Legacy of the Incas with Peru's Amazon

Day 1

ARRIVE IN LIMA, PERU Welcome to Lima!
Upon arrival, you will meet your Globus representative.

Day 2

LIMA–PUERTO MALDONADO–HACIENDA CONCEPCIÓN Back to Nature
Fly to Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios and the entry to Peru’s Amazon Jungle. Embark on a motorboat ride up the Madre de Dios River to view the exotic wildlife. Arrive at your Amazon Jungle lodge and meet your Naturalist. After settling in, head out with your Naturalist for a walk along nature trails to learn about primary and secondary rainforest. At dusk, take a canoe ride to learn about the Amazonia River ecosystems, nocturnal animals’ activity, and the southern constellations. (B,L,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ACCOMMODATION SPOTLIGHT Deep within the heart of the Amazon lays Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción, located between the Tambopata National Reserve and the shores of the Madre de Dios River and is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Built on a former cacao and rubber plantation in the Southern Peruvian rainforest near the Bolivian and Brazilian borders, Hacienda Concepción covers 819 hectares of 819 hectares primary rainforest, with a natural oxbow lake making it home to diverse ecosystems, tropical plants, and wildlife. Guests will live an Amazonian experience surrounded by an array of wildlife and native flora. Each guestroom has a private bathroom with hot water, electricity, ceiling fan, picture windows with views of the forest, and mosquito-netted beds.

Day 3

HACIENDA CONCEPCIÓN All Creatures Great & Small
This morning, take a nature walk with your Naturalist through Tambopata National Reserve and a dugout canoe ride around Lake Sandoval in search of native flora and fauna. Learn about the reserve’s conservation efforts and the animals that inhabit this lake, such as the endangered giant river otters, blue and yellow macaws, red howler monkeys, and black caimans. This afternoon, explore the rainforest on a canopy walkway consisting of seven suspension bridges hanging more than 100 feet from the ground. From the treetops, keep an eye out for white-throated toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, squirrel monkeys and the three-toed sloth. After night falls, your Naturalist introduces you to the nocturnal animals of the Amazon. (B,L,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NIGHT MOVES Enter the forest this evening and witness the enchanting transformation of the rainforest from a diurnal to a nocturnal environment on a guided night walk, as animals and birds of the daytime give way to species specially adapted to the shadows of the night. Keep an eye out for nocturnal monkeys, armadillos, frogs, insects and even snakes!

Day 4

HACIENDA CONCEPCIÓN A Cultivating Culture
A short boat ride brings you to a native farm where farmers use ancient methods to grow crops. Learn about local cultivation techniques, intriguing medicinal uses by local communities, and taste some of the produce. This afternoon, you can fish for piranha like the local indigenous communities do and visit a clay lick to observe wildlife from a blind to observe the normal routine of the fauna without disrupting the environment. (B,L,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
WILD WONDERS Clay licks, or collpas as they are called in the Amazon, is an area of clay deposits usually created from river erosion where birds and animals come to eat the clay for the minerals. Blinds have been set up near these collpas allowing you the opportunity to spy on the animals that come to feed here. It’s common to see hundreds of parrots and parakeets at one time. A spectacle not to be missed!

Day 5

HACIENDA CONCEPCIÓN–PUERTO MALDONADO–LIMA Peruvian Pleasures
Return to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Lima where you will be met by your Globus representative.
(B)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EPIC RIDE Take in your last views of the Amazon rainforest when you cruise through the waterways back to Puerto Maldonado. Spot monkeys, birds, reptiles, and other fauna on your cruise back to the city.

Day 6

LIMA Legendary Lima
Today, your Local Guide focuses on the city’s colonial heritage during a walking tour. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and the cathedral. From here, stroll to the venerable San Francisco Monastery with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. For a special treat, [LF] stop at a local food market to get a real taste of life for the local people. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow traveling companions at one of Lima’s finest historic homes, Casa Garcia Alvarado. (B,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES Stop for a real taste of Peru at a local market. Sample some of the local fruits and vegetable that aren’t found in other parts of the world. You can also find spices, meats, seafood, and even a souvenir or two. And, you’ll definitely want to take some photos of the beautiful, brightly hued displays.

Day 7

LIMA–CUSCO–SACRED VALLEY Empire of the Andes
Fly to Cusco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Head into the Sacred Valley of the Incas where you will enjoy a special lunch prepared exclusively for Globus guests at a private location. Here, experience an [LF] El Pago a la Tierra, or Mother Earth Ceremony, performed by a local shaman. Continue to Pisac, an old mountain village, where you will have free time to shop for local wares, such as alpaca sweaters and blankets, jewelry, or Hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases at its famous market. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, with dinner at the hotel. (B,L,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
CULTURE & TRADITION Feel the earth, smell the coca leaves, and taste the chicha today as you make payment to Mother Earth. Participate in an El Pago a la Tierra, an ancient ceremony led by a shaman thanking Mother Earth and asking for good health, wealth, and safe travels. These mystical ceremonies have been practiced in Peru since before the arrival of the Incas.

