Exploring Iquitos

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY Exploring Iquitos

• Day 1: Arrival to Lima & Overnight in Lima

  Upon your arrival to Lima one of our representatives will meet you at the airport and take you directly to your hotel in Lima, where you will spend a well-deserved overnight stay. *While in Lima, we highly recommend adding culinary activities such as cooking classes and tasting dinners in the best restaurants of Latin America. For more information, check out our culinary site: taste-of-peru.com and contact our travel specialists. Please let us know if you would like us to add extra activities.

• Day 2: Flight to Cusco & Afternoon City Tour & Overnight in Cusco (B)

  You will be transferred to the airport for the short domestic flight to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas located at 11,100 feet above sea level. You will be met upon arrival by one of our representatives. You will have the remainder of the morning to rest and freshen up. It is best to take it easy this morning to let your body adjust to the altitude. Both lunch and dinner are on your own. After lunch you will set out on grand tour of Cusco, the former capital of the once vast Incan Empire. We visit Cusco’s impressive Plaza de Armas and both the Spanish cathedral and Incan temple of the sun Qoricancha. After the first part of the tour we visit the archeological site above the city that were considered an essential part of the ancient capital. We start from Sacsayhuaman, where Inti Raymi the Festival of the Sun is held during the Summer Solstice, Tambomachay, the Temple of the Sacred Waters, which is a marvel of hydraulic engineering and Q´enqo where we will see the remains of a ceremonial site used for fertility rites and for celebrations of the solstice and equinox.

  NOTE: Some people prefer to go directly to the sacred valley upon arrival to the Cusco Airport. Please let us know if you prefer that to send you an updated itinerary.

• Day 3: Sacred Valley of the Incas & Overnight in Cusco (B, L)

  After breakfast we set out into the Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will start our visit at Pisac Ruins,one of the most beautiful archeological site that combines a beautiful architectural structure with a stunning landscape. Pisac site is located on the highest hill of the city, on a dry and rocky surface. Then we will have some time to have lunch and recover energies to continue with the tour. Finally, we head deeper into the Sacred Valley and visit the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to the Ollanta train station to catch the train to the town of Aguas Calientes. According to Peru rail regulations you can only bring a 5 kilos-backpack on the train, so the rest of your luggage will be taken to your Hotel in Cusco. A hotel staff member will be waiting for you at the train station. *An extra overnight at the Sacred Valley can be added upon request, as well as additional activities and meals.

• Day 4: Machu Picchu & Overnight in Cusco (B, S)

  After breakfast we catch the earky train to the town of Aguas Calientes and we will then continue by bus to the Machu Picchu citadel. This day you will enjoy a full tour of the lost city and have lunch on your own after the tour. In the afternoon we say farewell to Machu Picchu as we take the train to set out by Poroy station, where transportation will be waiting for you to bring you to Cusco. You will arrive at night at your hotel in Cusco. * An overnight in Machu Picchu can be added upon request, as well as bus and entrance tickets for a second day at the citadel. Please let us know if you would like to add other activities and meals.

• Day 5: Return to Lima, Flight to Iquitos & Overnight in Lodge (B, L, D)

  After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco and taken to the airport in Cusco, where you will catch your connecting flight to Lima and your connecting flight to Iquitos. Once you arrive in Iquitos, one of our representatives will be waiting for you, and accompany you on your brief city orientation, while on the way to the Explorama dock. It is here that you will embark on your Twenty-five mile journey down the Amazon River to the Explorama Lodge. In the afternoon, after lunch, you will have the chance to hike along the “Lake Trail” through lowland rainforest which is seasonally flooded. During the high water season, this excursion is done by open boat! After dinner, you will embark on a night walk or open boat ride to enjoy the sounds of the rainforest and stars of the Southern sky. 

• Day 6: Jungle Program & Overnight in Lodge (B, L, D)

  After breakfast at your lodge you will depart on a morning walk along the “Bushmaster Trail”, where scientific studies by the Missouri Botanical Gardens have found the world’s highest biodiversity of trees per square hectare. After lunch you will go on an afternoon open-boat trip along the Amazon in search of either of the two species of freshwater dolphin, found in the river, and a chance for an afternoon swim. In the evening, dinner will be served at the lodge. 

• Day 7: Jungle Program & Flight Back to Lima – Home (B)

  After breakfast at the lodge, you will depart for an early morning walk along a local river trail with stops along the way to visit the “ribereños” or river people, visit a river school, see the local sugar cane rum “factory” or visit our resident American medical doctor in her clinic sponsored by the Rotary Club. Your journey to Peru comes to an end as you will be transferred to the Cusco airport to catch your flight back to Lima. Flight time will depend on the time of your international flight back home. * Please let us know if you would like to add extra activities or a day-use in a hotel if your flight is late at night.

  VERY IMPORTANT: Please note that the activities described above are for the EXPLORAMA LODGE ONLY. Each lodge has their own activities due to their location and own logistics (although very similar). In order to make this proposal simpler, we have included ONLY this description. However, we will be happy to provide other descriptions upon request.

