Complete Peru Luxury Cultural and Wildlife Tour

Arrival to Lima and overnight at the Airport Ramada hotel.

After breakfast, early morning flight to Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital of the Incas. Storage of your main luggage and then transfer to the train station in time for the boarding of the Hiram Bingham train to Aguas Calientes. Brunch will be served onboard. Arrival to Aguas Calientes, assistance with your luggage check -in to your room at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Villas.

Shortly after, take the bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the most spectacular ancient city in the world. Built by the Inca Pachacutec, and comprising stone blocks fitted with masterful precision, Machu Picchu harmoniously blends into the mountain landscape. There are many theories as to the origins behind Machu Picchu but three of the most popular ideas include a temple to the sun, a fortress against the jungle inhabitants or a sanctuary for the Incas. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. Dinner and accommodation at your hotel.

Meals: B, Br & D

Free day in Machu Picchu. Time for some private reflection. Today no guide is provided as we feel that Machu Picchu requires a certain amount of self discovery to be fully understood. Take any of the several paths around various parts of the site. In the evening, take the return Hiram Bingham train to Cuzco with dinner served onboard. Arrival to Cuzco and transfer to your hotel the Casona hotel.

Casona Hotel  |  Meals: B & D

After breakfast, enjoy a private guided tour of Cuzco including the Cathedral, Qoricancha temple, the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking Cuzco, Qenko and Puka Pukara. Return to the hotel.

Meals: B & D

After breakfast, enjoy a full-day excursion to the beautiful Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, situated between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. It is an exceptionally fertile valley that was and remains the larder of Cuzco. Visit the village of Pisac, founded during colonial times, and set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an ancient Inca city. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Indians barter their products in the main square and artisans from around the area sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions, jewellery, etc. After lunch, a visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town that was not defeated by the Spanish with an opportunity to explore the ruins which tower above. Late afternoon return to Cuzco and to your hotel.

Meals: B & L

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Puerto Maldonado. Arrival to Puerto Maldonado. Reception at the airport and transfer to the river port, whilst hearing an introductory talk about the city and surrounding areas, in addition to the characteristics of the Amazon region. You will embark on a 45-minute boat ride on the Madre de Dios River until your arrival at the Reserva Amazonica Rainforest lodge. Here you will be assigned to your cabin. After lunch, an afternoon excursions begin including a guided walk along one of the trails close to the lodge. The trails wind past important giant trees of the forest such as the kapok and the strangler fig, and you may see superb examples of bird and insect life. You will also take a boat ride along the Madre de Dios River to see the change in the environment as twilight gives way to darkness. Animals and birds are replaced by special species adapted to the darkness, such as nightjars, owls, capybara, and caiman. You may choose to take the Twilight Rainforest excursion as an alternative.

Cocktails and buffet dinner in the dining room of the lodge's main pavilion.

Meals: B, L & D

Wake up early to observe the sun rise over the Madre de Dios River before a buffet breakfast with eggs, cereals, local fruits, and fresh bread. You will then gather in the Eco-Centre for your morning excursions. A five-minute boat ride takes you to the Canopy Inkaterra Interpretation Centre where you can ascend the first tower, 45 metres (150 feet) above the forest floor. Spend an hour and a half walking on the bridges that stretch between seven platforms, as you see giant strangler fig trees, orchids, toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, and with luck, monkeys or a three-toed sloth. Lunch

You will then embark on a 40-minute boat ride that takes you to the Tambopata National Reserve. Spend an hour-and-a-half walking the 3 km (1.8 mile) trail through the wildlife-rich reserve, and you will arrive at the breathtaking oxbow lake called Lake Sandoval. Here you will have an excellent opportunity to see the endangered giant river otter. Also residing in and around the lake are the rare red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anaconda, point-tailed palm creepers, and side-neck turtles. Return to the main lodge for cocktails and buffet dinner.

Meals: B, L & D

Enjoy a buffet breakfast before your morning's excursion to Concepción. A 10-minute boat ride upriver to Concepción, home to a botanical garden with more than 200 different species of plants. Spend one hour learning about the processes used and benefits gained by the traditional uses of flora. Walk for an hour to reach the natural collpas (clay licks), and learn about the many rainforest mammals and birds that consume this clay. After lunch, enjoy your excursion to Rolin Island where you will stroll for an hour, whilst learning about island ecosystems and seeing the presentation at the Primate Rescue Centre, home to three species of primate—the brown capuchin, white capuchin, and squirrel monkeys. With luck, you may see some of these endangered animals while enjoying a lecture about the measures being taken to protect them. Return to the lodge for cocktails and a buffet dinner.

