Arrive into Lima today.

Upon arrival to Lima, you will be welcomed outside of Customs by an English-speaking assistant holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will direct you to your awaiting vehicle and driver, and accompany you to your hotel to assist with check-in.

Note: Medical “Assist Card” insurance for the entire journey within Peru, with 24 hours medical assistance is provided to assist any relevant issues with altitude or any sickness.

(Private Transfer)

Today you will visit the modern and colonial parts of the city of Lima, known as The City of Kings.

You will head to the Historical Center and arrive at the Main Plaza, where you can take pictures of the amazing colonial architecture that surrounds it.

Then, visit the Cathedral, where you will appreciate the Renaissance style of decoration, as well as its apostles’ statues.

Then, you will walk to the impressive Santo Domingo Convent, which will astonish you with its colonial style.

Upon leaving the Historical Center, you will head to the HuacaPucllana, a pre-Inca archaeological complex in the district of Miraflores, which was an important ceremonial and administrative center of the Lima culture, between 200 and 700 AD. In a guided tour, you will explore the different areas of the huaca and learn about the lifestyle of its former inhabitants.

Once all activities are completed we will transfer back to your hotel.

Balance of day at leisure.

(B.) (Private Tour)

Suggested Restaurant: Huaca Pucllana.

The view of the 1,500-year-old, pre-Incan ruins is reason enough to visit this beautiful restaurant, but the food is a close second. Rough-hewn columns hold up the dining room’s soaring ceiling, but the best tables are outside, with a view of the huaca (ruins), which are spectacularly lighted at night. The novo andino cuisine includes a crunchy quinoa salad with soterito (fresh cheese, tomato, onion, fava beans, corn, and rocoto chilis) and grilled alpaca in a porcino mushroom sauce with corn soufflé. House versions of popular dishes such as chupe de corvina (a creamy sea bass soup) and cabrito al horno (roasted kid) are simply works of art.

This morning we will 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) (Shared Guide)

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)

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)

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.

Note: Due to the altitude, we recommend that you avoid any strenuous activity for the remainder of the day. We suggest that you rest for one to two hours after checking in to your hotel, prior to commencement of any physical activity. To further reduce the effects of altitude sickness, we recommend you also drink plenty of fluids: water, fruit juices, herbal tea or the local ‘mate de coca’. It is highly recommended to avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol.

Remember: Altitude affects each person differently so symptoms may vary greatly, so please be alert to any possible symptoms and if in any doubt seek medical advice.

(B.) (Private Transfer)

Today we discover the best of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Explore Ollantaytambo, where you can visit the archaeological complex of the same name, one of the largest in Peru, strategically located on top of a mountain.

Afterwards, you will descend to the town of Ollantaytambo, which stands out for maintaining the Inca urban planning as part of its original urban layout, with some buildings and narrow stone streets. Here you can tour the town and visit the local market.

Note: This evening, pack an overnight bag for your stay at Machu Picchu, your main luggage will be transferred back to Cuzco and placed in secure storage and will be made available to you when you check in to the hotel. You must carry your passport with you.
When packing your bag please bear in mind the below luggage requirements for Peru Rail passengers travelling to Machu Picchu: Each Due to limited space for luggage storage on trains, luggage restrictions apply: one bag or backpack (carry-on luggage) with a maximum weight of 5.0 kg / 11 lb, measuring no more than 62 linear inches / 157 linear cm (height+ length + width)

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.

You will be transferred from your hotel to the train station in Ollantaytambo this morning. Your luggage will be collected and transferred to your hotel in Cuzco for storage while you are at Machu Picchu. We recommend you do not leave valuables in your luggage.

Board the Vistadome Train to Aguas Calientes; a 90 minute journey. Your Vistadome service departs at (to be advised) and you need to be on the platform 30 minutes prior to departure. The Vistadome is the ideal train for those who want to be in contact with the environment and appreciate the wonderful journey to Machu Picchu. Surrounded entirely by glass and wagons with large panoramic windows offering incomparable scenic views and numerous opportunities to capture amazing pictures, Vistadome travellers feel connected and part of the impressive landscape of Peru. Perurail provide travellers on board personalized and first level service to give them an unforgettable life experience.

