Experience Overview
Experience the best of Peru on this 16-day comprehensive adventure that captures the country's jaw-dropping landscapes, cultures and delicious food. Starting and ending in Lima, you'll spend a couple of days exploring the Sacred Valley before tackling the three-day Lares Trail trek, complete with a few extra comforts to make the landings at night a bit softer. Sleep on cots with air mattresses and blankets to wake better rested, and finish the trek with a soak in the local hot springs before getting to Machu Picchu. Next, explore the Amazon Jungle by boat and on foot in search of wildlife like monkeys and tropical birds before returning to Lima and savouring one last delicious meal next to an ancient adobe pyramid.
Highlights
- Soak in the coastal views while exploring Lima's trendy neighbourhoods by bike
- Explore the imposing Inca ruins of Pisaq
- Interact with the locals in the Sacred Valley
- Hike the Lares Trek with comfortable camping
- Wander the temples and terraces of Machu Picchu with an expert guide
- Explore the Amazon Jungle with a naturalist guide in search of wildlife
- Savour a delicious Peruvian meal next to an ancient adobe pyramid in Lima.
Trip Details
Product Code: 2894
Tour Type: Small Group
Accommodation: Moderate
Transport: Motorized Canoe, Plane, Private Vehicle, Public Bus, Train, Hiking.
Guide Language: English
Supplier Code: SPMA.B
Starts: Lima, Peru
Finishes: Lima, Peru
Duration: 16 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical rating: Demanding
Includes
Activities
- Your G for Good Moment: Cuyo Chico Visit & Empanada Making Demonstration, Valle Sagrado Your G for Good Moment: Parwa Community Restaurant the Sacred Valley, Lamay Your G for Good Moment: Lunch at Cuncani Community Campsite, Cuncani Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group Your Foodie Moment: Traditional Pachamanca Dinner, Yanahuara Your OMG Day: Hike to Perilnilloq Waterfall or Via Ferrata, Valle Sagrado Your Wellness Moment: Lares Hot Springs, Lares Your Discover Moment: Cusco Your OMG Day: Hike to Templo de la Luna or Historical & Culinary Tour of Cusco, Cusco Your Foodie Moment: Dinner at Huaca Pucllana, Lima
- Complimentary arrival transfer
- Welcome dinner
- Explore Miraflores and Barranco by bicycle and on foot
- CEO-led orientation walk of Cusco's historical centre
- Explore the ruins of Pisaq in the Sacred Valley with a local guide
- 3-day hike on the Lares Trek with an expert local guide, cooks and porters
- Upgraded camping experience with included cots, air mattresses, blankets, portable toilets and warm showers
- Included sleeping bags and trekking poles along the hike
- Guided tour of Machu Picchu
- Lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge
- 2 days of excursions to spot wildlife in the Amazon jungle by boat and on foot with a naturalist guide
- Rubber boot use
- Internal flights
- Farewell dinner
- All tips included for activities and meals, except for CEO and porterage
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
Accommodation
- Hotels (10nts), Comfortable Camping with cots, mattresses, blankets, portable toilets, and warm showers (3 nts), Amazon Jungle Lodge (2 nts).
- 15 breakfasts, 13 lunches, 13 dinners
Transport
- Motorized Canoe, Plane, Private Vehicle, Public Bus, Train, Hiking.
Group Leader
- CEO (Chief Experience Officer) in Lima and Cusco, specialist Lares Trek CEO on the hike, expert jungle guide in Amazon, local guides.
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD 9099 (CAD 569 /day)
Itinerary
Day 1: Lima: Appetite for Adventure
Take in a lungful of ocean air on arrival to Lima and keep your eyes out for surfers riding the waves as you follow the coastal highway to your hotel. The district of Miraflores is bustling with trendy restaurants, bars and shops in all directions and there are great views of the ocean from the cliffside boardwalk, or malecón. We welcome you to Lima, and invite you to bring your appetite for incredible food and adventure that awaits you in Peru.
Arrive to Lima at any time and transfer to your hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head to a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner with new friends.
