Best of Peru with Antarctica Cruise

• Day 1 - ARRIVE LIMA

  Arrive into Lima today.
  Lima, capital of Peru, which was founded by the great conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 and soon became the capital of the extensive and tremendously wealthy Peruvian Vice Regency of Spain. By the end of the 16th Century it had grown into a city of fine palaces and churches and was the cultural centre of the southern hemisphere. Today, Lima still retains the essence of the Spanish colonialism.
  On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. (Private Transfer)

• Day 2 - LIMA

  This morning, embark on a city tour of Lima. See the plazas, colonial buildings with ornate balconies, colonial churches and mansions, gems of Ibero-American architecture including the 17th century San Francisco Monastery. Modern Lima is a mix of architectural styles and beautiful gardens, especially Miraflores and San Isidro, popular commercial districts with excellent shops, art galleries and restaurants. Visit Love Park in the Miraflores district and admire its view of the Pacific Ocean, and then head to Huaca Pucllana, the adobe pyramid that was ancient Lima’s ceremonial heart. Next, drive through the district of San Isidro, the financial center of the city, and then on to the city’s main square, Plaza Mayor, where you’ll see the Government Palace and Lima’s town hall. (B.) (Private Tour)

• Day 3 - LIMA - PUERTO MALDONADO - AMAZON

  This morning we transfer you to the airport for your departing flight to Puerto Maldonado. Start your journey arriving to Puerto Maldonado, where our staff will welcome you and provide the necessary information for your stay.
  Navigate by outboard motorized canoe along the Madre de Dios River to Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion for approximately 25 minutes.
  Enjoy lunch with organic ingredients and native flavors.
  After lunch, take a walk through Concepcion trails, our inside property nature trails, where you will discover and learn about primary and secondary rainforest, its components, uses, transformations by the human being, and its relevance for the world.
  At dusk navigate by outboard motorized canoe, at the twilight river excursion. By sailing on the Madre de Dios River, you will learn about its ecosystem, Amazonian creeks, nocturnal animals’ behavior, and the southern constellations.
  In the evening enjoy a nice dinner in the Casa Grande’s dining room. (B. L. D.) (Private Transfer) (Semi-Private Transfer) (Shared Guide)

• Day 4 - AMAZON

  New experiences are ahead and after taking a nutritious buffet breakfast, get ready for a long trek through terra firma into the Tambopata National Reserve towards Lake Sandoval. Here you will understand why Madre de Dios is called the biodiversity capital of Peru, while learning about the Reserve’s conservation efforts and the lake’s formation.
  Navigate by dugout canoe across this mirror-like oxbow lake that is home to the endangered giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus), black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), and one of the world’s biggest fresh water scaled fish, the paiche (Arapaima gigas).
  Back to the lodge for lunch, and later the Inkaterra canopy walkway & anaconda walk await for you.
  Take a 20-minute ride by outboard motorized canoe to the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway Interpretation Center where you will learn about its construction and the conservation projects of ITA-Inkaterra Asociación (NGO). Ascend one of the two 98-foot towers (30 m.) and cross the 7 hanging bridges that connect the treetops at 91 ft. high (28 m.). Enjoy the breathtaking vistas and get the chance to watch white-throated toucans (Ramphastos tucanus), woodpeckers, trogons, squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) and the three-toed sloth (Choleopus hoffmani).
  After descending keep on feeling the incredible primary rainforest energy going along the 200-meter wooden bridge over the swamps (aguajales). You will learn about the fauna and flora of this flooded ecosystem.
  At night get ready for an adventure at the rainforest by night excursion, where you will explore the Amazon rainforest that gives way to nocturnal animals who display intriguing behavior patterns, and enhanced senses as adaptation mechanisms. Listen to nocturnal living nature sounds, and penetrate this hidden world.
  Return to the lodge and enjoy a nice dinner. (B. L. D.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 5 - AMAZON

