Peru & the Amazon: Cusco to Lima
6 days, Cusco to Lima
Itinerary
Day 1Cusco: Capital of the Incas
Feel the energy of Cusco as you wander the cobblestone streets past the mix of Spanish colonial-style architecture and Inca stonework. We welcome you to Peru, a diverse land of natural beauty and traditional cultures and we invite you to open yourself to curiosity and wonder as you embark on this adventure to the Amazon and beyond.
Arrive to Cusco at any time and transfer to the hotel. Meet your fellow group members at the welcome meeting in the evening and get all the important information about the adventure ahead. Afterwards, head to a nearby restaurant for a delicious welcome dinner with new friends.
Arrival Transfer
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Join the group for a local meal afterwards. 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.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Novotel Cusco Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
DinnerDay 2Cusco: Your OMG Day
The options of what to do in Cusco are seemingly endless, and today you'll get the choice to approach the day on your terms. Take to the trails on a hike outside of the city past ancient ruins with sweeping views of the city or stay local to dig deeper into the history and the delicious local cuisine as well as learn how to prepare some dishes at a cooking class.
Choice of activity in the morning, both options including lunch. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening to choose from one of the many great restaurants, or join the CEO at their local favourite.
Your OMG Day: Hike to Templo de la Luna or Historical & Culinary Tour of Cusco
Option 1: Begin the day with a hike to Templo de la Luna and Inkilltambo Ruins with a picnic lunch. The hike is around 14km (9 miles) and typically takes 3.5 hours to complete. There will be around 632m of elevation gain on this hike. This Inca site with a quechua name has tombs, irrigation channels, ceremonial places, and Andean terraces used for both ceremonies and architecture.
Option 2: Visit Koricancha in the heart of Cusco and learn about it's importance to the Inca Empire. From this landmark you will visit the San Pedro market to select ingredients for the cooking class which will take place before an included lunch of your creations.
Free Time
Enjoy a free afternoon and evening in Cusco. Spend time exploring before getting dinner on your own at one of the many great restaurants in the city.
Optional Activities - Day 2 HideShow
Inka Museum
10PEN per personGet ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.
Cusco Tourist Ticket
130PEN per personThis ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Accommodation
Novotel Cusco Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 3Amazon Jungle: Rainforest Wilderness
The Amazon has sparked the imagination for as long as curious travellers have known about it, conjuring up images of lush green vegetation and exotic wildlife. The biodiversity of plant and animal life is staggeringly varied, and the cultural traditions of those who live here have thrived along the rivers and from living off of the land.
Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and continue by boat upriver to the jungle lodge, your base of exploration by boat and on foot for the next couple of days. Local community members make up the majority of lodge staff, including multilingual naturalist guides. Take the opportunity to learn about the area’s rich flora and fauna and locals' extensive use of medicinal plants and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques for building, fishing, and hunting.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Motorized Canoe
Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
Free Time
Take advantage of free time this afternoon to relax and settle in to your lodge in the Amazon. Dinner will be served this evening in the cozy eating area.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerYour OMG StayRefugio Amazonas Lodge
Day 4Amazon Jungle: In Search of Wildlife
Awake to the sounds of the forest, hearing tropical birds and animals moving through the canopy above you, and maybe the eerie call of a howler monkey in the distance. You never know what you might see on any given occasion which is part of the adventure, and the anticipation adds to the excitement as new and incredible animals, birds and plants could be spotted around every corner or bend in the river.
Head out early to catch the jungle at its wildest (and coolest). Walk slowly through the forest searching for wildlife before heading out on an oxbow lake by canoe. Search for anaconda, the elusive giant river otter, or black caiman. Even if you don't spot these shy creatures, there are plenty of other birds, interesting plants, and other animals about.
Jungle Excursions
Enjoy visits to oxbow lakes to learn about the jungle and its inhabitants. Be introduced to the area’s rich flora and fauna by expert naturalist guides, who can teach extensive uses for medicinal and other forest plant resources through traditional techniques. Be prepared to go early morning or evening to avoid the heat of midday. Enjoy a leisurely pace – the trip requires some walking, but nothing too strenuous.
Caiman-Spotting Cruise
Head out after dark by motorized canoe to search for caimans on the river banks. Enjoy a lesson on caimans from the expert guide. Take advantage of the keen eyes of the expert naturalist guides – they are truly spectacular at spotting these elusive smaller cousins of alligators hiding on the muddy banks.
Free Time
Spend time around the lodge or go further afield. Free time can be used to explore any way you want.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerYour OMG StayRefugio Amazonas Lodge
Day 5Lima: Back to the coast
By now you willl have realized just how incredibly diverse Peru is, both culturally and geographically, from the mountains to the jungle and to the desert coastline. Equally as diverse and delicious is the regional food, highlighted and concentrated in Peru's capital city of Lima, which has become a hotspot on the global food map and with good reason. Celebrate the old and new over a final dinner with your travel companions next to an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of the city.
Return to Puerto Maldonado for the flight to Lima. Stop to Visit the bohemian neighbourhood of Monumental Callao on the way to Miraflores from the airport and enjoy a farewell dinner next to the ruins of Huaca Pucllana.
Your Foodie Moment: Dinner at Huaca Pucllana
Enjoy a delicious Peruvian meal next to an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of Miraflores.
Motorized Canoe
Climb in and move swiftly through the water to the next stop.
Plane
Take a van from the pier to pick up stored luggage before heading to the Puerto Maldonado airport. A private vehicle will be waiting to take the group to the Lima hotel.
Accommodation
Jose Antonio Deluxe Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 6Lima
Today your adventure comes to an end, but the memories made during your time in Peru will live on.
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Meals included:
BreakfastYour OMG Stay
A false wall in the rooms keeping you close to the jungle 
The first rays of light hit the lobby area 
The entrance hall of the lodge at night
Refugio Amazonas Lodge
Tambopata, Peru
2 nights (Day 3 - 4)
The Refugio Amazonas Lodge is located deep in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, right next to the the Tambopata Natural Reserve. Only accessible by boat, it is the ideal place to go on wildlfe-spotting excursions and to learn about the jungle's incredible diversity.
Why we love this stay
- A "false" wall in each of the comfortable rooms, getting you closer than ever to the rainforest
- Climb a canopy tower, which is the perfect vantage point to spot tropical birds
- Delicious food, tropical fruits and juices at every meal from local ingredients