Amak Lodge – Iquitos, Peru

Upon arrival into Lima International Airport, you will be met by our representative and private driver and will be transferred to your hotel. Our representative will assist you with check-in procedures and provide you with a detailed itinerary, vouchers covering all the services included in your tour and additional information on the organization of your Peru trip. You will also receive a contact information sheet with all the hotel details as well as our offices contact information for each city and a 24-hour emergency number.

Meals Included: None

Get ready for a busy morning, starting with a guided sightseeing tour to the most attractive and important sites in Lima, the “City of Kings”. The tour includes Lima’s Historical Center, passing by Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Cathedral and its Religious Art Museum (closed on Sunday and Saturday pm, Santo Domingo Convent is provided instead on these days) as well as San Francisco Monastery and its famous underground crypts known as the Catacombs.

Finally, visit the residential Districts of San Isidro and Miraflores, passing by the Huaca Pucllana, a Ceremonial and Administrative Center of the Lima Culture built in the II Century A.C. that the Incas considered as “Ñaupallaqta” or Sacred Town. Also visit El Olive Grove Park with olive trees brought from Spain in the XV Century, the Central Park of Miraflores and El Parque del Amor, or Peruvian Love Park.

The Love Park, located on the cliffs of Miraflores overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is a beautiful natural lookout, where you can see the waves of the Pacific rolling in towards the coast below and the Morro Solar in Chorrillos at a distance, with the coast extending further along the bay until the port of Callao. This is also the perfect spot for a romantic view of the setting sun in the late afternoon, right in front of you.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Start your day with breakfast it’s a big day ahead. The Museo Larco is housed in an exquisite 18th century vice-royal mansion, built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum’s galleries exhibit the finest and most magnificent gold and jewelry treasures from Ancient Peru and the renowned erotic collection, one of Peru’s most celebrated attractions.

Founded in 1926 and located in Lima, the Museo Larco holds the largest and most important archaeological collection of Ancient Peru in the world. Peru is known worldwide thanks to the legendary Inca Empire on the Andes Mountains; however, few are aware that this society existed only for the last 100 years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. The Museo Larco portrays to the visitor an engaging narrative, recounting 5000 years in the development of Peru’s pre-Columbian history; thus becoming the ideal means to understand and enjoy Ancient Peru. On the Museum’s terraces overlooking its vibrant and stunning gardens, find Museo Larco ́s Cafe restaurant, where one can savor the best of Peruvian and International cuisine. All in all, it’s accurate to say that to become fascinated by Peruvian history, the journey begins at Museo Larco!

Meals Included: Breakfast

Pick up from the hotel at 8:30 am the tour starts at historical Ayapua Museum Boat after the visit we will walk along the streets of Iquitos meeting some of the historical mansions of the rubber times in 1880's passing by the Plaza de Armas of Iquitos were we will meet the Iron House built by the French architect Gustave Eiffel. Nearby is the beautiful cathedral of Iquitos. After visiting the cathedral, we will walk along up to the Indigenous Cultures Museum where visitors learn about life and customs of each indigenous cultures. After our visit to the indigenous cultures museum we will walk to Pasaje Paquito where all the natural medicine and mysticism from the vast jungle produced for exportation and local use and visit some locations of the floating market of Belen. We will walk to palcazu street 3rd block where the van will wait for our last visit to the Indian market of San Juan 20 minutes away from downtown Iquitos going southwards.

Souvenirs and paintings can be bought here.

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast the adventure will begin having an encounter with turtles, manatees, monkeys, sloths and other species that have been rescued from illegal wildlife trade or a life in risky conditions. You will discover how they are rehabilitated and prepared in order to be released into their natural habitat, at the Centro de Rescate Amazónico – CREA (Amazon Rescue Center), which operates in the city of Iquitos. Then you will start your way to the Amak village. Our first stop will be towards one of the most exotic places in the jungle of Iquitos: Bellavista-Nanay port, where there is a colorful market offering the famous suri or Amazonian grub and the most curious native fruits. A must for all travelers who want to cross the Amazon River. Surrounded by exuberant vegetation and blue sky giving the appearance of a catalog photo, the fast-flowing and largest river in the world is very pleasing to the eye. A canoe, a peque peque (motorized canoe) and a large cargo ship are appearing on the scene, as if wanting to break the peacefulness of this natural wonder. However, there is nothing can distract you anymore. Sixty minutes later, you will be welcomed at Amak. Upon entering the maloca (ancestral long house used by the natives of the Amazon), which is used as a social area, you will be given a welcome drink and some indications for your stay. Then you can settle in the log cabins equipped with a bed covered with a mosquito net, a nightstand and a chair. You will not find more furniture. Remember that luxury is in the experience. The roof lets you see the trees and its huge windows allow you to have the feeling of being in the middle of the jungle, but without taking any risks.

