Las Piedras River The Ultimate Rainforest Experince, for visitors that want to see abundant willife in the rainforest while enjoying a comfortable lodge and easy hikes. This destination takes you to a new, remote natural reserve. Enjoy the motor boat ride by huge river cliffs, tight meanders with river beaches, tumbling waterfalls and green canyons. Along the course you can expect to see ample wildlife.  Enjoy a special catamaran canoe tour of Lake Soledad and climb to a canopy platform to witness sunrise over the lake.

Cusco The ancient Incan capital was considered to be the "bellybutton of the world," by the Incans. This high mountain city blends colonial charm with Incan ruins.  Surrounded by the majestic Andes you will be amazed by the Incan stonework and the faces of the local native Quechuan population, walking with llamas and dressed as they were in Incan times. Nearby you visit the Inca's bath, Tambomachay and the mysterious semi-circular Kenko. You will be awestruck by the complexity and magnitude of the ancient fortress Sacsayhuaman. 

Sacred Valley Here you enjoy a stunning combination of Incan ruins, nature's majesty and Indigenous culture. Pisac, a beautiful terraced mountain, an Incan power point overlooking the picturesque market town with its narrow, Incan stone streets where the quechua people live and dress as they have for hundreds of years.  Enjoy Oyentaytambo a mountain fortress with a romantic history.

Machu Picchu “The lost City of the Incas.” This famous landmark never fails to impress!  Listen to your guide recount the many accomplishments of the Incas as you tour the ruins of towers, temples, and ceremonial baths.  Feel the wonder and mystery of the Incan culture.
 

Not Included in the Tour cost:

- International airfare to and from Lima, Peru
- Airport taxes
- Alcoholic  beverages,  tips, laundry service, Shopping, medical or travel insurance.

Day 2:  Lima - Puerto Maldonado
This day we take spectacular morning flight across the Andes to Puerto Maldonado. After arrival, we take a short drive  to the mouth of the Las Piedras River. Here our especially equipped motor-canoe awaits us. The 175km (110mile) river journey to the ARCC will take 6 hours, so just sit back and relax in your reclining seats and enjoy the beautiful Las Piedras scenery; huge river cliffs, tight meanders with river beaches, tumbling waterfalls and green canyons of pristine rainforest. Along the course you can expect to see red and green macaws, squirrel monkeys, spectacled caimans, side-necked turtles, capybaras, sunbittens, black skimmers, horned screamers, amazon kingfishers and many other tropical riverine birds. Your guide will serve you lunch, snacks and chilled drinks, as well as spotting birds and entertaining you with jungle stories. We arrive at the ARCC in time for you to settle into your bungalows before dinner - we specialize in delicious regional cuisine. After dinner there might be a topical lecture.

Day 3: Soledad Lake
Waken at dawn by the sound of roaring howler monkeys,  we leave in our special catamaran canoe for a tour of Lago Soledad; its serene setting, a perfect backdrop for observing the lake's abundant wildlife - notably the resident family of giant river otters, the Amazon's most enigmatic and playful characters, seen here daily. Howler, capuchin and squirrel monkeys are common around the lake edges, but the larger spider monkeys steal the show with their acrobatic performances. Bird life is also abundant and diverse; capped herons, tropical kingbirds, greater egrets, muscovy ducks, hoatzins, anhingas, sungrebes and wattled jacanas to name but a few.

After a leisurely breakfast we follow our guide on a forest trail to learn about the fascinating rainforest ecology, focusing on the fascinating lives of the leaf cutter and army ants. The rich fruit laden forests around Lake Soledad support the highest mammal densities; one can see up to 8 species of monkeys, huge herds of white-lipped peccaries, tapirs and macaws. Within the forest, bird diversity reaches its peak - sightings might include bluish-fronted jacamars, striated puff birds, cream-colored woodpeckers, rufous motmots or pale-winged trumpeters.  Truly a bird watcher's paradise!

In the afternoon we climb by a cable ladder to our canopy platform 35m (120 ft) up in the boughs of a huge ironwood tree. The climb is not for the faint-hearted and is physically hard work, but very well rewarded. The platform provides exciting views over the lake and surrounding rainforest canopy. Here one can see brightly colored tanagers, macaws, displaying toucans, passing monkeys or even the giant otters! After sunset we return to the lodge for dinner. A night walk will be offered to look for nocturnal owl monkeys, tree frogs, armadillos, giant crickets, bracket deer and tapir. 
 

