LIMA – ICA – NAZCA – PUERTO MALDONADO – CUSCO – PUNO 12 DAYS

Day 1: —Lima, Peru

Upon arrival to Lima Peru, you will be met and transferred to the hotel.
Overnight in Lima.

Day 2: Lima – Ica

In the morning, after a good night’s rest, we will visit the Museum of the Inquisition (9:00 am)
which is housed in a former mansion once used by the Spanish Inquisition. Exhibits trace the
history and the impact of this bloody time and include some of the torture instruments used. After
lunch, we’ll leave for Ica on the coast. En route we will visit Pachacamac, the ruins of an ancient
Indian civilization that existed centuries before the time of the Incas. (See the Museum first) We’ll
stay in Ica (approximately a four-hour bus ride from Lima. Overnight in Ica. (B)

Day 3: Ballestas Islands – Nazca

After an early morning breakfast, we’ll depart to the Paracas Peninsula. We will board boats that
will take us to the Ballestas Islands, where thousands of different species of birds and marine
animals live. Following the Islands, we travel to Nazca to fly over the Nazca Lines and stay there
for the night before returning to Lima. Overnight in Lima. (B)

Day 4: Lima – Puerto Maldonado

Early in the morning, transfer at the airport to catch your flight to Puerto Maldonado.
Upon arrival to Puerto Maldonado in the morning reception at Padre Almirez International
airport. Here your professional guide will await you. He will accompany you during your whole
stay. From there we will go to our office to obtain the official waterway permits (you can also guard
luggage you won’t need during your stay). Meanwhile you can visit the town’s main square and
also take some photos of the beautiful scenery overlooking the confluence of the rivers Madre de
Dios and Tambopata from Grau square.
Embarkation will be at Capitania port, the destination being our lodge. We will navigate
approximately 40 minutes on the Madre de Dios River in a typical Amazonian boat.
Arrival at the Corto Maltes Amazonia Lodge. Here we will have a welcome cocktail. Afterwards you
will be handed over the keys to your bungalow and we will have lunch. The kitchen of our Lodge
stands out for the beautiful presentation and the exquisite tastes of the dishes prepared by our
French chef.
After that you will have some free time to get comfortable in your bungalow, or take a refreshing
dip in our pool.

3:30pm: It gets time to have some first contact with the jungle. On this trek you will see a large
variety of tropical trees, medicinal plants, insects, butterflies and other animals. Upon return we
will make a small stop at a lookout. Here you can observe toucans, macaws and other species of
birds upon your return for sunset. (duration: between 2,5 and 3 hours) Returning to the lodge you
can take a refreshing dip in the pool or have an exotic cocktail in our terrace- bar. You could also
watch the sunset in the relaxing, tranquility of palm and mango trees at our port.
7pm: Before dinner we will go on a nightly boat trip, a little safari trying to spot the white caiman
(caiman crocodilus) that lives in the river banks.
8pm: After the delicious dinner, those who wish can have some Smalltalk in our reclining seats or
have some fun and make friends with other travelers in the bar. Another option is to take a bath in
the pool (with bar) under the shining Amazon sky and marvel at the Cross of the South. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Puerto Maldonado

At 5:30am we will go on a trek of about 20 min until we arrive at the parrot clay- lick. Here a
minimum of five different species feeds on special clay, vital to their metabolism. It’s a truly
marvelous, multicolored spectacle.
8am: Breakfast and free time to explore the splendid gardens of Corto Maltes Amazonia.
We have dozens of varieties of exotic plants and flowering trees.
10:30am: Again we will navigate the Madre de Dios River. This time on an expedition destined to
“Monkey Island” where some species of these Reserve. We will trek 5km through the dense
vegetation of the tropical rainforest. Giant trees, snakes, monkeys, birds and sometimes even the
illusive jaguar can be observed here Our destination is heavenly Sandoval Lake. Its privileged
settings are shared by numerous species of animals: Birds (in particular Hoatzins, Kingfisher, and
Cormorants), different species of monkeys (Squirrel monkeys, Howler monkeys, Capuchin
monkeys). At the lake itself we can enjoy the spectacle of Giant River Otters. Black Caimans and
Piranhas (sometimes we can even observe anacondas in the areas covered by reed). This is also the
habitat of the giant Arapaima, a fish of more than 2,5m, weighing in at +200kg. Traveling by
canoe, the sunset in the lake is a spectacular unforgettable sight. On our return to the river we
might be able to spot some nocturnal animals.
8pm: The body demands rest and food after an active day in the jungle. You will enjoy the exotic
tastes of our meals, especially our desserts. If you still have energy left you can share moments of
music and conversation in the bar whilst having a cocktail or enjoy the sounds of the rainforest
surrounding you from your hammock.
After a long day full of activity you will enjoy the comfort of you bungalows hammocks. You can
also recover with a massage by the lodges’ qualified masseurs. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Puerto Maldonado – Cusco

