Inca Trail and Amazon Rainforest Vacation 9 days

Day 2: Cusco – Day on your own

For comfort, a private taxi will transfer your family back to Lima’s airport. After you’ve checked in, you’ll be able to enjoy a 50 minute scenic fly over the Andes Mountains, lakes, lagoons and canyons. The aircraft will land in Cusco where a guide will be ready upon arrival that will transfer your family to the hotel where you will be spending the night. The afternoon will be yours to do with whatever you wish and some optional activities include a tour of Cusco and horseback riding.

Travel tip: Take it easy for the first few days in Cusco. You’ll need to get acclimatized to the altitude so drink lots of water or take altitude sickness pills which you’ll find available in every drugstore in Cusco.

Day 3: The Sacred Valley Pisaq and Ollantaytambo

On the third day of your family vacation, you’ll be enjoying a tour through the Sacred Valley. A scenic 45 minute drive to Pisac will take you through the historic section that connects villages and towns of the Corao valley with Cusco. If you have small children, don’t fret, because along the way there will be stops so that they can stretch their legs and enjoy panoramic views of the valley and visit weaving centers until the road comes to a stop on the mountaintop of the Pisac complex.

Be sure to put on your best walking shoes since you’ll be doing this through ruins, tunnels and temples. While exploring this Inca complex which has skillfully been built into a steep cliff, your guide will describe the history hidden behind this place. Spectacular views of the mountain sides, stone buildings, temples and crop terraces that are still in use by local farmers will be experienced. If hiking isn’t your family’s favorite part, you’re sure to enjoy the next activity.

When the tour of the Pisac complex is done, you will head back to Pisac and visit its famous handicraft produce and textile market. Everything from potatoes to handicraft products can be found here – all sold by the culture rich Andean people. After your visit to this busy marketplace, you’ll board the bus for another 40 minute scenic drive to Urubamba where you’ll enjoy a typical lunch at one of the restaurants. Another 20 minutes will take you to Ollantaytambo which is a town as unique as its name. A comprehensive tour will be given regarding the town’s impressive fortress so the adventure seeker in your family will especially enjoy this. A lot of question will arise once you see the enormous stones that fit precisely into built temples, terraces, fountains and an astronomical calendar – only to mention a few. You will be overnighting in Ollantaytambo.

Meals Included: 1 breakfast – 1 lunch

Day 4: Machu Picchu Inca trail and Aguas Calientes

On the fourth day of your family vacation, you will be picked up from your hotel at 6:30 am in a private bus. Depending on the train schedule, you’ll take a trip to Ollantaytambo station to catch a train to the 104-km mark on the Cusco-Machu Picchu railroad. This is where the classic Inca trail starts and at about 10 am you will arrive at the set out destination where packing of gear will take place. Your first day on the exciting Machu Picchu trail will begin.

The first complex on the list is the Chachabamba. Your guide will talk about this fascinating place for a short while and then you’ll start ascending for about 4 hours until arriving at the archaeological complex of Wiñaywayna (“Forever Young”), which is located at 2,700 m. or 8,858 ft. above sea level. Walking will be slow paced to accommodate even the weakest members of your family. At this impressive site you’ll see numerous terraces, a religious precinct and an urban settlement. Magnificent views of the Urubamba River Valley and the Chokes archaeological complex located on the opposite side of the river will be experienced. Even smaller kids in the family will be entertained by this site since it has staircases with water fountain systems. Your guide will explain the history and nature of this amazing site and thereafter another one hour climb will take place along a trail of flat stones and cliffs to Intipunku.

From this fabulous spot, great views of Machu Picchu are visible and it is ideal for taking some family pictures and relaxing. Thereafter the descend to Machu Picchu will begin. Once you’ve reached this destination you’ll be given an opportunity to relax and explore this magical place before being transported to Aguas Calientes by bus where you’ll spend the night.

*In case the available spaces to hike the Inca trail are sold out, check out other alternative Machu Picchu hiking tours that you can choose as an alternative to the Inca trail.

Overnight: Hotel at Aguas Calientes.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch and 1 dinner.

• Hiking distance: 10 km – 67.2 miles / 5 to 6 hours
• Highest pass: 2,700 m. or 8,858 ft. above sea level.
• Departure time: 5:30 am.
• Arrival to Aguas Calientes: between 4 to 6 pm.

Day 5: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco

We recommend that day five starts early in the morning before Machu Picchu gets crowded by the hundreds of tourist coming from Cusco. A short bus ride of 30 minutes will take you to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is located at 2,430 m or 7,972 ft. above sea level, on top of a tropical mountain forest in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. This city contains about 200 structures between agricultural, religious and astronomical centers which are all integrated in a sophisticated plan perfectly in harmony with the natural surroundings. Whatever the interests of your family members, you’ll find something to like at this tourist attraction. A two-hour guided tour will be given by your tour guide whereafter you’ll have the opportunity to explore Machu Picchu with your family on your own terms. You can simply walk around and take pictures or climb Huayna Picchu which is the highest mountain above this historic site.  (Booking in advance is advised to climb Huayna Picchu).

