Compare An Amazing Andean Adventure by Aracari vs Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest by Exodus Travels

Day 1: Lima

Accommodation: JW Marriott Lima; Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel

International Arrival

An English-speaking Aracari representative will be expecting you from your international arrival, will greet you and give you your customized welcome pack with a booklet of your trip itinerary and other useful information before whisking you off to your hotel, assisting you with all check-in procedures.

Day 2: Lima

Accommodation: JW Marriott Lima; Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel

Morning surf class. Afternoon city tour

For years Peru has been well-known as one of the premium surfing destinations in the World, with almost 2,500km of pacific coastline providing wave after crashing wave to surf upon. Following pickup at your Lima hotel, accompanied by your professional surf instructors and guides from the amazing Latin American Surf School, you will spend the day at Lima’s Costa Verde shore, learning safe surfing techniques and riding the waves, with a variety of board options that cater to your specific experience level.

Later, take a walking tour of Lima's key historical sites. One of the main fascinations of Lima is the concentration of ancient history in the area; not only do the origins of the city pre-date the Spanish foundation of the city by several millennia, its museums are full of the artistic treasures of magnificent pre-Columbian civilizations that flourished throughout the coastal deserts of Peru. Begin to unravel this multifaceted history and discover the complex past of this fascinating city with a visit to the colonial area of Lima featuring the Cathedral (closed on Sundays), the Convent of Santo Domingo, and the Main Square with its beautiful baroque style buildings. You will also have a chance to visit Casa Aliaga, reportedly the oldest home on the Continent and still family-owned after 17 generations.

Day 3: Tambopata National Reserve

Accommodations: Refugio Amazonas

Fly to Puerto Maldonado.

An Aracari representative will meet you in the lobby of your hotel, 3 hours before your flight departure, in order to assist you with checkout, and then escort you to the airport. After you have checked in your luggage, he will accompany you until you pass through to the departure area.

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed at the airport and driven ten minutes to the Puerto Maldonado headquarters. Here you will have some time to separate your luggage and pack only the necessary gear for your jungle excursion, helping to keep the boats and cargo light. The rest of your luggage will be stored safely at headquarters. Skirting the town of Puerto Maldonado, you will drive 20 kilometers to the Tambopata River port, entering the native community of Infierno.

The two and a half hour boat ride from the Tambopata port to Refugio Amazonas will take you past the community of Infierno and the Tambopata National Reserve´s checkpoint and into the buffer zone of this 1.3 million hectare conservation unit. Enjoy a delicious boxed lunch en route to your rainforest lodge. Upon arrival, the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips. Following dinner, you will head out to the river’s edge, scanning the shores with headlamps and flashlights to search for caiman. Three nights in Refugio Amazonas.

Day 4: Tambopata National Reserve

Activities in the Amazon Rainforest

Following breakfast, you will head out to an oxbow lake where you will paddle around the lake on a wooden raft, looking for lakeside wildlife such as hoatzin, caiman and horned screamers. With luck, you will also be rewarded with overhead sightings of macaws.

Replicating the daily work of macaw researchers, climb a 30-meter tree with rope and harness. From this vantage point, you will enjoy a macaw’s eye view of the rainforest. This demanding yet rewarding experience requires no previous experience. After dinner, you will have the option of participating in a night hike to view mammals and frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories.

Day 5: Tambopata National Reserve – Cusco – Urubamba Valley

Activities in the Amazon Rainforest

A thirty-minute walk from Refugio Amazonas leads to the 25-meter scaffolding canopy tower. A staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. The tower has been built upon high ground, increasing your views of the primary rainforest extending out towards the Tambopata National Reserve. Once at the top, enjoy views of toucans, parrots or macaws flying along the horizon.

A twenty-minute hike will take you to a peccary clay lick where wild rainforest pigs show up in herds of five to twenty. While the chances of spotting them are around 15%, it is well worth the short hike. Other wildlife such as deer, guan and parakeets may also be spotted. Hike back to the lodge to enjoy some downtime. A few minutes hike from the lodge is a beautiful old patch of Brazil Nut forest that has been harvested for decades. Here, your guide will demonstrate the whole process of the rainforest's only sustainably harvested product.

Following lunch, enjoy a leisurely paddle up the Tambopata River. Along the shores you will observe the rainforest and with luck, will catch a glimpse of birds, caimans and turtles. Afterwards, you’ll stop on a sandy beach and take a well-deserved swim. Following dinner, enjoy an informative presentation on conservation threats, opportunities and projects in the Tambopata National Reserve from a Refugio Amazonas staff member.

