Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Lima, Peru
Upon arrival in Lima, you are met for private transfer to your hotel and check-in.

Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores is the newest of the Private Collection as it just opened in Jan 2008. Located in the heart of Miraflores – two blocks away from the Miraflores Central Park (Kennedy Park), the hotel is a great starting point from which to explore the upscale Miraflores area.

The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the city of Lima on January 5, 1535, the eve of the Epiphany of the Magi – from which it derived its evocative original name of La Ciudad de los Reyes or “The City of Kings”. It is a city of rare fascination and unexpected pleasures. Lima has decaying colonial splendor and the teeming vitality of an oriental bazaar; melancholy cloudy winters and warm breezy summers; impoverished urban sprawl and quiet elegant corners among ancient buildings where the night air is scented with jasmine.

Meals today are under your own arrangements.
Casa Andina Private Collection

Day 2: Lima- Cusco- Sacred Valley
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Cusco.

NOTE: Domestic flight Lima-Cusco is not included in land price.

Upon arrival in Cusco, you are met by a local representative and transferred by private vehicle to the “Sacred Valley of the Incas” for a full day tour.

At an elevation of 8,500 feet, the Sacred Valley of the Incas was a historic heart of the Inca Empire. Small villages lined the valley floor, while the stone fortresses of Ollantaytambo and Pisac served the dual purpose of providing protection and serving as religious centers.

Visit the small village of Pisac with its colorful market. After lunch, continue on to the massive fortress of Ollantaytambo The fortress, a formidable stone structure that climbs massive terraces reaching the top of a high peak, was the valley’s main defense against the Antis and was the site of the Incas’ greatest victory against the Spanish during the wars of conquest. Constructed of rose-colored granite, this huge installation was once a thriving complex of baths, temples and military barracks. Below the fortress lies a complete Incan town, also called Ollantaytambo, still inhabited and with its original architecture and layout preserved.

Check-in to your hotel for overnight: Sol & Luna is located 1 km from the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a perfect place to start your visit to Peru. The Valley is a prime cultural and adventure destination in South America.
Breakfast, Lunch
Sol y Luna

Day 3: Sacred Valley- Machu Picchu
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the Ollanta station where you will board the Vistadome train bound for Machu Picchu (NOTE: Your guide will meet you on the train).

The 1.5-hour journey follows the ever-narrowing gorge of the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes. Outside the window, watch the picturesque Andean scenery as you pass the traditional villages. As you approach Machu Picchu Sanctuary, the valley turns into a canyon and the vegetation changes to a cloud forest. A late morning arrival gives you time to begin your exploration of this breathtaking Incan citadel.

Accompanied by your guide, explore the city's ruins, and feel its pulse as you visualize the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this seemingly uninhabitable citadel. Excavations at the site have revealed skeletons, artifacts and woolen clothing, but no gold. The same precision of assembled stones exists here as in other Incan sites. Overlooking the raging Urubamba River and discovered in a hidden tangle of vines and trees atop the mountain, the city of Machu Picchu will forever hold the secret of its destruction - the Incas left no written record. Enjoy lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge before returning to your hotel.

Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Miles of trails lace the grounds, winding past waterfalls and through the forest, and wandering through gardens rich with a dazzling array of 372 native orchid species, 172 bird species, 111 species of butterflies, and other natural wonders.
Breakfast, Lunch
Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Day 4: Machu Picchu- Cusco
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then you may return to the ruins for a visit on your own.

It is said that Machu Picchu is a place of great spirituality, and the ultimate spiritual moment of the day happens at sunrise. This morning therefore there is an option to rise early and view the world’s most spectacularly situated ruins at sunrise.

In the afternoon, board the shuttle bus down to the Machu Picchu Village, where you’ll have a short walk to the train station. Here, board the train and return to Cusco.

(Note: trains terminating in Ollanta Station provide shuttle transfers to Cusco.) Check in to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection

Day 5: Cusco
After breakfast at hotel, enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Inca ruins including Kenko “The Labyrinth”, the ceremonial bath of Tambomachay, and the amazing Sacsayhuaman, a huge fortress of stones (one stone weighs 125 tons!) and a true testimonial to Incan architectural skills.

At Sacsayhuaman, you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper through the cracks in between these blocks, cut and fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place. This ancient fortress (where the greatest battle between the Spanish and Incas took place) overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cusco and the breathtaking countryside surrounding the city.

Return to the city for a walking tour. Sights include the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas; and the Santo Domingo Temple, a Dominican Church and convent built on the foundations of the Koricancha, the Incas principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun.

Return to your hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection

Day 6: Cusco
Breakfast at the hotel.

Enjoy a full day at leisure in Cusco. Optional excursions to the Sacred Valley (rafting, mountain biking, and visits to markets, villages or ruins) may be arranged.
Breakfast
Casa Andina Private Collection

Day 7: Cusco- Puerto Maldonado- Sandoval Lake
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado. NOTE: Domestic flight Cusco-Puerto Maldonado is not included in land price.

Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the river port on the Madre de Dios River. A 30-minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motorized canoe brings you to the riverside trailhead of Sandoval Lake Lodge.

From here the trail takes you on a 2-mile (3.2 km) walk through the forest before reaching a small canal. Board the canoes and paddle through a flooded forest of 100-ft (30 m) tall Mauritia palms. As the canal opens onto the shimmering surface of the lake, transfer to a catamaran where you are leisurely paddled across the lake to the lodge.

After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, board the catamaran once again and set off to explore the entire west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest 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. At 500-800 birds, this flock of macaws at Sandoval Lake is currently the largest reported in the world.

As night falls look for the large and extremely rare Black Caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, float in the middle of the lake and marvel at the brilliance of the sky as you listen to the sounds of the forest.

Return to the lodge for a short presentation and dinner. Step out from the bar to admire the wide variety of nocturnal moths, beetles and praying mantis attracted to the black light in the lodge clearing.

For those with lots of energy, take a guided night-walk into the forest behind the lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sandoval Lake Lodge

Day 8: Sandoval Lake
A pre-dawn wake-up call will get you out on the lake for sunrise and a hopeful encounter with the family of Giant Otters. Sandoval Lake offers abundant wildlife, including over 40 species of birds. Most of the fish-eating water birds actively fish in the early morning, and this outing should provide excellent views of the prehistoric-looking Hoatzins, These are easy to observe from the paddled canoes or catamarans.

After returning to the lodge for a late breakfast, set off into the cool under story of the tall virgin forest near the lake. See towering wild Brazil nut trees and a demonstration of how our hosts collect, open and commercialize this important natural product.

After lunch, relax for an hour before boarding the catamaran to explore the eastern part of the lake, where we might see one or more of the five species of monkeys that also live near the lake, such as the Brown Capuchin Monkey and Squirrel Monkey.

Before dinner enjoy an informative natural history video or slide presentation. Head out once again after dinner and try your luck at spotting the rare Black Caiman, or to go on a short night walk through the primary forest.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Sandoval Lake Lodge

Day 9: Sandoval Lake- Puerto Maldonado- Lima
After an early breakfast, take a final paddle around the west end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before returning by motor canoe for the 35-minute return trip to Puerto Maldonado airport. Make sure to take advantage of the early morning wildlife activity along the river. Board your flight and arrive in Lima in time to connect with your onward flight home. NOTE: Domestic flight Puerto Maldonado - Lima is not included in land price.
Breakfast

Departure Dates

Depart any day! Contact an iExplore Adventure Consultant for details.

Prices

2010 Prices:

$2,695 per person, double occupancy
$2,495 per person, double occupancy, based on four persons traveling together
$995 single room supplement
$3,895 solo traveler

Prices are not valid June 23-27, 2010 and December 23, 2010- Jan 3, 2011; please contact an iExplore Adventure Consultant for rates over these periods.

Prices for your dates of travel may vary- please contact iExplore for an exact quote. Quoted prices are based on current rates of exchange, tariffs and taxes as of July, 2009. iExplore reserves the right to increase tour prices to cover increased costs, tariffs and taxes received after prices are published, and to reflect fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. iExplore is under no obligation to give breakdown costs involved in any package.

Inclusions:
Airport transfers upon arrival in Lima, Cusco, and Puerto Maldonado
Privately guided sightseeing as detailed in the itinerary (with the exception of activities at Sandoval Lake Lodge)
1 night accommodation Casa Andina Private Collection/Miraflores (standard room)
1 night accommodation at Sol y Luna (standard room)
1 night accommodation at Machu Picchu Hotel (standard room)
3 nights accommodation at Casa Andina Private Collection/Cusco (standard room)
2 nights accommodation at Sandoval Lake Lodge (standard room)
Meals mentioned on the itinerary (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Private city tour in Cusco including tourist tickets
Entrance fees
Services of local English-speaking guides for sightseeing as indicated
Tourist class train ticket from: Ollanta-Machu Picchu-Cusco(note: trains terminating in Ollanta Station provide shuttle transfers to Cusco)

Exclusions:
International airfare, airport and departure taxes
Domestic & international departure taxes ($19.50 domestic & $30.50 international)
Domestic airfare Lima-Cusco-Puerto Maldonado-Lima (estimated $450/person)
Telephone, drinks and items of a personal nature
Any item not listed as an inclusion
Travel insurance
Visa fees (if required)
Holiday surcharges
Gratuities

These trips are priced assuming two travelers. Surcharges for solo travelers and discounts for groups, if any, will be applied. Prices assume itinerary is purchased "as is". Minor changes to hotels or hotel add-ons to the beginning or the end of the existing itinerary can be made at no extra charge. Any customization requiring us to start with a new base itinerary will require a non-refundable upfront planning fee of $250 that is creditable towards the final trip price.

