Highlights of Peru - Machu Picchu by train & Amazon Extension - 13 Days

Experience life in the Amazon rainforest, feast on ceviche in Lima and discover South Americas greatest mystery on an amazing Machu Picchu tour on this fascinating 2 week trip exploring the very best of Peru. Starting in bustling Lima, continue on to Puno and the culturally rich island of Taquile before engaging with inhabitants on floating Uros Island. Stopover in Cusco to discover the archaeological remains of this ancient Inca capital, before you reach the mysterious Machu Picchu. Spend your final nights in the beautifully raw Puerto Maldonado and discover real life in the Amazon rainforest.

Day 1- 02 Oct 2026- Welcome to Lima
Upon arrival, you will be met by our driver at Lima Airport and transferred to the hotel where early check-in has been arranged. There will be an option in the afternoon to take a walking tour of the historical centre at 1300 with a local guide.

Day 2 - 03 Oct - Explore Lima Free Day
Day at leisure to explore Lima.

Day 3 - 04 Oct- A day of Wonder in Arequipa
After breakfast you will be transferred to Lima Airport for flights to Arequipa. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. You will then begin your city tour at the city’s Main Square, upon which sit the most representative buildings in Arequipa. First stop will be the Iglesia de La Compañía de Jesús, a Jesuit church with a lovely Baroque façade and chapel. Inside, there are hundreds of works of art from Peru’s Colonial era. From there, you move on to the traditional districts of Carmen Alto and Yanahuara. An interesting landmark there is the lookout point with incredible arches which are engraved with words from illustrious Arequipeños (citizens of Arequipa), and from where you get a spectacular view of the three volcanoes: Mount Misti, Mount Chachani, and Mount Pichu-Pichu, as well as of the city itself. Next on the itinerary is the Santa Catalina convent, a kind of city within a city. It’s a large complex, 20,426m, and includes cloisters, charming streets, and small plazas that have never changed over its more than 500 year history. During the tour, you will learn something of what life is like for the select group of nuns living there.
Lastly, you will visit the Andean Sanctuary Museum on the campus of the Santa Maria Catholic University. It displays the mummified remains of Juanita, a.k.a. the Lady of Ampato, who was a teenage Incan girl sacrificed to the Apus. Her body was discovered on Mount Ampato (6288m) by Johan Reinhard after resting underneath layers of snow for nearly 500 years. Overnight at Arequipa.

Day 4 - 05 Oct - A Journey through volcanic landscapes, wildlife reserves, and thermal pools.
Today you will begin the journey through the town of Yura and the National Reserve of Aguada Blanca and Pampa Cañahuas, stopping in Patahuasi for a break, before continuing onto the village of Chivay for lunch. In the afternoon, you can go to the Calera to enjoy an invigorating dip in the thermal pools. Overnight in Colca.

Day 5 - 06 Oct - Witness Majestic Condors and Stunning Canyons
After breakfast you will again leave early towards "Cruz Del Condor", the best location to admire the Colca Canyon and the flight of the majestic condors if the weather allows it. Then continue the trip by visiting the native towns of Maca, Yanque and Chivay. Finally you will go to Puno. Overnight at Puno.

Day 6 - 07 Oct - Explore Ancient Island Cultures and Floating Islands
The trip begins early as you head out of the city of Puno towards Taquile Island, about 35 kilometres away and 3950 meters above sea level. The culture on the island is old, dating back to Pre-Incan times. The islanders still live according to the traditions and beliefs of their ancestors and are world renowned for their lovely outfits and incredible textiles. In fact, UNESCO has declared the textile art of Taquile Island as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Next, while still on the island, you will visit the community of Huayllano, whose members will show you their normal artistic, handicraft, and farming activities. After this time of sharing, you will enjoy a traditional lunch and then sail over to the famous Uros Islands, a set of man-made floating islands in the middle of the Lake Titicaca National Reserve. Here, you will meet the islanders, hunters and gatherers and descendants of the first altiplano inhabitants, who still live on totora reed platforms. At the end of the trip you will be taken back to your hotel. Overnight at Puno.

Day 7 - 08 Oct - Discover Andahuaylillas' "Sistine Chapel," ancient ruins, and scenic heights
Take in the beautiful scenery as you are driven by bus to Cusco. On the way, you will visit Andahuaylillas, a town with a 17th century church which boasts an amazing organ, decorated with angels and cherubs. You will also visit the Racchi Ruins, known as “The Temple of God Wiracocha”. There will be excellent photo opportunities when you stop at La Raya, the highest point on the road between Puno and Cusco. Overnight in Cusco.

Day 8 -09 Oct- Journey to the legendary Lost City of Machu Picchu
Today you will begin a full day’s excursion to Machu Picchu. In the morning you will transfer to the train station for an amazing train journey to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, the great mountain top city abandoned by the Inca Empire, reclaimed by the jungle and lost to humanity until its rediscovery in 1911. Along the way, you will enjoy the changing landscapes as you travel from the Andean highlands to the beginnings of the jungle. When you arrive in the town of Aguas Calientes, you will take a 20-minute bus ride up to the Lost City of the Incas, where you will be given a guided tour. In the afternoon you will return to Aguas Calientes, where you will spend the night.
***Overnight bag required*** Suitcases will remain in storage in Cusco