Day 6: Urubamba Valley

Overland transfer to Puerto Maldonado. Fly to Cusco. Visit Awanacancha. Overland transfer to Urubamba Valley.

Upon arrival at the Cusco airport, you will be welcomed by an English-speaking Aracari representative, as well as your guide, and will begin an approximate 1.5-hour drive to your Urubamba Valley hotel. Along the way your guide will brief you on the activities you have planned and answer any questions that you may have.

Traveling directly to the Valley (2900m, 9514ft) makes acclimatization easier due to its lower altitude than Cusco; however, we still recommend you take some time to rest upon arrival.

Day 7: Urubamba Valley

Accommodation: Sol y Luna; Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado

Visit Tierra de los Yachaqs to participate in activities with communities in the Sacred Valley

La Tierra de los Yachaqs is a community-based tourism initiative whose mission it is to preserve the history and traditions of local people while enabling them to gain access to the economic benefits of tourism by offering sustainable, authentic experiences. The communities welcome visitors by opening a window into their lives and practices, allowing for meaningful cultural interaction that simultaneously provides alternative livelihood options for them to traditional industries, such as agriculture. After lunch you will return to your hotel. You will either spend the afternoon participating in an interactive introduction to Andean cooking or tending to the farmlands for a hands-on taste of rural life.

Day 8: Urubamba Valley

Accommodation: Sol y Luna; Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado

Half-day stand up paddleboarding with lunch & bike to Maras.

In the morning, your paddle boarding guide will pick you up at your hotel and together you will enjoy a scenic drive to one of two high-altitude lakes outside of Cusco. Lake Huaypo boasts incredible views of snowcapped mountains and high altitude plains while Lake Huacarpay harbors a wide variety of native birds. Upon arrival, your guide will instruct you in the art of stand-up paddle boarding before you take to the water to practice your newly acquired skills. You’ll spend the morning mastering the different strokes involved in paddle boarding as you take in the awe-inspiring views and the fresh Andean air. After a few hours, enjoy a snack along the shores of the lake before heading back to your hotel.

Set off down dirt roads and llama tracks, with various paths offering different levels of difficulty, as you enjoy views of the Urubamba mountain range, including the Chicon glacier and the peak of Mount Veronica. Cycle through Andean communities on your way to Maras. Stop for a picnic lunch near Moray before continuing your voyage downhill to the pre-Inca salt mines of Maras. Finish your journey at the valley floor along the Urubamba River before being transported back to your hotel.

Day 9: Urubamba Valley - Machu Picchu

Accommodation: El Mapi ; Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Ollantaytambo & Roots of the valley. Afternoon train to Machu Picchu.

Today visit the fabulous town of Ollantaytambo and its ruins. The archaeological compound found here is a remarkable spectacle, and a site of great historical significance. It was here that one of the greatest battles of the Conquest was fought, and one of the few where the Incas defeated the Spaniards.

Later, you will enjoy a guided tour of El Albergue’s organic farm, before having the chance to prepare uchucuta, a savory and spicy sauce traditionally prepared by grinding a variety of native herbs and chilis on a stone mortar. Afterwards, sit down at the rustic El Albergue restaurant for a 3-course menu made with 70% organic ingredients from the farm. Choose from a variety of dishes such as chicken and vegetable kebabs, pan-fried trout served with a variety of native potatoes and alpaca steak served with elderberry sauce.

Take the afternoon Vistadome train, featuring spectacular panoramic windows with incredible scenic views, connecting you with the magnificent landscapes and offering you ample opportunities to photograph this amazing journey. The journey from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes is approximately 1.5 hours.

Upon your arrival in the village of Aguas Calientes, you will then board the bus for a winding uphill journey to your final destination. “Magnificence” is the only word to describe the scene, as you gaze upon the ruins of Machu Picchu. The main destination on many travellers’ lists, the ‘lost city of the Incas’ is a man-made marvel that has become a symbol for the ingenuity and prosperity of one of the most expansive empires in Latin American history. Enjoy a 2-3 hour guided visit of Machu Picchu before spending the remainder of the afternoon exploring the ruins after the majority of visitors have left the site. Afterwards, return by bus to your hotel in Aguas Calientes.

Day 10: Machu Picchu - Cusco

Accommodation: El Mercado Tunqui; JW Marriott El Convento Cusco

Machu Picchu. Vistadome train to Cusco.

This morning, you will have an activity-filled day at the ruins. Depending on your interests, there are a variety of excursions available. Hike to Inti Punku, or “Sun Gate,” the original gateway to Machu Picchu that approaches the site along the Inca trail. Another option is to take a strenuous hike up Huayna Picchu, the mountain behind Machu Picchu, which provides unique and stunning views of the ruins below. From here you may extend your hike to the mysterious Temple of the Moon, an exquisite example of Inca masonry. Alternatively, you may choose to climb to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain, located south of the archaeological site and offering spectacular panoramic views from above.