Group Discounts

The more people you bring on your next iExplore adventure, the more you save. Learn how with iExplore Group Discounts.

Trip Information

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Tambopata National Reserve
Rainfall is around 2500 – 3500 millimeters per year, with most rainfall occurring in the rainy season months from November to April. The average temperature in the National Reserve is 28° C (82° F), with daily highs of 34° C (94° F) and nightly lows of 22° C (72° F). During the dry season cold fronts from the South Atlantic occur every month or so, with daily temperatures dropping as low as 16° C (59° F) and nightly temperatures to 13° C (55° F).

Cusco
Dry Season: Mid April - October.Hot, dry days and cold nights
Wet Season: November - Mid April. Usually clear and dry most mornings with outbursts of heavy rain in the afternoons.

Cusco temperature (averages)
*High temperature 67F / 19C
*Low temperature 41F / 6C

ABOUT THE LODGE
Sandoval Lake Lodge is constructed almost entirely of ecologically-harvested "driftwood" mahogany trees collected from the floods that naturally carry logs downriver out of Manu National Park. The Lodge is one extended structure consisting of a large screened main dining room/lounge with 25 fully-screened double-occupancy rooms (50 beds) with private bathrooms with hot shower and toilets, arranged in two wings.

All rooms and communal areas have electricity, supplemented by kerosene lamps and candles. Camcorders can be recharged from our generator, but please note that guests may need to bring a special adaptor to plug into the generator.

MEALS AND DRINKS AT SANDOVAL LAKE LODGE
All meals are included in the trip: from the Lunch on the first day until the breakfast on the last day, We believe that our guests should experience as much of the Peruvian cuisine as possible, and this is reflected in the range of Peruvian dishes offered, with an occasional international twist. Typical lunch dishes served are lomo saltado (a spicy mix of stir fried beef, tomato, peppers, onion and french fries) and arroz con pollo (a mildly spicy mix of saffron rice, chicken and vegetables).

Our experienced kitchen personnel can also cater for special dietary requirements, such as low or no salt, low or no sugar, low or no fat, and vegetarian (strict "vegan") or "ovo-lacto" vegetarian), upon request.

SUGGESTIONS FOR PACKING:

*Travel alarm clock
*Hat (one that will not come off on the windy boatrides)
*Sunglasses & sunscreen
*Notebook
*Small backpack
*Canteen or water bottle
* Personal toiletris,First-aid kit and all medications
*A pair of sneakers or hiking boots and sandals (rubber boats during rainy season
*Binoculars
*Camera and/or camcorder
*Rain suit or long poncho (100% waterproof)
*Insect repellent
*Large, bright flashlight
*Cash for souvenirs , alchoholic beverages, etc... at the lodge
*Photocopy of your passport
*NOTE: Cusco can be cold, especially at night. Please bring a windproof jacket and warm layers to wear in Cusco.

Please note: You should arrive to the lodge in clothes which you do not mind getting slightly dirty or wet, and should wear footwear that is suitable to walk on a rain forest trail. Sun cream, insect repellent, hat and waterproof clothing should be carried in hand luggage and kept accessible for the journey to the lodge. It`s not necessary to bring all of your luggage with you to Sandoval Lake Lodge. You will enjoy your trip more if only the essentials are brought. YOUR MAIN BAGGAGE CAN BE LEFT IN OUR STORE ROOM AT OUR OFFICE IN PUERTO MALDONADO.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Important: Though we have never heard of anyone contracting yellow fever anywhere in Peru or neighboring countries nevertheless we recommend a current yellow fever vaccination for those visiting the rainforest lodges. This vaccination, which is valid for 10 years, must be administered AT LEAST 10 days before the guest’s arrival in Peru.Please consult your physician.

Sandoval Lake Lodge has a basic first aid kit which also includes anti-venom. The lodge is equipped with a short-wave radio and is in contact with our Cusco office every morning and evening.

IN CASE OF FLIGHT CANCELLATION

1.If the flight Lima or Cusco to Puerto Maldonado is cancelled owing to bad weather or maintenance of the aircraft, then the guest loses the first night in Sandoval. No refund can be given and the guest is responsible for the costs of the additional night in Lima or Cusco.

2.If the plane is cancelled Puerto Maldonado/Cusco or Lima the guests must pay for any additional costs incurred during this extra night and boat transportation.

USEFUL REFERENCES

*Macaws: winged Rainbows by Charles Munn, Cover story January 1994 National Geographic Magazine
“Where the Andes meet the Amazon” 2001 by Kim MacQuarrie with photos by Andre Baertschi
*A Neotropical Companion 1999 by Mark Kricher
*Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide 1997 by L.H. Emmons