Real Peru

Day 1 Lima      
Welcome to Lima, Peru. At around 2 pm there will be a pre-departure meeting. Following the meeting your leader will take you on a walking tour of Miraflores, including Central Park (Parque Kennedy), the LarcoMar entertainment complex and Parque del Amor (Love Park) for great views over the coast of Lima.      

Day 2 Lima to Puerto Maldanado      
Take a flight to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon Jungle, where you'll be staying for two nights. You’ll then take a motorised canoe upriver to your jungle lodge in the Madre de Dios area. There will be time to unpack and unwind once you get there.

Day 3 Puerto Maldanado
Your full day in the jungle includes a trek which lasts approximately half a day. Along the way there will be regular stops, and you'll encounter magnificent fauna and flora in their natural habitat. You might spot everything from macaws and monkeys to peccaries, jabirus, otters and thousands of butterflies. The guides can also teach you about the medicinal properties and practical uses of the plants. For lunch you will return to the lodge. For your night-time excursion, you will venture out in the dark in search of caimans on the Tambopata River.        

Day 4 Puerto Maldanado to Cusco      
Say farewell to the jungle today and fly to Cusco, which takes just under an hour. Spend the next day trying to acclimatise to the high altitude of this location (i.e. no strenuous activity). After dropping your luggage off and having some lunch, your tour leader will take you on an orientation walk around downtown Cusco.    

Day 5 Cusco to Sacred Valley    
Unwind on a private bus for around two hours through the Sacred Valley, which is on the fringes of Cusco. Known as Wilcamayo to the Incas, the lush, fertile valley has long been the main source of food for the high Andes. Head to a community in the valley to learn about the local lifestyle and activities, and hopefully your visit will coincide with market day (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday). Later in the afternoon, perhaps head out to visit to Ollantaytambo’s awesome Incan ruins.      

Day 6 Inca Trail      
Today travel by minivan to the 82 km marker and meet your crew of local porters, cook and guide. The first day includes uphill trekking to the campsite, which is at 3,100 metres above sea level. On the way you’ll see the ruins of Llactapata, which was burnt to the ground by the last Inca emperor to discourage Spanish pursuit down the trail. In the evening, set up camp while the cook makes dinner.        

Alternate itineraries available for the Quarry Trail or Train Option        

Day 7 Inca Trail        
This is the most challenging day of the trek, as we ascend a long steep path (approximately five hours) to reach the highest point of the trail. Colloquially known as 'Dead Woman's Pass', Warmiwanusca sits at a height of 4,200 meters above sea level, providing amazing views of the valley below. The group will then descend to the campsite in the Pacaymayo Valley at 3,650 metres.

Alternate itineraries available for the Quarry Trail or Train Option  

Day 8 Inca Trail        
Start the day with a climb through the Pacaymayo Valley to Runkuracay pass (3,980 metres). Enjoy views of the snow-capped mountain of Cordillera Vilcabamba before descending for around two to three hours to the ruins of Sayacmarca. Continue over the trail’s third pass to the ruins of Phuyupatamarca (3,850 metres), also known as 'Town Above the Clouds'. Start the two-hour descent down the Inca steps to the final night's campsite by the Winay Wayna archaeological site.        

Alternate itineraries available for the Quarry Trail or Train Option

Day 9 Inca trail to Cusco    
The day starts before dawn with breakfast at 4.30 am. Say farewell to the porters as they descend to the train station and begin hiking by 5.30 am. The walk to Intipunku (the Sun Gate) takes around two-and-a-half hours. Weather permitting, enjoy unforgettable views over the ‘Lost City of the Incas’

Alternate itineraries available for the Quarry Trail or Train Option

For all trails - after taking advantage of the seemingly endless photo opportunities, it's time to return to Cusco for a well-deserved shower and a pisco sour.    

Day 10 Cusco    
Today enjoy free time to relax, shop for souvenirs or see more of Cusco's sights. Perhaps head to a cafe on the Plaza de Armas, or if you're a thrill-seeker, try mountain biking in the hills surrounding Cusco. In the evening, you might want to chew the fat with the group over dinner.

Day 11 Cusco to Puno
In the morning travel by local bus for six hours through the Altiplano plateau to Puno. The town is known as the folklore capital of Peru and is famous for its traditional dances. If you're lucky, your visit might coincide with an evening parade, when the streets fill with costumed dancers and musicians. Once you're settled, head out in town and shake your tailfeather.  

Day 12 Puno to Lake Titicaca    
Puno sits on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Today you'll take a tour of the lake by slow motorboat, stopping off to visit the Uros floating islands. They're built completely from multiple layers of totora reeds, which grow in the shallows of the lake. In the evening, enjoy a homestay in a local community on Llachon.

Day 13 Lake Titicaca to Puno      
Enjoy a home-cooked breakfast by your host family this morning, taking the time to explore the rest of the island afterwards. In the afternoon, take the boat back to Puno where the rest of your day is free to explore.  

Day 14 Puno to Lima    
Later today, take an included flight from Puno to Lima, which should take around one hour and forty minutes. This trip is a combination which means there may be some people in your group continuing onto La Paz instead of Lima. If this is the case your leader will continue with them to La Paz and you will take an unescorted flight to Lima where our local representative will meet you. The rest of your afternoon is free to see the last of the sights in the Peruvian capital, and perhaps head out for dinner with the group in the evening.  
       
Day 15 Lima    
Your adventure ends today – depart at any time.