After fully exploring this place and finding something do do for each member of your family, your tour guide will meet you at Aguas Calientes where you’ll be  taken to Ollantaytambo by train. Once there, a bus will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco where a relaxing evening can be spend with your family.

Overnight: Cusco hotel (not included in the price).
Meals: 1 breakfast.

• Hiking distance: 5 km – 3,1 miles if hiking from Aguas Calientes/ with bus 25 minutes.
• Highest pass: 2,430 m. or 7972 ft. above sea level / 2720 m – 8923 if hiking Huayna Picchu
• Departure time: 5:30 am
• Arrival to Aguas Calientes: between 4 to 6 pm.

* Hiking, departures and arrival times are all approximate on the Inca Trail.

Day 6: Cusco

After 3 exciting tour days, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Cusco on your own. Cusco is a fascinating place with a good atmosphere throughout the day and into the night. Whether your family finds interest in historical relics, beauty spa’s, shopping centers, cuisine or physical activities such as horse riding – all can be found in this tourist hub. Each family member will find something that they’ll like and a bunch of family activities are also available.

In the evening your tour guide will give you a briefing about the Sacred valley tour and the Inca Trail.

Overnight in Cusco: Hotel
Meals included: 1 breakfast

Day 7: Flight to Puerto Maldonado/ Journey to Refugio Amazonas

Day seven will begin with a flight to Puerto Maldonado. All guides that will accompany you on this part of the Inca trail and Amazon tour are English speaking tourism professionals or community members unless noted otherwise. These guides are assigned at a 10:1 ratio so tour groups are small and intimate which gives your family the best opportunity to explore this area to the fullest. If your family however prefers a private guide or a guide who speaks a language other that English, please let us know.

Upon arrival from Lima or Cusco, you’ll be welcomed at the airport and transported to our Puerto Maldonado headquarters within 10 minutes. Beautiful forest gardens will welcome you and your family will be asked to only pack the necessary gear while leaving the rest of your baggage in our safe deposit boxes. After everyone has settled in, a 20 kilometer drive to the Tambopata River Port will take place. this port is a communal business center and here you will also enter the native community of Infierno. A boxed lunch will be served.

After lunch a two and a half hour boat ride from the Tambopata Port to Refugio Amazonas will take place. You’ll pass the Community of Infierno and the Tambopata National Reserve’s checkpoint and enter into the buffer zone of this 1.3 million hectare conservation unit. Another boxed lunch will be served to ease the hunger tummies on board. After arrival, an orientation will take place where the lodge manager will welcome you and brief you with important navigation and security tips. You’ll be given the opportunity to settle in. After dinner has been served you will have the option of hiking out at night when most mammals are active. These will be difficult to spot however frogs with shapes and sounds as bizarre as their natural histories will be much easier to see. The animal enthusiast in your family will especially enjoy this night walk.

Refugio Amazonas – Overnight

Day 8: Refugio Amazonas

After breakfast has been served, you will paddle around the lake on a canoe or catamaran while viewing lakeside wildlife such as the Hoatzin, Caiman and Horned screamers. You will also be rewarded with overhead sightings of macaws. After this, a thirty minute walk from Refugio Amazonas will lead to the 25 meter scaffolding canopy tower. Safe access to the platform above is provided. Views of mixed species of canopy flocks as well as Toucans, Macaws and Raptors are likely.

Lunch will be served and thereafter a farm visit will take place. The farm is situated five minutes from the lodge and managed by a charismatic Don Manuel from the neighbouring community of Condenado. He grows a variety of popular and unknown Amazon crops – just about every plant and tree you see serves a purpose.

Along the Ethnobotanical Tour you will find a variety of plants and trees that are used by the local population with at least the same variety of purposes. You will learn about the medicinal (and other) uses of Ajo-Sacha, Yuca de Venado, Uña de Gato, Charcot-Sacha, Para-Para – only to mention a few.

Your family will be enjoying a lovely dinner in the evening and nightly lectures prepared by the staff of Refugio Amazonas will cover topics such as conservation threats, opportunities and projects in the Tambopata National Reserve.

Refugio Amazonas – Overnight

Day 9: Refugio Amazonas / Puerto Maldonado Lima – Home

After a full breakfast, you will be transported back to the Tambopata River Port by boat. A bus will take you to the Maldonado Headquarters from where you will be transported to the airport where you will then be heading home.