10-Nights Independent Peru Highlights With Peru's Amazon - Independent Tour from $3,519

Independent Peru Highlights With Peru's Amazon

Day 1: ARRIVE LIMA, PERU
Welcome to Lima, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.



Day 2: LIMA
Your included city tour focuses on Lima’s rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are sealed in a wooden coffin, and the Santo Domingo Convent, to see the relics of three famous Peruvian saints—Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, and San Juan Macias. The remainder of the day is free for independent exploration.

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INSIDER PICKS
This evening, you may choose to head over to a nearby park to witness the largest electronic water fountain complex in the world, certified by the Guinness Book of Records. You will enjoy a wonderful show of water, lights, music, and images.



Day 3: LIMA–CUSCO
Transfer to the Lima airport and fly to Cusco, high in the Andes, where you will be met by your Local Guide. Your private guided tour visits the cathedral in Plaza de Armas and Santo Domingo Monastery, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. It is said it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Take a short drive outside the city to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons. This is followed by the amphitheater of Kenko and the red fortress of Puca Pucara.

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Day 4: CUSCO–SACRED VALLEY
Today, enjoy a short drive into the Urubamba Valley, the legendary Sacred Valley of the Incas, for the lively market town of Pisaq, where you can browse colorful stalls offering handmade rugs, cozy alpaca sweaters, and locally crafted jewelry. At the far end of the valley, explore Ollantaytambo, renowned for its remarkably preserved Inca ruins and some of the finest stone masonry of the ancient empire.

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Day 5: SACRED VALLEY–MACHU PICCHU
Journey by train through the heart of the Sacred Valley en route to Machu Picchu, the legendary “Lost City of the Incas,” brought to global attention by American explorer, Hiram Bingham, in 1911. Enjoy a guided tour of this remarkably preserved citadel, where you’ll explore ancient temples, sacred dwellings, and an impressive mile-long aqueduct system.

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Day 6: MACHU PICCHU–SACRED VALLEY–CUSCO
A morning at leisure allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins. Return to Cusco by train for a free evening to explore this historic city on your own.

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Day 7: CUSCO–PUERTO MALDONADO
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios and the gateway to Peru’s Amazon Jungle, where you’ll be warmly welcomed by a Globus representative. Continue by motorboat along the Madre de Dios River, keeping an eye out for exotic wildlife along the riverbanks. Upon arrival at your Amazon Jungle lodge, meet your naturalist and settle in before heading out on a guided nature walk through the rainforest, learning about both primary and secondary jungle ecosystems. As dusk falls, enjoy a peaceful canoe ride, discovering the wonders of the Amazon River environment, the behavior of nocturnal animals, and the brilliance of the southern constellations overhead.

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Please note:
The itinerary in the Amazon is subject to favorable weather conditions and water levels. When conditions are unfavorable, alternative accommodations and excursions will be provided.



Day 8: PERU'S AMAZON
Begin your day with a naturalist-guided walk into the Tambopata National Reserve, followed by a peaceful journey by dugout canoe across Lake Sandoval, a stunning oxbow lake teeming with life. Learn about the reserve’s conservation efforts while watching for remarkable wildlife, including endangered giant river otters, blue-and-yellow macaws, red howler monkeys, and black caimans. This afternoon, experience the rainforest from a thrilling new vantage point on a canopy walkway soaring 100 feet above the forest floor, where you may spot white-throated toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, squirrel monkeys, and even the elusive three-toed sloth. After nightfall, venture out once more as your naturalist introduces you to the fascinating nocturnal creatures of the Amazon.

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Day 9: PERU'S AMAZON
Discover the rich traditions and natural wonders of the Amazon with a visit to a botanical garden, where you’ll learn about the region’s medicinal plants and their traditional uses by local communities. Continue to the Brazil Nut Cabin to explore the history, socioeconomic importance, and everyday uses of this iconic Amazonian resource. Later, relax on a paddle boat ride in a dugout canoe as you glide across an oxbow-shaped lagoon, or cocha, taking in the clay-colored waters and lush scenery while spotting hoatzins, flycatchers, and gray-necked woodrails—perhaps accompanied by the distant calls of red howler monkeys. Along the way, admire the partially submerged remains of the historic steamboat Contamana from the film, Fitzcarraldo, and uncover its fascinating story. This afternoon, visit a clay lick, observing wildlife discreetly from a blind as animals go about their natural routines without disturbance.

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Day 10: PUERTO MALDONADO–LIMA
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Lima and transfer to your hotel upon arrival.

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Day 11: LIMA
Your vacation ends after breakfast this morning.

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