Meals: B, L & D

After breakfast, check out of the lodge and return by boat to Puerto Maldonado, an hour and a half upriver. Visit the city's Butterfly Farm, unique in Peru where you can experience several dozen of the more than 3,800 varieties of butterflies and moths found in Peru. Assistance with your luggage, prior to boarding your flight to Lima. Arrival and transfer to the Marriott Hotel. Free evening.

Marriott Hotel  |  Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Iquitos. Arrival at approximately 5PM, collect your luggage and board the air conditioned bus for a scenic one and a half hour drive to the small village of Nauta, where your luxury vessel, the M/V Aqua lies at anchor. You will settle into your over-sized cabin. This fully air-conditioned cabin comes complete with panoramic glass windows. Open the curtain at the foot of your California king-sized (or separate singles) bed at night and count the constellations in a sky filled with brilliant stars. Your cabin also comes complete with a private bath, shower, 24 hour hot water, a hairdryer, and a basket of luxury toiletries. The fine Peruvian linens, with a high thread count will help you sleep very soundly after each day's excursion. All meals are prepared by Executive chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Lima's culinary stars who has created a menu that draws on both Peruvian and European influence. Wine is included with meals, giving you the opportunity to experience a range of the finest South American vintages. Over the next few days, you will sail along in total comfort over several tributaries of the Amazon River, as well as on the mighty river itself. A safety drill and briefing on the top deck, before the journey begins and you settle down to some fine dining on the Amazon River.

Meals: B & D

After a delicious breakfast, a jungle walk to the Yanallpa Lake in search of the "hoatzins," prehistoric birds which live in huge colonies. As we embark on the gentle hike, your guides will teach you orientation techniques used in the deep jungle. Return to the cruiser to enjoy a light lunch.

In the afternoon you will cruise the majestic Ucayali River, offering a chance to see and meet native balseros, or fishermen, who will demonstrate their skill and let you see their catch—including a type of "armored" catfish with a shell-like skin which they are taking to the market in the small village of Requena. We will also find a "banana balsero" raft, loaded with hundreds of clusters of bananas, drifting down the river to the market. Dinner is followed by a trip to the Sapote River where your guides will show you several types of caiman, members of the alligator family, along the fish-rich Sapote River. Chances are good that we will surprise other night-dwelling creatures as well. Retire for the night as the cruiser sails upstream on the Puinahua River.

Meals: B, L & D

After breakfast, a jungle walk near to the Hatum Posa Village. On this walk, your guides will introduce you to the native people involved in subsistence farming, and will tell you how they learned to cultivate wild plants and trees to earn farm income. Deep in the primary forest, your guides will also show you the wealth of fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the undergrowth. Return for lunch before the expedition continues onto the Pacaya River and Yanayacu Lake.

In the late afternoon, we will take a journey along the Pacaya River, journeying from Ranger Station No. 1 towards Yanayacu Lake, where you can view the abundant life that is hidden in the deep rainforest. You may see saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and the easy-to-spot heavy howler monkeys. As the sun sets, you will hear the loud, ferocious sounding warning signals made by howler monkeys marking their territories. When night falls, you will hear the more of the rainforest sounds as nocturnal animals send their shrill calls across the tree tops. We will use our special spotlight torches to locate night creatures, including, perhaps, huge caiman. Return for dinner aboard the cruiser. Tonight we will dock at the Ranger Station in the Pacaya Samiria National Park.

Meals: B, L & D

Continue the cruise along the Pacaya River.

Meals: B, L & D

Early breakfast before your guides will show you parrots, macaws, toucans, and many different types of monkeys in the area. We will also go to the dolphin feeding spots along Yanayacu Lake, where you will witness these delightful but rare freshwater mammals. We will then start our journey homeward sailing towards Iquitos whilst enjoying a light lunch. Your luggage will be collected from your cabins for transference to the bus, before disembarking at 12:40 and returning to the airport. En route, we shall visit this fascinating city, accessible only by air and river which comes complete with its famous house built by Gustave Eiffel, as Iquitos was once a rich center of the rubber industry. After the city tour, arrival to Iquitos airport, where we will assist with your check-in until your flight departure at 5.30 p.m. Arrival to Lima and transfer to your hotel, the Marriott.

Meals: B & L

After breakfast, embark on a private city tour of Lima including the cathedral, dating from 1654, the main square, which still houses the original bronze fountain built in 1650, and the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs. Known as the city of the kings, Lima was founded in 1535 by Pizarro and rebuilt in 1991, the same year that UNESCO declared it a world heritage site. One of the very few South American cities that preserve the colonial past, Lima was home to the Spanish viceroy during the time of the Spanish colonialists. The tour will include a visit to the residential areas of San Isidro and Miraflores, before stopping at Larco Mar to enjoy a view of the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Return to your hotel in Lima.

In the evening, transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: B