as we paddle through this expanse. Once we have crossed the lake we will reach a beach on a promontory near a eucalyptus forest, where we will camp in a small protected part of the shore.
Day 13: KOJELA / ISLA KINSACHATA
Following a shoreline which now has rock-walls and small inlets we spend most of the day paddling south towards to an island called “ three – peaks” in quechua, where we camp. A unique opportunity to view some floating trout farms and villages along the shoreline.

Day 14: TITKAYAK EXPEDITION – PUNO
• Breakfast at campsite
• Kayak to the town of Cambria
• Lunch in Cambria
• Transfer to Puno
• Overnight in Puno
• B, L

Day 15: PUNO - LIMA
• Buffet breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Juliaca
• Visit Lampa on-route: The town of Lampa is the capital of the province of the same name. The main attraction is the church of Santiago the Apostle, because it contains an exact replica of Michelangelo’s “The Pietá”. The mold of the sculpture was taken from the original in Rome, and supposedly was to be destroyed after the copy of the sculpture was made. Luckily this did not happen. The mold is so accurate, that when the original statue in Rome was partially destroyed, the mold was used by Italian scientists to restore the damage.
• Transfer to airport and assistance with flight
• Flight to Lima
• B