From the colorful wildlife of the Amazon rainforest of Peru to the mysterious Inca city of Machu Picchu. Explore Cusco, Sacred Valley of the Incas, hike the final stretch of the Classic Inca Trail and experience the incredible variety of wildlife in the Tambopata National Reserve.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Puerto Maldonado to Finca Sachavacayoc

Our staff will welcome you at the airport in Puerto Maldonado and drive you through the city to our office; we recommend to re-pack and bring with you what you going to need for this trip, leave at our office your belongings; we will take care of them.

We navigate up the Tambopata River for about 3 hours until Finca Sachavacayoc, on the way, we have the option of watching birds, caimans, capybaras, and monkeys if we are lucky.

Box lunch on board, we can customize your box lunch with a vegetarian option, we also provide cold bottled drinks in the boat.

In full company and orientation of our guide, we get to Finca Sachavacayoc; accommodation and a little rest.

After a little rest, we will go for a jungle walk, as an introduction to nature and get familiarized with the forest interior, wait until it gets dark to do a night walk looking for the elusive nocturnal creatures and critters, like the impressive ground bird eating Tarantula (as big as your hand)

Dinner at the lodge.

Day 2: Finca Sachavacayoc - Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick - Condenado Lake

We will visit One of the Nature worlds wonder, the spectacular Chuncho clay- lick, the largest in the world, with the three major species of macaws getting together at the same time, and many varieties of parrots, hundreds of parrots come together to eat clay, a special and unique behavior that is only found in this part of the planet.

Early departure at 4 am, then 2 hours on our boat upstream of the Tambopata River; in order to enjoy the best of the parrot show, is important to arrive early before the birds

We will take breakfast on the boat, along the journey to the clay-lick we have great chances of seeing Capybaras, Caymans and maybe if lucky Jaguar or Tapirs (the two most special terrestrial mammals of the amazon). We stay in the clay lick area, if necessary until we get to see the macaws eating clay

Return to the lodge for lunch.

After a good rest, we get packed and ready for the pristine Condenado lake Condenado (condemned) lake is 1 hour away from the lodge (walking slowly watching things), Condenado Lake has very good wildlife such as monkeys, caimans, a lot of Hoatzin, lots of macaws fly by going to roost, we also have very good chances to see the elusive and shy Anaconda, this place gives us a unique Jungle experience, with no other people rather than us in this pristine lake.

We get there by afternoon and right away we take a paddle canoe and leisurely enjoy the deepest and wildest jungle, watching monkeys and macaws being loud.

On the way back, we return to the lodge to do a night walk looking for wildlife or just enjoy the spooky- romantic- intense, silent, and loud jungle.

Dinner at the lodge

Day 3: Finca Sachavacayoc - Sandoval Lake

After breakfast, we take our boat back to Sandoval Lake, we navigate the Tambopata River (we pass by the city of Pto. Maldonado for 2 hours until the entrance trail to Sandoval Lake. The Trail takes you on 1.6 miles walk (2.5 kilometers) walk through a successional forest, a former Giant natural bamboo forest, a habitat for monkeys, sloths and macaws, until we reach a small canal where we board our paddle canoes, we paddle for 100 meters (nearly the same in yards) through a palm-forest swamp, with an abundance of “aguajes” (mauritia Palms) those palms provide the most popular fruit of the Peruvian Rainforest, highly consumed by locals as a drinks and ice-creams.

Once onto the glass-like surface of the lake, we continue leisurely around the lake to the lodge. A briefing of the lodge at the reception area, accommodation and a little rest, at rooms or hummocks.Before dinner depending on arrival time, we set off to explore part of the lake, looking for monkeys or black Cayman (black caimans are the biggest of the Cayman and alligator family, the biggest one seen at the lake 6 meters long/20 feet s) in the flooded palm forest we can see hundreds of Red-bellied macaws as they return to roost. One of the few species of macaws that lives in flocks and mauritia palm swamps such the one at Sandoval Lake.

We also have the option of a night walk into the forest behind the lodge.

Dinner at the lodge.