Upon arrival to Aguas Calientes train station one of our local staff will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name/s on it. After a short briefing, explaining about your full day tour inclusions & timings you will be introduced to your expert guide for the rest of the day. At this point your luggage will be taken by a porter to your hotel. Your guide will walk with you for about 5 min to catch a bus, which takes 30 minutes to reach Machu Picchu (buses depart every 10 minutes and the first bus departs 05:30)

A 2 hours 30 minutes 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.

You will visit following points in Machu Picchu:

01 Entrance
02 Ceremonial Baths
03 Inka House
04 Temple of the Sun
05 Botanical Garden
06 Square of the Temples 07 Intiwatana
08 Llamacancha
09 Sacred rock
10 Temple of the Condor 11 Agricultural Zone
12 Exit

The guided tour will end a few meters from the Machu Picchu exit. It is not allowed to return on the way that has already been visited

At the proper time, you should exit the citadel and enjoy your buffet style lunch at the Sanctuary Hotel.

Your return mini-bus transfer to Aguas Calientes is included; buses leave approximately every 15 minutes. The village of Aguas Calientes is very small; on arrival please ask for directions to your hotel. Most properties are within a 5- 10 minute walk from the bus terminal. Your luggage will be made available to you after you have checked in.

Tonight enjoy a la carte dinner.

Please note: if you would like to climb Wayna Picchu the next morning (the mountain that rises over the ruins) you will need to let us know as the number are restricted.

The climb to Huayna Picchu is considered one of the best short hikes in the world. Reaching its summit is a great feat and will be the greatest adventure of your life, climbing its zigzag paths and stairways carved in stone, you can test your physique and the temper of your nerves. But once at its summit you will feel a great sense of satisfaction and peace, the view of Machu Picchu and its surroundings is spectacular and unique. Also in the mountain Huayna Picchu you will be able to find excellent Inca remains, like their viewpoints, rooms and platforms; You can also see the magnificent Temple of the Moon, an attraction that can only be seen climbing Huayna Picchu.

There are 2 entry schedules for the Huayna Picchu Climb. From 07:00 – 08:00 or 10:00 – 11:00.

We highly recommend booking the first entry as the views are spectacular.

As per the regulations of your ticket you are entitled to 4 hours within the citadel. The trek will take approximately 3 hours, so you will another hour to explore the Machu

(B. L. D.) (Shared Guide) (Private Transfer)

Return to Machu Picchu this morning to continue your unguided exploration of this extensive site; your return mini-bus tickets and entry to Machu Picchu are included. We recommend rising early and taking one of the first buses; the ruins are much quieter in the morning and seeing the mist clear as dawn breaks is a wonderful sight.

There are many things to see and do at the site, including the hike to Inti Punku, the Gate of the Sun.

Morning visitors to Machu Picchu must leave the ruins by 12pm. Take a mini-bus back to Aguas Calientes and have some free time for lunch or visiting the souvenir shops. Please make sure you allow enough time to collect your luggage from your hotel before returning to the train station to take the afternoon Vistadome train back to to Ollantaytambo, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cuzco, where the bulk of your luggage will be waiting.

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.

Note: you MUST bring the previous day’s ticket to enter Machu Picchu today without a guide.

(B.) (Private Transfer)

You will visit the city of Cusco, known as the Imperial City and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Here you will start your tour at the iconic San Pedro market, a local market where you can explore the colors, flavors and traditions of modern Cusco.

The visit continues with the Koricancha Temple, an ancient Inca palace and cult center of the Sun God, above which the order of the Dominicans built a church, which remains standing to this day.

You will continue ascending to the Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, an impressive example of Inca military architecture.

Afterwards, you will explore  Q’enqo archeological site, where important Inca ceremonies took place.