You will taste the local gastronomy before starting our first exploration. Then we will get ready to sail on the Yanayaco (black river). Its black waters produce one of the most beautiful mirror effects, giving the sensation of being sailing in the clouds, which are reflected in its waters. The peace of this place is perfect to rest and make use of our homemade fishing rods. Let’s see if we catch any fish.

The sun falls while painting the multi-colored sky. The river reflection is also colored. The sunset is so intense that it seems to be dying everything in its path. We left the place with that photographic view. Again, we go back to earth.

Back to the village, you will follow the torches that shows the path to the dining room. The talented kitchen team that once again impressed with gourmet flavors from the Amazon fuses local products and innovative techniques. The after-dinner conversation will give you the time to remember the best times of the day, load tech devices and get ready to continue the adventure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The itinerary begins before sunrise. At four thirty in the morning, weather permitting, you will get outside to find birds and pink dolphins on board traditional small boats with a local guide, who recognizes the species just by listening to them from a distance. After an energizing breakfast, you will board another boat towards the Isla de los Monos (Monkey island), a completely green territory and inhabited by different primate species. Within its 450 hectares, there are more than 200 Andean saddle-back tamarins, bald uakaris and sloths in complete freedom. In addition, you will learn more about th ese species and you will be able to interact with the specimens recently arrived at this rescue center. Lunch is a separate experience. Local flavors and exotic products invade our palate and captivate us. Our kitchen team will impress you by reinterpreting classic recipes and surprising with signature dishes. However, the real protagonists are, once again, the native communities that produce the inputs. The result is not only pleasant for the dining companion but also for the economy of local people and the environment. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to explore the Amazon forest. The walk will allow you to appreciate its eco system and habitat. You can also see some dens of owl monkeys, leafcutter ant colonies and flock of herons. Weather permitting and depending on what nature wants to show you. The sun falls while painting the multi-colored sky. The river reflection is also colored. The sunset is so intense that it seems to be dying everything in its path. We left the place with that photographic view. Again, we go back to earth. At night, you can hear the monkeys and owls. The tour guides carry UV-light lanterns to guide you to tarantulas, scorpions and other species that wake up during sunset. By the end of the night, we can enjoy a dinner prepared at the campfire and we will invite you a drink to make more pleasant the night while a beautiful starry sky accompanies us. Use this moment for internet access or to leave loading your device in the maloca (ancestral long house used by the natives of the Amazon), which is used as a social area.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On our last day, we will travel in time. The indigenous people of Yagua will receive the foreigners in the midst of songs, dances and drums. It is fascinating to dance with the new generations inside a maloca (ancestral long house used by the natives of the Amazon), admire their art made with seeds, natural dyes and archaic techniques, as well as hear them speak in their native language, see them half-naked and with their skin painted. Despite its inhabitants no longer dress like every day, they struggle to maintain their authenticity. They teach to hunt as they did in the past, using huge blowguns, and paint the faces of travelers with achiote, as a welcome sign. The forest, which at times seems impenetrable, opens the doors to anyone who is willing to discover it. Upon coming back, the next stop will be at Chullachaqui, a small eco museum that owes its name thanks to the jungle elf, which according to the inhabitants of Iquitos can take any form, appear and charm you. The place exhibits unique species such as the prehistoric mata turtle, which reaches gigantic sizes like those of the Galapagos. Likewise, there are varieties of alligators, boas and other species rescued by Kevin, a young man from the community of Timicuro who started this project when he was only 18 years old. Back to the village we must have our entire luggage ready. Before leaving, you will once again be in front of one of the main attractions of the tour: our gastronomy. The tasty farewell will be the appetizer of the fluvial spectacle along the Amazon River, which has to be crossed in order to return to the airport a nd board your flight to Cusco. Flight Iquitos – Cusco: Many tout this flight path as one of the most spectacular scenic flights to be experienced anywhere in the world. During the course of the flight the major glaciated peaks of the Cordillera Vilcabamba and Vilcanota ranges can be seen, surrounded by an agricultural patchwork quilt of tranquil Andean fields and small hamlets (some of which we will explore in the coming days). The approach to Cusco Airport is unique in that it requires the pilot to make a sweeping 180-degree turn to enter the valley, providing a staggering panorama of the Inca city center.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