Take the Vistadome Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. The journey will take approximately 1.5 hours. Upon arrival at the Ollantaytambo train station, you will be welcomed by an Aracari representative and transferred approximately 2 hours to your hotel in Cusco.

Day 11: Cusco

Accommodation: El Mercado Tunqui; JW Marriott El Convento Cusco

Cusco On Foot. Choco Loco.

Since its narrow alleyways were originally designed by the Incas as a city for walking, start your exploration of Cusco on foot. Begin at the Plaza de Armas, the Main Square, which is marked by the exquisite Spanish Colonial architecture and ornamentation imposed by Spanish colonists to exert religious and political influence. Underneath it all, however, you can clearly see remnants of Inca Cusco in the solid stonework. Visit Koricancha, the most sumptuous “Sun Temple” in the Inca Empire, and the breathtaking Cathedral, a repository for Cusco’s colonial art, as well as many other important archaeological relics and artifacts. You will also stop by the colourful San Pedro market and pass through the charming neighborhood of San Blas. Next, visit Sacsayhuaman, an Inca citadel atop a hill, on the outskirts of the city. Not only are the imposing terraces of masterful stonework a sight to behold, but the vistas overlooking the sienna rooftops of Cusco provide a whole new perspective to the city you traversed.

You will be collected from your Cusco hotel and transferred to the delightful and informative Chocolate Museum. The museum’s expert chocolatiers will take you on a ride through time, providing you with insight into the ancient history of cocoa in Peru and delivering you to the current understanding of this incredible plant in all of its varieties. Learn about the complex biology necessary to grow and maintain the plant, along with the production process of their organic fair-trade cocoa products sourced from Cusco’s nearby jungle region, Quillabamba. Enjoy the hands-on Bean-to-Bar workshop, and learn how to make your own chocolately delights starting with just a handful of cocoa beans. In this two-hour workshop, you will expertly roast the cocoa beans, use all of your might to grind the nibs, let your sweet tooth help you select your accompaniments, and mold your very own chocolates. Transfer back to your Cusco hotel with your tasty treats in tow, if you can resist devouring them on the ride of course!

Day 12: Cusco - Lima - Paracas/Nazca/Ica

Accommodation: La Hacienda Bahia Paracas Hotel; Luxury Collection Paracas

Fly Cusco to Lima. Overland transfer to Paracas.

An Aracari representative will meet you at your hotel 2 hours before your flight departure and escort you to the airport for your flight. After you have checked in your luggage, he will accompany you until you pass through to the departure area.

Today your guide will collect you from your hotel in Lima and together you will transfer by car approximately 3.5 to 4 hours to the quaint fishing town of Paracas in southern Peru. Along the way, you will see the coastal desert sprawling on all sides and will pass through several towns. Upon arrival in Paracas, you will be taken to your hotel to enjoy your evening at leisure or partake in one of our additional excursions.

Day 13: Paracas/Nazca/Ica

Accommodation: La Hacienda Bahia Paracas Hotel; Luxury Collection Paracas

Fly over the Nazca Lines. Ride in sand buggies.

Today you will visit the world-renowned Nazca Lines, enigmatic, gigantic carvings in the desert that continue to mystify all of those who gaze upon them.

This morning your guide will collect you from your hotel in Paracas and together you will be transferred by private vehicle about 20 minutes to the Pisco airport for your overflight of the Nazca Lines and the nearby Palpa Lines, giant drawings of animals and geometric figures ranging up to 300 metres in size, scratched on 220km² of desert plains. Upon arrival at the Pisco airport, you will board a small plane for the overflight. The plane is a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B Series with capacity for 12 passengers, and the flight lasts approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes of which 20 minutes are spent circling over the Nazca Lines and Palpa Lines. After the overflight, your guide will be waiting to accompany you by private car to Paracas where you may enjoy lunch at your hotel or at one of the many local restaurants. Following lunch, you will return to your hotel to rest or enjoy one of our additional excursions around Paracas.

* Please note that guiding is not included for the flight over the Nazca Lines but may be included upon request and at an additional cost. Lunch not included.

In the afternoon, go on a sandbuggying excursion. Whizz around the desert near Ica on sandbuggies. Navigate this lunar landscape on the speedy sand mobiles beginning at the Adrenarena Park located at kilometer 253 of the Pan-American South highway and fifteen minutes from Paracas. The tracks go through dunes ranging from 5 to 100 meters high where you will enjoy panoramic views of the desert and many photo and video opportunities. The route also takes you through the “Rompe Hueso”, a 150 meter high dune. At the end of your journey, you will arrive at the Sandboard Zone where you’ll get a chance to “sand surf.” Following your adventure, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Day 14: Paracas/Nazca/Ica - Lima

Tour Ballestas Islands. Flight to Lima. International departure.