Finally, you will arrive to the Plaza de Armas (main square), where you will visit the Cathedral, the most important temple in the city.

(B.) (Private Tour)

Suggested Restaurant: Cicciolina

Around the same time that Cusco started hosting a new type of tourism other than backpackers, four friends decided to open a Bodega, a place to meet, chat over a plate of tapas and share a drink. Eight years later, Cicciolina restaurant Cusco has kept this energy, especially at night, where conversations in various languages can be heard at the long candle-lit bar or high wooden tables.

Here sharing is made easier by the warm, inviting atmosphere of this old colonial building combined with the mediterranean influence felt in the decor (red walls, peppers and garlic hanging from the ceiling…) and in the menu. Everything is orchestrated in two tiny open kitchens, where you can observe the choreography of creation from the cozy bar, feeling almost like part of the family.

“Cicciolina” is worth a visit to enjoy a glass of wine or a coffee and the relaxed atmosphere, but you only truly discover the dimension of this restaurant by trying a few of its dishes.

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) (Shared Guide)

Today will be a full day excursion on Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 3808 meters.

First, you will sail to the floating Uros Islands. The Uros are the descendants of a pre-Inca group who live on forty-two self-fashioned floating islands on Lake Titicaca. The Uros use bundles of dried totora reeds to make reed boats and to make the islands themselves. The purpose of the island settlements was originally defensive, and if a threat arose they could be moved.

Your guide will discuss the Uros way of life, culture and history and explain how these unique islands are built and maintained. Continue to Taquile Island, located around 45km east of Puno. We walk along a gently inclining path – streaks of stone that wind their way among greenery platforms – to arrive at the village of Taquile where we have lunch.

Taquileños run their society based on community collectivism and on the Inca moral code ‘ama sua, ama llulla, ama
qhilla’ (Quechua for do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy). The island is divided into six sectors or ‘suyus’ for crop rotation purposes. The economy is based on fishing, terraced farming horticulture based on potato cultivation, and income from the approximately 40,000 tourists who visit each year.

Later this afternoon we take the boat back to Puno and your hotel.

(B. L.) (Shared Guide)

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.

Upon arrival to Buenos Aires, you will be welcomed outside of Customs by an English-speaking assistant holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will direct you to your awaiting vehicle and driver, and accompany you to your hotel to assist with check-in.

(B.) (Private Transfer)

This morning enjoy a tour of the city.

Visit the historic Plaza de Mayo Square, the scene of many resonant, political manifestations. It is surrounded by the Government House, best known as the “Pink House”, the Cabildo (the old City Hall), which dates back to 1754, and still keeps its colonial characteristics; and the Cathedral. Wide avenues and green areas appear constantly trying to slow down the rhythm of this vertiginous city. A sample of this is the 9 de Julio Avenue, with its eight lanes divided by small green squares with old, leafy trees and enriched by sculptures and fountains. In the middle of this avenue, in the Plaza de la Republica, the Obelisk arises as a symbol of the city. Nearby, you will see the majestic Colon Theater, whose perfect acoustics make it one of the best Opera Houses in the world. Southwards, we reach the picturesque and colorful port neighborhood of La Boca with its famous alley, “Caminito”, whose architectural characteristics and customs reflect the influence of the European citizens that came to these shores in the last years of the 19th century. The visit continues towards San Telmo, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. The visit then goes on towards the modern Puerto Madero neighborhood, with its former port warehouses, now turned into offices, flats, entertainment facilities and top-notch restaurants overlooking the Rio de la Plata. You will continue northwards to visit the residential Palermo neighborhood with its elegant residences framed by wide green areas; passing by the Rosedal, the Botanic Garden, the Zoo, the Planetarium, and the Hippodrome. Finally you will reach Recoleta, the most sophisticated neighborhood in Buenos Aires, where some of the best restaurants, cafés, night clubs and boutiques are placed. The Recoleta Cemetery surprises the visitor with its location, its varied architectural resources and the personalities that are buried there, such as Eva Peron.

