Tailor Made – Peru: The Amazon & Machu Picchu – Academy SF

Hola! Welcome to Lima. Our adventure kicks off at 2PM with an important Group Meeting. You’ll meet your Group Leader, and fellow Out Adventures travellers, to talk about our upcoming adventure. We’ll then head for the trendy historic neighbourhood of Barranco for a walking tour that explores the streets lined with traditional casonas (colonial-style houses). This charming area is also home to many artists, musicians, and writers. We’ll also make some stops in trendy Miraflores, taking in the seaside views along the “Malecon”, a six-mile strip of parks, gardens and green space along the cliffs overlooking the sea. Later in the evening we’ll reconvene for our included welcome dinner to sample the finest delicacies of this foodie capital. 

Today begins with an early flight to Puerto Maldonado. We’ll leave most of our luggage behind, aside from an Out Adventures duffel bag packed for two nights, then take a motorized canoe up-river to our remarkable jungle lodge. The hotel exudes tropical chic. After an included lunch we’ll get our first taste of the jungle, when our local guides introduce us to some sensational fauna and flora in their natural habitat on a walking tour. From macaws to monkeys, with thousands of butterflies thrown in, this is biodiversity at its best. This evening, before dinner, you will enjoy a cocktail hour around a bonfire with pisco chilcanos and local snacks. Then we head to the Casa Grande’s dining room for dinner.

Please note: Today’s flight is not included in the cost of the tour. Please see Important Information for a special note on purchasing domestic airfare.

Here’s your chance to explore the Amazon in-depth with our guide. After a hearty buffet breakfast, we’ll trek through terra firma into Tambopata National Reserve. Look out for the endangered giant river otter, blue and yellow macaw, red howler monkey and black caiman. Lunch awaits back at the lodge, then onto the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway. Climb a 91ft/28m tower into the canopy, then cross 7 hanging bridges. Enjoy breathtaking vistas while photographing white-throated toucans, three-toed sloths, woodpeckers, trogons and squirrel monkeys. The day ends on another nocturnal safari before dinner is served at the lodge.

Today we return to Puerto Maldonado by canoe, then board a flight to Cusco (also spelled Cuzco), South America’s oldest continually-inhabited city. In order to adjust to the altitude (3,400m/11,200m), we’ll take it easy this afternoon, with a short orientation walk. This evening you’re free to explore, take advantage of the incredible hotel’s amenities, or you may join the group for an optional dinner.

Please note: Today’s flight is not included in the cost of the tour. Please see Important Information for a special note on purchasing domestic airfare.

We’re off to the Sacred Valley via private transport. We’ll visit a farming community en route, before we arrive in the town of Ollantaytambo. Take some time to explore, and be sure not to miss the fortress above town, as the entrance fee is included. Tonight we’ll enjoy an incredible included meal at our chic hotel. Note: We’ll safely lock up the majority of our luggage in our hotel just outside Ollantaytambo for the next few days while we explore the Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. We’ll use our Out Adventure duffel bags to carry the items you’ll need for the following few days.

We’ll begin our day riding the rails on the charming 360​° Machu Picchu Train, aboard which glass panels in the ceiling ensure you soak in as much of the view as possible. Venturing through the Urubamba Valley, we’ll eventually arrive in the town of Aguas Calientes, which is the closest civilization to Machu Picchu. You could take this afternoon to rest up, as tomorrow’s visit to Machu Picchu will be a long day, or you could treat yourself to a sneak peak of the ancient citadel before our guided tour tomorrow. Dinner is included back at the hotel.

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For those who want a sneak peek, there may be time to visit Machu Picchu independently‬‭ (entrance ticket NOT included)‬‭ before our included‬‭ guided tour tomorrow. Otherwise, you can‬ while away the afternoon in the natural hot springs that give the town its name.‬
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This morning we’ll depart by bus around 5:30AM in order to make our way along the notoriously windy road to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, we’ll explore Sun Gate and the Inka Bridge for a few hours. These two sites offer an incredible photo opportunity overlooking the main ruins themselves. After exploring the upper area, we’ll meet a private guide who will tour us through the UNESCO World Heritage Site itself, providing fascinating insights into Inkan culture and history. Please Note: As of July 2018, no one is allowed to explore Machu Picchu on their own. We’ll enjoy an optional lunch before taking the 360° Machu Picchu Train back to the Sacred Valley, where we’ll connect with our private transport to Cusco. Take the rest of the night to enjoy our luxe accommodations.

Note: According to Machu Picchu visiting regulations, all visitors must follow a pre-determined‬ route within the site. This route must be followed in one direction only, and once the guided visit‬ commences, exiting and re-entering the site is not permitted. Once the guided visit concludes,‬ visitors must exit the site and personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted.‬
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For the final morning of our tour, you’ll have the option to visit the archaeological sites of Saqsayhuaman, Qenqo & Tambomachay via private transport (price will depend on number of participants). While these sites may not be as mesmerizing as Machu Picchu, they remain historically significant, and are still worth a visit. This evening, we’ll gather one last time to share some fond memories over a lovely dinner at MAP Café, a‬ gay-welcoming restaurant located on the patio of the‬ Pre-Columbian Museum of Art.
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There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at your leisure. Thank you for joining our gay Peru tour.

Note: Standard check-out is 11:00 AM