11 Day Highlights Of Peru Premium Small Group Tour

Welcome to Lima! On arrival, make your own way to your hotel located in the chic neighbourhood of Miraflores. Special InformationAirport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you meet your local tour leader and fellow travellers for a tour briefing about the upcoming activities. Following this, join your local guide for a morning walking tour around Miraflores taking you through some of the most popular sights and experiences that this area has to offer. Start your tour at Parque Kennedy, a popular gathering spot for locals and tourists alike. Take a stroll around the park, home to many local cats that have become an attraction of the park, then continue to Avenida Jose Larco, a bustling street that's lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes. Continue walking down Avenida Jose Larco to see many of the major landmarks in Miraflores, including Parque del Amor and the Miraflores Boardwalk. Arrive at Larco Mar, a modern mall built into the side of a cliff that offers stunning views of the ocean. You can find a variety of shops, restaurants, and cafes to explore. Following our tour, return to the hotel early this afternoon, or continue exploring this lively area on your own. Alternatively, you may like to join one of the optional afternoon tours offered below. Tonight, enjoy an Inspiring Taste with a welcome dinner at one of Lima's best Peruvian restaurants. Relax with a welcome Pisco Sour (Peru's national drink) and then enjoy a culinary journey through Peru's culture with a three course meal including a glass of wine. Inspiring Highlights Miraflores Diner at Huaca Pucllana restaurant Special InformationYour walking tour itinerary may vary depending on the day of the week, or at the discretion of your local guide to ensure that you are seeing the best that this area has to offer. If you participate in either of today's optional activities, you will return in time to join the group welcome dinner

Today your day will start early, as you'll be taken to the airport to board your flight for the Peruvian jungle town of Puerto Maldonado – gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. Upon arrival, the staff will welcome you and take you to the nearby office to pack your bag for the jungle stay (a small duffel bag will be provided). Your luggage will be stored in a secure place while you are exploring the jungle. We will then travel to the port where we will board our motorboat for our journey along the warm, calm waters of the Tambopata River. Travel time is about 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach our lodge. A picnic lunch box will be provided to enjoy onboard. This area is the least populated territory in Peru, with its lush tropical rainforest. Of course, it's more than a rainforest – it's a complex ecosystem, with a dazzling array of flora and fauna. You'll observe life in the jungle, its thrilling landscapes and the fascinating wildlife that call it home. When you arrive at the lodge you will be provided with useful information to enhance your stay. Accommodation at your lodge is simple but comfortable, designed to enjoy the ambience of the jungle. Rooms have private bathrooms (cold water). You will then have free time to settle in and perhaps take a short walk to watch the sunset. After dinner, you'll search for caiman. We'll return to the river with flashlights in search of the red reflection of caiman eyes lurking along the riverbank. With any luck, we'll see some nocturnal animals as well. It's a magical experience to witness them in the wilderness. Inspiring Highlights Amazon Jungle Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 6 hours. Your included flight allows one checked bag up to 23kg (51lbs), and one 7kg (15 lbs) carry-on, with options to increase your luggage allowance at the airport if needed. Your flight will be unescorted, however your tour guide will assist you on either end to ensure that your journey is trouble free. For assistance with a packing list, please see our ‘Packing Essentials' in the ‘Your Tour Experience' section for this tour. On your departure from Lima you will say goodbye to your tour guide, and your group will be met in Puerto Maldonado by a local guide, who will meet and greet you, coordinate your activities in the jungle and be reachable to assist you as needed. Please note that the order and schedule of the activities during your stay may be modified according to weather and the wellbeing of the group. Touring during your stay in the Amazon will be provided by the lodge's tour guide and will be shared with other guests.

A day of adventure awaits! In order to have the best chance of observing fauna the day will start early. Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the lodge before taking a 30 minute boat ride and 2km hike to “Tres Chimbadas Lake”, a fascinating unique habitat in the Amazon basin. This small lake located inside the Infierno Community Reserve is home to many species, including the endangered Giant River Otters. You will explore the lake by catamaran as your guide helps you to seek out wildlife such as black caymans, hoatzins, horned screamers and other aquatic birds as well as lush vegetation surrounding the river banks. Return to the Lodge for lunch. After a well-deserved break, your naturalist guide will take you to a 42 metre (137 ft)- high tower to get an overview of the Amazon Rainforest from above. This is the first tower made to measure the effects of climate change. The tower is equipped with a wide variety of devices to measure solar radiation and carbon flux emission in the Peruvian rainforest. From the tower we have a unique opportunity to see the flora and fauna at all the different forest levels. With luck you may spot flocks of canopy birds and macaws at close proximity. Return to the lodge for dinner. After dinner, an excursion into the Amazon rainforest promises real adventure. Explore this thrilling jungle on one of the lodge's trails, home to nocturnal animals with intriguing behaviour patterns. Experience this hidden world in the dark and search for insects, amphibians, bats and nocturnal birds. If lucky, we'll see some nocturnal mammals. Return to the lodge for the night where you will sleep to the sounds of the jungle. Inspiring Highlights Amazon Jungle Tres Chimbadas Lake