  The sun rises once again and after an early breakfast you will take our Native Farm excursion where you will be able to learn local techniques of cultivation and taste some of the products during the visit.
  Then visit the Botanical Garden, discover the immense variety of medicinal plants considered part of the “natural pharmacy” used by the habitants at the amazon region. Compare the medicinal uses of local medicine with traditional remedies.
  Getting back to Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion you will have lunch.
  Take a rest and get ready for the cocha water excursion. Enjoy a dugout canoe ride on the Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion natural pond (cocha). Try native fishing applying the “catch and release” techniques, as you enjoy the scenery observing hoatzins (Opisthocomus hoazin), a diversity of fly catchers, and gray-necked woodrails (Aramides cajanea).
  Disembark at the remains of Fitzcarrald steam boat; learn about its history and how it inspired Inkaterra to ask Werner Herzog to film the award-winning “Fitzcarraldo”, best director at Cannes, 1982.
  You will be able to participate in the inland collpa during the evening, where you will see different species and their night routines by observing through our “blinds”.
  End up your day with a pleasant dinner. (B. L. D.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 6 - AMAZON - PUERTO MALDONADO - SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS

  After breakfast buffet, take a ride back to Puerto Maldonado by outboard motorized canoe. Arrive at the Butterfly House where you may wait for your flight to Cusco, while visiting this beautiful Butterfly House and learning about the fascinating transformation of these colorful insects.
  On arrival to Cusco you will be met at the airport by a local representative who will transport you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas (8,500 feet elevation), a long, fertile river valley surrounded by snowcapped peaks that lies between Cusco (11,000 feet elevation) and Machu Picchu (8,000 feet elevation). Starting here helps you adjust to the high altitude of the Andes and is a great way to see how the local people continue to live in the traditional Andean manner.
  Rest of afternoon at leisure. (B.) (Semi-Private Transfer) (Private Transfer)

• Day 7 - SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS

  Today we discover the best of the Sacred Valley of the Incas through this route starting on the Inca's Balcony, in Chinchero, a beautiful place with an impressive view, where twelves families still preserve their traditional costums, showing you the ancestral way in which they process the wool, and obtain those vivid colors for their textiles.
  Afterwards, we will get to Ollantaytambo, one of the most monumental architectural complexes of the ancient Inca Empire, one of the few places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. Very well known for its “andenes” (terraces dug into the slopes of mountains for agricultural purposes), Ollantaytambo was a highly effective fortress, that also served as a temple.
  Then, we will follow to the town of Ollantaytambo, “the unique living Inca town”: the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century. (B.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 8 - SACRED VALLEY - MACHU PICCHU

  Awaiting you today is by far and away one of the high points in world tourism: Machu Picchu, where you will definitely have an experience you will never forget.
  Transfer to Ollanta station to board Vistadome train bound for Aguas Calientes and take the shuttle bus up to Machu Picchu, a breathtaking Incan citadel.
  A guided tour of the ruins will have you wondering about the lives of the priests, craftsmen, and servants who inhabited this citadel and what drove them to build it on a mountain-top. Excavations have revealed skeletons, artefacts and woollen clothing, but no gold. The same precise stonework as in other Incan sites in evident. 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 as the Incas left no written record.
  Have lunch at the Belmont Sanctuary Lodge and then there is some free time for you to explore the site on your own, to relax or to meditate.
  Once all activity are completed transfer to your hotel where dinner will be served. (B. L. D.) (Shared Guide) (Private Transfer)

• Day 9 - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO

  Today you can make an unguided return visit to Machu Picchu in the morning to have sometime to explore on your own; your shuttle and entrance tickets are included and will be provided to you.
  Going early, when the site first opens, allows you time at the ruins when there are far fewer people around.
  There are many things to see and do at the site, including the hike to Inti Punku, the Gate of the Sun.
  On the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cusco.
  You will have the balance of the day free to relax and explore this historic city.
  Cusco is another of the highlights of a trip to Peru, a fascinating city built on the foundations of the former Incan capital. You can observe massive Incan walls along many of the streets of the city. The city has a vibrant atmosphere and many excellent restaurants. (B.) (Private Transfer)

• Day 10 - CUSCO

  This morning, enjoy a city tour, which includes the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas, and the Koricancha Temple.
  Just outside Cusco, you will visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a testimonial to the Incan architectural skills. Compiled of massive stones (one weighs 125 tons!) you are challenged to try to slip a piece of paper between the cracks of 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 the Incas took place overlooks the red-tiled roofs of Cuzco and the spectacular lush countryside.
  Also visit Qenqo (the Labyrinth), an Incan shrine dedicated to the Earth Mother, the small fortress of Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay, a sacred bathing place. (B.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 11 - CUSCO

  Today enjoy free time to relax, shop or explore more of Cuzco's sights. (B.)

