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Ancient Cultures and jungle
14 days/ 13 nights

This is an action packed and challenging itinerary for those who want to experience the very best of Peru in a tightly organised but fascinating itinerary. This trip is full customizable to meet your needs and interests!

Features include Lima, the Nazca Lines, Islas Ballestas, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, a four day hike and the jungle at Puerto Maldonado.

Itinerary - below

Prices

Departs: Any day with two people

Itinerary Ancient Culture and Jungle

Day One - Lima

Arrival in Lima , transfer to your hotel. You have the afternoon free to explore the capital. Accommodation: Hotel Lima

Day Two - Nazca Lines

Please note: Flight time over the Nazca Lines is subject to variation depending upon the type of equipment. Accommodation: Hotel Lima

At 4.30am you will be picked up in a private car, and driven approximately 4 hours, via Pisco to the port to take a guided tour on a speedboat to the Ballestas Islands . (4 hours driving not including breaks).

These spectacular islands, eroded into many caves and arches, provide shelter for thousands of seabirds and hundreds of sea-lions. Although the islands fall just outside the Paracas National Reserve they are protected by separate legislation. The islands are home to over 150 species of marine bird including the Humboldt penguin, cormorants, boobies and pelicans. Even condors have been known to visit. On the shores can be seen large numbers of sea-lions and in the sea it is possible to encounter dolphins and even whales.

Visitors are not allowed onto the islands but views of the wildlife from the boat are usually excellent. The tours also pass the 'Candelabro' - a 50m candelabra-shape traced in the desert hillside overlooking the sea. Their are numerous theories as to its origin

Suggested to take: warm clothes (the speedboat can be cold), lots of sunscreen and hats.

From here you will continue onto Nazca (2 more hours driving) where you will have your flight over the Nazca lines. You will have lunch and then continue onwards to the Huacachina Lagoon which is famous in Peru and a good place to go sandboarding (if time permits). You will then return to Lima (5-6 hours driving).

Note: this is a very long day and you might opt to exclude some of the excursions (Ie Islas Ballestas tour or visit to Huacachina in order to make the day shorter).

Please note: Flight time over the Nazca Lines is subject to variation depending upon the type of equipment. Accommodation: Hotel Lima

Day three - Lake Titicaca

Approx 6am flight to Juliaca, arrives Juliaca 8.35am. Transfer to Puno (depends on availability)

Direct transfer to a Lake Titicaca tour. We will take a boat to the amazing floating islands of Uros and stay the night with a native family on Amantani Island . Each visitor is billeted with a local family, who offer typical food and very basic lodgings.

Accommodation: Homestay Lake Titicaca

Day four - Lake Titicaca & Puno

After breakfast we say goodbye to our host families and take a one hour boat trip to the lovely island of Taquile . We have the opportunity to observe the famous Taquile weavers at work and their typical clothing. We and arrive back in Puno at approximately 5 pm. Accommodation: Hotel Puno

Day five - Travel to Cusco

Today we will either take a deluxe bus Puno to Cusco passing through spectacular high altiplano landscape, making stops along the way at points of interest like La Raya or the ruins of Ratchi.

Accommodation: Hotel Cusco

Day six - Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley Tour, visiting the ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisac. There are opportunities for hiking during this day. Accommodation, Hotel Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo, Urubamba or Pisac) depends on your itinerary the next day. (ie your itinerary can have you stay in the Sacred Valley or in Cusco)

Day seven - open to your interests

Depending on your interests, you can take one of the following tours:

White water action: Rafting trip on Urubamba River.
Downhill mountain biking and culture: Chaywatiri 'weaving and farming' by bike
Hiking and culture: shapes of the past
Relax: you will enjoy the restaurants and shopping of the Inca capital, Cusco

In the evening (Tuesday through Saturday) tickets are included to the Peru Spectacular, Kusikay. Contemporary yet with historical elements, with spectacular costumes, vibrant Peruvian music and thrilling dance, Kusikay is without a doubt the best quality performance in Cusco ! Highly recommended as a way of understanding the power and importance of the Apus to the local people, done in a dramatic and exciting way! www.kusikay.com

Accommodation, Hotel Cusco

Days eight - eleven

You will depart on one of our highly recommended, off the beaten track four day treks that spend the fourth day in Machu Picchu

Suggestions are:

• Lares and Machu Picchu, including a visit to the community of Chaullacocha
  Tropical Inca Trail
  Expreso Salkantay

On the fourth day of the tour you will have a guided visit of the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu and can appreciate the sunrise from the Inti Punku (the sun gate.) (Weather permitting). We return to Cusco in the afternoon by the backpacker train, arriving around 8pm. Accommodation: Hotel, Cusco

Day twelve - Puerto Maldonado and Jungle

You will be picked up in the morning 2 hours prior to the flight and your tour includes a flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado.