Day 2: Lima: Cycle Miraflores and Barranco
The neighbourhoods of Lima and Barranco may be right next to each other but they feel quite different. Fashionable Miraflores contrasts with the more bohemian Barranco in the most wonderful of ways as the bustling commercial area gives way to quaint cafés, art galleries and historic buildings. Both lie on the coast which offer amazing views over the Pacific Ocean and of Lima's sprawling coastline.
Set off to explore Miraflores and Barranco by bike and on foot before stopping for a typical lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy a free afternoon before meeting the group for a sunset drink on the rooftop terrace of the hotel.
Day 3: Cusco: The Land of the Incas
Watch the ocean disappear in the horizon as you head high up in the sky towards the Andes where magic awaits in Cusco. Feel the energy and see the mix of Spanish colonial architecture with ancient Inca stonework all around you. Take it slow as you begin to explore in order to get the most out of the city and to acclimatize to the altitude.
Fly to Cusco and then take a CEO-led orientation walk of the historical centre with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy dinner out in the city with new group members joining the next portion of the tour
Day 4: The Sacred Valley: Pisaq Ruins and Cultural Traditions
The Sacred Valley is aptly named for its importance to the people who have lived there and it is also stunningly beautiful with mountain scenery and colourful farmland along the Urubamba River. You'll see the massive ruins of Pisaq perched up above the town as you approach and you'll get to spend time with a local community on the way up to the site. Lunch is an experience unto itself at a community-run restaurant, using locally-grown ingredients for a delicious and traditional meal. Back at the hotel for dinner, feast on a traditional pachamanca meal consisting of various types of meat, potatoes and vegetables cooked for hours in the ground under hot stones.
Travel from Cusco into the Sacred Valley. Visit the Cuyo Chico community for a snack and to learn about their traditional ceramics and adobe before taking a guided tour of Pisaq archaeological site. Continue to the hotel after lunch. In the evening enjoy a pachamanca dinner.
Day 5: The Sacred Valley: Your OMG Day
Sitting at a slightly lower altitude than Cusco, spending time in the Sacred Valley helps to get you used the altitude in these parts. Choose from a scenic acclimatization hike to a waterfall or get the adrenaline flowing by scaling a via ferrata network of rungs and ladders for lunch with a view.
Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch.
Day 6: Lares Trek Day 1: Setting Off
The Lares Trek will take you to new heights both literally and figuratively, with high mountain passes to tackle and majestic Andean scenery. Setting off from Ollantaytambo you'll head up the valley with porters and pack animals to help carry the gear, who will accompany you for the next few days. Let the cool mountain air fill you with energy as you head off into the mountains.
Depart Ollantaytambo on foot. Porters and pack animals will carry the majority of your gear and you'll be able to focus more squarely on the task at hand with included trekking poles and a more comfortable camping experience at night, sleeping on cots with air mattresses and blankets.
Day 7: Lares Trek Day 2: Mountain Vistas
Awake at the mountain campsite and enjoy a cup of tea and a warm shower. The morning mist and the joviality amongst the porters make for a homely atmosphere as you get ready for the day and prepare your things to walk.
Conquer a mountain pass today and enjoy the incredible mountain views. Arrive to camp in the afternoon and kick off the hiking shoes to relax for the rest of the evening.
Day 8: Lares Trek Day 3: Hot Springs
Open your tent to the cool air and see some warm washing water and a cup of tea waiting for you. You'll get wafts of something delicious being cooked and the increasing murmur of the cooks and porters going about their morning. Savour the moment and be present to your surroundings.
Continue hiking from Quiswarani to the G Adventures-supported community of Cuncani for lunch. Carry on walking to the town of Lares and soak in the local hot springs to relax the legs. Camp will be set up nearby for the last night along the trail.
Day 9: Aguas Calientes: Scenic Train
The sense of achievement you feel for completing the hike is one of the biggest rewards for your efforts, and the best is yet to come as Machu Picchu awaits you. Looking out at the mountains from the train as you wind along the Urubamba River makes it feel that much sweeter for the time spent walking the trails and through the remote Andean communities that you visited.