Day 7: Cusco – city tour

At 9:00 am. We will begin by visiting Coricancha, the ancient Incan temple of the Sun. Next we
will visit nearby sites such as Sacsahuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara
(Quechua for red fortress). Finishing the city tour around 13:00 hrs. You’ll have a free afternnon
today to do some shopping, visit the 16th Century Cathedral, take a walk or just relax. Overnight in
Cusco. (B)

Day 8: Sacred Valley – Machupicchu

8:00 am. We will begin the morning as we descend into the Sacred Valley and visit an interesting
animal reserve called Awanacancha then on to the Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo.
After viewing the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo, we will take an afternoon train ride at 3:30 pm
on the Vista dome train that is very comfortable and has glass ceilings to really enjoy the Andes
arriving in Aguas Calientes around 5:00 pm to prepare for our assault on Machu Picchu
tomorrow. Overnight in Aguas Calientes Machupicchu town. (B)

Day 9: Machupicchu

At 8:00 in the morning we will take a 20-minute bus ride to the Citadel of Machu Picchu, then
immediately begin a complete guided tour of the Inca citadel that will take approximately two
hours. You will then have free time to walk around, climb the Waynapicchu Mountain, where one
can experience spectacular views of all of Machu Picchu, the valleys and mountains that surround
it, or visit the Temple of the Moon and the fabulous Inca Bridge
In the afternoon we return to Aguas Calientes. At 3:30 pm we will board the train

Day 10: Cusco – Puno

Tourist bus to the city of Puno passing through and visiting such places as Andahuaylillas
known as the Peruvian Sistine chapel; Urcos- where they celebrate the birth of Inca Huascar, the
last emperor of Cusco; Raqchi- the temple or palace of Wiracocha, the white bearded God;
Sicuani- capital of this province and where we will have lunch; La Raya- Line between the
departments of Cusco and Puno also where the Vilcanota, the sacred river of the Incas begins.
Pucara- remains of an Incan temple and where the sacred bulls of Pucara are crafted. Overnight in
Puno. (B)

Day 11: Los Uros – Taquile Island

This will be one of your special days of the trip. Early transfer to the port for your boat ride on Lake
Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. We will first visit Los Uros and their
floating islands, which are made of reeds and inhabited by the Uros people, which live on these
islands of reeds, called Totora. We will walk on the floating islands and take a short ride on their
boats, made entirely from these same reeds. After that we will continue on Lake Titicaca to the
island of Taquile on which there are numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins and Inca terracing.
Members of this community receive visitors in their colorful national costumes and show them
around the island. There is a cooperative shop on the island that sells exceptional woolen goods which are not cheap but of very fine quality. Return to our hotel in Puno. Overnight in Puno. (B,
L)

Day 12: Puno – Lima

On our way to the airport for our flight to Lima and 32 kms from Puno are the Chullpas (pre-
Columbian funeral towers) of Sillustani, beautifully set on a peninsula in Lake Umayo
surrounded by stark altiplano. The Chullpas were built by the Aymara-speaking Collas – a tribe
that dominated the Titicaca region before the Incas. Each tower contained the remains of Colla
nobility accompanied by their riches. Grave robbers have since removed their contents, although
the towers are well preserved and well worth seeing. The engineering involved in their
construction is more complex than anything the Incas built. Two of the towers are unfinished: one
with a ramp still in place to raise blocks; the other with cut stones ready to go on a very ambitions
dome. Transfer at the airport to catch your flight to Lima. (B)