We'll arrive in Puerto Maldonado and be picked up from the airport and have a city tour by private bus. We will continue to Capitania, a small river port, where we'll board a motorized boat to cross the Madre de Dios River . As the trip progresses, we'll become immersed in the surroundings of the jungle.

We will arrive at the Eco Amazonia Lodge around lunchtime where we will settle into our bungalows and have lunch. In the afternoon, accompanied by our specialized guide, we'll visit Monkey Island a unique place in the heart of the Madre de Dios River just 5 minutes from the lodge. The money species that we may see include maquisapas, capuchins, lion monkeys, puffins, and cotos, along with other animal species like coati, sloth and a great diversity of birds. Our visit to the island will conclude at sunset, an impressive time of the day.

Then we will return to the lodge for the night.

Accom: Ecoamazonia Lodge

Day thirteen - Puerto Maldonado and Jungle

A fter breakfast we will begin an adventure through the virgin forest accompanied by our local guide as we reach the Lost Cocha (Cocha Perdida). The Lost Lake is a refuge and feeding ecosystem for a tremendous diversity of animals. There we will have the opotunity to ovserve otters, caimans, turtles, sachayachas, birds, possibly a jaguar and a variety of fish. This is a unique area as it belongs to the Ecoamazonia reserve, and is utterly intact with large marshes and natural springs. We'll ascend to a vantage point where we can see over the jungle, followed by a pleasant canoe ride around the lake.

We will return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon you can have an optional visit to the Botanical gardens or you may chose to relax in the Amazonian pool.

Accom: Ecoamazonia Lodge

Includes: breakfast lunch and dinner.

Day fourteen - Puerto Maldonado - Lima

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport in Puerto Maldonado.

You will be booked on a Lan Peru flight that originates in Puerto Maldonado and connects in Cusco to Lima . You will arrive in Lima at 14.40.

You can make a connection to your international flight (make sure you have 3 hours in Lima airport between your arrival from Puerto Maldonado and departure on your international flight.

If you are unable to make a connection will can organise your transfer to an inner city hotel and back to the airport in the morning. (extra cost)

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Prices 2008

Indicative prices: (THESE ARE NOT FINAL, AND THE ACTUAL PRICE DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSONALISED TOUR)

2 star option - Above mentioned tour with two star accommodation $2090 per person based on twin share. Please note that this price is relatively high for a 14 day tour. This is because the Nazca Lines tour costs $390 per person. This is the only way that you can fit all these different activities in a two week trip. If you have an extra day and still wish to see the Nazca Lines you can take the bus down one day, and back the next. (You will save money!) Please contact us for a quote.
3 star option - Above mentioned tour with three star accommodation - please contact us directly.

Please note
This itinerary is indicative only and specific hotels, flight days/times/prices cannot be confirmed until a deposit is received and we make the subsequent booking. Flight tickets are particularly susceptible to demand, and therefore we cannot guarantee your seats on a flight until a deposit is received and we make the subsequent booking.

Itinerary notes
Meals included as indicated

Not included
Entrance to the Tambopata - Candamo National Reserve and Bahuaja - Sonene National Park
All domestic airport taxes

TESTIMONIALS

ALL NEW : scans of recent trip reports. Click on the link to view the pdf. After you have viewed it, click on back to return to this page.

July 29 07 report 1

August 1 report 1

June 13 report 1/ June 13 report 2/ June 13 report 3/ June 13 report 4/ June 13 report 5 / June 13 report 6

June 23 report 1

APUS PERU Adventure Travel Specialists - we support sustainable, responsible and ethical tourism...

366 Cuichipunco, Centro Historico, Cusco, Peru- Email: apusperu@westnet.com.au

© A.Svenson 2005. The design, content and photographs (except where noted) are 100% original. The majority of our treks were designed by Apus Peru.