Inca Trail & Amazon Rainforest 8 days

Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest packages highlights of Peru. This 8 days Packages includes the Inca Trail ( alternatives of Moonstone Trek or Inca Quarries), which takes in beautiful mountains and cloud forest as it follows a historic route to Machu Picchu, the best-preserved and most dramatic Inca ruin. After the complete contrast of the Andes,

the dense jungles of the Amazon rainforest.

OVERVIEW

Get on a journey to one of Peru’s greatest attractions, the Inca Trail and Amazon rain-forest vacation. The 4 days hiking in the Andes with spectacular Mountain scenery that is combined with the impressive Inca ruins until the citadel of Machu Picchu. 8 days adventure package with dramatic Andes and Amazon jungle immerse into a world full of adventure and exotic animals.

ITINERARY

Day 1 Welcome to the Amazon!
Welcome to Lima. Be ready for a morning take-off to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival to Puerto Maldonado, you will be greeted by your guide. From here, our adventure begins in the Amazon basin of Peru. Our trip down the river provides our first sightings of macaws, heron, caiman and capybara. After checking in to your rooms, enjoy a nice siesta or participate in a guided walk near the lodge. Tonight before dinner, our guide will brief us on tomorrow’s activities. Lunch and dinner included.

Day 2 Macaw clay lick and jungle exploration by foot or bike.
Rise and shine for an early morning visit to the Macaw clay lick. Located deep in the Tambopata National Reserve, dozens of brightly colored macaws alight on the lick each morning to feed on the rich clays of the riverbank. The macaw clay lick is one of the most stunning wildlife spectacles in the world and sure to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen – or heard – before. Return by boat to the lodge, keeping an eye along the riverbank for capybara, caiman, toucans, and even jaguar! After lunch, we hike to the lodge trails with your guides. All meals included.
Biking: 1.5 hours.

Day 3 Watch tropical birds in flight from an Amazon jungle canopy tower.
After breakfast, we make our way to the canopy tower. Most of the life in the rainforest occurs in its highest reaches, the tree canopy. From this viewpoint, we’re provided fantastic and close views into the crowns of huge Brazil nut trees and others in the forest. We also look for monkeys, toucans, parrots, and other canopy dwellers. The tower is an excellent place to see flocks of parrots and parakeets that fly by at eye level. After getting up close with the canopy it’s time to explore another part of the jungle – the oxbow lakes. These lakes are an important and distinct habitat found in the Amazon basin. Formed when a bend in an Amazonian river gets cut off from its main channel, their waters are much calmer and clearer than the river and provide the perfect habitat for a host of interesting animals. Finish your day with a sunset cruise down a portion of the Tambopata River where we can see local farms near the edge of the forest. We might see toucans, a caiman or two, river turtles and other wildlife. We finish off the day with a stop on a sandy, riverside beach and watch the sun set over the jungle. All meals included.
Walking: 2 hours.

Day 4 Travel from the Amazon to Cusco.
Enjoy a full breakfast before our early morning departure. We return by boat on the Madre de Dios River and continue to the Puerto Maldonado airport. Our guide accompanies us to Cusco. Settle in to your hotel and have the afternoon free to explore the ancient center of the vast Inca Empire. Cusco is located high in the Andes and served as the flourishing capital of the Inca Empire for almost 400 years. Its narrow cobblestone streets are lined with handicraft stores, restaurants, and world class museums. Breakfast and box lunch included.

Day 5 Start Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
We leave Cuzco early and drive for roughly two hours to Ollantaytambo; our last chance to buy any items needed for the trek. From here we veer off the road and follow a track beside the river (45 minutes) to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, commonly known as Km82. After greeting our trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the Inca Trail trek. The trail runs alongside the Vilcanota River beneath the impressive snow-capped Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and fields of corn until we reach the enormous Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we continue up a side valley to camp near the hamlet of Wayllabamba.

Day 6 Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu
This is the longest and most strenuous day. A long climb (largely up stone staircases) takes us first through an area of cloud forest to the meadows of Llulluchapampa, then over the Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman's) pass, at 4215m the highest point on the trek. After quite a long, steep descent we camp in the scenic valley of the Pacamayo River (3600m).

