Peru
Lofty, Andean Peru, one of South America’s most diverse countries is home to the famous ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu. Imprint will certainly take you there along with other Incan sites of the Sacred Valley and Cuzco. However, Peru provides so much more! Imprint will take you to an ecolodge in the Amazon basin as well as present an array of culinary opportunities that Peru offers. For those wishing to extend, we’ll fly over the mysterious petroglyphs of the Nazca Lines.
Day 1 Lima
Meet/Dinner/Magic Waters fountain show
Welcome to Lima, the “City of Kings”. We kickoff our Peruvian adventure this afternoon when we gather in our hotel for our usual get-acquainted meeting. We’ll have our first Peruvian dinner together before visiting the spectacular Magic Water circuit in historic Reserve Park. We’ll see the impressive fountains, including the Tunnel of Surprises, the Labyrinth of Dreams, the Fountain of Life, the Fountain of Illusion, the Magical Fountain, and the Fountain of Fantasy.
Hotel Antigua Miraflores (1 night) http://www.antiguamiraflores.com/
Day 2 Amazon
Canopy Tower
After breakfast in Lima, we board our flight to Puerto Maldonado (flight included), gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. We’ll continue by bus and motorized canoe to our rain forest lodge. An afternoon walk brings us to a 42m observation tower for far-reaching views and bird spotting. Upon our return, we settle in for dinner to discuss the day’s events and wildlife encounters.
Posada Amazonas Lodge (3 nights) https://www.perunature.com/amazon_lodge/posada-amazonas/
2025 Tour: Hacienda Concepcion Lodge (3 nights) https://www.inkaterra.com/inkaterra/inkaterra-hacienda-concepcion/the-experience/
Day 3 Amazon
Oxbow Lake; Jungle Walk
Wake at dawn to the sounds of birds and the spectacular howler monkey. After breakfast, we’ll travel by boat to Oxbow Lake for an aquatic wildlife safari. Past tours have seen many birds, including colorful macaws and parrots; giant river otters; caiman; and fished for piranha. In the afternoon, we’ll venture out on a jungle walk, keeping an eye out for wildlife while learning from a local guide about the many resources the Amazon provides.
Day 4 Amazon
Clay Lick; Nocturnal Walk
This morning’s activity is a short hike to visit the clay lick. From a nearby camouflaged observation spot, we hope to see dozens of parrots and macaws descend to ingest the clay on the river bank. In the evening, we’ll take a nocturnal jungle walk to learn about how wildlife operates at night.
Day 5 Sacred Valley
Today is primarily a travel day. After breakfast our motorized canoes speed us back to Puerto Maldonado. An afternoon flight delivers us to Cuzco (flight included) in the heart of the Andes Mountains. From there we will take a scenic bus ride to the Sacred Valley, treasured for its climate, fertile land, and the Urubamba (Sacred) River, where we will settle in for our Andean experiences. Our Sacred Valley accommodation is above 9,000 feet, so we will have a relaxed, free evening to acclimatize.
Intipunku Sacred Valley Hotel (2 nights) https://www.intipunku.pe/en/valle-sagrado
Day 6 Sacred Valley
Ollantaytambo; Village lunch
After breakfast we will visit the ancient Incan site of Ollantaytambo. Then we’ll visit a nearby indigenous community for our cultural connection experience. We’ll learn about the local lifestyle, traditional farming techniques, textile making, and share a home-made lunch with our hosts.
Day 7 Aquas Calientes
Machu Picchu
This morning we'll take a train to Aguas Calientes, taking in gorgeous Andean scenery along the way. In the afternoon we’ll have our guided visit to Machu Picchu, the impressive Lost City of the Incas. Our guide will share with us the most important sights and theories surrounding one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We’ll finish the day with time for photography before returning to our hotel.
