Signature: Peru from Machu Picchu to the Amazon Jungle

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

The adventure begins tomorrow. Feel free to explore on your own before your welcome meeting on the morning of day two. Check for the meeting time in the welcome note at the hotel.

Your opportunity to meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group on the morning of day two.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Receive a private tour of the mansion-turned-museum, which showcases more than 5,000 years of Peruvian art. The museum's curators are young professionals from diverse disciplines who share a deep passion for ancient Peru and have been trained in heritage mediation and interpretation, enabling them to translate their academic knowledge into an accessible, engaging, and meaningful experience. Prepare to be inspired, moved, and an experience an authentic connection with ancient Peru. Your curator will highlight the fascinating connection the ancient Peruvians had with the forces of nature.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Immerse yourself in the world of Peruvian artist, Víctor Delfín, with a private tour of his magical exhibition. The tour includes large-format sculptures of horses and huerequeques (a local bird). You will also see Víctor Delfín's actual working studio. His art transmits a unique personality influenced by pre-Hispanic cultures and diverse ethnic material. He uses various materials like iron, bronze, wood, scrap metal, and ceramics. Meet with the artist himself in an intimate setting.

Learn to prepare your own causa ccevichada and enjoy the classic flavours of Peru during this gastronomic experience and demonstration. You will learn the secrets behind this classic Peruvian dish, as well as dine on delicious lomo saltado accompanied by a pisco sour.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

The Ccaccaccollo Community is a small, traditional Quechua village in the Andean highlands, near the Sacred Valley. It is primarily known for the Women's Weaving Co-operative, a highly successful community-based tourism initiative. The women of Ccaccaccollo preserve and practice ancestral Incan textile traditions. Witness the entire process: from hand-shearing alpaca wool, using native plants and insects for natural dyes, to the intricate spinning and weaving on traditional backstrap looms. This project empowers the women economically, sustains their cultural heritage, and provides vital income for their families.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Visit this community learn about the ceramics process and partake in an empanada making demonstration. Learn to make Peruvian-style empanadas from scratch using local ingredients. The experience typically involves a hands-on session preparing the dough and filling, cooking the empanadas in a traditional outdoor oven (horno), and enjoying the meal you helped create. This activity allows you to connect with local life and learn about the community's traditional cooking methods, directly supporting their economic well-being and preservation of Andean customs.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Tour the fascinating hilltop citadel of Pisac, an Incan ruin with plunging gorges, a ceremonial centre, and winding agriculture terracing that's still in use today. Be captivated by this truly amazing site sitting amid sweeping green valleys and mountain peaks. Explore the back of the site to see a pocketed cliff across Kitamayo Gorge, which once contained hundreds of Inca tombs.

Enjoy a delicious farm-to-table lunch at Hacienda Sarampampa, where three generations have kept the traditions of giant white corn farming alive.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Visit Pablo Seminario's ceramic workshop in Urubamba and learn about ceramic-making that embodies the local spirit and is a tribute to generations past.

Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.

Explore this ancient site right in the heart of Ollantaytambo city. Learn about the principles of Incan architecture and get a first taste of climbing around a massive ruins site.

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Learn about the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu from an expert before your adventure to gaze upon them with your own eyes tomorrow.

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

Set off on foot from the hotel with your Expedition Leader to get your bearings of Cusco. Head to the main plaza for essential things like ATMs and money changers, marvelling at the surrounding colonial architecture and Inca stonework. Pass by the many shops, restaurants and cafes and start to feel the energy of this incredible city.

Tour the unique Inca ruins of Moray, consisting of circular terraces and a sophisticated irrigation system located at 3500m (11483 ft). Learn about the history and study of this fascinating site – speculation has it that it was an Inca agriculture experiment station. Then visit the impressive Maras Salt Mines and see thousands of individual ancient salt pools spilling over a hillside. Learn about the different varieties of salt, and try the renowned pink salt, famous worldwide.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

The Nuna Raymi Potato Experience in Cusco is a ceremonial tasting highlighting Peru's remarkable agricultural heritage, featuring over 4,000 native potato varieties. The restaurant sources rare, ancient tubers directly from local "seed guardian" farmers, presenting you with a rustic board of different native potatoes, whose varieties change seasonally. The presentation often involves a ceremonial element, such as lighting palo santo and grating salt, honoring the food’s cultural significance. The potatoes are served with traditional Peruvian dips like Andean Chimichurri. This experience supports Nuna Raymi's commitment to ethical tourism and crop preservation.

