fbpx

Amazon Adventure and Machu Picchu

Program Overview

Journey into the one the world’s most remote regions on an 11-day Peruvian expedition that includes one night in the capital city of Lima, a three-night, guided Amazon River cruise, two nights in the lush Sacred Valley, two nights in colonial Cuzco and one unforgettable night at the majestic “lost city of the Incas” — Machu Picchu. Experience the natural beauty of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve and explore ancient Inca history on this incomparable itinerary.

Program Details

March 11 to 21, 2025 (Zafiro) March 25 to April 4, 2025 (Zafiro)
From approximately $8,695* plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Exclusive journey that captures the splendor of Peru, from pristine Amazon waterways to lofty Andean peaks, and delves deeply into its remarkable Inca heritage and rich cultural traditions.
  • Created in our tradition of innovative programming and educational travel.
  • Two specially arranged, guided visits to Machu Picchu.
  • Two UNESCO World Heritage sites — Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu and City of Cuzco.
  • An unforgettable, deluxe cruise in the Amazon rainforest within breathtaking Pacaya Samiria Natural Reserve, one of Peru's largest protected nature reserves, that abounds in extraordinary biodiversity. Revel in sightings of pink dolphins, sloths, bright toucans, river otters, iguanas, monkeys, caimans, colorful macaws and much more!
  • Lima Pre-Tour Extension and Cuzco Post‑Tour Extension.

Day 1 - Depart home city/Arrive Lima, Peru

Day 2 - Lima/Fly to Iquitos/Iquitos/Nauta/Embark Zafiro/Cruising Amazon Basin

Day 3 - Cruising the Amazon Basin

Day 4 - Cruising the Amazon Basin

Day 5 - Disembark boat/Iquitos/Fly to Lima/Lima/Fly to Cuzco/Cuzco/
Sacred Valley

Day 6 - Sacred Valley

Day 7 - Urubamba Valley/Machu Picchu

Day 8 - Machu Picchu/Cuzco

Day 9 - Cuzco

Day 10 - Cuzco/Lima/Return to home city

Day 11 - Arrive in home city

Zafiro

Exclusively Chartered Expedition Vessel

The deluxe Zafiro, specifically designed to navigate the Upper Amazon River and its tributaries, carries a maximum of 36 guests. This spacious yet intimate river boat offers a unique way to experience this fragile ecosystem of colorful wildlife, abundant flora, and Amazonian culture within the most extraordinary, remote, and untouched rainforest.
View Zafiro Deckplan >
Learn more about Jungles Experiences's vessels>

Hotels

Exclusive hotels have been specially selected to enhance your experience in each fascinating destination we visit. 

Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel  |  Lima

Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel  |  Sacred Valley

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel  |  Machu Picchu Pueblo

Plaza Mayor in Lima, Peru

Lima Pre-Tour Extension

The Peruvian capital of Lima provides the ideal two-night prelude to your expedition. The city’s UNESCO-inscribed historical center showcases colonial mansions amid modern architecture. Visit the 16th-century Cathedral of Lima, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are entombed. Tour the 17th‑century Church and Convent of San Francisco and discover the opulent Casa de Aliaga, built in 1535 as the residence of Don Jerónimo de Aliaga, co‑founder of Lima. This 16th-century gem is the oldest private house in continuous use in South America, spanning 17 generations. Enjoy two nights in the deluxe Miraflores Park Belmond Hotel.

Folklore dancing in Cusco, Peru

Cuzco Post-Tour Extension

Conclude your Peruvian expedition with two-nights in the UNESCO-inscribed city of Cuzco. As one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the western hemisphere, it retains examples of early Incan architecture as well as Spanish colonial structures. Visit the Inca ruins of Moray and the Maras salt terraces, known as the “salt of the Andes.” You will also enjoy an excursion to a local market with a cooking demonstration and lunch. Accommodations are in an ideally located, luxury hotel.

The Optional Extensions are available at additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

Ready to Begin Your Journey?

We'll contact you. No obligation.

Reserve My Spot

Program Itinerary

Day 1 Depart home city/Lima, Peru

Depart your home city for Lima, Peru, and arrive later that evening.

Transfer to the Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel, where you will check in for the night. Enjoy dinner on your own this evening. A Gohagan & Company representative will be available at the hotel hospitality desk to assist with restaurant recommendations.

Day 2 Lima/Fly to Iquitos/Iquitos/Nauta/Embark Zafiro/Cruising Amazon River

This morning you will check out of the hotel after breakfast and transfer back to the airport for your flight to Iquitos.

Enjoy a lunch at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Iquitos, which overlooks Plaza de Armas de Iquitos. You will then take a walking tour through this former rubber boom city, now the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon.

After the orientation tour, you will transfer to the port in Nauta, where you will embark the deluxe Zafiro. Attend a safety drill prior to departing, followed by a briefing by the team of expert naturalists, who will share their insight into this rich and complex ecosystem throughout the cruise.

Welcome Reception: Join your fellow passengers for a Welcome Reception this evening, followed by dinner on board the river boat.

Watch as civilization fades away, and the vast Amazon River unfolds before you.

Day 3 Cruising the Amazon Basin

Wake to a special treat as you disembark for a picnic breakfast served under the shade of a magnificent rainforest canopy. Watch for white‑necked heron and wattled jacana dipping into nearby shallow waters. Walk through this mysterious realm of soaring ceiba trees that reach as high as 200 feet, listen for endangered scarlet macaws chattering in the canopy, and watch for egrets, oriole blackbirds and purple gallinules.

After lunch on board, we will make another stop to meet an authentic local shaman, who will perform a traditional ritual and explain how the ribereños have used indigenous medicinal plants and herbs to cure ailments for centuries.