Day 8

SACRED VALLEY–MACHU PICCHU Mystery on the Mountain
This morning, visit the Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo, followed by [LF] a visit to a local home, meet some of the area’s families, and experience their way of life in the Sacred Valley. Then, board the Vistadome train for a scenic journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Upon arrival, ascend the mountainside to legendary Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas.” Your Local Guide will introduce this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct, and will bring you closer to the mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures. Tonight, learn how to make the perfect Pisco Sour at a Peruvian cooking demonstration before your included dinner. (B,D)

LOCAL FAVORITE
TIMELESS TRADITIONS Today, you are invited into a local family’s home in the Sacred Valley. Learn about their traditions like weaving that has been passed down for centuries from ancestors. See how they cook, live, sleep, work, and maybe ask about the cuy (guinea pigs), they keep in their house.

Day 9

MACHU PICCHU–CUSCO Here Comes the Sun
A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins. After lunch, return to the Sacred Valley by train and continue to Cusco. (B,L)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORY & MYSTERY Staying overnight in Machu Picchu allows you to get up early and experience the ruins at their most pristine before the crowds arrive. Watch as the mist slowly burns off and the sun rays illuminate the ruins. While you are there, you may even want to try and get a selfie with one of the local llamas or alpacas!

Day 10

CUSCO Sun Worship & Spanish Conquests
On your guided sightseeing tour of Cusco today, learn more about the Inca and Spanish influence. Begin at the heart of Cusco in the Plaza de Armas (main square), with a visit to the imposing Cathedral, where construction began in 1550 and was finally completed 100 years later. During your city tour, you will be greeted by an Inca king, so have your cameras ready! Continue to Koricancha and the Santo Domingo Monastery, and see how the two sites have become one. The Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was once the most important Inca site, dedicated to the worship of the Sun. The walls, altars, and decorations were all said to be covered in gold—until the Spaniards looted the temple and then built the contrasting Baroque Santo Domingo Monastery on top of the temple’s foundations. Also visit the semi-circular Kenko Temple with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages, and see the ancient site of Puca Pucara before the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, perched on a hillside overlooking Cusco. The remainder of your day is free to explore at your leisure. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES Built in the 15th century by the Incas, the Temple of Sacsayhuaman complex is considered to be one of the Inca’s greatest architectural creation. It is believed the site was originally constructed as a ceremonial site and later a fortress when the Spanish invaded. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. During your guided tour, learn some of the theories on how the massive stones used were carved, carried, and placed.

Day 11

CUSCO–JULIACA–PUNO (LAKE TITICACA) Hasta Luego, Cusco
Board a flight to Juliaca, where you will continue to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
TIMELESS TRADITIONS Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,500 feet and is located in both Peru and Bolivia. The indigenous people who live here still practice ancient ways of life.

Day 12

PUNO. EXCURSION TO LAKE TITICACA Life on the Lake
Today, take a motorboat trip to some of the more unique islands of Lake Titicaca. Start with Taquile Island, which was once part of the Inca Empire and was one of the last areas of Peru to be conquered by Spain in the 16th century. The Spanish banned traditional dress on the island, which is why the Spanish peasant dress can still be found today. Next, travel to the fascinating Uros Islands, home to the Uros Indians, who were forced to live on the lake as the Inca Indians pushed farther into their territory. (B,L,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CULTURAL GEMS The manmade Uros Islands are found floating in the middle of the lake are completely made by totora reeds and are continually added to as they disintegrate to the bottom of the lake. During your visit here, see the locals' boats and homes which are also made from reed. Over 1000 Uros still live on the 100 plus islands that remain to this day.

Day 13

PUNO–SILLUSTANI–JULIACA–LIMA Ruins & Real Life in Peru
Depart for Juliaca this morning, visiting the ruins of Sillustani en route. At this pre-Incan burial ground, see where the ancient Aymaras buried their high priests in chullpas—above-ground, cylinder-shaped tombs dating back to the 1400s. While here, [LF] spend some time with the Locals at home and gain a better understanding of their lives. Fly from Juliaca to Lima this afternoon. (B)

LOCAL FAVORITE
CULTURE & TRADITION Get an authentic look at the lives of locals in Juliaca. Visit a family home where they share traditions in cooking, working, and living in the tradition of Peruvian generations.

Day 14

LIMA–PARACAS. BALLESTAS ISLANDS CRUISE & NAZCA LINES Islands & Enigmas
Enjoy a scenic drive south along the Pan-American Highway to the Bay of Paracas. Embark on a cruise out to the Ballestas Islands, which are inhabited by a wide variety of sea mammals and exotic birds, including blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and Humboldt penguins. The huge Candelabro, a candelabra-shaped etching on the Paracas cliffside, can also be seen as you cruise back to shore. Continue to the town of Pisco, the wine capital of Peru. Have your camera handy today as you board your aircraft for flightseeing over the Nazca plains, which can only be appreciated by air. Dating back to 500 BC, these geoglyphs etched into the ground consist of over 10,000 lines depicting plants and animals. Enjoy dinner this evening at your hotel. (B,D)

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Take a flight above the plains for a bird’s-eye-view of the Nazca Lines. Your pilot will point out these mysterious markings, a series of drawings of animals and geometric figures etched into the parched soil—some up to 1,000 feet long! Theories vary, but the most accepted belongs to German mathematician Maria Reiche, who dubbed the land the “astronomical calendar” of the ancient Peruvians.

Day 15

PARACAS–LIMA Fond Farewells
After some free time in Paracas, return to Lima today. Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a memorable farewell dinner with your travel companions at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 16

LIMA Safe travels until we meet again!
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)