Peru Family Adventure Tour 11d - Itinerary

Day 1 - Lima
Arrive in Lima at any time.
If you arrive early enough we recommend a visit to one of Lima’s many high quality museums. The Museo del Oro (The Gold Museum) or Museo de la Nacion are great choices as is a visit to the “Parque del Agua” a fantasy like park of fountains and lights sure to capture the attention of those of any age. If advised in advance we can help to arrange your tours in Lima.
Included: Transfers, Accommodation
Not included: Meals, because it depends on your arrival time. 
Accommodation: Hotel Lima (Miraflores)

Day 2 – Cusco / Maras & Moray / Chichubamba (Sacred Valley)
Take a morning fight to Cusco, where your tour leader will meet you at the airport.  From here you will head straight to the Sacred Valley to make acclimatization for the whole family easier. Our first stop is to visit the intriguing Inca site of Moray.  Formed by a series of concentric rings that descend into a natural depression you can work with your kids to figure out for what this site may have been used.  Here we will have a picnic lunch.
We will continue on to visit the centuries-old salt mines just outside the colonial town of Maras.  Being far from the sea the ingenious inhabitants of the area created a series of salt pans fed by underground springs to supply the empire with salt.  You will have time to inspect the site and to be awed not only by its scale but also by the incredible scenery.
We will arrive at our hotel mid-afternoon and the rest of the day will be free to relax in our country-style hotel with beautiful gardens and surrounded by orchards.  Depending on the season the kids may be able to help pick some of the fruit for the morning’s breakfast.
Tonight dinner will be included at the hotel so that you do not have to think about anything.
Included: Transfers, flight Lima / Cusco, breakfast, box-lunch, dinner, visit to Maras & Moray, Cusco Tourist Ticket (Entrance to 16 different sites in and around Cusco and the Sacred Valley), accommodation.
Not Included:  Flight tax
Accommodation:  Sacred Valley

Day 3 – Chichubamba Cultural experience
This morning we will participate in the Chichubamba Agrotourism project where the whole family will have a hands-on experience of rural Andean culture. 

Upon arrival we will participate in 3 workshops lasting approximately an hour each.  The workshops are presented by locals who have received training in presentations and are experts in their field. 
You can choose from:

• Ceramics
• Chocolate making
• Chicha (typical maize drink) preparation
• Bee keeping
• Flower growing
• Weaving
• Coffee processing
• Guinea pig raising

You will have lunch with a local family with all proceeds going directly to the community cooperative.

After lunch we will continue on to the Inca town of Ollantaytambo the only town still entirely laid out according to Inca design with functioning water channels, narrow cobblestone streets and an impressive view of the archeological site.  This is where we will spend the night.

Included: Accommodation, transport, 3 workshops with local experts, Lunch with a local family.
Not included: Dinner (You might want to try the whole foods Hearts Café where all proceeds go directly to an NGO that provides nutritional meals for approximately 300 children daily.)
Accomodation: Hotel Ollantaytambo

Day 4 – Inca Traditions tour
This morning we will drive 1 hour uphill deep into the mountains above the Sacred Valley. We will visit the village of Rumira Sondormayo, which is one of three villages that Threads of Peru and the community’s women work with on weaving revitalization.
The women will prepare a weaving demonstration and also give you the chance to buy their weavings.
We will then have a basic lunch in one of their homes where you and your family will get a true taste not only of traditional food but of how people in remote communities live.  After lunch we will say good-bye to the community before heading downhill, turning off the road to visit the little known ruins of Puma Marca. The exact purpose of Puma Marca is unknown, but it may have been a fortress or control point for access into the Sacred Valley.
The pretty walk has us stumbling upon Inca ruins, and with only us and the locals, your kids will feel like modern-day explorers as they “discover” them for the first time! We pass by acres of terraces and can appreciate the massive scale of the Inca Empire more than ever before!
Most of these Inca terraces are under cultivation today, and we pass by fields of maize, beans, and other crops.
The exact purpose of Puma Marca is unknown, but it may have been a fortress or control point for access into the Sacred Valley.
After our descent through farmland we have time to visit the wholly impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo, which share common mysteries with the ruins of Puma Marca.
Included: Accommodation, transport, visit to Threads of Peru community, Lunch with a local family, guided hiking and visits to Puma Marca and Ollantaytambo archaeological sites.
Not included: Dinner
Accomodation: Hotel Ollantaytambo
NB – For those looking for more adventure, there is also a two-day hiking option as seen below.