Return to the boat for dinner, followed by an expedition into the darkness of the jungle. Search for elusive nocturnal creatures — including caimans and bats — on a nighttime safari by skiff into the Pacaya‑Samiria National Reserve as a vast blanket of stars glow above you.

Day 4 Cruising the Amazon Basin

This morning after breakfast, you will embark on a fishing excursion in San José de Zarapanga — a virtually uninhabited portion of the Amazon. Skiffs will take you through the labyrinthine, Shiriyacu black water tributaries while the vessel’s naturalists point out animal and plant life rarely detected by the untrained eye. Then, try your hand at catching the famous red‑bellied piranha.

Return to the river boat for lunch on board as we continue cruising the Amazon back to Nauta.

This afternoon, we stop in a local village for a demonstration on how to prepare an Amazonian dish known as juanes, a regional favorite made of chicken and rice wrapped in banana leaves. From there, attend an enriching lecture to learn more about the Amazon culture you are experiencing before visiting another local river village. If you brought school supplies to share with the children, be sure to give them to your guide at this time.

Return to the boat for a final evening on board, where you will join the group on the deck to watch the last Amazon sunset as the band plays.

Farewell Reception: Attend a Farewell Reception and dinner on board this evening as night sets on the river.

Day 5 Disembark boat/Iquitos/Fly to Lima/Lima/Fly to Cuzco/Cuzco/ Sacred Valley

Enjoy one last breakfast on board before disembarking to transfer to the airport, making a stop to visit a handicraft market along the way. Fly from Iquitos back to Lima, where you will board your flight to Cuzco.

Check in to the Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel this evening and join the group for an included dinner. The rest of the evening is at your leisure.

Day 6 Sacred Valley

Enjoy a breakfast prepared from local ingredients at the hotel, followed by a morning at leisure.

Find a nearby spot for lunch on your own today before joining the group for an afternoon excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ollantaytambo, which contains ruins of a temple and fortress where Inca nobility fled when the Spaniards invaded Cuzco, waging some of their final battles here before the defeat of the empire. Located on the side of a mountain along the Urubamba River, this well-preserved archeological site includes remnants of lavish 15th century palaces built for the rulers of the time.

The tour continues with a visit to the workshop of renowned ceramics artist Pablo Seminario, a gallery and art center devoted to preserving the production techniques and designs of ancient Peruvian cultures.

Return to the hotel for a relaxing evening and dinner on your own.

Day 7 Urubamba Valley/Machu Picchu

Check out of the hotel after breakfast as we make our journey to Machu Picchu — the lost city of the Incas.

Travel to the rail station at Ollantaytambo and board the Vistadome train for a panoramic ride through Urubamba Valley to Aquas Calientes. Disembark the train and behold awe-inspiring views of this magnificent creation. Join the group for lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge, known for its innovative fusion dishes made with artisanal produce. Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the wonders of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu. Some believe the UNESCO-designated, 15th century citadel of Machu Picchu was the Inca civilization’s most stunning urban achievement, with stone walls, terraces and ramps that appear to have been naturally carved in the rock escarpments. The city was meticulously designed with an upper and lower part, which separated the residential and farm areas with a square uniting them. The role that this sophisticated urban sanctuary may have played in the Inca’s understanding of astronomy and agriculture remains a mystery. Abandoned when the Inca empire was conquered in the 16th century, Machu Picchu remained obscured from the outside world until Yale Professor Hiram Bingham literally stumbled upon it in 1911.

This evening, you will check in to the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, a luxurious respite from a day of touring. Set in the cloud forest on 12 acres, more than 200 bird species can be found on the property. A delicious dinner will be served for the group at the hotel.

Day 8 Machu Picchu/Cuzco

Wake for breakfast at the hotel and a morning at leisure.

You may opt to continue touring Machu Picchu or participate in one of the many natural history activities available in this spectacular area. Join the group back at the hotel for lunch and then return to the rail station for the Vistadome train ride back to Ollantaytambo and transfer back to Cuzco, where you will check in to a deluxe hotel.

Cuzco. The centuries-old city of Cuzco, former capital of the Inca empire, is situated high in the Andes at an elevation of 11,150 feet. Spaniards who conquered the empire in the 16th century kept its original structure intact but built Baroque churches and palaces over ruins of what was once a skillfully engineered urban center. Today, Cuzco is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the western hemisphere and retains fine examples of early Incan architecture as well as early Spanish colonial structures.

Dinner will be served at the hotel for the group with the rest of the evening at leisure.

Day 9 Cuzco

Following breakfast at the hotel this morning, prepare for a morning of excursions.

Your day begins with a tour of the Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park, a fortified Inca citadel and ceremonial site that dates to the 15th century. According to historical writings, construction of the sprawling complex of stone structures required the labor of an estimated 20,000 people working over a period of about 70 years. From there, you will continue to the heart of Cuzco for visits to the historic cathedral and ruins of Coricancha, known as the Temple of the Sun. This ornate religious complex was once considered the center of the Inca world.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant with the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Farewell Reception: Attend a Farewell Reception with fellow travelers this evening, followed by dinner on your own at a local restaurant of your choice.

Day 10 Cuzco/Lima

Wake to breakfast this morning at the hotel. If you have booked the Cuzco Post-Program extension, you will keep your Cuzco hotel room for the next segment of your trip. If you are returning home, you will transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima.

Arrive in Lima and enjoy day room accommodations at the Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel.

Later this evening, walk back to the airport for your overnight flight home.

Day 11 Return to home city

Arrive back in your home city.