Day 4: Sandoval Lake - Puerto Maldonado to Cusco

After breakfast we make a final paddle through palm swamps on the west end of the lake. On the clearer mornings a glorious sunrise and its reflection can be seen in the lake. We return to the Madre de Dios River and head towards Puerto Maldonado and from there on to the airport for our flight to Cusco. (B)

Please note the itineraries may vary slightly to maximize wildlife viewing, depending on the reports of our local researchers and experienced naturalist guides.

Arrive in Cusco, home of the Inca Civilization at 3400m / 11,154ft, meet your Incatrekkers guide and transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, set out to discover the capital of the Inca civilization. The first day will be for getting used to the altitude with relaxing day and night walking exploration of Cusco that includes Plaza de Armas, Plaza Regocijo, Plaza San Francisco and Plaza San Blas, each with their beautiful fountains. You will also see the Cathedral and other highlights such as San Pedro market, Choco Museo with an optional workshop, 12 angled stone and original Inca walls.

Day 5: Cusco City Tour

The tour starts at the Temple of the Sun Qorikancha, main religious center of the Incas dedicated to the Sun cult. From here we go by private transportation to visit the four Inca Archeological Sites, such as the enormous Sacsayhuman, with its magnificent, 120-ton monoliths and impressive Inca Architecture that overlook Cusco. Other archeological sites included in the tour are the Qenqo Inca site where we are going to see the impressive Incan altars, Puka Pukara Incan military lookout point and the final stop on our tour is Tambomachay a water temple with the impressive water fountains. (B)

Day 6: Explore Sacred Valley - Chinchero - Moray - Salt Ponds

This morning we will pick you up from your hotel at 07:30am, head to Chinchero, home of Quechua people who demonstrate traditional dyeing and weaving techniques. Discover Moray, an important Inca site that was used as an agricultural experimentation center. Continue to the impressive Maras Salt ponds. Each salt pond is owned by an individual local family who still harvest salt like our ancestors. After lunch, visit Ollantaytambo (Living IncaTown), a formidable stone structure of massive terraces situated on the hill-top of the mountains with the impressive views of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Overnight in Ollantaytambo, in the afternoon relax on your own. (B)

Day 7: Start the Inca Trail - Km 104 - Chachabamba - Wiñaywayna - Machupicchu

Today we will start early, we will pick you up from your hotel in Ollantaytambo at 06:00am. We take the train for about 1 hour 30 minutes to the starting point of the Inca Trail trek, at km 104. Located at 2050 m / 6,725 ft. The train track follows the right site of the Urubamba River and has a spectacular view of the Sacred Valley of the Incas and of the snow-capped mountains.

After the train ride we cross over the Urubamba River to reach the main entrance to the Inca Trail where we are going to show our permits and original passport. Once we checked we will have some time to get ready for our day hike, then continue our hike to the archeological site Chachabamba and begin a 4 hours ascent to Wiñaywayna (forever young) archeological site located at 2650 m / 8,694 ft. After exploring the ancient archeological site, we will continue hiking through the cloud forest for about 1 hour to Intipunku (Sun Gate) at 2720 m / 8,923 ft. where we will have the first panoramic view of Machu Picchu at 2400 m / 7,874 ft. After a short hike down to Machu Picchu we will enjoy the afternoon before descending by bus to Aguas Calientes for dinner and for the overnight. (B,box lunch)

. Trekking distance: 14 km / 8.69 miles

. Estimate time: 6-7 hours approx.

. Maximum altitude: 2720 m / 8,923 ft

. Machu Picchu altitude: 2400m / 7,874 ft

Day 8: Machupicchu - Cusco

We wake up early this morning to have breakfast in the hotel then take one of the first buses to Machu Picchu. Once we arrive at Machu Picchu, enjoy the morning light and private guiding tour of the most important temples and sectors for about 3 hours. After exploring, return to Aguas Calientes by bus, have lunch and board the train back to Ollantaytambo where our private transportation will be waiting to transfer you to Cusco hotel. (B)

Day 9: Cusco- Flight Lima – Return home

Enjoy a last morning to explore Cusco at your own pace. Our tour leader will be happy to offer suggestions for places to go and sights to see. We will take you to the airport in our private transportation for your flight back across the Andes to Lima to connect with your flight home. (B)