An English speaking guide to start your exploration on the way to the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba is located one hour from Cusco and is significantly lower in elevation, which aids the acclimatization process by allowing our bodies to adjust to the altitude more gradually. Today you will have the opportunity to visit Awanacancha, an Andean textile center whose key objective is to maintain the wealth of Incan textile art and keep their traditions alive. Awanacancha means “the palace of weaving” and as its name announces, it is all about textile production. Here we will learn about the dyeing techniques and instruments used for hundreds of years in the weaving of these famous textiles. You will walk along a thatched roof path and will watch and learn about the four different kinds of South American camelids: Huanaco, Llama, Alpaca and Vicuña. At the end of the path you will find weavers from over 12 communities from southern Peru who alternate exhibitions of threading, dying and weaving traditional Andean textiles, thus avoiding their identity loss. Then head to the town of Pisac, famous for its ruins which lie atop a hill at the entrance the valley and separated along the ridge into four groups: Pisac, Inti Watana, Q’allaqasa, and Kinchiraqay. Visit the Inti Watana group which includes the Temple of the Sun, baths, altars, water fountains, a ceremonial platform, and an inti Watana – a volcanic ritual stone used as an astronomic clock or Inca calendar to define the change seasons. The Incas constructed agricultural terraces on the steep hillside by hauling richer topsoil by hand from the lower lands, enabling the production of surplus food, more than would normally be possible at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet. The narrow rows of terraces beneath the citadel are thought to represent the wing of a partridge (Pisac), from which the village and ruins get their name. Continue to the Pisac Markets, which was the place of reunion for all artisans of the region to get together and exchange or buy and sell their products. Originally held only on Sundays, but due to the increase of tourism in the area during the XX century it became increasingly popular to the point that now it is held daily. It is a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world who don’t want to miss the opportunity of enjoying the colorful ambiance in this marketplace. This is an excellent chance to share the peasants’ customs closely with plenty of time to explore and even barter all the goods and crafts typical of the areas around Cusco. Leisurely roam through the textiles and souvenir sections of the market. A buffet lunch will be served in a country restaurant. After lunch we head to the Ollantaytambo Fortress to continue enjoying this spectacular building that in the time of the Incas. The end of the tour you can enjoy the town of Ollantaytambo while waiting to board your train that will t ake you to hot springs. At the indicated time one of our attendants will take you to the station to help you with your Check in.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

You will leave your hotel after breakfast and board a bus that will take you to the entrance gate of the citadel of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is one of the most-visited sites worldwide. Machu Picchu dazzles all who visit it with its beauty and mystery. You will follow in the footsteps of the ancient Incas as you explore this magical citadel along with your local and experimented tour guide. After the tour, you will stop at a local restaurant for a buffet lunch. Afterwards you will have a little time to explore the town of Aguas Calientes before boarding your train back to Cusco. Upon arrival at the station an assistant will be waiting for you to bring you back to your hotel in Cusco. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning you’ll enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Cusco, with your guide to the first ruin site (Tambomachay). As you walk to and visit each archaeological site, your guide will explain the history, architecture, and local traditions. The four sites are Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Q’enko, and Sacsayhuaman. After exploring the last ruin site, you will walk down to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco City. With examples of Inca history and architecture. Visit the city’s most important historical monuments that reveal the influence of different cultures: The Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral dating from Spanish vice-royalty times, built with great slabs of red granite renaissance style in contrast with the baroque sty le silver work of its interior and, the Santo Domingo church built upon the foundations of the Inca temple Qorikancha, dedicated to worship the Sun God.

Meals Included: Breakfast

After enjoying breakfast at your hotel. At the scheduled time you will be shuttled from the hotel to the airport to board your flight back to Lima. Our representative will assist you with check-in procedures and then to your connecting flight back home. We hope that you have enjoyed you stay with us and the fond memories of Peru.

Meals Included: Breakfast