Enjoy your last morning listening to the sounds of the real rainforest as parakeets chatter away in the trees and monkeys swing through the treetops. After a delicious breakfast, you'll embark your motor boat for the journey back to Puerto Maldonado, then transfer by road to the airport to board your flight to Cusco. Welcome to Cusco! Upon your arrival, you will be met at the airport by your local guide and transferred to your hotel located in the heart of the city. After check-in, the rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy this historical city on your own. The city itself is the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city and was the home of the Inca Empire for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today Cusco is a fascinating combination of both cultures. Inca-built walls line the central streets and many of the elegant colonial buildings are built on or around Inca foundations. This is a city steeped in history, tradition and legend and is a perfect base for explorations into the Inca world or to enjoy a range of outdoor activities and incredible cuisine. Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 5.5 hours. On your departure from the Amazon you will say goodbye to your local guide, and your group will be met by a tour leader in Cusco, who will spend the next few days in Peru with you. Your flight will be unescorted, however your tour guide will assist you on either end to ensure that your journey is trouble free. Your included flight allows one checked bag up to 23kg (51lbs), and one 7kg (15 lbs) carry-on, with options to increase your luggage allowance at the airport if needed. Your flight will be unescorted, however your tour guide will assist you on either end to ensure that your journey is trouble free.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before meeting your guide for a walking tour of Cusco. Visit some of the most characteristic places in the centre of Cusco, such as the Stone of Twelve Angles at the Inca Roca Palace. You'll walk by the Qoricancha temple, considered the most sacred Inca building. According to archaeologists it housed over 1000 priests and attendants. It was built over an Inca palace dedicated to the worship of the Sun. Then, you will visit the heart of the city, the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by colonial arcades and four churches. Pass by the beautiful “Cathedral” of Cusco. This enormous Cathedral was built in the XVI. It contained nearly 400 colonial paintings, including many from the Cusco School, which was prominent in the 17th century. The cathedral is a fine example of colonial baroque art. Finally, explore the San Pedro Market where you will find vegetables, meats, local cheeses (which you should certainly try), local chocolates, herbal medicines and many local handicrafts. It's a great place to purchase some souvenirs. In the late afternoon, enjoy an Inspiring Taste as you learn all about one of the most traditional drinks of South America, the Pisco Sour! We'll visit a local venue to learn about the distillation process, before learning what it takes to blend the perfect Pisco Sour – and yes, you will get to savour the frothy result of your hard work. This evening you will have time to relax, and enjoy Cusco at your own leisure. Inspiring Highlights Stone of Twelve Angles Plaza de Armas San Pedro Market Learn about the Pisco Sour

In the morning after breakfast, travel approximately 2 hours through the Sacred Valley on the outskirts of Cusco. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, this lush, fertile valley has long been the main source of food for the high Andes. Maize crops can be seen surrounding the river and covering the terraces carved high into the valley walls. Visit the Chichubamba community to gain a greater insight into the local lifestyle with a traditional Andean lunch and a visit to a local workshop. If our visit coincides with market day you can spend time browsing the stalls in search of hand-painted beads or warm ponchos and maybe practise some of the local language. Later you will continue the tour visiting the town of Ollantaytambo which has been built over an ancient Inca town. This is a magnificent example of Inca urban planning and one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish. Ollantaytambo's archaeological site is located to the east of the Plaza de Armas. The upper terraces of this site offer great photo opportunities of the squared grid town below. Following the tour, we travel to Urubamba and check-in to our accommodation for the night. The rest of the day is at leisure. Inspiring Highlights Wilcamayo & Chichumbamba community visit and lunch Ollantaytambo Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours.

After breakfast you will be transferred to Ollantaytambo train station where you will board the tourist train towards Aguas Calientes, a little town close to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The train ride to Machu Picchu is one of the most beautiful journeys you can experience in Peru. The journey, which takes approximately two, passes through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, then descends gradually along the edge of the Urubamba River, before finally reaching the cloud forest. The train reaches its last stop in Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly Aguas Calientes), on the foothills of Machu Picchu. On arrival, check into your hotel where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Inspiring Highlights Machu Picchu train journey Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours. Today you will journey to Aguas Calientes with a single backpack containing your essentials for the overnight stay. Your main luggage will be securely stored at the train station in Ollantaytambo and will be retrieved the following day before your return to Cusco.

Today is an early start. By 6.30am you will board a bus for the 20 minute ride to Machu Picchu - one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a jewel in South America's crown. At 2430 metres above sea level, Machu Picchu is in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing creation of the Inca Empire at the height of their reign. The stonework has to be seen up close to truly comprehend its intricate beauty. Giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. Upon arrival, we'll enter the archaeological zone of Machu Picchu where your guide will show you the most important sectors of this great Inca City. After the tour, we'll return to Machu Picchu Pueblo by bus before taking the tourist train back to Ollantaytambo and a bus ride to Cusco where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Inspiring Highlights Machu Picchu Machu Picchu train journey Special InformationYour travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Today is free for you to recover from a packed few days and to enjoy the stunning town of Cusco at your own pace. If you are feeling active, perhaps consider taking an optional tour to the ever photogenic Palcoyo Mountain, commonly known as the alternative Rainbow Mountain. Your local guide is at hand to assist you with suggested options today. Tonight, come together to enjoy an Inspiring Taste as we bid farewell to Peru at a dinner located in one of Cusco's traditional eateries in the heart of the majestic Inca city of Cusco. Toast the night with a welcome Pisco Sour followed by a 3-course dinner showcasing Peruvian flavours with a glass of wine accompanied by an artistic folkloric show.

Your tour concludes at the hotel after breakfast. Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience. Special InformationAirport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.