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DAY 1 LIMA
Pick up upon arrival at Lima’s airport and transportation to the hotel.
Overnight (No meals)
DAY 2 PUERTO MALDONADO
 Early breakfast and pick up to go to the airport for your flight to Puerto
Maldonado (airfare not included).
Transfer from Puerto Maldonado airport to the river port on the Madre de
Dios River. A 25 minutes journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe
brings you to the riverside trailhead to Sandoval Lake Lodge. From here the
trail takes you on a 2-miles (3,2-kilometers) walk through secondary forest,
until we reach a small canal where we board canoes and are paddled 220 yards
(201 meters) through a flooded forest of 100-foot (30-meters) tall Mauritia
palms. As the canal opens onto the shimmering surface of the lake, we
transfer to a catamaran and are leisurely paddled across half the lake to
the lodge.
After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, we will
learn about the history of the lodge and the philosophy of its founders.
Then we once again board the catamaran and set off to explore the entire
west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest we drift to the
sounds of hundreds of Red-Bellied Macaws as they return to the palm forest
for the night. This macaw species is found locally in parts of the Amazon,
always living in flooded palm forests such as the beautiful palm stand at
Sandoval Lake. At 500-800 birds, this flock of macaws at Sandoval Lake is
currently the largest reported in the world for this highly-specialized
macaw.
As night falls we will look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans.
If it is a clear starlit night, we will also be able to float in the middle
of the lake to marvel at the brilliance of the sky and listen to the sounds
of the forest.
We return to the lodge for a short video or slide presentation and dinner.
At any point, you could step out from the bar to admire the wide variety of
nocturnal moths, beetles and praying mantis attracted to our black light in
the lodge clearing.
For those with lots of energy, our guide will take us on a short night-walk
into the forest behind the lodge. (B, L,D).
DAY 3 SANDOVAL LAKE
 A pre-dawn wake-up call will enable us to be on the lake for sunrise and a
hopeful encounter with the family of Giant Otters who frequent the lake and
are most active at this time of day. Sandoval Lake offers abundant wildlife
including over 40 species of birds resident to its lake margins, most of the
fish-eating water birds around the lake actively fish in the early morning
as well, and this outing should provide excellent views, of the prehistoric-
looking Hoatzins, These are easy to observe and also photograph from the
paddled canoes or catamarans.
After returning for a late breakfast we set off into the cool under story of
the tall virgin forest near the lake to see some towering wild Brazil Nut
trees and a demonstration of how our hosts collect, open and commercialize
this important natural product.
After lunch and an hour or so to relax we once again board the catamaran to
explore the eastern part of the lake, where we might see one or more of the
five species of monkeys who live in the forest near the lake, such as the
Brown Capuchin Monkey and Squirrel Monkey.
Before dinner we will again enjoy an informative natural history video or
slide presentation. We will leave after dinner to try and spot some Black
Caimans on the lake, or to go on a short night walk through the primary
forest. (B,L,D)
DAY 4 RAINFOREST
 After a dawn breakfast, we will cross the lake by catamaran and take a short
walk into the interior of the Mauritia palm forest to stand beneath and
closely view the impressive morning congregations, this place has a very
interesting concentration of parrots, parakeets and large and small macaws
that can be observed using dead Mauritia palm trees, some of them are
resident nesters (Yellow headed Parrot, Mealy Parrot, Blue headed Parrot,
Scarlet Macaw, blue and Yellow Macaw, Red and Green Macaw, Chestnut fronted
Macaw, Dusky headed Parakeet, Red bellied Macaw, Cobalt winged Parakeet, Tui
Parakeet).
Returning from the macaw show we will cross the lake to explore a primary
forest trail and admire the impressive ancient rainforest trees and lianas
with our knowledgeable resident naturalist guide. As we walk, the forest
will be brought to life as your guide explains the ecology of the rainforest
and its diverse flora and fauna.
We return for lunch, and then there is an optional rest for those who would
like to escape the early afternoon heat. For those still full of energy,
there is an option to independently explore some of the forest trails using
our trail map. You might stroll through our medicinal plant garden or watch
hummingbirds visiting the nectar feeders, or the tanagers visiting our fruit
feeders.
In the cooler late afternoon we will once again board the catamaran to
explore the eastern end of the lake, and hopefully experience a spectacular
sunset over the lake before returning to the lodge for dinner. For some
people, an alternative afternoon activity would be to relax on benches
inside the forest perched above a clear running stream in which a variety of
bathing hummingbirds and forest birds visit.
After dinner, there is a final chance to look for Black Caiman on the lake,
or to go on a short night hike through the forest. (B,L,D)
DAY 5 PUERTO MALDONADO - CUSCO
 After early breakfast we leave near dawn and we take a final, shorter paddle
around the west end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before
returning by motor canoe for the 35 minutes return trip to the Puerto
Maldonado Airport, taking advantage of valuable early morning wildlife
activity along the river. From here you fly to Cusco (airfare not included).