• Day 12 - CUSCO - ALTIPLANO - LAKE TITICACA

  Transfer to the station for your morning bus trip across the Altiplano (Spanish for high plain), where the Andes are at their wildest.
  Sightseeing on the way:

  • Andahuaylillas: Referred to as the Andean Sistine Chapel because is magnificent frescoes, the church is but one example of the mestizo baroque architecture typically of the Cusco school which was prominent in the 17^th You will marvel at the ceiling of carved panels covered with gold leafs
  • Raqchi: Also named the Temple of the God Wiracocha. The Inca temple is monumental: 100 meters in length, 26 meters in width and 14 meters in high. Divided in two naves, each of these still retains the bases of eleven giant columns. The base of the walls consist of Imperial Inca stonework with a top section of adobe. Adjacent to the temple, we can see many storehouses, used for various purposes: social, religious and military
  • Sicuani: in this village you will be able to enjoy a delicious lunch buffet and buy handicrafts.
  • La Raya: The highest pass on the route between Cusco to Puno. Beautiful landscapes await you, as well as the animals that are symbolic of the Andes: llamas, alpacas and vicunas. This is a region situation between two cultures Quechua and Aymara, as well as composite of two terrains: the dry and arid Altiplano and the more verdant Quechua valleys and rivers
  • Pucara:This is the most important and oldest ceremonial site this side of Tiahuananco. Characterize by a series of satire platforms, the ruins also reveal some lito-sculptures and tombstone, all witnesses of pre Inca civilization, possible one at the origin of the Andean culture of the Altiplano.

  On arrival into Puno, you will be met and transferred to your hotel located on the shores of Lake Titicaca. (B. L.) (Private Transfer)

• Day 13 - ISLANDS OF LAKE TITICACA (Peru side)

  Today will be a full day excursion on Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 3808 meters above sea level.
  Visit its main attraction:

  • Uros floating islands: The Uros people are known as the "People of the Lake", and the islands were built out of reeds that grow about the lake called totora. They also built their houses using the same construction material.
  • Taquile Island: where you will experience the islanders' customs and traditions, their colorful outfits that follow the designs of their ancestors, and the local art.

  Once all activities are completed you will be transfer back to your hotel. (B. L.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 14 - LAKE TITICACA - BUENOS AIRES

  Transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, connecting in Lima.
  The elegant Capital of Argentina, with over 3 million Porteños – as the residents are called, is one of the largest cities in the world. This great metropolis renowned for its sophistication stands out for being the most cosmopolitan and European city in South America, displayed through its mixed architecture and diverse culture.
  On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. (B.) (Private Tour) (Private Transfer)

• Day 15 - BUENOS AIRES

  This morning enjoy a tour of the city, that portrays many faces of Buenos Aires.
  We will visit the symbol of our city, the Obelisk, El Cabildo, Casa Rosada (Argentinian Presidencial office) and El Congress squares such as Plaza de Mayo, Plaza San Martin and Plaza Alvear; Avenida De Mayo, Corrientes and 9 de Julio among other avenues; La Boca and San Telmo, historic neighborhoods, the magnificent Palermo and Recoleta areas and modern neighborhoods like Puerto Madero, Dorrego square; Lezama Park and Tres de Febrero or Palermo woods (known as Bosques de Palermo) along with the Ecologic Reserve of the ‘Costanera Sur’ and the commercial and financial areas of the city.
  This evening, you will be taken to dinner and Tango show, where you’ll discover why the tango became one of the most elegant and sensual dances in the world. (B. D.) (Private Tour)

• Day 16 - BUENOS AIRES

  Day at leisure.
  Revisit some of your favourite places in the city today, shop for leatherwear and designer clothes. Get acquainted with the "Paris of South America" and its distinct European flavour, free to treat yourself to an Argentine beef dinner at one of the city's many superb steak restaurants. (B.)

• Day 17 - BUENOS AIRES - USHUAIA

  At schedule time we will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia.
  Upon arrival we will transfer you to your hotel.
  Acknowledged as the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia was founded in 1884 and was one of the original points of encounter between the Yamana and Anglican cultures. Its name derives from the Yamana word for ‘penetrating bay’ and it’s surrounded by the last high peaks of the Andes. Today, it is one of the largest cities on Tierra del Fuego Island, with around 65,000 inhabitants.
  Rest of the day enjoy the city and its spectacular scenery. (B.) (Private Transfer)

