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| Day | Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive Lima. City tour today or upon your return |
| 2-3 | Nazca overflight and south coast excursion. |
| 4 | Morning flight to Cuzco. City and ruins tour. |
| 5 | Tour of Machu Picchu |
| 6-7 | Amazon lodge. Excursions by boat and on foot to view flora and fauna |
| 8 | Morning flight to Lima. Departure Day |
Splendor of Peru
8 days: US$2950 per person
Domestic flights included
(What’s Included)
Looking for something less expensive?
Econoclass tours $2600…
It’s Peru in all of its magnificent diversity, from the mysterious desert plains of Nazca to the Amazon rainforest, with Cuzco and Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, in between. And as on all Southern Crossings tours, you’re taken care of from beginning to end: airport transfers and domestic flights are included!
Depart any day and customize your tour at no extra charge!
SPLENDOR OF PERU DETAILED ITINERARY
| Day | Activity/Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Lima and transfer to your hotel. If arriving during the day, your hotel will be in the neighborhood of Miraflores, with good shopping and restaurants, and you’ll have an included city tour in the afternoon. If arriving late at night, you’ll be close to the airport for a bit more sleep before your next day’s adventure, and you’ll have a tour of Lima upon your return. |
| 2 | An early morning bus ride down Peru’s south coast brings us first to Ica, center of Peruvian winemaking. We’ll visit a local vinyard and distillery, check out mummies at the Ica Museum, and try out sandboarding at Huacachina Oasis. We’ll continue on to Nazca in the early evening. |
| 3 | Buckle up and get ready to be amazed as the splendor and magnificent art of the Nazca lines unfold beneath you. Hundreds of animals, trapezoids and ruler-straight lines lie across the rocky Nazca plateau, clearly seen only from the air. Some say it is an ancient calendar. Others suggest a beacon and runways for alien spacecraft. Still others believe it was just an ancient culture’s way of saying hello to their gods. Perhaps, while soaring over them, you’ll develop a theory of your own. After your flight, you’ll be transferred to the bus station in Nazca for the return journey to Lima and back to the hotel. |
| 4 | Morning flight over the Andes to Cuzco. After checking into our hotel, we’ll head to the Plaza de Armas, the center of old Cuzco, visit an Inca temple and a local market, then take a ride to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman above town for great afternoon views over the city. Depending on your arrival time, there may be time for shopping or more sightseeing in the afternoon. |
| 5 | A beautiful morning train journey across the high plain above Cuzco then down the Urubamba Valley to Machu Picchu. After a guided tour, take time for independent exploration of this magnificent site. Return train journey to Cuzco in the afternoon. |
| 6-7 | This morning we’re off to the Amazon rainforest! Travel by air to the city of Puerto Maldonado and then transfer to a motorized dugout canoe for the trip upriver to our jungle lodge. Our cabins at the lodge have modern bathrooms and comfortable beds with mosquito nets, and the food here is great. Take an afternoon walk through the rainforest with an experienced naturalist guide, come back for dinner, then set off again for a nocturnal jungle canoe ride to spot caiman! The next day’s activities will include a visit to an oxbow lake to look for giant river otters, monkeys, macaws and other wildlife as well as jungle walks led by an experienced, English speaking guide. You’ll witness an array of medicinal and otherwise interesting flora and fauna, as well as gain some insight into native Amazonian peoples and traditions. |
| 8 | Morning flight to Lima. International flights may depart any time after 4pm. |
TRIP DETAILS
8 days: US$2950 per person
Domestic flight included
Depart any day! Discount for groups.
Is this trip for me?
Splendor of Peru is an 8-day tour which includes a visit to a rain forest lodge and an overflight of the Nazca Lines. Some walking around ruins and on city tours is included, and as always, a certain patience is required for the inconsistencies and occasional delays of developing-world travel.
Joining the tour
On all Southern Crossings tours, you are met at the airport by one of our representatives (holding a placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel. No bargaining or being ripped off by airport taxis!
- Airport pickup at the beginning of trip and drop off at end of the trip
- Southern Crossings bilingual guides
- All other internal transport (excluding transport to optional restaurants, bars, sights and excursions)
- Domestic flights – Lima-Cuzco, Cuzco-Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado-Lima
- Five nights of hotel accommodation, two nights rainforest lodge
- Three day Amazon rainforest lodge excursion
- All food while at rainforest lodge
- Nazca Lines and south coast tour – including all transport, over flight of the Nazca Lines, and tour of Ica and Huacachina with bilingual guide
- Breakfast – included every morning with your hotel stay
- The Cuzco Visitor’s Ticket – which includes entrance to the ruins in and around Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, and many churches and museums in Cuzco
- Cuzco City Tour
- Lima City Tour
- Machu Picchu excursion – including bilingual guide, round trip Vistadome or Executive train fare, transportation to/from ruins/Aguas Calientes, and entrance to the Machu Picchu sanctuary
- Southern Crossings T-shirt
What’s not included
International flight to/from Lima, airport taxes (approx. US$32), pre- & post- tour accommodation, visas, vaccinations, personal insurance, meals except where specified above, drinks, laundry, souvenirs, tips while on optional excursions and other items of a personal nature. Medical travel insurance is not included through Southern Crossings though we do require that you have a policy. We recommend www.travelguard.com although any travel medical insurance is acceptable.
