Discover Peru with Amazon Cruise (16 Days)

special(Departure April – December)
No trip can be more exciting than one which includes history, culture, adventure and transport by rail and by cruise. This concise tour to Peru is for the adventurous at heart who wishes to still travel at a comfort level. Explore the colonial heritage of Peru’s capital, Lima, before embarking on a discovery of Peru’s Incan Past in Cuzco. Visit Machu Picchu by train. Discover Puno, Uros Islands and Lake Titicaca. Cruise the Amazon and visit a butterfly farm. Discover Peru with Amazon Cruise is a unique tour with adventure at every turn.

Photo courtesy of Gate 1

DAY 1, Friday – Depart the USA, Arrive in Lima
Depart the USA for Peru. Upon arrival in Lima, transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure
Overnight: Lima

DAY 2, Saturday – Lima City Tour
After breakfast, take some time on your own to explore your local surroundings before gathering with the entire group for a tour of Lima. Enjoy the sights of Peru’s capital city with 2000 years of indigenous and colonial heritage before stopping at the San Francisco Monastery, famous for its 17th century architecture and world-renowned library. Spend the remainder of the evening at leisure in the “Gastronomical Capital of the Americas” by exploring Lima’s nightlife or sampling some of its famed dishes, such as Ceviche and Pisco Sour, the national drink
Optional: Half Day Larco Herrera Museum & Pueblo Libre (AM)
Optional: Dinner & Show in Lima

Overnight: Lima
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 3, Sunday – Fly to Cuzco, Visit Chinchero Market & Ollantaytambo Ruins*
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival, transfer to the Urubamba Sacred Valley to visit the bustling Chinchero market where you can bargain for alpaca wool scarves, jewelry, and other hand-crafted goods.

After the tour, enjoy a typical Peruvian lunch before restarting your journey. On the way you will have the opportunity to visit Ollantaytambo. During the Incan Empire, this site was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, known as the greatest Incan Emporer due to his role in expanding its territory, and served as a town and ceremonial center. Marvel at the architecture of the Incas before being transferred to your hotel. This evening, enjoy dinner and music at a local restaurant
Overnight: Urubamba Sacred Valley ▲
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4, Monday – Full Day in the Sacred Valley
Today, enjoy the full day at leisure in Urubamba. The Sacred Valley is scattered with ancient ruins and once served as the gateway to the jungle. Today it is considered one of the most important tourist destinations in Peru, and is popular for activities such as hiking, kayaking, rafting, horse-back riding, and bathing in thermal baths
Optional: Full Day Maras and Moray
Optional: Dinner with a Local Peruvian Family

Overnight: Urubamba Sacred Valley
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5, Tuesday – Full Day Machu Picchu
Early this morning, transfer to the Sacred Valley’s Ollanta Station and board the train** for Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site virtually unknown to the western world until Hiram Bingham III’s “re” discovery in 1911. Spend the afternoon viewing the ancient citadel before boarding the train for your return to the Sacred Valley’s Ollanta Station in the evening. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel in Cuzco
**Plan B passengers will ride on the Expedition Train and Plan A passengers will ride on the Vistadome Train
Overnight: Cuzco
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 6, Wednesday – Full Day in Cuzco
Spend today at leisure in “The Imperial City”. The city of Cuzco is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and once served as the capital of the Inca Empire. Take time to sightsee or shop independently as Cuzco is known for some of the finest handicrafts and textiles in all of Peru. Cuzco is declared the Historical Capital by the Constitution of Peru and hosts nearly 1 million visitors every year. Visit some of the numerous Inca monuments or investigate the culinary secrets of Andean cuisine. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant
Optional: Half Day Cuzco Behind the Scenes (AM)
Optional: Half Day Highlights of Cuzco (PM)

Overnight: Cuzco
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 7, Thursday – Raqchi & Puno
This will be a long and rewarding touring day. The regions you will pass through will provide a view of local Peruvian life in the agricultural fields. You will leave Cuzco early in the morning and travel through the Andes Mountain Range to Puno, located on the banks of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 12,421 feet above sea level. En route stop at the Incan archaeological site of Raqchi, site of the Temple of Wiracocha, where you will see the temple complex, living quarters, storehouses, fairgrounds, and ceremonial baths. A box lunch will be served on the coach. Arrive to Puno in the evening and check into your hotel
Overnight: Puno
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 8, Friday – Excursion to Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca
Today begins with a boat trip to the Uros Islands. These islands are completely man-made structures, and their inhabitants, the Uros, continue to maintain them as they have since pre-Columbian times, using totora reeds from the lake to build not only the islands, but also their houses. Return to your hotel later in the day and enjoy the balance at leisure
Optional Half Day Sillustani Tombs (PM)
Overnight: Puno
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 9, Saturday – Fly to Lima, Farewell Dinner
Transfer to the Juliaca airport to catch your flight to Lima. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with local Peruvian specialties.
Overnight: Lima
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

DAY 10, Sunday – Fly to Amazon, Embark Cruise, and Cano Nauto Open Boat Excursion
This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Iquitos, in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. Transfer by bus to the port at Nauta and board your cruise ship, your home for the next five nights, while exploring the Amazon River and its tributaries. Enjoy lunch on board before departing on an open boat excursion of the surrounding Nauta Caño jungle area. This evening, take part in a local cooking class
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 11, Monday – Sail to Yanayaquillo, Ceiba Hike, and Suspended Bridges
This morning, enjoy a bird watching excursion before breakfast, be on the lookout for toucans or macaws. Later, visit a local butterfly farm and take a hike in the surrounding jungle, before visiting the treetops on suspended bridges. After lunch, there will be a fishing excursion and a Shaman ceremony with local Indians. Tonight, take part in a nighttime open boat tour to experience the jungle’s nightlife
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 12, Tuesday – Sail to Pucate and Visit to Las Palmas Village
This morning, depart on two open boat excursions of the surrounding Yanayaquillo and Pucate areas. Watch for the pink river dolphins that are indigenous to the Amazon River. In the afternoon, visit the local village of Las Palmas before a musical performance on board this evening
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 13, Wednesday – Sail to San Francisco and Excursion to Giant Water Lillies
Today, after breakfast enjoy a short tour and visit to a local town. Following lunch, arrive at the point where the Ucayali and Maranon rivers meet the Amazon river. The Ucayali River originates near Lake Titicaca and is home to the Amazon River Dolphin, the giant otter, and the Amazonian Manatee. The Maranon River originates northeast of Lima and is known for its turbulent rapids and whirlpools as it makes its way to the Amazon. Here, take an open boat tour of the Yucuruchi area to view giant Amazon water lilies, Victoria Regias, whose pads can span up to 6 feet or more
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 14, Thursday – Sail to Gasparito Creek and Jungle Excursion
Today, depart for an excursion to Gasparito Creek and hike through the jungle land in Casual and San Isidro. Enjoy a picnic lunch. Later, pay a second visit to the village of Las Palmas
Overnight: Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 15, Friday – Disembark, Fly to Lima
After breakfast, you will disembark from your cruise ship at Nauta and transfer to Iquitos for your flight back to Lima. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel, the balance of the day is at leisure
Overnight: Lima
Meals: Breakfast

DAY 16, Saturday – Depart for the USA
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast

CALL to BOOK 415-331-3791