Peru - Elevation and Climate Extremes - 9 Days
Amazon Rain Forest
The richest, most extraordinary biological preserve in the Amazon, or the world, starts in Cusco and runs northeast by road and river to the great Manu Wilderness. No other destination in Peru or beyond can compare for sheer diversity of flora and fauna. You can enjoy a superbly intact transect of tropical habitats from Andean grasslands and cloud forests down to foothill and lowland jungle. Manu claims the highest bird, mammal, and plant diversity of any park on Earth, including 1,000 of the world's 9,700 bird species, 200 species of mammals, and 15,000 species of flowering plants. The most photogenic spectacles are frolicking Giant Otters, 1,000 parrots and macaws at a riverbank clay lick, dancing Cocks-of-the-Rock, habituated monkeys, and huge Lowland Tapirs at a forest clay lick.
Day 1
Overnight flight to Cusco.
Day 2
Welcome to Cusco, capital of the Incas. First off, just breathe and begin adjusting to the 10,500 ft altitude. Leisurely orientation and walking tour of Plaza de Armas, Inca walls, Spanish churches, and markets.
Day 3
Half-day City Bus Tour with Bi-lingual guide, including the temple of Qorikancha, the ceremonial fortress of Saqsaywaman, Q’enko, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay.
Day 4
All day Sacred Valley tour to several high Inca sites overlooking the Urubamba River, including elaborate Pisaq, it’s famed market below, terraced Ollantaytambo, and sacred Chinchero.
Day 5
All day journey to Machu Picchu, the famed lost city of the Incas. It was never discovered by the Spanish, eventually abandoned and forgotten until its 1911 discovery by American Hiram Bingham. Its striking position on a remote precipice add to its mystical aura. Guided tour of ruins.
Day 6
Bus to Manu Reserve. The continental spine of the Andes quickly give way to the lush lowlands of tropical bio-diversity.
Day 7
In Manu, you can observe abundant wildlife, canoe on the rivers that feed the Amazon, and stay in jungle lodges.
Day 8
Free time in Manu. Fly back to Cusco.
Day 9
Return flight to U.S.