This morning your guide will take you to the Hotel Paracas pier, where you will board a boat to visit the Ballestas Islands, an archipelago rich in wildlife. The islands are riddled with arches, tunnels and other wind and sea sculptures where you will appreciate different kinds of sea birds and sea lions. You will also visit Punta Pejerrey, nearly the northern most point of the isthmus and the best spot for seeing the Candelabro, a candelabra-shaped drawing etched into the highest point of a cliffside overlooking the bay. In total this group tour takes approximately two and a half hours, with about 45 minutes spent watching wildlife.

After your tour of the Ballestas Islands, your guide will be waiting to accompany you to the Paracas National Reserve, Peru’s only marine protected area which extends over a total 335,000 hectares. The reserve was created with the aim of protecting large breeding populations of Humboldt penguins, South American fur seals and sea lions as well as 63 migratory bird species for which this area is an important stopover. During your tour you will have a chance to view native flora and fauna, as well as geological formations along the beaches of this stretch of marine territory and coastal desert. Following your guided visit, you will transfer by private car to Paracas where you may enjoy lunch at your hotel or at one of the many local restaurants.

After lunch, you will return to Lima by private vehicle for another 3.5 to 4-hour drive.

An Aracari representative will meet you in the lobby of the Costa del Sol Ramada Hotel, 3 hours before your flight departure, in order to assist you with checkout, and then escort you to the airport for your international flight.

Day 1 Start Lima

Welcome to Lima, the busy capital of Peru. There’s plenty of adventure on your trip, but today’s all about settling into the hotel. You will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Miraflores district of Lima. There will be a notice board in the hotel reception with details of where and when the group welcome briefing will be held. Accommodation: Hotel El Tambo 1 (or similar)

Day 2 Fly to Puerto Maldonado; boat journey into Tambopata Reserve; guided jungle walks

We have an early start today for the flight via Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado, a small jungle town. After a short drive via the lodge office (where we store our main luggage) to the river, we take a boat to our jungle lodge in the Tambopata Reserve (generally between 1hr 30min and 3hr 30min depending on the lodge used). On the way, we may see caimans, river turtles and a wide variety of birdlife. Our rainforest lodge is basic, but all accommodation has en suite facilities with cold showers. Electricity is by generator and only available for a few hours a day in the dining room area. Accommodation: Cayman Lodge Amazonia (or similar)

Day 3 - 4 Jungle exploration including forest walks and boat trips

The next two days are spent exploring the forest, rivers and lakes surrounding the lodge, on foot and in both motorised and paddle canoes. Although a lot of the wildlife tends to hide in the dense foliage, we can expect to see a wide variety of birds, including herons and egrets, jacanas, macaws and the prehistoric-looking hoatzin, plus several species of monkey, reptiles and insects and, with luck, giant otters that live in the Amazon Basin rivers. Accommodation: Cayman Lodge Amazonia (or similar)

Day 5 Fly to Cuzco; free time to explore the ancient capital

A dawn start is required for the boat trip back to Puerto Maldonado, giving memorable views of sunrise over the river. The wildlife is particularly active at this time; howler monkeys are frequently heard as they stake out their territories. After our flight to Cuzco, there is usually time for an afternoon orientation tour of the city. Cuzco is an extremely high city (at 11,155ft/3,400m) and you may find yourself short of breath on arrival. Accommodation: MamaSara Hotel (or similar)

Day 6 Free day; optional Sacred Valley excursion

We have a free day in Cuzco today. The Inca Capital is among the most attractive cities in South America, with many interesting buildings, museums and sites. There are various optional activities that can be arranged through your leader, such as a full-day tour of the Sacred Valley (including the fortresses of Pisac and Ollantaytambo) or a visit to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, situated on a hillside above the city. We have a full-trek briefing this afternoon (usually around 6pm). Accommodation: MamaSara Hotel (or similar)

Day 7 Start Inca Trail trek from Km82; walk along Vilcanota River; climb to Huayllabamba

Early this morning, we transfer (1hr 30min) from Cuzco into the Sacred Valley. Reaching the town of Ollantaytambo, we drive for one hour along the final stretch of road to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, recognized among adventurers as Km82. After greeting our trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the fabled Inca Trail trek. Our route today runs alongside the Vilcanota River, beneath the snow-capped peak of Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and settlements, until we reach the terraced Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we continue up the Cusichaca Valley to camp near the village of Huayllabamba (9,186ft/2,800m). Accommodation: Huayllabamba Camp (full-service camping)

