Amantani 1 (La Paz to Lima)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive La Paz

Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights. La Paz is the highest capital city in the world at 3,636 metres. Built on a series of hills and considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities, La Paz is built in the basin of a canyon with the snow-capped Mount Illimani in the background. Our hotel is very centrally located and is just around the corner from the city’s colourful Indian street markets including the fascinating and suitably named "witches market’’, where women in bowler-hats and colourful flared skirts sell such items as dead cats and llamas foetuses said to ward off evil spirits. The main square, Plaza Murillo, is also within walking distance. The square still retains its colonial buildings including the Presidential Palace. La Paz is possibly the best place to experience a traditional peña show of Andean music and dance where local bands play time-honoured instruments such as zampoñas (pipes) and charangos (ukulele). As La Paz is at altitude, it is a good idea to arrive at least one day before the start of the tour to rest and acclimatise. There are also many optional excursions available depending on how long you spend in La Paz before the tour. A popular excursion is the Moon Valley with its strange rock formations shaped by the weather or you can take in the incredible views from Mount Chacaltaya and the world's highest ski resort at 5,221 metres. Another fantastic excursion is to Coroico, the gateway to the Bolivian jungle region and a great place to see sub-tropical vegetation and plants. En-route you will cross a 5,000 metre high pass before descending to 1,300 metres on narrow mountain roads bordered by sheer drops. The excursion to Coroico can also be done by mountain bike, as it is downhill nearly all the way and very exhilarating, but not for the fainthearted!

Day 2 to 3

La PazPuno

A scenic route from La Paz takes us past the snow-capped Cordillera Real Mountain range to the right and across the Altiplano (high plain). We drive through adobe villages on dirt roads before visiting the celebrated ruins of Tiahuanaco. These date back as far as 1,600 BC and are renowned for the Gate of the Sun, an underground temple, plus the Acapana Pyramid and its six magnetic pillars. Onto the border town of Desaguadero, here we will change money as we cross into Peru. We’ll drive around the southern end of the beautiful Lake Titicaca to the market town of Puno.

Day 3 to 4

Puno -Amantani & Taquile Islands

We visit the floating reed islands in the Bay of Puno to see the Uros Indian’s way of life and you can ride in a traditional reed boat (optional) before continuing our boat journey to the island of Amantaní. Here we enjoy the hospitality of the native Aymara/Quechua Indian families and sleep in their homes for the night. The next morning we visit Taquile, where the men stand around knitting distinctive woollen hats while the women work the fields. You can buy some of these unique handicrafts in the local co-operative shops. After lunch we board our boat for the return journey to Puno. We’ll arrive in time to visit the colourful market, arguably the best place to barter for an alpaca sweater.

Day 5 to 6

Cuzco

Continuing on we pass through bustling Juliaca, with it’s abundance of tricitaxis (bikes with trays on the front for cargo, human or otherwise). This town’s economy is founded on smuggling! We travel along roads abundant with herds of llamas, alpacas and vicuñas and head over the Altiplano (high plain). At the highest point, the La Raya pass at 4,321 metres, we will see a research station for high altitude animals. Our journey takes us past hot mineral pools, snow capped mountains and through villages where the Indians sell food, fur hats and alpaca sweaters. The landscape gradually becomes greener as we get closer to the former Inca capital of Cuzco, which means ‘navel of the earth’ in the Inca language of Quechua. This enchanting city has a mostly indigenous population of around 300,000 people. This evening those who are trekking to Machu Picchu will have a briefing to prepare for the next few days and there will be an early departure the following morning.

Day 6 to 9

Inca Trail (or free time)Cuzco

Please ask your agent or download our ‘Inca Trail Information Sheet’ or ‘Lares Trek Sheet’ for a day to day itinerary of your trek. The Lost City of Machu Picchu was originally completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs. Located high above the fast flowing Urubamba River, the cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation that will simply take your breath away. The ruins were only discovered by the outside world in 1911, when American explorer Hiram Bingham found them while looking for another “lost city” called Vilcabamba. Due to their isolation many of the buildings are still quite intact and you can’t help but admire Huayna Picchu (“Young Mountain”), which towers above the ruins. It is a hard climb to the top of the mountain (it takes about 50 minutes) but you are rewarded with spectacular views over the whole site.