Day 4:  Walking in the Rainforest
We rise before dawn to take a 20 minute motor canoe ride up-river to visit our nearest clay lick. We will watch the parrot and macaw spectacle from our innovative 12metre observation tower which is situated on top of the 40metre high clay lick cliff, providing breathtaking views over miles of rainforest canopy. The clay lick attracts mealy, yellow-crowned and blue-headed parrots, dusky-headed parakeets as well as chestnut-fronted and red & green macaws, who are attracted to eat clay to combat the toxins in their seed diet. The early morning backlighting provides stunning close-quarter views of parrots and macaws from our enclosed observation tower.

After a cooked breakfast served on the tower, we can walk our hilly terra firma trail, which is botanically distinctive - here brazil-nut and mahogany trees grow and one might see dusky-titi monkeys or with luck even the tiny rare emperor tamarins or secretive monk-saki monkeys.
In the afternoon your guide will lead you on a short ethno -botanical trail to learn about the fascinating traditional and medicinal uses of rainforest plants.  You might spot the saddle-backed tamarins or white-fronted capuchin monkeys. After which we head out to the shorter south end of Lake Soledad, the evening light perfect for watching birds, monkeys and the sunset. We can stay on the lake until the stars come out, to look for black caimans, some of which measure more than 4 meters; a rarity elsewhere. 
 

Day 5:  Macaws and Parrots Clay Lick
At dawn there will be options to revisit the lake for a last rendezvous with the Giant
Otters or a chance to climb to the canopy platform to witness sunrise over Lake Soledad and the surrounding rainforest canopy. After a hearty breakfast we have to leave for our journey down river. We will stop to visit our large Macaw clay lick, where up to one hundred gaudy red and green Macaws can be seen gathering in the surrounding tree tops, before going to down to feast on the clay. Arriving in Puerto Maldonado in the afternoon, you will have time to settle into the Wasai Hotel; the rooms have views of the wide Madre de Dios river and it's even common to spot three-toed sloth in the tree outside, also the warm evening is perfect to visit handicraft shops or just enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this friendly jungle town.
 

Day 6:  Puerto Maldonado - Cusco
Time permitting there maybe time to visit a local marsh, which was once an ox-bow lake, early morning bird watching is excellent and very easy.  From the marsh, we will drive to the nearby Puerto Maldonado airport where you will take your flight to Cusco City.  In the afternoon,  we go for  a city tour, visit the colonial cathedral, Santo Domingo, which is built on some of the most precise Incan construction. You will see many Incan and colonial constructions, the nearby  Inca's bath, Tambomachay and the mysterious semi-circular Kenko.  You will explore the ancient Sacsayhuaman. This amazing fortress of precisely fitted  giant stone was constructed by the Incas using some blocks which weigh more that 350 tons. The guide tells you about the mysterious Incas, their organizations, temples and palaces.  At night we have a typical dinner at  a local restaurant enjoying a folkloric music show while we eat. 
 

Day 7: Sacred Valley
In the morning we begin our drive along the curvy roads to the valley.  It takes about 40 minutes of spectacular scenery to arrive at  Pisac, an old mountain village.  From the mountain heights, we hike to the ruins, following an ancient Inca path which overlooks a cascade of terraces high above the valley and river below. We arrive at the ruins, buildings which reflect the most brilliant precision of the Incan stonemasonry.  We drive back down to the town center where we have time to browse the many colorful stalls. Vendors sell handicrafts ranging from fine alpaca sweaters and blankets to ornamental dishes, some of the finest pottery in Peru is found here,scattered amongst the native vegetables and breads in this colorful and diverse market.  Continuing through valley we arrive at Ollantaytambo, we hear the story of this Incan fortress and enjoy its old narrow stone streets lined with sunken aqueducts that still function to carry pure mountain water all year long.  In the afternoon we return to Cusco stopping by the village of Chincheros, this high Andean town is known for its quaint colonial church as well as its artesian textiles. Later we return to Cusco for a hot shower and dinner.
 

Day 8-9: Machu Picchu
Today we board our train for the scenic, three hour, zig-zagging journey into the lush Urubamba valley.  We arrive at the little village of Puente Ruinas where we will be spending the night in a comfortable hotel.  After we get situated, we go out to explore this wondrous cloud forest.  Later we enjoy the brilliant night sky while bathing in the natural hot springs. Early the next morning we will take the bus for the ascent to the sacred refuge of Machu Picchu, “the lost City of the Incas.” Here you can listen as your guide recounts the many accomplishments of the Incas as your tour the ruins of towers, temples, and ceremonial baths. After lunch you will have to time to enjoy the Incan citadel for yourself.  Later in the afternoon we take the train for our return back to Cusco.
 

Day 10: Cusco - Lima
Morning transfer to the airport to take the return flight to Lima, (this ends our Service) if your international flight is not connecting immediately, you can leave your personal items securely in the hotel without fee. There are many interesting places to visit in Lima, such as the Gold Museum or the Plaza Mayor de Lima, not included.