IMPORTANT:

As price depends on each passenger choices, please contact us to send you an updated price based on your specific request. Please send us the following information and we will respond within 24 hours with your updated price.

• Number of people in your party
• Level of accommodation (3 Superior,4,5*). Please see options
• Private or Group Tour
• Train choice. Please see options
• Adding options: if you like to add day tours, extra days, meals, etc
• Need domestic or international flights?
• Have a special request (ie: special diet, wheelchair, children, senior, etc)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

About Machu Picchu Entrance Tickets 

As the popularity of Machu Picchu has increased in the last few years, and in order to preserve the ancient paths of Machu Picchu, the Peruvian Cultural Institute (INC) has restricted the number of people that could enter Machu Picchu to 2,500 people per day. This means that, once the 2,500 tickets are sold out, no further entrance tickets will be available. Also, please note that to avoid a secondary market for these tickets, all tickets are issued with the name of the passenger, his/her passport number, nationality and date of birth. Therefore, tickets are non refundable and non transferable.

About Huayna Picchu Tickets

Entrance tickets to Huayna Picchu are no longer free. They are now US$ 12.00 per person. There are two scheduled visits per day, with a limit of 200 people per visit (total of 400 per day). If you are interested in hiking Huaynapichu, we will need you to let us know at the same time you book your trip since Huaynapichu tickets need to be purchased in conjunction with Machu Picchu tickets.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?

TYPE OF TOURS

All of our tours are offered in both Group and Private services; however, as we like to maintain control of the quality of our tours, even our group tours include PRIVATE transfers.  This is important, as when you get picked up; you will go directly to your hotel without having to drive around the city to drop off other people in their hotels.  Transportation is just for you. 

MIXED GROUP/PRIVATE
Destinations Tours: Private Transfers + Group Cultural Tours 
Special Interest Tours: Private Transfers + Private Special Interest Activities + Group Cultural Tours

All PRIVATE
Destinations Tours: Private Transfers + Private Cultural Tours 
Special Interest Tours: Private Transfers + Private Special interest Activities + Private Cultural Tours 

ACCOMMODATIONS

We offer all level of accommodations.  When creating an itinerary it would be important to know which your preferred level of accommodation is.  Please be sure that at all levels our recommended hotels offer great service and nice comfortable rooms. Our team has personally tried all our recommended hotels. 

MODERATE 
3-star Superior: These are 3-star that should really be considered has 4-star Hotels. Nice location, great rooms and charming decoration. Excellent service, with restaurant, room service, business centre, laundry, etc. Buffet breakfast. Best value. Perect for someone looking for an inexpensive option and still have some superior services. 
4-star Hotels: Good location, very nice rooms, great decoration and excellent service. This hotel includes more services such as room service, business center, laundry, spas, more room features, etc. Some have gourmet restaurants. Buffet breakfast. Perfect for someone looking for some luxury and special services and do not need a 5-star option.

LUXURY 
4-star Suites: Some 4-star hotels have suites that offer the same room features of a 5-star option. Perfect for someone looking to upgrade from a 4-star standard room and get more space and features. 
5-star Hotel: What you usually imagine a 5-star hotel is. Great location, luxury accommodations and excellent service. Gourmet restaurants, spas, room service, business center, etc. Perfect for someone looking for a 5-star service but do not need the 5-star Deluxe option. 
5-star Deluxe: These 5-star deluxe hotels offer ultimate luxury with outstanding service, luxurious rooms with deluxe room features and “you ask-you will get” concierge service. Properties have privileged locations or particular history behind it. Gourmet restaurants and spas. Ideal for the luxurious traveler.

TRAINS

Expedition: The least expensive tourist train, recently renovated offers nice seats and good train service. 
Vistadome: A higher category of train service, with panoramic roof windows. It offers a snack and fashion show. 
Hiram Bingham: Luxury train which offers lunch, tea-time and dinner service. 
Andean Explorer: Train service from Cusco to Puno or Puno to Cusco. Departs only on certain days of the week, depending on the season. 

FLIGHTS

LOCAL AIRLINES

Peruvian Airlines: Peruvian owned airline that offer the least expensive prices but has few frequencies. Both Peruvian and Foreigners pay the same. 
Star Peru: Peruvian owned airline. It flyes to many destinations and offers good value prices, but has few frequencies. Both Peruvian and Foreigners pay the same.

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES 

Taca Airlines: Central American owned airline that offers great service but few frequencies to Cusco. It is moderately expensive. It offers sale prices for Peruvian Residents ONLY that cannot be purchased by tourists. 
Latam Peru: Chilean owned airline.  It offers great service and many frequencies to Cusco (almost 13 flights per day).  Prices are the highest on the market. It offers sale prices for Peruvian Residents ONLY that cannot be purchased by tourists.

DOMESTIC TICKETS 

Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $ 350.00 per person. This is an example price, since prices depends on the airline, date and time of booking. 

DOMESTIC TICKETS (PARA LOS TOURS DE GALAPAGOS)

Lima/Cusco/Lima: From US $350.00 per person. This is an example price, since prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking. 
Quito/Galapagos/Quito: From US $421.00 per person. This is an example price, since prices depend on the airline, date and time of booking.