Day 10 to 11

Cuzco

You now have a free day to explore the sights of Cuzco, which is centred around the Plaza de Armas, dominated by the Cathedral and La Compañia de Jesus Church and its cloistered arcades house many fine restaurants, bars and shops. Cuzco has a number of very interesting churches to explore, such as the cathedral which houses nearly 400 colonial paintings. The collection includes the Last Supper by Marcos Zapata which depicts Christ and the Apostles dining on guinea-pig, and drinking chicha. Cuzco’s many fine colonial buildings and picturesque streets often feature Inca walls, arches and doorways. On a hill overlooking the city stands the ceremonial fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where some of the most spectacular Inca walls can be found, including a massive 130 ton stone. There are also many optional excursions and activities available such as white water rafting, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, jungle excursions, shopping (make sure you bargain!) and sightseeing.

Day 11 to 13

Amazon Jungle -Lima

Today we fly to the jungle community of Puerto Maldonado, our starting point to visit the Amazon rainforest. If you choose not to visit the Amazon Jungle you will have free time in Cuzco and a portion of your tour cost will be deducted (see our brochure for prices). In Puerto Maldonado you can pick up any last minute drinks or snacks in the busy markets and shops. The first leg of our journey is by bus followed by motorised canoe, a 30km journey along the river (approx 3 hours total). The canoes are very safe and lifejackets are supplied. Arriving at the lodge you will be allocated a bungalow. They are constructed from local timbers with thatched roofs in the traditional way of the jungle, with mosquito netting over the beds & with basic private bathroom facilities. Due to the remoteness of the lodge there is no hot water and drinking water should be purchased. There is also no electricity so in the evening the lodge is lit by oil lamps and candles. Other facilities include a welcoming reception area with friendly staff  dining room, bar facilities, a library/learning area and football field!  All excursions are led by English speaking local guides who specialise in biology and ecology. After settling in on the first day our jungle program begins. You will have plenty of time to enjoy marvellous jungle landscapes and rich diversity of flora and fauna. It is possible to see a great variety of monkeys such as the ‘maquisapa’, black and white ‘Martins’, ‘Leoncito de la Selva’ (Little lions), ‘Frailes’ (Friars), ‘Achuñis’, ‘Ronsocos’  as well as an array of birdlife. In the evenings it is often possible to enjoy the wonderful sunset, one of the most impressive sights of the forest (weather permitting). This evening we take a canoe ride in search of Caiman and other nocturnal wildlife along the river’s edge. We then return to the lodge for dinner and maybe a relaxing drink. After an early breakfast we will set off on a trek through the rainforest to Oxbow lake. On the way our guide will stop to show you various species of bird and explain the medicinal plants and delicate ecological systems of the Amazon Jungle. Oxbow lake has almost transparent waters surrounded by wide marshes and giant trees. We take a short canoe ride observing caiman and the abundant bird life. We may also catch a glimpse of the rare giant otter. Afterwards we will enjoy the view of the lake from our viewing point, observing the parrots, guacamayos, toucans, camungos, shanshos, herons, turtles and caiman (alligators). Then we will return to the lodge for a well deserved lunch and a short siesta to pass the heat of the day. This evening our guide will take us on a short night walk to listen to the sounds and sights of the jungle in the twilight. (All excursions are weather permitting and itineraries may be changed slightly due to local conditions). On the final day in the jungle we return upriver to Puerto Maldonado for our flight on to Lima where you have the rest of the day free to explore. Peru’s capital Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, after he eradicated the Incas and made the city his capital. Lima has many fine colonial buildings and some of the best museums in South America including the Gold Museum, Museum of the Inquisition and the Catacombs below the San Francisco Church. Peru’s capital has heaps to offer and many of the sights, including the city’s two main squares the Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martin, are within easy walking distance. The Plaza de Armas houses the Cathedral, Municipal Palace and Presidential Palace where the changing of the guard can be seen every day at 12 noon. If you want more time to explore properly Lima you may wish to allow a few extra days at the end of your tour.

Day 14 to 14

Depart Lima

Our tour concludes after breakfast on day 14.