• Day 18 - USHUAIA

  This morning enjoy a 4 hour tour around one of the most important protected areas in the country and the only one by the sea shore. We will set off from the city center, heading south west, traveling through coastal landscapes and, after watching the glacier valleys, we will stop at the Fuegian Southern Railway station, where passengers can choose to enter the Park on board the famous ‘End of the World Train’. As soon as the passengers reach the Park, the tour around the different interest points gets started. At Bahía Ensenada, the ‘Concheros Antropogénicos’ (rests of mollusks and ashes today covered with vegetation), which are an evidence of the native settlements in the area around 6500 years ago, can be appreciated.
  Then we head Roca Lake where we can see the geography of ‘Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego’ which has a sister city relationship with the Chilean Republic. After walking along the park, we will get some free time to rest and recover our strength, tasting some chocolate or coffee in “Casita Del Bosque” by the Lapataia River.
  From there, by bus or van, we will head the end of National Route Nº 3, in Lapataia Bay, then, we will go back to the city and transfer you to your hotel. (B.) (Shared Guide)

• Day 19 - USHUAIA - ANTARCTICA (Embark)

  Morning at leisure.
  This afternoon we transfer to the port and embark the M/V Ushuaia and meet your expedition and lecture staff.
  After you have settled into your cabins we sail along the famous Beagle Channel and the scenic Mackinlay Pass. (B. D.) (Private Transfer)

• Day 20 - CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE

  Named after the renowned explorer, Sir Francis Drake, who sailed these waters in 1578, the Drake Passage also marks the Antarctic Convergence, a biological barrier where cold polar water sinks beneath the warmer northern waters. This creates a great upwelling of nutrients, which sustains the biodiversity of this region.
  The Drake Passage also marks the northern limit of many Antarctic seabirds.
  As we sail across the passage, Antarpply Expeditions' lecturers will be out with you on deck to help in the identification of an amazing variety of seabirds, including many albatrosses, which follow in our wake.
  The Ushuaia's open bridge policy allows you to join our officers on the bridge and learn about navigation, watch for whales, and enjoy the view.
  A full program of lectures will be offered as well. (B. L. D.)

• Day 21 - CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE

  The first sightings of icebergs and snow-capped mountains indicate that we have reached the South Shetland Islands, a group of twenty islands and islets first sighted in February 1819 by Capt. William Smith of the brig Williams. With favorable conditions in the Drake Passage our lecturers and naturalists will accompany you ashore as you experience your first encounter with the penguins and seals. (B. L. D.)

• Day 22 - EXPLORING THE SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS

  The South Shetland Islands are a haven for wildlife. Vast penguin rookeries, beaches ruled by Antarctic fur seals and Southern elephant seals make every day spent in this amazing island group unforgettable.
  Sailing through the narrow passage into the flooded caldera of Deception Island is truly amazing.
  King George Island, the largest of the South Shetland Islands, features colonies of nesting Adélie and Chinstrap Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Blue-eyed Cormorants, Antarctic Terns and Southern Giant Petrels and is home to scientific bases of many different countries.
  Macaroni, Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins as well as elephant seals await you at Livingston Island. (B. L. D.)

• Day 23 - EXPLORING THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

  The Antarctic Peninsula’s remarkable history will provide you with a type of excitement often only associated with the early explorers.
  You will have plenty of time to explore its amazing scenery, a pristine wilderness of snow, ice, mountains and waterways, and an incredible wide variety of wildlife.
  Apart from penguins and seabirds you are very likely to see Weddell, crabeater and leopard seals as well as Minke, killer (orca) and humpback whales at close range.
  We hope to navigate some of the most beautiful waterways (depending on the ice conditions): the Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel, and the Lemaire Channel, the latter are narrow passages between towering rock faces and spectacular glaciers.
  We plan to make at least two landings per day and possible landing sites may include: Paradise Bay is perhaps the most aptly named place in the world and we attempt a landing on the continent proper. After negotiating the iceberg-strewn waters of the Antarctic Sound, we hope to visit the bustling Adélie Penguin (over 100,000 pairs breed here) and Blue-eyed Cormorant colonies on Paulet Island. The Nordenskjöld expedition built a stone survival hut here in 1903. Today its ruins have been taken over by nesting penguins.
  Further exploration may take you to Melchior Island, Cuverville Island, Portal Point, Neko Harbour, Pléneau Island and if ice conditions permit, to Petermann Island for a visit to the southernmost colony of Gentoo Penguins. (B. L. D.)

• Day 24 - EXPLORING THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

  We plan to make at least two landings per day. (B. L. D.)

• Day 25 - EXPLORING THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

  We plan to make at least two landings per day. (B. L. D.)

