Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest

Welcome to Lima, the busy capital of Peru. There’s plenty of adventure on your trip, but today’s all about settling into the hotel. You will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Miraflores district of Lima. Around 6pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Peruvian welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want more time in Lima? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

We have an early start today for the flight via Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, a small jungle town. After a short drive via the lodge office (where we store our main luggage) to the river, we take a boat to our jungle lodge in the Tambopata Reserve (generally between 1hr 30min and 3hr 30min depending on the lodge used). On the way, we may see caimans, river turtles and a wide variety of birdlife. Our rainforest lodge is basic, but all accommodation has en suite facilities with cold showers. Electricity is by generator and only available for a few hours a day in the dining room area.

The next two days are spent exploring the forest, rivers and lakes surrounding the lodge, on foot and in both motorised and paddle canoes. Although a lot of the wildlife tends to hide in the dense foliage, we can expect to see a wide variety of birds, including herons and egrets, jacanas, macaws and the prehistoric-looking hoatzin, plus several species of monkey, reptiles and insects and, with luck, giant otters that live in the Amazon Basin rivers.

A dawn start is required for the boat trip back to Puerto Maldonado, giving memorable views of sunrise over the river. The wildlife is particularly active at this time; howler monkeys are frequently heard as they stake out their territories. After our flight to Cuzco, there is usually time for an afternoon orientation tour of the city. Cuzco is an extremely high city (at 11,155ft/3,400m) and you may find yourself short of breath on arrival.

We have a free day in Cuzco today. The Inca Capital is among the most attractive cities in South America, with many interesting buildings, museums and sites. There are various optional activities that can be arranged through your leader, such as a full-day tour of the Sacred Valley (including the fortresses of Pisac and Ollantaytambo) or a visit to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, situated on a hillside above the city. We have a full-trek briefing this afternoon (usually around 6pm).

Early this morning, we transfer (1hr 30min) from Cuzco into the Sacred Valley. Reaching the town of Ollantaytambo, we drive for one hour along the final stretch of road to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, recognized among adventurers as Km82. After greeting our trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the fabled Inca Trail trek. Our route today runs alongside the Vilcanota River, beneath the snow-capped peak of Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and settlements, until we reach the terraced Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we continue up the Cusichaca Valley to camp near the village of Huayllabamba (9,186ft/2,800m).

The morning begins, as all do on our Inca Trail trek, with a hot drink delivered to your tent. Today’s journey is both challenging and rewarding, marking the most demanding and best-known stretch of the trail. A slow and steady climb takes us through a cloud forest to the meadows of Llulluchapampa, then we summit Dead Woman’s (Warmihuañusca) Pass, the highest point on the trek at 13,829ft (4,215m). After a well-deserved round of high fives and photos at the summit, we begin our steep descent on original Inca steps to reach our campsite in the scenic valley of the Pacaymayu River (11,811ft/3,600m). Warm up in the dining tent with a hot, fresh meal followed by a well-deserved sleep under the Andean night sky.

After a hearty breakfast, we start the day with a climb, which takes us past the ruins of Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (12,894ft/3,930m), our second and final pass. From here, the Inca Trail becomes a clearly defined rolling path of flat boulders, providing access to sites only available to those on foot. One of the standout archeological sites we visit is Sayacmarca (11,893/3,625m), perched high above the green cloud forest. From here, we enjoy views of Salkantay mountain as we hike to our spectacular campsite on the ridge above the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (12,073ft/3,680m), where we can enjoy the sunset and sunrise.

From Phuyupatamarca, we take the famous Inca steps: a 1.2mi (2km) stone staircase that rapidly descends into an immense panorama, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above and the Vilcanota River far below. Reaching Wiñay Wayna, we have plenty of time to explore these beautiful ruins and eat lunch before continuing along a relatively flat section of the trail (by Inca standards, through cloud forest and wild orchids to finally reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate). From here, we get our first full sight of Machu Picchu, with the Huayna Picchu mountain rising behind… congratulations, you made it! Inti Punku is traditionally busy with photo-taking trekkers in the morning, so our late afternoon arrival affords us unobstructed views of the magnificent ruins. We also get a chance to snap some classic photos of Machu Picchu before we take the 30-minute bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes for a shower and comfortable bed for the night. We are reunited with our fellow travelers who took the Train Option at the hotel this afternoon.

Well-rested and refreshed, we return to Machu Picchu this morning for our guided tour. Machu Picchu is an architectural and engineering marvel, the staggering mountain backdrop making it even more dramatic. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained an enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Your guided tour highlights the history, culture, architecture and mysteries that Machu Picchu still holds today.

We take a bus ride across the altiplano, the high plains separating the Andes from the jungles. Although it is quite a long drive (10 hours including stops), the views are spectacular. There are scheduled stops at some of the most interesting sites, which helps break up the journey and we get a feel for the immensity of the Andean landscapes. A packed lunch is included today. We arrive in the evening in Puno, a high, chilly town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Upgrade to a suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

We explore Lake Titicaca, visiting the lesser-known Titinos communities who live on islands of floating reeds and produce some fine textiles. Though the altitude here (12,630ft/3,850m) is tiring, the air is very clear and the lakeside views can be magnificent, with the snow-capped peaks of the Andes towering in the background. There is the option to walk to the top of the island to watch the sunset. We spend the night on Amantani Island where we experience a homestay with the local villagers; this really allows us to see what life is like for the people in an isolated island community.

We take a boat to Chifron Bay and spend time exploring the peninsula before flying back to Lima (from nearby Juliaca airport). Depending on the flight taken, we may have time free for shopping and sightseeing, including an optional visit to the Gold Museum. Flight times vary and some groups will not arrive into Lima until late afternoon or early evening.

The trip ends after breakfast today. However, if you’d like a little longer to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.