Day 9 - 10 Oct - Machu Picchu to Cusco
This morning will be spent at your leisure. You can go back to Machu Picchu again if you wish, however you will need to book this in advance of travel and is subject to availability or alternatively on our last trip the group decided to go to the Hot Springs instead. In the afternoon you will return to Cusco by train and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Cusco.
Day 10- 11 Oct- Explore Cusco Free Day
Free day to explore Cusco or maybe a day trip to Rainbow Mountain

Day 11 - 12 Oct - Your Amazon Adventure Starts
After breakfast, transfer to Cusco airport for a domestic flight to Puerto Maldonado.
On your arrival in Puerto Maldonado, you will be welcomed at the airport. Then, we will start our program with a visit by bus
around the city. Then we will go to the port where our riverboat will be waiting for us. We will sail across the Madre de Dios River to our lodge (30 km away from Puerto Maldonado). During the trip, you will see rural lands destined to agricultural
and livestock activities. If the weather is good, you will sight colorful plants such as the heliconias and maybe animals (caimans, water turtles, herons, cormorants, scavengers and birds of prey). Arriving at the Lodge, you will enjoy delicious Amazon tropical fruit nectars. You will be settled in your bungalows, and you will have a delicious lunch.
COCHA CAIMÁN
In the afternoon, you will be conducted by our specialized tour guide through an interpretive trail to the Caimán Cocha, a small lagoon where you can see the black caiman and the white caiman, terrible predators at the top of the food chain
eating the abundant fauna (many varieties of fish) of the Lake. Upon your return to the Lodge, a delicious dinner will wait for you and you will enjoy free time.

Day 12 - 13 Oct- Puerto Maldonado
Magic begins with birds singing from the Amazon paradise, waking up to the howler monkey calls. A hearty breakfast will provide you with the necessary energy for a morning full of new experiences.
LAKE APU VICTOR
After breakfast, we will start a hike to the deep forest on conveniently prepared, preserved and signposted trails. On the way, we will cross the riverside to reach high-elevation forests, and then we
will descend to floodable forests, to go up again to the hills. During the journey, we will see the widest range of flora and fauna in the wild.
Along the way, we will see diverse species of medicinal plants and fruit trees supporting the animal and human populations in the Amazon forests. Some of the most important are the moriche palm, mahogany, chestnut, catahua, cedar, trumpet-wood, copaiba, and shihuahuaco, among others.
With luck and in silence, you can see bigger mammals, like the Brazilian tapir and the white-lipped peccary; rodents like the giant otter, the capybara, the spotted paca and the armadillo; primates like the coto or howler monkey, the squirrel monkey, the lion monkey and the black-cap capuchin monkey; reptiles like the iguana and the bothrops atrox; amphibians like the toad and birds like the guan, the partridge, the golden parakeet and the blue, yellow and red macaw.
In the rainy jungle you will see insects such as butterflies (Lepidoptera), scarabs (Coleoptera), crickets, cicadas, ants, centipedes and millipedes of several species.
We’ll arrive at the majestic Lake Apu Victor surrounded by immense swamps and gigantic trees. Then, we’ll go up to an Amazonian observation deck, from which you’ll get to enjoy a panoramic view on the lake, observe parrots, macaws, toucans, horned screamers, hoatzins, herons and other animals like caimans, turtles, etc.
A wide variety of fishes enters Lake Apu Victor with the flooding of (heavy) rainy season. In addition, there are other species of fauna associated to the lake, like the yellow-footed tortoise, the mata mata, the twist-necked turtle, the freshwater blenny, the kinkajou, the white-tailed deer, the Central American agoutis and the giant otter of the Amazon rainforest. Back in the lodge, a refreshing lunch will be waiting for you.
MONKEY ISLAND
In the afternoon, joined with our specialized guide, we will visit the Monkey Island, few minutes away from the lodge in the center of Madre de Dios River. This island shows an enormous variety of exuberant flora and hosts numerous primate specimens like the black spider monkey, the black-cap capuchin monkey, the squirrel monkey and the lion monkey. Also other species of little mammals like the ring-tailed coati (nasua nasua), the squirrel and an enormous variety of colored birds. Finally, we will complete our visit to the island, enjoying a sunset with the most impressive dusk in the jungle. Back in the lodge, you will taste an exquisite dinner.

Day 13 - 14 Oct- Bid a fond farewell to Peru
Today will be the last day of your tour. After breakfast, you will be transferred by boat to Tambopata River Port and back to Puerto Maldonado Headquarters to retrieve your luggage. From here you will be transferred back to Puerto Maldonado airport for your international flights home.

The price of the above tour is £2299.00 based on sharing a twin room (single room £459.00) and does not include international flights.

The price is guaranteed for all deposits paid by 01 Jan 2026. If you would like to book click the link below to pay your deposit of £250.00. (Deposits are only refundable if the trip gets cancelled due to government advice.)Travel Insurance is mandatory on all our trips. Places will be limited so places will be offered on a first come first serve basis on receipt of deposit. Please also ensure you have 6 months validity on your passport. We will finalise all entry requirements closer to the date and let everyone have a checklist. Please read the following entry information :
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru

Deposit Link
https://buy.stripe.com/7sY6oH0Rk6qT3FceRWaR33F

What’s included?

• Sharing a twin room at 3 and 4 star hotels (single supplement £459.00)
• Tourist tickets & entrance fees
• Services of English-speaking local guide throughout
• All transportation as mentioned in itinerary
• Entrance to Machu Picchu
• 2 domestic flights