Peru Splendors with Peru's Amazon

Welcome to Lima! Arrive in Lima and meet your Globus representative. Please note: You will meet your Tour Director on day 5 in Lima.

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. NOTE: Activities and itinerary timing in the Amazon is subject to change and dependent on weather conditions. When changes occur, alternative activities will be provided.

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 maybe even snakes!

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 (weather dependent) like the local indigenous communities do and visit an Inland 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 Inland Clay Licks, is an area of clay deposits in fallen trees and raised roots along the banks of small ravines, natural holes, and is a place where birds and animals come to eat the clay for the minerals!

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.

Legendary Lima This afternoon, 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, [LOCAL FAVORITE] stop at a local food market to get a real taste of life for the local people. This evening, enjoy dinner at one of Lima’s Peruvian restaurants with your fellow travel companions. (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.

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 and visit the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages and see the ancient site of Puca Pucara. Also, in the Sacred Valley, experience an [LOCAL FAVORITE] El Pago a la Tierra, or Mother Earth Ceremony, performed by a local shaman. Meet local families who preserve the ancient technique of Pre-Columbian weaving using South American camelid fleece. This is your chance to get up close to the various camelids, including alpaca, llama, guanaco, and vicuña, indigenous to the region. Continue to Pisaq, 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 [LOCAL FAVORITE] 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.

Mystery on the Mountain This morning, visit the Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo, followed by [LOCAL FAVORITE] 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, you may wish to try a Pisco Sour (a traditional Peruvian cocktail) or an Inka Kola, before the 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.

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 at a local restaurant, 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!

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. Join a traditional [LOCAL FAVORITE] Pasacalle through the streets of Cusco before continuing 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 Temple of Sacsayhuaman, perched on a hillside overlooking Cusco. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D) LOCAL FAVORITE CULTURE & TRADITION A special treat is in store for you when you are greeted by a group of Andean musicians dressed in vibrant Inca textiles. They will escort you on a Pasacalle (Andean Parade) through Cusco while playing traditional music and performing ancient dances—an experience you won’t soon forget!

Capital Ideas A short flight returns you to Lima, where the remainder of your day is free to explore. (B) FREE TIME TIPS EXPLORE MORE Enjoy a day in Lima to explore as you please. From bustling markets to museums and magnificent architecture, there is always a new surprise to delight your day with tempting tastes and inspiring sights. Your Tour Director has suggestions to make the most of your day, and your GlobusGO mobile app puts the possibilities right at your fingertips.

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