Highlights of the Inca Empire

Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Miraflores, a suburb of Lima.

Breakfast at 6:30 am at hotel restaurant then depart at 7 am and drive south through the Peruvian desert to the significant fishing village of Pucusana. Board a small but sturdy outboard motor-powered fishing vessel and cruise around the protected harbor. View Pacific seabirds including Inca Terns, endemic to the Humboldt Current area, and Humboldt Penguins, a very vulnerable species. Learn how the Humboldt Current affects this ecosystem and discuss human interaction and threats to the species. Next visit the fish market to see the fresh catch arrive and get categorized and washed. Have a boxed lunch en route back to Lima. Upon arrival, visit the Plaza de Armas and the Monastery of San Francisco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to a church and monastery, it also contains a library and catacombs and is the site where Jude the Apostle is venerated. Visit the Casa de Aliaga, the oldest standing colonial mansion in Lima. The house has been owned and occupied by the Aliaga family and their descendants since Francisco Pizarro granted the land to Jerónimo de Aliaga in 1535. Welcome Orientation this evening at 6:30 pm at the hotel then depart for dinner is at a local restaurant.

After breakfast transfer to the airport and fly to Cusco. Bid your Lima guide farewell. Upon arrival, meet your Cusco guide and transfer to the Sacred Valley. Stop at the colonial town of Pisaq, where a popular handicraft fair takes place with wares displayed on vividly colored and patterned textiles. After lunch visit the ruins at Ollantaytambo, which showcase the engineering genius of the Inca. The town has original buildings of Inca construction where the Inca retreated for their last stand in the highlands against the Spanish. Running water still flows through the aqueducts, terraces are still farmed, and the pinnacle above the town is a burial ground. Learn about its ancient heritage while walking the narrow streets and observing numerous aqueducts that remain unchanged. Late this afternoon head to the hotel and eat dinner.

Early this morning, transfer to Ollanta for a scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes. Take a short bus ride up to the ruins to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, arguably the best known and most spectacular archaeological site on the continent. The quality of the stonework and abundance of ornamental sites indicate that Machu Picchu was an important ceremonial center, but archaeologists are still uncovering details. Break for lunch at the famous Sanctuary Lodge, then continue exploring the ruins. Note: Participants will need to bring a small bag for overnight in Aguas Calientes. Luggage restriction for Peru Rail - weight limit of 11 pounds and measure no more than 62 inches (157 cm) - length, plus height, plus width. The rest of the luggage will be stored at the hotel until your return to Cusco.

Take an excursion to Mandor Waterfalls and experience the cloud forest. This beautiful and undemanding hike follows a trail near the Cusco to Machu Picchu railway tracks and enters the forest for 3 miles, following the course of the Urubamba River. The trail then cuts into the old coffee plantation of Mandorpampa and enters the cloud forest, following the river for a further 1.5 hours to the waterfalls. From the falls, the trail continues up to the ridge before becoming lost in the increasingly dense vegetation. This dramatic, fertile landscape is home to mammals such as the spectacled bear and hundreds of species of birds and butterflies, many of them endemic to the region. This teeming forest is also home to hundreds of varieties of orchids. You may spot species of birds that soared Peruvian skies during the reign of Incan Emperor Pachacuti, for whom archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was built. With some luck, you may see the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Then you will take a train back to Ollanta and drive to Cusco. Evening free to explore.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Puerto Maldonado. Board a boat and cruise the serpentine Madre de Dios River for 50-minutes to reach Amazon Field Station by Inkaterra, nestled within Peru’s first ever private ecological reserve. Surrounded by pristine nature kick back in your palm thatched wooden cabaña or pavilion to soak up the sounds of the rainforest, ready to discover what lies beyond your jungle base. Upon arrival, check in and have lunch. This afternoon, explore exclusive jungle trails that snake between the roots of towering trees for an immersive introduction to the rich ecosystems of the rainforest. A staggering 540 bird species, 362 ant species (a world record!) and over 100 mammal species have all been registered within Inkaterra’s ecological reserve. After dinner, cruise the Madre de Dios River at night in search of wildlife that roams the riverbanks under darkness. Keep on the lookout for the likes of nightjars, owls, capybaras and caimans as you learn about the curious behaviour and characteristics of this nocturnal world.

Early breakfast then start the day by climbing the exhilarating Inkaterra Canopy Walkway for an unforgettable opportunity to observe the rainforest from its rooftop. Originally designed for scientific research, a sophisticated network of seven suspension bridges are strung between eight treetop observation platforms over 30 metres (100 feet) above the forest floor, with the jungle stretching out beneath you. This afternoon, take a 20-minute boat ride to an uninhabited river island close to Amazon Field Station by Inkaterra where you can see the striking contrast of vegetation within the transition rainforest. Pull up to the large sandbank island and walk through jungle trails on this floodplain which provides the island with an ecosystem rich in birdlife, including the Amazonian umbrellabird (Cephalopterus ornatus), one of the most sought-after species by birdwatchers.

Discover the Amazon's otherworldly realm of aguajales rainforest swampland, following a -200metre (656 feet) walkway through this diverse ecosystem. Learn how vegetation has adapted to this atmospheric natural habitat and the exotic species of amphibians, reptiles, snakes, birds and mammals that are drawn here. After lunch, visit the station's organic bio-orchard to discover many of the rainforest's tropical plants up-close, with a chance to learn about their many intriguing medicinal uses by indigenous communities. The bio-orchard is run by Inkaterra Association (ITA), a nonprofit organization helping to rescue knowledge on sustainable agroforestry techniques. Next, explore the 30 hectare Palmetum, a collection of 19 Amazonian palms in a plot reserved for rainforest restoration and conservation. Uncover some of the creative mechanisms plants and trees have adopted to survive in the rainforest and appreciate the characteristics and cultural meaning of trees within the Palmetum, such as the yarina (vegetable ivory) or the walking palm, which cleverly moves its roots in search of sunlight. Join your guide for a farewell briefing before dinner. This evening, boldly venture out at night to discover some of the strange species that come alive under deep darkness in the Amazon. Wildlife activity greatly differs between day and night, as some creatures curl up and sleep while others employ ingenious adaption mechanisms to emerge. Stroll quietly as your senses heighten to the mysterious nocturnal sounds of birds, mammals, insects and amphibians wandering close by.

After breakfast, return to Puerto Maldonado by boat for the flight to Lima. Arrive in the early afternoon and check-in to the airport hotel. Dinner at the hotel this evening.

Early this morning, take the hotel shuttle to the airport for your flight home.