Upon conclusion of the tour, you will be returned to your hotel.

(B.) (Private Tour)

Day at leisure.

Revisit some of your favourite places in the city today.

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.)

Suggested restaurant: Don Julio

Don Julio is the 2023 winner of the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants. The restaurant’s menu features an extensive selection of beef cuts, including ribeye, sirloin, and tenderloin but also secondary cuts like skirt or short ribs from regeneratively farmed Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle. The steak cuts are grilled to perfection over a wood-fired grill by Guido Tassi, Executive Chef and his team, which imparts a smoky flavor and charred exterior, while keeping the meat juicy and tender in a distinctive way.

An early morning breakfast will be served before leaving to the airport for you flight Buenos Aires – Ushuaia.

Transfer to the airport.

Flight Buenos Aires/Ushuaia selected by PONANT in economy class. Approximate flight duration: 3 hours, 30 min.

Meet and greet at the airport (English-speaking assistance).

Capital of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, Ushuaia is considered the gateway to the White Continent and the South Pole. Nicknamed “El fin del mundo” by the Argentinian people, this city at the end of the world nestles in the shelter of mountains surrounded by fertile plains that the wildlife seem to have chosen as the ultimate sanctuary. With its exceptional site, where the Andes plunge straight into the sea, Ushuaia is one of the most fascinating places on earth, its very name evocative of journeys to the unlikely and the inaccessible…

Upon arrival to Ushuaia airport we will transfer you to the cruise terminal and embark.

To reach the White Continent you will cross the notorious Drake Passage named after the famous explorer, Sir Frances Drake, who sailed in these waters way back in 1578.

(B. D.) (Private Transfer) (Charter flight)

Use your days spent in the Drake Passage to familiarise yourself with your ship and deepen your knowledge of the Antarctic.

The Expedition Leader will first present the IAATO rules of conduct that must be observed during landings in the region and will explain everything you need to know about the Zodiac® outings.

Lectures about the history and wildlife of the Antarctic will be an opportunity for you to learn more about this magical region, where every cruise is a unique experience.

From the ship’s bridge, you will experience exceptional sailing moments before joining the naturalist-guides on your ship’s exterior decks to look out for albatrosses, cape petrels, and other seabirds flying over the Drake Passage.

(B. L. D.) 

Succumb to the magic of a place unlike any other. To this day, the mythical Antarctic Peninsula still holds real fascination and promises its visitors unforgettable moments. Throughout your adventure in this icy realm, you will find yourself in the heart of a spectacular decor in subtle shades of blue and white, surrounded by exceptional wildlife. Penguins, humpback whales, seals and giant petrels are at home here, as are elephant seals, fur seals, Antarctic minke whales, and orcas. Depending on which sites you will be lucky enough to visit, you may get the chance to observe them and share with them the beauty of these extreme parts.

Each day, based on ice conditions, the Captain and the Expedition Leader will suggest Zodiac® outings or landings to discover the infinite riches of the Antarctic Peninsula.  Glaciers, ice floe, tabletop icebergs, mountain peaks that plunge straight into the sea, volcanic beaches, research stations, enchanting bays, and vestiges of the whaling industry: these are the faces of the Antarctic that will likely reveal themselves to you, in a hushed and surreal atmosphere. You will sail in the wake of Jean-Baptiste Charcot, Adrien de Gerlache and Sir Ernest Shackleton, great Antarctic explorers who, from the 19th century, set out to conquer these remote and uninhabited lands.

(B. L. D.)

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.

Take the chance to relax and reflect on the fascinating adventures of the past days on the way back to Ushuaia.

(B. L. D.)

We arrive at the port of Ushuaia in the early morning and disembark

Meet and greet at the port (English-speaking assistance).

Transfer to the airport in time for check-in of the charter flight Ushuaia/Buenos Aires selected by PONANT.

Approximate flight duration: 3 hours, 30 min.

Upon arrival to Ezeiza International Airport your cruise package comes to an end.

(B.) (Private Transfer) (Charter flight)