Classic Machu Picchu and Manu Wildlife Center
11 Days/10 Nights
From $3,859 per person
(Dbl. Occupancy, Not Incl. Airfare)
Overview
On this amazing tour of Peru, you will travel to the Andean capital of Inca civilization and to the Amazon Basin. You will begin in Lima, the capital city, and continue on to Cusco, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and Machu Picchu, where you will stay overnight. After experiencing Peru’s culture and history, you will appreciate its biodiversity in Manu Wildlife Center. Located in a private rain forest reserve just outside Manu Biosphere, it offers abundant wildlife, tapir and macaw clay licks, and two canopy towers.
Lodging and Meals: This tour includes accommodations for 10 nights (3 nights in Lima, 3 nights in Cusco, 1 night in Machu Picchu, and 3 nights at Manu Wildlife Center), and 19 meals (10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 4 dinners).
Best Time to Go: April-October.
Destinations: South America and Peru.
Interests: Adventure, Culture & History, and Wildlife Viewing.
Places Visited: Lima, Cusco, The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Puerto Maldonado & the Southern Amazon.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Lima.
Day 2: Lima-City Tour.
Day 3: Lima-Cusco-City Tour.
Day 4: Cusco-Sacred Valley-Awanakancha-Pisac Market-Ollantaytambo.
Note: The Indian market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from October to March, and daily from April to September. On the days of the week that the market is not open, you will be taken to the Inca ruins above the village.
Day 5: Cusco-Machu Picchu.
Day 6: Machu Picchu-Cusco.
Note: Hiking Huayna Picchu requires a permit. To ensure availability, we recommend purchasing the permit at the time of booking.
Day 7: Cusco-Puerto Maldonado-Santa Rosa Village-Boca Colorado Village-Manu Wildlife Center.
After dinner, there will be an enchanting night walk along the trails, in search of the nocturnal birds and animals of the rainforest. Overnight at Manu Wildlife Center. (B,L,D)
Day 8: Manu Wildlife Center-Macaw Clay Lick-Canopy Tower and Tapir Clay Lick.
Later, you continue to explore and discover the rainforest, its lore and plant life, on the network of trails surrounding the lodge, arriving in the late afternoon at the 34 m/112 ft. Canopy Tower. On its platform you witness the frantic rush-hour activity of twilight in the rainforest canopy, before night closes in. Then you set off along the “collpa trail”, which will take you to the lodge’s famous Tapir clay lick. Here at the most active tapir lick known in all the Amazon, research has identified from 8-12 individual 600-pound Tapirs who come to this lick to eat clay from under the tree roots around the edge. This unlikely snack absorbs and neutralizes toxins in the vegetarian diet of the Tapir, the largest land animal of Latin America. The lick features a roomy, elevated observation platform 5 m/17 ft. above the forest floor. The platform is equipped with freshly-made-up mattresses with pillows. Each mattress is covered by a roomy mosquito net. The 10 m long, elevated walkway to the platform is covered with sound-absorbing padding to prevent your footsteps from making noise. This Tapir experience is unique and exciting because these normally very shy creatures are visible up close, and flash photography is not just permitted, but encouraged. The hard part for modern city dwellers is to remain still and silent anywhere from 30 minutes to two or more hours. Many prefer to nap until the first Tapir arrives, at which point your guide gently awakens you to watch the Tapir 10-20 m/33-66 ft.) away below the platform. Most people feel that the wait is well worth it in order to have such a high probability of observing the rare and elusive Tapir in its rainforest home. Overnight at Manu Wildlife Center. (B,L,D)
Day 9: Manu Wildlife Center-Oxbow Lake-Wildlife Trails.
Among the bushes near the waterline, Hoatzins, which look like rust-colored, punk chickens, announce their presence with distinctive, bizarre wheezing and grunts. Woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, toucans and parakeets all finally come swooping in to trees surrounding the lake. Many of them roost around the lake for the night. After lunch at the lodge your guide is available to lead you on freewheeling expeditions in search of further wildlife encounters, or you may take one of the lodge’s many trails on private and personal excursions to commune with the spirits of the rainforest. From the late afternoon until after Dinner, there is an opportunity to search for caiman and other nocturnal life along the riverbank by boat (If the level of river allows it). Overnight at Manu Wildlife Center. (B,L,D)
Day 10: Manu Wildlife Center-Cusco-Lima-Folkloric Dinner Show.
Day 11: Lima.
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
A Note About Your Free Day in Machu Picchu
On your free day, you will be on your own. If you choose to revisit Machu Picchu, you will need to purchase a second entrance ticket, which currently costs $74 per person. If you are staying in Aguas Calientes, you will also need to purchase a round-trip bus ticket ($28 per person) for transportation to the site. The first bus departs at 5:30 AM. As an alternative to visiting Machu Picchu again, you can hike Huayna Picchu (a +/- 60 minute hike), or partake in another activity. The cost for hiking Huayna Picchu is $13 (in addition to the second entrance ticket). At the end of the day (mid-late afternoon), you will walk to the train station for the return ride to Poroy train station, where our local representative will be waiting for you to take you to your hotel in Cusco.
What's Included
Price Includes
- South American Vacations’ expert pre-departure planning services and documentation.
- Airport/hotel transfers including baggage handling.
- Hotel accommodations including taxes and service charges.
- Excursion to Machu Picchu including overnight stay and transportation via Vistadome train.
- Other excursions as indicated on the itinerary including all applicable entrance fees.
- Meals as indicated on the itinerary.
- Local, English-speaking tour guides.
Price Does Not Include
- International airfare.
- Domestic airfare ($500).
- Meals not indicated on the itinerary.
- Gratuities to tour guides, drivers, and hotel staff.
- Gifts and personal items.
- Travel insurance.
We will be happy to quote the cost of international airfare and travel insurance and to make these arrangements for you.
Accommodations
Lima
Cusco

3 Star – Casa Andina Classic Cusco Plaza

4 Star – Hotel Novotel Cusco

5 Star – Libertador Palacio del Inka

Deluxe – Hotel Monasterio
Machu Picchu

3 Star – El Mapi Hotel

5 Star – Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Deluxe – Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge
Manu
Additional Details
Group Private: All transfers are private, and the city tours of Lima and Cusco, Sacred Valley of the Incas excursion, and Machu Picchu guided tour are group tours for single passengers and 3 Star accommodations, and private for 4 Star, 5 Star, and Deluxe accommodations. All Manu Wildlife Center services are operated in small groups.
Elevations: Cusco is 10,912 feet (above sea level), the Sacred Valley of the Incas is 8,944 feet, and Machu Picchu is 7,900 feet.
Acclimatization: In order to acclimatize to the higher altitude of Cusco, we suggest that you travel first to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. If you are interested in this option, which would add one day to your tour, please ask your travel counselor to provide you with an itinerary.
Passport/Visa: U.S., Australian, Canadian, and EU citizens require a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry and return ticket for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries are advised to contact the Peruvian embassy in their country before traveling.
Travel Insurance: In order to protect your travel investment from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. We offer Allianz Travel Insurance’s Classic and other plans. The Benefits and Coverage Limits are summarized on our Travel Insurance page. Call your travel counselor if you have any questions or to purchase a plan.
To Book This Trip: We require a non-refundable deposit of $500 per person plus the cost of airfare (if we make the arrangements for you). The balance of the trip cost is due 60 days prior to departure.
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