Day 8 Summit Dead Woman's Pass; descend to Pacaymayu

The morning begins, as all do on our Inca Trail trek, with a hot drink delivered to your tent. Today’s journey is both challenging and rewarding, marking the most demanding and best-known stretch of the trail. A slow and steady climb takes us through a cloud forest to the meadows of Llulluchapampa, then we summit Dead Woman’s (Warmihuañusca) Pass, the highest point on the trek at 13,829ft (4,215m). After a well-deserved round of high fives and photos at the summit, we begin our steep descent on original Inca steps to reach our campsite in the scenic valley of the Pacaymayu River (11,811ft/3,600m). Warm up in the dining tent with a hot, fresh meal followed by a well-deserved sleep under the Andean night sky. Accommodation: Pacaymayu Camp (full-service camping)

Day 9 Over Runquracay Pass to the ruins of Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca

After a hearty breakfast, we start the day with a climb, which takes us past the ruins of Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (12,894ft/3,930m), our second and final pass. From here, the Inca Trail becomes a clearly defined rolling path of flat boulders, providing access to sites only available to those on foot. One of the standout archeological sites we visit is Sayacmarca (11,893/3,625m), perched high above the green cloud forest. From here, we enjoy views of Salkantay mountain as we hike to our spectacular campsite on the ridge above the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (12,073ft/3,680m), where we can enjoy the sunset and sunrise. Accommodation: Phuyupatamarca Camp (full-service camping)

Day 10 Walk down Inca steps to Wiñay Wayna and Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate

From Phuyupatamarca, we take the famous Inca steps: a 1.2mi (2km) stone staircase that rapidly descends into an immense panorama, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above and the Vilcanota River far below. Reaching Wiñay Wayna, we have plenty of time to explore these beautiful ruins and eat lunch before continuing along a relatively flat section of the trail (by Inca standards, through cloud forest and wild orchids to finally reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate). From here, we get our first full sight of Machu Picchu, with the Huayna Picchu mountain rising behind… congratulations, you made it! Inti Punku is traditionally busy with photo-taking trekkers in the morning, so our late afternoon arrival affords us unobstructed views of the magnificent ruins. We also get a chance to snap some classic photos of Machu Picchu before we take the 30-minute bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes for a shower and comfortable bed for the night. We are reunited with our fellow travelers who took the Moonstone Trek or the Train Option at the hotel this afternoon. Accommodation: Terraza de Luna (or similar)

Day 11 Guided tour of Machu Picchu; return to Cuzco by train and by road

Well-rested and refreshed, we return to Machu Picchu this morning for our guided tour. Machu Picchu is an architectural and engineering marvel, the staggering mountain backdrop making it even more dramatic. The Spaniards never found it, the Incas left no records of it, and so Machu Picchu remained an enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Your guided tour highlights the history, culture, architecture and mysteries that Machu Picchu still holds today. Accommodation: MamaSara Hotel (or similar)

Day 12 Drive across altiplano to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca

We take a bus ride across the altiplano, the high plains separating the Andes from the jungles. Although it is quite a long drive (10 hours including stops), the views are spectacular. There are scheduled stops at some of the most interesting sites, which helps break up the journey and we get a feel for the immensity of the Andean landscapes. A packed lunch is included today. We arrive in the evening in Puno, a high, chilly town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Accommodation: Casona Plaza Hotel (or similar)

Day 13 Boat to Amantani Island for village homestay

We explore Lake Titicaca, visiting the lesser-known Titinos communities who live on islands of floating reeds and produce some fine textiles. Though the altitude here (12,630ft/3,850m) is tiring, the air is very clear and the lakeside views can be magnificent, with the snow-capped peaks of the Andes towering in the background. There is the option to walk to the top of the island to watch the sunset. We spend the night on Amantani Island where we experience a homestay with the local villagers; this really allows us to see what life is like for the people in an isolated island community. Accommodation: Titicaca homestay (basic accommodation)

Day 14 Morning travel to mainland; afternoon fly to Lima

We take a boat to Chifron Bay and spend time exploring the peninsula before flying back to Lima (from nearby Juliaca airport). Depending on the flight taken, we may have time free for shopping and sightseeing, including an optional visit to the Gold Museum. Flight times vary and some groups will not arrive into Lima until late afternoon or early evening. Accommodation: Hotel El Tambo 1 (or similar)

Day 15 End Lima

The trip ends after breakfast today. However, if you’d like a little longer to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.