Day 7 Hike to Machu Picchu.
We start the day with an easier climb which takes us past the ruins of Runquracay and over the Runquracay Pass (3930m). From now on the Inca Trail becomes a clearly defined path made of flat boulders. We pass the ruins of Sayajmarca and suddenly enter rainforest; at one point the trail passes through an Inca tunnel. We camp at a spectacular lunch on the ridge above the Inca site of Phuyupatamarca (3680m). From the ridge, we embark on the infamous Inca steps: a two kilometre stone staircase taking us rapidly downhill amid a panorama of overwhelming immensity, with the peaks of the Vilcabamba range above and the river thousands of metres below. After visiting the attractive ruins of Wiñay Wayna.

Day 8 Explore Machu Picchu.
We have a super early wake up call this morning at 4am to get an edge over the crowds entering Machu Picchu. (Don’t worry – There will be coffee!). After the final check point, you’ll make your way to the Sun Gate for your first up close view of Machu Picchu. Upon arrival into the citadel, we’ll begin our 3 hour private tour through the most important points in the city. The time after the tour is your’s to enjoy.
After our time in Machu Picchu, we’ll board the bus to Aguas Calientes. We enjoy an incredible celebratory lunch at a local eatery in the village. Then you’ll board the train back to Ollantaytambo and then a private transfer back to Cusco city arriving roughly at 8pm. Your evening is free to enjoy how you see fit!

HIGHLIGHTS

INCLUDED

EXPLORE ADVENTURES DIFFERENCE

THE EXPLORE ADVENTURES PERU® DIFFERENCE - DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE
Explore Adventures Peru® has been setting the standard for Trekking Peruvian Andes since 2010. As one of the few specialist companies organizing high quality expeditions, we are recognized as one of the best operators on the Peruvian Andes. Come see why we are the premier Andes outfitter. When you travel with us, you gain access to people and places. You’re enriched by the knowledge of our experts and guides, and by local experts we meet along the way. And you give back. Simply by taking a trip with Explore Adventures Peru, you support the work of our explorers and indigenous Quechuas villages.

WE HAVE A 99.8% CLIENT SATISFACTION RATE!
Undoubtedly, the most honest and accurate feedback comes from our clients themselves. With the goal of constantly improving our service, a post-Hiking survey is taken from each client in order to assess our staff, equipment, and food.

LOCAL GUIDES
KNOWLEDGE: LET OUR EXPERTS GUIDE YOU
• Professional, experienced, licensed local Quechuan guides
• Our guides are formed by expert Photographers, Explorers, History teachers, Archaeologists
• Honest, hardworking, team oriented support staff
• Over 600 times hikes on Inca Trail success experiences and client satisfaction

QUALITY EQUIPMENT
HIGH QUALITY EQUIPMENT & SERVICE.
• Rugged, four season North face, Mountain Hardwear, Doite, Vango tents
• Super warm North face, Mountain Equipment, Mountain Hardwear -30F sleeping bags
• Spacious mess tents and private toilets
• Outdoor utensils in stainless steel

FANTASTIC MEALS
• Delicious meals made from fresh, local ingredients
• Clean water treated with Water Guard
• we customize our menus depending on the preferences of the group,
• we never use freeze-dried backpacking meals
• Hearty, delicious meals that will optimally fuel and inspire you during your trip!
• We also regularly accommodate vegetarian, vegan, kosher, non-gluten and other specialty diets

FOCUSED ON SAFETY
WE HAVE MANY LAYERS OF SAFETY BUILT INTO OUR OPERATIONS TO MINIMIZE THE RISKS ON INCA TRAIL AND BEYOND .
• We have established protocols for handling emergencies on the mountain, including rescue and evacuation
• Certified Wilderness First Responders
• Certified of the oficial firemen of Peru
• Daily pulse and oxygen saturation monitoring
• We provide evacuation by helicopter Andes Corp. For hikers seriously injured or sick.
• Emergency oxygen, portable stretchers and medical kits
• Emergency horse available in all our Alternatives treks

RESPONSIBLE TREKKING
GIVE BACK: WHEN YOU TRAVEL WITH US, YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
• Environmentally and socially responsible company
• Member of Inca Trail Porters Welfare
• Member of Leave No Trace
• Fair and ethical treatment of porters
• Empowering Peruvian women

PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION BY EXPLORE
Instead of local buses, which other companies use to reduce their costs,
we always provide private transportation. This service allows our clients
flexibility and privacy.

HAPPY CUSTOMERS
• "Great experience!"
• "Very well planned & organized"
• "Excellent service all around"
• "A solid company"
• "Highly recommended!"
• "Genuine, authentic, and flexible with deep local knowledge!"
• "Absolutely Amazing!"