Days 3 & 4 - Village Immersion  
Day 3 - Chaullacocha / Chupani
We will start early, departing from Chichubamba then heading towards Ollantaytambo. It is about 2 hours drive up hill to Patacancha. In Patacancha, we will start hiking, gently uphill. We hike for about 4-5 hours, crossing a high pass (4200m) before reaching Chaullacocha. Along the way, there will be curious llamas and alpacas stopping to check you out... a beautiful moon like landscape, stunning views of lakes and the odd encounter with a local person tending their sheep and alpacas.
In Chaullacocha, one of the weaving communities supported by Threads of Peru, we will have the opportunity to learn more about this remote village. The women will be doing a weaving demonstration and we can talk to them (via Quechua translators) about their weavings. The school in Chaullacocha is also supported by our organization and if we arrive during a school day the teachers and children will be happy to interact with us. Visiting a remote school is usually an eye opening event for kids from more privileged cultures. When school is out, we organize a soccer match and usually the locals run rings around the visitors!  For those with an interest, you can also go trout fishing in a nearby lake. (If you are interested in this option, you should advise us so that we can take the necessary equipment).
We will have lunch in Chaullacocha before continuing on for another 1 - 1.5 hours to Chupani. Chupani is another weaving village that is supported by Threads of Peru. Your tour leader will provide more insights into the work done by Threads of Peru while in Chupani. We will camp the night in Chupani where our professional chef will serve up a delicious, hot, three course meal.
Total hiking – 12km – 6 hrs Accommodation: Camping

Day 4 - Chupani / Lares / Ollantaytambo
After a morning visit to the school, we will start climbing uphill on the Colquepata pass, approximately 4100m, and a strong climb straight up for about 2 hours. Though breathless and feeling the climb, we will go slow and be rewarded with truly spectacular views of the mountains and the achievement of reaching the pass will be amazing. From there it’s all downhill for about 3-4 hours, tough in itself due to the steep incline of the mountain but filled with interactions with the people that we meet along the way and amazing alpine scenery. We have lunch en route.  This is a two-day hiking experience that you and your family will not forget!

Day 5 - Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
You have the morning in Ollantaytambo.  There are options for horseback-riding or biking in the morning before you catch your train (depending on the train schedule*) or you can spend the time wandering through the streets of town, sitting in the plaza or enjoying a coffee or juice in one of the town’s many cafes.
If you have chosen the hiking option, this is the perfect time to visit Ollantaytambo a stuning site that will amaze the kids by how large the stones are, where they got them from and how.
Take a mid-morning or early afternoon train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. Kids love the train ride which passes through lush valley vegetation and narrow canyons and tunnels.  We will arrive after about 1.5 hours in the village of Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu. 
Your options are a swim in the hot springs in the afternoon or perhaps evening heading up the death defying mountain of PutuCusi to have your first tantalizing glimpse of Machu Picchu. (This option depends on the current state of the ladders as they were washed out in the rains of early 2010 and is not recommended for children younger than 14 or those with any fear of heights).
*If you are interested in biking or horse-back riding, please advise us so that we can do our best to schedule a later train.

Included: Transfers, breakfast, accommodation, Vistadome train.
Not included: Lunch, dinner, entry fees to hot springs, or extra activities.
Accommodation: Hotel Aguas Calientes 

Day 6 - Machu Picchu / Pisaq
Rise early to visit Machu Picchu in the early morning light; this is the best time to view the ‘Lost City of the Incas’.
You walk through the site before the majority of other tourists arrive at midday so that you and your family are not waiting in line at the principal sites.  Your local guide will take you through the site explaining different aspects of the Inca culture, architecture and the site itself.
Included: Breakfast & lunch, guided tour of Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu entry tickets, bus up and down to the ruins, return Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Pisaq, accommodation 
Not included: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Pisaq

