Family adventure in Peru

Arrival in Bogotá

Welcome to Lima, the capital of Peru and one of the most charming colonial cities in South America. As there is little time to spent here but so much to offer, you and your family may want to arrive a few days early to see all the sights, including the posh suburb of Miraflores, Central Park, and Parque de los Enamorados. Perhaps visit some of the many museums or take a short trip outside the city to visit Pachacamac, an impressive archaeological site.

On the first day of your tour, there will be a welcome meeting at the hotel at 5 p.m., after which you can meet the other families and the tour guide over an optional dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Amazon Rainforest

Take a flight to Puerto Maldonado via Cusco this morning where the mighty Amazon Rainforest awaits you. You will be given a small duffel bag to pack what you need for the next two nights, as your main luggage will not travel with you. It will be securely stored in the lodge's office in town. Hop on a motorised canoe and head upriver to your jungle lodge in the Madre de Dios area. Do not forget to look for wildlife along the way. Your lodge is eco-friendly, combining low-impact architecture with traditional native style. Rooms are simple but comfortable, with flush toilets (en- suite), showers (cold water only) and mosquito nets.

After checking into your accommodation, join your local guide for a 30-minute trek to your traditional Amazon archery lesson where you will discover how the local indigenous community makes and uses their bow and arrow. You and your family can try to reach the goals before heading back to the lodge for a hearty dinner. After dark we will return to the river by boat in search of alligators and other nocturnal creatures.

Hike to Lake Tres Chimbadas

Start the day with a great breakfast before embarking on a rainforest hike to Lake Tres Chimbadas. Look for colourful macaws, hoatzins, monkeys, and black alligators. If you are lucky, you might even see an endangered river wolf (otter). Return to the lodge to rest and have lunch. This afternoon you will visit a traditional medicine garden where the community shaman will introduce you to some plants that are used for healing. At the end of the visit, you and your family will have the opportunity to go to the laboratory and observe how the medicines are prepared. After dinner, your guide will take you on a walking tour in search of insects, amphibians, tarantulas, bats, birds, and (the shy) armadillo. Listen to the sounds of the rainforest and watch the stars peek through the trees.

Head to Cusco

Transfer by boat back to Puerto Maldonado this morning and collect your large bags. From here, take a flight to Cusco and arrive in the early evening.

Tonight's plans are up to you. You might like to take a walk around the delightful old city, visiting the Inca walls of the Plaza de Armas or some of the many fine churches around town, or grab dinner and relax with your new friends. Whatever you choose, be sure to take it slow as you adjust to the city's high altitude (3450 m).

Cusco

Take a walking tour of the city with your leader this morning. Along the way, you will meet a local musician who will show you and your family San Blas, the neighbourhood of artisans. Learn about the importance of music and art in Peruvian culture and history. Visit his home and try playing drums, strings, and traditional wind instruments. You will also be shown how to make and play your own zampoña, a traditional pan flute, which you can take home.

The rest of the day at leisure. Choose between heading to the local market and buying some pastries for a picnic lunch or if you are interested in brushing up on your knowledge of Peruvian history before visiting Machu Picchu, why not visit some of the great museums in Cusco? You will have a complete Tourist Ticket (tourist ticket), which means that you will be able to access the best attractions in the city. If you are still feeling creative, you might like to join an afternoon totem painting class, which your leader can organize for you. Otherwise, climb to the top of the Inca Pachacuti statue and enjoy views of the city.

Cusco to Pisac

Today we take a private transfer to the beautiful Sacred Valley. The first stop is Awanacancha, a South American farm, where you and your family can meet some of Peru's famous furry locals - llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. Next is the town of Pisac, a charming little town located at the base of an Inca fort.

Here you can find anything from handwoven alpaca sweaters to lavishly decorated Andean pottery. Later, you will visit a local community for a delicious lunch and then learn about ancient techniques of dyeing, spinning, and weaving of alpaca wool. After the weaving demonstration, we set out to explore the Inca ruins, which are spread out in the mountains above the city. We stay to spend the night in Pisac.

Aguas Calientes

Delve into the Sacred Valley and discover Ollantaytambo, which is 1.5 hours away by road. This is one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish. The Ollantaytambo archaeological site is located east of the Plaza de Armas. The upper terraces offer excellent photo opportunities of the square-grid city below. Once you have done some exploring here, you will take a midday train (2 hours) to Aguas Calientes, enjoying the beautiful Andean scenery along the way. In Aguas Calientes you can sleep early if you wish, in preparation for tomorrow's visit to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu

We will make a bus trip (30 minutes) early in the morning, to the impressive 'lost city' of Machu Picchu, arriving at 6 am. The site is perched high in the Andes, surrounded by a green cloud forest. Hidden on a ridge, Machu Picchu is invisible from below, so it is no wonder that it has remained a secret for so many years (until 1911). Your ticket grants access to the site for 4 hours.

Explore the upper terrace with your family first, then take a guided tour of the ruins with a local guide to learn more about these 200 houses and temples. According to Machu Picchu visiting regulations, all visitors must follow a pre-determined route within the site. This route must be followed in one direction only and once the guided visit commences exiting and re-entering the site is not permitted. Once the guided visit concludes, visitors must exit the site and personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted.

Take the bus back to the city and enjoy some free time for lunch and a look around. Take the train to Ollantaytambo and do the rest of the trip to Cusco by private transfer.

You may want to join your group for an optional farewell dinner.

Back Home

Today is your last day in Peru! You will be met at your hotel for a transfer to the Cusco Airport, where you will transfer to your international departure.