Day 1: Arrive Lima
Welcome to Lima, Peru. We'll meet you on arrival and transfer you to meet the rest of your group and Tour Director at the Larco Museum. Here, savour a delicious lunch at Café del Museo before taking a guided tour of the artefacts and exhibitions of this world famous museum.
Day 2: Lima
Discover the Peruvian capital’s World Heritage-listed historic centre with a guide today. Afterwards, enjoy a Signature Experience at a private hacienda before visiting the ruins of Pachacamac.
Signature Experience – Peruvian Paso Horse Show
Pay a visit to a private hacienda, which showcases the nation’s regional traditions. Sit down to a lunch of traditional South American fare and enjoy a Peruvian Paso horse show.
Day 3: Lima, Sacred Valley
After breakfast today, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your included flight to Cusco, the pre-Columbian Inca capital of Peru. From here, travel to the heart of the Sacred Valley for your Signature Experience before arriving at your hotel.
Signature Experience – Hacienda Sarapampa Lunch
Visit a working corn farm where you’ll enjoy a delicious farm-to-table lunch. Experience the essence of local life and rich traditions of regional cuisine.
Day 4: Sacred Valley, Maras, Moray
Travel to a small community tucked away in the Sacred Valley hillside, where you’ll enjoy a Signature Experience. Continue exploring the Sacred Valley with a guide, including another Signature Experience which takes you to the Salt Mines of Maras and Moray terraces. In the evening, savour a delectable dinner at your hotel.
Signature Experience – Traditional Weaving Demonstration
Be welcomed by the local Misminay community before watching a traditional weaving demonstration. Discover how Peru’s colourful textiles are created by hand as you learn about the craft, which has been passed down through generations. Then, enjoy a traditional lunch with views of the Andes mountains and surrounding valleys.
Signature Experience – Salt Mines of Maras and Moray Terraces
See the glistening salt pools spill over the terraced slopes at the World Heritage-listed Salt Mines of Maras. Afterwards, visit the fascinating Incan circular terraces at the Moray archaeological site.
Day 5: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu
Today, embark on incredible rail journey to Aguas Calientes during your Signature Experience. Upon arrival, enjoy free time before dinner at the hotel.
Signature Experience – Inca Rail First Class Machu Picchu Train
Travel on Inca Rail’s First Class Machu Picchu Train and journey through forested landscapes to the township of Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu. Enjoy a gourmet Andean-inspired lunch on board while taking in the magnificent views that unfold before you.
Day 6: Machu Picchu, Cusco
This morning, you’ll enjoy a full immersion into the natural setting and incredible heritage of Machu Picchu as you set off on a locally guided exploration of the Lost City of the Incas, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Later, board the PeruRail Vistadome Machu Picchu Train for your return trip to Sacred Valley. Here, transfer by coach to Cusco and settle into your hotel, primely located in the heart of this historic city.
Day 7: Cusco
A guided discovery of Cusco takes you to Plaza de Armas, situated in the historic centre of the city. This afternoon, delve into Peruvian culture with an included Freedom of Choice activity. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at MAP Café, located in the central courtyard of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.
Freedom of Choice – Peruvian Cooking Class
Satiate your gustatory senses with a cooking class, discovering traditional Peruvian dishes and ingredients.
Freedom of Choice – Sacsayhuamán Citadel Visit
Explore the 15th-century dry stone archaeological site at the Incan Sacsayhuamán citadel.
Day 8: Iquitos, Amazon Cruise
Board an early flight via Lima to Iquitos, a city located within the Peruvian Amazon. You will be met on arrival by some of the crew from Delfin III and then travel by coach from Iquitos, deeper into the rainforest region towards the river. En route, enjoy some commentary of the area as well as a boxed lunch. Reaching Nauta, a small tender boat will take you to your boutique vessel - the Delfin III. Once on board, meet the rest of your crew including the experienced Naturalist Guides who will reveal the secrets of the rainforest and its inhabitants during your daily activities. After some time to settle into your cabin, late this afternoon join a skiff exploration along the Marañón River, looking out for the forest inhabitants as dusk falls. Once back on board, be treated to a delicious three course dinner, expertly prepared by the ship's chefs.
Day 9: Amazon Cruise
This morning’s plan is to learn more about life in the rainforest and how communities use the local plants for medicine, as you meet a local Shaman. Learn about the process to become a Shaman and how they develop their knowledge and experience of the rainforest. After lunch, relax on board before taking to the water by kayak, paddling along one of the calmer tributaries to experience the river and surrounds from a different perspective. As you paddle by small communities on the riverbank, nestled in the forest, keep an eye out for birds overhead, monkeys in the tree canopies and of course perhaps the elusive pink river dolphin in the nearby waters.
Day 10: Wild Wonders of Amazon
Join your naturalist guide on a skiff in Nauta Caño, for an opportunity to fish. Discover wildlife including piranha inhabiting the river before visiting a local community. Meet some of the residents as they show you how they live and make use of the various species in the forest for food and household items; from bananas used to make a sweet and nutritious drink, to the stems of palms used to weave baskets and bags. This afternoon, take a trail walk through the rainforest at Nauta Caño. Get an intimate view of the Amazon’s ecosystem and wildlife inhabiting this unique environment including frogs, snakes and insects. Close by is the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers. On your skiff, take a moment to appreciate this natural merger of waters, regarded as the point at which the Amazon River begins.
Day 11: Depart Iquitos
This morning, disembark the Delfin III and, en route to Iquitos visit the Tropical Amazon Aquarium. This carefully curated space celebrates the aquatic biodiversity of the region through the exhibition of more than 60 species of tropical fish, allowing to learn even more about the natural wealth of the Amazon River. Your South American adventure concludes at Iquitos Airport.