Day 7 – Pisaq / Cusco
Today is a relaxed day where you can do some shopping in the Pisaq market before the crowds arrive.  This market started as a Sunday market where locals from the area came to trade their products but has now developed into a daily artisan market where textiles, jewelry, locally-designed clothes and more can be purchased.  The town’s bakery and its curious inhabitants is well-worth a visit.
Once you have had your fill we will head to Awana Kancha where the kids can pet and feed the llamas and alpacas.  This donation-based centre gives you an up-close experience with some of the Andes furry friends as well as explaining the dyeing and weaving processes of the area.
From here we head to Cusco and transfer you to the hotel arriving by lunch time. Your guide will give you a briefing about the city and your tour before checking in.  Once you are settled, your tour leader will take you on a walking orientation tour of the city pointing out sites of historical and cultural interest as well as practical sites such as banks, money exchange houses and anything else that you would like to know.
In the evening, anyone who likes can take in some of Cusco’s fountains, lit with different colours of the rainbow before dinner.  This is a fun way to appreciate the city that the kids will love.
Included: Breakfast, Pisaq market, Awana Kancha, transport, orientation tour of Cusco, accommodation
Not included: Lunch, dinner, optional extras.
Accommodation: Hotel Cusco

Day 8 Cusco
With a friendly, colonial atmosphere, Cusco offers nearby Inca ruins, cobblestone streets, museumso including the newly-opened chocolate museum which is sure to be a hit, markets and churches.  Some might want to rest and relax before the next part of their tour, while others might want to take on some activities independently.
A visit to the 4 ruins in the afternoon is great option.  The parents will be able to appreciate a few more Inca sites and the kids will be able to enjoy the natural rock slides just behind the main esplanade of Sacsayhuaman where the local kids have been having fun for centuries.  This tour can be done on horseback so that there are no worries about lots of walking and tired feet.
Rafting and mountain biking are possible options or for the little (or big) chefs in the group a cooking class using Peruvian ingredients can be organized. (Not included in the price of the itinerary.)
Tonight will be our last night with our tour leader and we will enjoy a farewell dinner with a folkloric dance show for one last taste of Andean culture.
Included: Breakfast, Dinner show with folkloric dance, accommodation
Not included: Lunch, selected activities.

Days 9-11 - Amazon Jungle
Fly from the high Andes to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the lowlands of the Amazon jungle. Travel by motorized canoe to our lodge in the Tambopata Rainforest Area, world record holder for the most bird sightings in one area.
For families with younger children there is the possibility to follow the educational trails designed in conjunction by the lodge and a local NGO ANIA to show children about the life of kids in the jungle.  For those with teenagers, we offer a more adventurous option with sea-kayaking, a canopy climb with harness and rappelling, a night walk and a night-time search for caiman.
Included: Flights, transfers, accommodation, 3 meals daily
Not included: Airport taxes, snacks, tips.
Accommodation: 3 nights in jungle lodge 

Day 12 - Amazon Jungle to Lima
Fly to Lima to either get your connecting flight home or to enjoy one more night in the Capital before your departure the following day.  If you require an additional night please advise at time of booking so that we can organize your accommodation and any additional transfers required.
Included: Breakfast, flight to Lima
Not included: Airport taxes, activities, transfer or accommodation in Lima.

ITINERARY NOTES For complete facts about many aspects of Apus Peru tours, check out our FAQs page!

• The times cited in this itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group and the guide can change lunch spots and campsites, depending on the progress of the group. Each guide has their own preferred route and it might not correspond exactly to the route described here.
• This is an adventurous trip. You should be sure to bring an open mind, flexibility and a sense of humor. Most of all you should be prepared to go with the flow. Most of all, you are joining an Andean fiesta - and you should be willing to accept their means and methods of celebration.
• This region is not frequently visited by tourists, therefore tourist infrastructure is limited. This tour incorporates public transport, and use of local facilities. Visitors should be aware that things change, or may not go to plan. This is all part of the adventure!

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WHAT’S INCLUDED?
• Please contact us directly.

AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS
(these discounts are not cumulative)
• Students: US$ 20.00
(students require a valid International Student Identity Card and must be below 26 years of age. Please beware that Youth Travel Cards are not valid)
•Teenagers: US$ 20.00 (up to 15 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)

• Children: US$ 45.00 (up to 10 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings)

TO MAKE A BOOKINGPlease visit our Make a Booking page.

You will need to email us to check availability, receive booking forms and then make your deposit. For our payment conditions and booking please refer to our Make a Booking page.

TO MAKE A BOOKING
Please visit our Make a Booking page. You will need to email us to check availability, receive booking forms and then make your deposit. For our payment conditions and booking please refer to our Make a Booking page.