After a leisurely morning at the Lares campsite, drive to Ollantaytambo to catch the train to Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu. Enjoy a free evening with an optional visit to the local hot springs.
Day 10: Cusco: Discover Machu Picchu
Exploring the mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a magical experience, no matter how many pictures you may have seen of it. The history of the ancient Inca that you've heard in the days leading up to this moment seem to all come together as you wander the site's temples and terraces. Relive the memories and take in the views as you return by train on the way back to Cusco.
Take an early bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the ruins followed by lunch at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. Return by train and bus to Cusco and enjoy a farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 11: Cusco: Capital of the Incas
Feel the energy of Cusco as you wander the cobblestone streets past the mix of Spanish colonial-style architecture and Inca stonework. Soak in a diverse land of natural beauty and traditional cultures and we invite you to open yourself to curiosity and wonder.
Spend a full free day in Cusco to partake in optional activities in the area.
Day 12: Cusco: Your OMG Day
The options of what to do in Cusco are seemingly endless, and today you'll get the choice to approach the day on your terms. Take to the trails on a hike outside of the city past ancient ruins with sweeping views of the city or stay local to dig deeper into the history and the delicious local cuisine as well as learn how to prepare some dishes at a cooking class.
Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening to choose from one of the many great restaurants, or join the CEO at their local favourite.
Day 13: Amazon Jungle: Rainforest Wilderness
The Amazon has sparked the imagination for as long as curious travellers have known about it, conjuring up images of lush green vegetation and exotic wildlife. The biodiversity of plant and animal life is staggeringly varied, and the cultural traditions of those who live here have thrived along the rivers and from living off of the land.
Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and continue by boat upriver to the jungle lodge, your base of exploration by boat and on foot for the next couple of days. Local community members make up the majority of lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides. Take the opportunity to learn about the area's rich flora and fauna and locals' extensive use of medicinal plants and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.
Day 14: Amazon Jungle: In Search of Wildlife
Awake to the sounds of the forest, hearing tropical birds and animals moving through the canopy above you, and maybe the eerie call of a howler monkey in the distance. You never know what you might see on any given occasion which is part of the adventure, and the anticipation adds to the excitement as new and incredible animals, birds and plants could be spotted around every corner or bend in the river.
Head out early to catch the jungle at its wildest (and coolest). Walk slowly through the forest searching for wildlife before heading out on an oxbow lake by canoe. Search for anaconda, the elusive giant river otter, or black caiman. Even if you don't spot these shy creatures, there are plenty of other birds, interesting plants, and other animals about.
Day 15: Lima: Back to the coast
By now you willl have realized just how incredibly diverse Peru is, both culturally and geographically, from the mountains to the jungle and to the desert coastline. Equally as diverse and delicious is the regional food, highlighted and concentrated in Peru's capital city of Lima, which has become a hotspot on the global food map and with good reason. Celebrate the old and new over a final dinner with your travel companions next to an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of the city.
Return to Puerto Maldonado for the flight to Lima. Stop to Visit the bohemian neighbourhood of Monumental Callao on the way to Miraflores from the airport and enjoy a farewell dinner next to the ruins of Huaca Pucllana.
Day 16: Lima
Today your adventure comes to an end, but the memories made during your time in Peru will live on.
Depart at any time.
Tour Operator
G Adventures
G Adventures is an operator of small-group escorted tours. It is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with 28 offices worldwide. It offers more than 700 itineraries in more than 100 countries, and carries 200,000 travelers from 160 countries each year.
In Business Since 1990
Reviews
Jeri - Traveled, February 2024
I would highly recommend G Adventures. Unfortunately I became ill from altitude sickness. They were on top of it. A Doctor by the name of William. I called him Dr William was callled to my hotel. He took the best care of me. I was feeling better by the next day. I didn’t make the trek but Cesar my guide was always checking in with me to see how I was doing. They were amazing!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/24/2024
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