Upon arrival to Cusco Airport. Reception and transportation to the Hotel
where you will receive an aromatic coca tea to stimulating for the height,
will have the day to rest and also we suggest you have a light lunch in
either your hotel or in one of the surrounded; in the afternoon we will
depart on a City tour (entrance to the archaeological centers and museums
including) we will visit the Main square, Cathedral, the Koricancha (temple
of the sun) and in addition we will make a route bordering archaeological
centers like Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Q'enko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay,
tour finishes 6:30pm approximately at the main square in order you can take
dinner in one of the exquisite restaurants in the area, then overnight. (B)
*Optional Buffet Dinner with Folkloric Show: Adding $24 per person
DAY 6 FULL DAY SACRED VALLEY TOUR
Breakfast. You will be picked up at 8:15 am. Full day excursion to the
Urubamba Valley visiting: the colorful Indian market in Pisac where a
mixture of color and tradition will be able appreciated besides will have a
good opportunity to try our bargain skills on the free time to interact with
the local craftsmen to purchase their hand-made souvenirs. The Valley has a
distance of 31 km (19 miles) of Cusco, and an altitude of 2,970 ms (9,700
p), Pisac is located to the entrance of the Sacred Valley and followed by
Ollantaytambo, the older town continuously occupied of the American
continent. The narrow streets of Ollantaytambo, along with their channels
that have not varied from the time Inca, evoke their ancestral inheritance,
lunch in a typical restaurant and then the last visit will be to Chinchero
market.
Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its
major claim to tourism is its colorful Sunday market which is much less
tourist-orientated than the market at Pisac. At the end, return to Cusco
main square at 6:30pm approx.
The night is free for you to eat in a restaurant of your choice; although we
always have plenty of suggestions for you should you require them. (B, L)
Note: Take this tour on market days: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
Bilingual Guided tour on different days
DAY 7 FULL DAY MACHUPICCHU TOUR
Early breakfast and pickup to go the train station to depart to Machu Picchu,
the trip takes about 4 hours. During the trip we will have an amazing view
of the landscapes of the Sacred Valley of Urubamba and the Amazon rainforest
providing you a small hint of how much Peru has to offer. Upon arrival to
the little town of Aguas Calientes you will have to approach the bus station
towards the “Ciudadela of Machu Picchu” (Only 20 minutes ride) to receive a
professional guided tour by this Huge Historical Sanctuary follow by some
free time to explore the zone on your own and then take your buffet lunch at
the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge restaurant (included), an according time,
we will go down to the Aguas Calientes town to return to Cusco City.
Reception at the train station and transfer to your accommodation (B,L).
DAY 8 CUSCO - PUNO
Early breakfast and transfer to the bus station so you can take the ride to
Puno. Depart Cusco on guided bus to Puno, visiting on the route picturesque
towns and archeological sites such as Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuani, La
Raya and Pukara. Lunch included. Afternoon arrival in Puno, reception and
transfer to your accommodation. Overnight at the hotel.(B,L)
(*) Additional fare if travelling by train. Ask for availability.
DAY 9 UROS AND TAQUILE ISLANDS
You will be picked up from your hotel at 6:30 a.m., to go to the port of
Puno to take a tourist motor boat and to direct towards the wonders floating
islands of the Uros. After a 2 hour motorboat ride, you will arrive at the
Uros island in the Titikaka lake. Fishermen and hunters inhabit the floating
islands of the Uros. The residents of the Uros are known as the “water tribe”,
because they must construct its own Islands periodically, adding new layers
of totora reeds, which grows in the lake, to create the conditions that
ensure the islands stay afloat. The dense roots that the plants develop
support the island. The roofs are waterproof and the houses are extremely
humid because of the surrounding water.
They used it as home and trade centers for the natives, who use hand-made
boats of the same material as their means of transportation. At present,
they speak Quechua and Aymara. Following this exciting tour, you will be led
to the Island of Taquile, , place where the form of typical and rustic
experience was appraised, the place is colorful and landscaping, where they
even maintain its customs, ritual, religious and folkloric traditions, in
the town of Taquile we will taste a typical lunch with fresh fish (trout).
There is also a craft fair on the plaza that sells exceptional wool goods
which are of very fine quality and somewhat expensive. Taquile Island is
famous for its craft production, particularly for its beautiful textiles.
The island is narrow at about 1 Km. wide and 6 to 7 Km. long. The visit
could be exhausting because of the altitude (13,000 ft above sea level). On
Taquile there are numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins as well as Inca terracing.
We will return in Puno in the afternoon, overnight (B,L)
DAY 10 SILLUSTANI - LIMA
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Lima (airfare NOT
included). On the route to the airport, we will visit at the Sillustani
Chullpas (pre-Colombian funeral towers). The scenery is desert but
impressive, in a beautiful setting on a peninsula on Ayumara lake about 32
Km. from Puno. Most of the towers date from the period of Inca occupation in
the 15th century; the engineering involved in their construction is more
complex than anything the Incas built. Upon arrival Lima’s airport,
reception and transfer to the hotel and overnight (B)
DAY 11 TRANSFER OUT
Transfer to the airport for your international flight and end of the
services (B)
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