• Day 26 - EXPLORING THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

  We plan to make at least two landings per day. (B. L. D.)

• Day 27 - AT SEA CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE, NORTHBOUND

  We leave Antarctica and head north across the Drake Passage.
  Join our lecturers and naturalists on deck as we search for seabirds and whales and enjoy some final lectures. (B. L. D.)

• Day 28 - AT SEA CROSSING THE DRAKE PASSAGE, NORTHBOUND

  Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia. (B. L. D.)

• Day 29 - DESEMBARK IN USHUAIA - DEPART USHUAIA

  We arrive at the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark the M/V Ushuaia after breakfast.
  Transfer from the port to Ushuaia airport.
  Your tour comes to an end. (B.) (Private Transfer)

  PLEASE NOTE:
  We can offer you the possibility to extend this tour to other incredible destinations like:

  • CHILE: Torres del Paine National Park
  • ARGENTINA: Calafate and Perito Moreno glacier
  • BRAZIL: Iguassu Falls and Rio

The below hand-picked properties feature good location, superior service, and all facilities necessary for a comfortable stay.

PERU

• Lima: Arawi – Miraflores
• Amazonas: Hacienda Concepcion
• Cusco: Hilton
• Sacred Valley of the Incas: Pakaritampu
• Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu): Mapi by Inkaterra
• Lake Titicaca: Sonesta Posada del Inka

ARGENTINA

• Buenos Aires: NH Crillon
• Ushuaia: Ciliene del Faro

ANTARCTICA

• Expedition cruise: Ushuaia

NOTES:

• Hotel accommodation quoted in lead-in hotel guest rooms unless specified otherwise
• Hotels can easily be changed at the customer request. We have a wide selection so you can be assured of a great place to stay
• We have several Antarctica cruises and itineraries that you can choose from, please let us know if you wish to changed the selected cruise for other vessel or program
• Occasionally due to circumstances out of our control, hotels quoted may not be available at the time of booking. In these circumstances when hotels are unavailable, South America Tours Pty Ltd will provide the best possible alternative.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• All Internal fights within South America plus all airport taxes
• The Internal flights are based on the assumption you would be flying internationally to South America and back with LATAM Airlines. A supplement will apply if your International air-ticket is purchased and issued separately or by another airline company
• Accommodation with private facilities as mentioned in the itinerary
• Antarctica Cruise.
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary:

(B.) = Breakfast

(L.) = Lunch

(D.) = Dinner

• All transport, sightseeing and excursions as per the itinerary unless specified otherwise:

(Private Transfer / Transport) = Your own exclusive driver. No queuing for taxis, no stopping en route at tour booking agencies. All private transfers / transport are operated on a private basis – i.e., you won’t be sharing with others

(Semi-Private Transfer) = transport provided by the hotel or lodge to their guest only

(Private Tour) = Your own, personal tour guide and an exclusive vehicle

(Shared Guide) = Meet other like minded travellers and share the services of a guide / vehicle during the plan activity. Typical group size is 10 travellers which really works well and makes for a fun experience for all.

• Parks and monuments entrance fees
• Total assistance coverage up to $2,000 per person during your stay in Peru (more information please contact us)
• Professional English speaking local guides throughout
• Return Vistadome train tickets to Machu Picchu
• Tourist Bus from Cusco to Puno
• Service charges and taxes. 

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:

• International air-tickets. We have access to wholesale fares and work closely with LATAM Airlines, contact us before organize your flights independently
• Reciprocal fees and tourist visas are not included
• Travel insurance
• Any items not specifically mentioned as included, phone call, laundry, tips, etc.

NOTES:

• We have several Antarctica cruises and itineraries that you can choose from, please let us know if you wish to changed the selected cruise for other vessel or program
• Rates are subject to change and different rates may apply during holiday seasons and special events
• Irrespective of whether you book directly with us or with your preferred travel agent, we’ll want to know the details of all of your fights – flight times frequently change and we want to make sure your transfers and other arrangements are amended accordingly
• You should ensure you have travel insurance in place to cover the possibility of unforeseen circumstances which result in the inability to participate in the tour
• All routes are subject to change without notice due to unexpected circumstances or weather conditions
• Certain countries require that you obtain official authorization (a visa) before entering the country. It is your responsibility for verifying and obtaining any necessary travel documents for entry and exit to the countries visited, as these requirements vary depending on the specific country and nationality of the traveler
• South America Tours Pty Ltd does not provide visa assistance.