El Mapi by Inkaterra Hotel (2 nights) https://www.inkaterra.com/byinkaterra/el-mapi-hotel/the-experience/
Day 8 Aquas Calientes
Machu Picchu
Today we make a morning visit to Machu Picchu again to explore on your own. Photograph the site in morning light, pet a llama, or climb one of the two accessible peaks (Huayna Picchu or Montaña Machu Picchu; advance permits required) for spectacular views. Even if you choose to forgo the more strenuous hikes, you can visit the Sun Gate or The Inca Bridge. Your afternoon and evening are free.
Day 9 Cuzco
Beer tasting
After two days admiring the amazing Machu Picchu, it’s time to move on to Cuzco, a fascinating combination of Incan and Spanish cultures. This colonial gem, surrounded by the high Andes, is always a tour highlight and a grand place to wrap up our tour. Our guide will give us an orientation to the city before we participate in a craft beer pairing, sampling 6 craft beers with a selection of local snacks.
Sonesta Cuzco Hotel (2 nights) https://en.sonestacusco.com
Day 10 Cuzco
Sacsayhuamán; Q’enqo
This morning we will start by visiting the huge Inca ceremonial center of Sacsayhuamán. This archeological site is shaped like a puma head and is indeed awe inspiring. Later, we’ll visit another important Inca site known as Q’enqo, a place of subterranean passages and carved stone channels. Its inner sanctuary contains a carved stone table where it is said the Incas mummified their dead. Tonight we’ll gather for our final Peruvian meal together, sharing tales of our adventure.
Day 11 Tour Over
Tour over after breakfast. Imprint will assist with airport transfer arrangements.
[Itinerary details & hotels subject to change]
Pre-Tour Nazca Lines Extension
Day 1 Lima
We’ll gather in our Lima hotel for a Happy Hour and extension briefing.
Hotel Antigua Miraflores (1 night) http://www.antiguamiraflores.com/
Day 2 Paracas
Nazca Lines flight
After breakfast we’ll depart Lima in a private bus for the town of Paracas where we will check-in to our hotel. From there we will drive to nearby Pisco airport to fly over the Nazca Lines (flight included). Buckle up and get ready to be amazed by the magnificent symmetry and scale of the ancient designs made by the Nazca people. The questions surrounding the Nazca Lines enigma continue to go unanswered. Some suggest they are an ancient solar calendar, others that the Lines act as ritual pathways for religious processions, and still others believe it was just a way of asking the gods for water. It will be up to us to decide for ourselves. Once on the ground again we’ll settle into our hotel and have dinner together.
San Agustin Paracas Hotel (1 night) http://www.hotelessanagustin.com.pe/es/hoteles/paracas/
Day 2 Paracas/Ballestas Islands/Lima
Ballestas Islands excursion
In the morning we will walk to Paracas harbor where we board a boat bound for the Ballestas Islands. As we motor to the islands we’ll see the famous figure known as The Candelabra, an enigmatic ancient design etched on a coastal hillside. We’ll learn the most popular theories about its origins and take a few photos. An amazing variety of marine life inhabits the Ballestas, including 200+ types of migratory birds. The Islands also shelter the shy Humboldt penguin and plenty of sea lions. Once back to the harbor, we board our bus and head back to Lima in time to kick off the regular tour.
[Extension itinerary details and hotels are subject to change.]
What’s Included:
10 night’s accommodation; All breakfasts, 7 dinners, 3 lunches; All tour transport (bus, van, plane, boat); All tips (guide, tour director, local guides, drivers, boat captains, group meals, hotel staffs); Full-time services of a Peruvian tour manager and Imprint escort, local guides; All entrances: Machu Picchu (2), Sacsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Ollantaytambo; All activities: Magic Waters, Canopy Tower, Oxbow Lake, night walking safari, clay lick, community visit, beer tasting, and more.
Nazca Extension: 2 nights accommodation; 2 breakfast, 1 dinner; 1 lunch; bus transport from/to Lima; All tips; Full-time services of Peruvian tour manager and Imprint escort, local guide (Ballestas); overflight Nazca Lines, Ballestas Islands excursion.
Important Exceptions:
Tour participants are responsible for the cost of drinks, free-time sightseeing & meals, expenditures of a personal nature, and flight baggage overage fees.