This morning takes you to all of the must-see highlights in and around Cusco, guided by experts to explain the history of each location. Begin at the Plaza de Armas, Cusco's 16th century cathedral, Qorikancha, and the Temple of the Sun before transferring to Sacsayhuaman. The tour ends at Templo de la Luna, or the Temple of the Moon, where a private gourmet picnic will be waiting for you.

Spend a few hours exploring Cusco on your own before dinner with the group this evening.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.

Take a short walk to the secure, 40-meter-high Observation Tower. The climb offers stunning panoramic views over the Tambopata National Reserve's dense canopy, and is excellent for spotting vibrant toucans, macaws, and raptors as they fly across the treetops, providing a memorable view of the forest's upper layer.

Wired Amazon researchers will share insights into ongoing projects and the crucial role of citizen science in rainforest conservation.

Take part in a real research project, assisting scientists in the process of discovering different species. In front of our light trap—a brightly illuminated sheet that attracts dozens of insects—you’ll witness a fascinating spectacle: from delicate moths to creatures you may have never heard of before now. Learn more about what is involved in the research and discovery process of different species in the jungle.

This essential wildlife spectacle takes place at sunrise. Dozens of large macaws (including scarlet, blue-and-yellow, and green-winged) and hundreds of smaller parrots gather on the riverbank. Discretely observe them as they descend to ingest mineral-rich clay, which is vital for their diet. It is one of the most colorful and unforgettable moments of Amazonian fauna viewing.

After a sunrise macaw viewing, spend the morning relaxing at the lodge.

The Tambopata region of the Amazon rainforest has a remarkable biodiversity and is a fantastic place to spot and study wildlife. Today, you will collaborate with scientists to collect data from camera traps and perhaps set up a few of your own to capture shy jungle wildlife like peccaries, birds, rodents, and even big cats like Jaguars. Study the captured footage and discover what rare, fascinating animals the cameras captured.

At a jungle farm, find out how your favorite tropical foods are grown — and discover new ones like Copuazu, “Fish-eye” Chilis, and Cocona. Farmers will teach you about agricultural life in the Amazon, connecting their practices to age-old traditions in the region. Local communities are made up of the Ese Eja, an indigenous people native to Tambopata, along with folks who migrated here from the Peruvian highlands several decades ago. Farming is an integral part of life here, and you’ll end the visit with a greater understanding of local culture and traditions.

After a day spent exploring the Amazon jungle’s incredible beauty, we do something a little different during the evening. As you relax at the lodge, our guides give you a taste of our rainforest initiatives. These Night Lectures enrich your experience and immerse you in fun, engaging stories and experiences. At Refugio Amazonas Lodge, they focus on Citizen Science, connecting everyone with rainforest research.

The Brazil Nut trees are heroes of the rainforest, providing a sustainable and eco-friendly living to many jungle dwellers. On the Brazil Nut Sustainability Trail, your guide leads you through a spectacular, old-growth patch of Brazil Nut forest. For decades — perhaps centuries — locals have harvested the trees’ plentiful Brazil Nuts. Two months a year, the nut-gatherers set up camp here, and you’ll visit the camp’s remains as well. Then, you will learn about the entire process, from the nut’s collection through transportation, drying, and its transformation into familiar products.

Step into the future of ecotourism with the Aerobotany Immersive Experience—a breathtaking, immersive journey above the Amazon Rainforest. Imagine soaring like a scarlet macaw over lush treetops, exploring the forest from angles no human has ever reached... all without leaving the ground. It’s a front-row seat to the hidden layers of the rainforest, powered by cutting-edge drone technology and virtual reality goggles. Developed by ecologist Dr. Varun Swamy and his expert Aerobotany team, this activity invites you to witness the Amazon from a whole new perspective—and help science along the way.

Listen to an expert lecture at the lodge.

Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.

Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.

Sit back and enjoy the views from above on a flight between Puerto Maldonado and Lima.