Of the many Peru tours offered by Adventure Life Journeys, the Incas and Rainforest Peru trip is one of the most unique. In addition to hiking the Inca Trail to the mystical Machu Picchu, this Peru tour includes a homestay with the Quechua people of Lake Titicaca, and a visit to an Amazon jungle lodge where you'll discover the amazing flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest
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Machu Picchu is an architectural jewel. The beauty and misery of its walled ruins, once palaces of the finest Inca stonework, are augmented even more by the lush, almost virginal landscape of the surroundings. Green jungle flora suffuses the abrupt topography. Orchids add a strange brilliance. The ruins blend harmoniously amid the narrow and uneven topography.

Machu Picchu sits nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, on top of a ridge between two peaks of different size. The smaller peak, called the "Huayna Picchu", is the one most often seen in photographs of the ruins. With the passing of the centuries, the ruins' original name has been forgotten. The name "Machu Picchu" comes simply from its geography. It literally means "old peak", just as "Huaynu Picchu" is "young peak". The more accurate translation relates to the concept of size, with Machu Picchu as the "bigger peak" and Huayna Picchu, the "smaller peak".

With its discovery in 1911, Machu Picchu made its debut as an authentic archeological enigma. Its purpose continues to intrigue, with mysteries that perhaps will never fully be unraveled.

If you're looking for more Peru travel options, Adventure Life Journeys has a number of Peru itineraries to choose from. You'll also find Galapagos tours, rainforest adventures in Costa Rica, Belize, and the Amazon, Patagonia tours and Antarctica cruises, and more! Adventure Life Journeys offers over 50 adventure tours in South America and Central America. We specialize in small groups led by outstanding native guides, and are happy to create a custom itinerary for your group or family!

Inca Trail and Rainforest Itinerary
(16 days/15 nights)

Highlights - hiking the Inca Trail, tour of Machu Picchu, introduction to Cusco, overnighting in the Sacred Valley, homestay on Lake Titicaca, tour to an Amazon lodge

Day 1: Arrive Lima
Overnight.

Day 2-4: Lake Titicaca and its Floating Islands
An early morning flight takes us to the shores of mystical Lake Titicaca, where we spend our first day exploring and then join local families on Amantaní Island for a taste of their lives and a one night homestay.

Day 5: Journey to Cusco
A spectacular bus ride takes us from Puno to Cusco, crossing the 14,403 feet La Raya pass enroute.

Day 6: Explore Cusco
The morning is yours to wander colonial Cusco's narrow streets. In the afternoon our tour leader takes us through Cusco's local market and explains a bit about what we find in the adjacent Witches Market.

Day 7: Journey to Ollantaytambo
Before arriving to the small village of Ollantaytambo for the evening, we visit the ancient citadel of Sacsayhuamán above Cusco, try our wits with the savvy market venders in the village of Pisac, and explore the terracing high above this market town.

Day 8-11: Pilgrimage on the Inca Trail
Imagine the great Inca civilization as we walk in their footsteps to the sacred city of Machu Picchu. Each day we'll pass by larger and larger ruins, while the scenery changes from snow-capped mountains to lush green cloudforest. After a morning tour of the ruins on Day 11, bus or walk down to the town of Aguas Calientes.

Day 12: Machu Picchu - Cusco
Explore the great city at your own pace today. In the afternoon, we return to Cusco.

Day 13:
Fly to Puerto Maldonado this morning and make our way by motor canoe to Sandoval Lake Lodge. We'll spend the rest of the day searching for Red-Bellied Macaws and the extremely rare Black Caimans.

Day 14:
A pre-dawn wake-up call will enable us to be on the lake for sunrise, when the resident wildlife is most active. With luck we'll encounter the family of Giant Otters who frequent the lake. We'll also spot some of the five resident species of monkey and learn about commercialization of wild Brazil nuts.

Day 15:
After a late breakfast we explore some of the rainforest trails with our knowledgeable resident naturalist guide. As we walk, the forest will be brought to life as our guide explains the ecology of the rainforest and its diverse flora and fauna.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.

Day 16:
After an early morning breakfast we take a final, shorter paddle around the west end of the lake to try and glimpse the Giant Otters before returning to Puerto Maldonado to catch our flight to Lima.

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