Extra Accommodation
We will gladly arrange additional accommodation for you before or after your trip:
In Lima/Cuzco/Machu Picchu: $140 double/$130 single.
Single Accommodation supplement: $750
Please add this to your total payment if you will be traveling alone or wish to have private accommodation.
PRE-TRIP PLANNER
Required documents
All travelers to Peru are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for E.U., U.S., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders. For other nationalities, please consult the nearest Peruvian embassy or consulate. An onward ticket and proof of funds may also be required at entry and should be available to show to immigration. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, are sufficient for proof of funds.
Required immunizations
A yellow fever vaccination and certificate is required to travel to the Amazon. Travelers may wish to receive hepatitis vaccinations and should be current on all other standard vaccinations. The rainforest area of Peru (approx. 3500 ft. and below, east of the Andes) is a malarial and yellow fever zone. The yellow fever vaccination with the official certificate is required, and travelers may wish to take malarial prophylaxis. Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.
Things to bring
One should come well prepared for outdoor activity at temperatures ranging from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and for extremes of sun and the possibility of rain. A list of things to bring would include:
· Passport and, if necessary, visa
· Traveler’s checks and/or cash card
· Airline ticket
· Photocopies of airline ticket and documents
· Wearable pouch for documents and money
· Large, sturdy backpack or suitcase
· Smaller, comfortable day pack
· Trekking/walking boots, comfortable and worn-in
· Sandals or flip-flops
· Rain poncho or jacket
· Waterproof pants
· Sun hat
· Hat for cold weather
· Good, warm clothing for cold weather (think layers!)
· Scarf and gloves
· T-shirts
· Socks (thin wool or biking socks are best), undergarments
· Towel and swimsuit for hot springs
· Camelback or Nalgene bottle (optional)
· Flashlight (head lamps are very handy)
· Sunscreen
· Insect repellent (15-30% DEET recommended)
· Lip balm
· Earplugs
· Alarm clock or watch
· Sanitizing hand wipes or gel
· Camera and film/digital memory cards
· Camera batteries
· Playing cards, games, reading material
· Prescription medications
· Toiletries
Note that common clothing, batteries, film, medications, and such toiletries as toothpaste, toothbrush, toilet paper, deodorant and feminine hygiene items are available in Peru.
It is best to bring from home such items as prescription meds, eyewear and care, extra large clothing, shoes, unusual film and camera batteries. Also note that most digital camera memory cards can be downloaded and burned onto a CD in internet cafes in any large city.
Climate
Rain is possible at any time of year, especially in high mountains and cloud forest, and one should always be prepared. The climate in sites we will visit is as follows:
Cuzco: days are warm if sunny, slightly chilly if cloudy. Nights are cold in Cuzco.
Machu Picchu: similar to Cuzco, but warmer and with more chance of rain.
Lima: warm to hot days, cool evenings, almost never any rain. Often overcast.
Amazon basin: hot and humid year-round. We recommend light clothing (in weight and in color) that fully covers arms and legs to avoid mosquito bites.
Nazca: dry and warm desert climate which can be cold at night.
Baggage
For your international flights, please check with your airline. Within Peru, you are allowed 20 kilos (44 lbs) of checked baggage, as well as one carry-on and another small, purse-like item. The carry-on size regulations are the same as international carry-on size regulations.
Money guide
The unit of currency in Peru is the nuevo sol. Automatic cash points are available in Lima and Cuzco. Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards. Traveler’s checks (American Express is best!) or a Visa or MasterCard for cash advances are also options. Do not bring MoneyGrams or International Money Orders, as they are extremely difficult to exchange. Banks and exchange houses are available in Lima and Cuzco. For currency, U.S. dollars are recommended and most easily exchanged. Please note that cash must be untorn. It can be older-looking, but even the slightest tear on an edge will make it un-changeable. Acceptable bills come out of the ATMs in country.
Expect to spend about US$3-10 on a meal, US$2 on a beer, water or soft drink in Peru. Shopping prices are usually lower than people expect. Alpaca sweaters in markets, for example, run between $5 and $30. Currency Converter
All the guides and the people who met us were wonderful. They were knowledgible and it was very comforting to know you were going to be met at the airport, hotel, bus and train. They made sure you got on your plane or taxi or train or bus. Of all the places we went, I think I enjoyed Cusco the most. It is a beautiful city. Thetrip was excellent because we saw a great variety from Mountains, to Ocean to the Amazon.
- Jim Huddle, USA – Splendor of Peru
“This is the first package tour we have taken. Karen made our trip personal, packed in all we asked for, and kept us worry-free. Competent friendly guides met us at every stage, with tickets and any other time savers and we were whisked off to the next stage of our trip. Without Southern Crossings we would never have been able to fit in all we did, and time is our most precious commodity! It is the first time we have had a hassle free holiday – any issues were not our concern and were resolved by Karen before they effected us – THANK YOU!”
- Julie and Greg Rapley, UK, Amazon Adventure, August 2007
“Excellent, felt that we were hand held all trip long! I must say that our guides Elisabet and Vladimiro where not only knowledgeable and experience; they were great people. They way they treated the porters and sensibilized us to their job speaks for itself. Both had great historical and botanical/environmental knowledge of the trail and their explanations -either one or one or in a group- where very helpful and enlightening… I do not have a single complaint. And you can quote me on that! I can recommend Southern Crossings with my eyes closed and I will use them again.”
-Luis Ferre, Custom Tour, 2010