Peruvian Jungle Adventure & Lima
Peru boasts stunning landscapes, a rich cultural heritage and ancient history, attracting adventurers and tourists from all over the world. Furthermore, it's a custodian of a significant portion of the Amazon rainforest, a global treasure currently facing grave threats.
During your jungle adventure in Peru, you will immerse yourself in the Amazon, explore the Andes mountains, and uncover the mysteries of the ancient ‘Lost City’ of Machu Picchu. Along this journey you will actively engage in conservation initiatives and receive important lessons on rainforest preservation. Your experience will include animal tracking, wildlife monitoring and valuable time spent with scientists dedicated to preserving the Amazon. By visiting this part of the world, you’re making a crucial contribution to the ongoing conservation work.
Through your collaboration with local community projects, your trip will positively impact the region while you revel in the privilege of exploring this incredible country. There is also plenty of time for fun – whitewater rafting, trekking through the rainforest and exploring the world-renowned wonder of Machu Picchu.
Day 1: Arrival Lima - Cusco
Welcome to Peru; after arriving in Lima you will take a connecting flight to Cusco, where you will be met by your tour manager and taken to your hotel. Relax and enjoy your first Peruvian meal for an early start tomorrow.
Overnight: Cusco
Day 2: Cusco - Manu Cloud Forest
Embarking early, your journey leads you through the Andes and into the Cloud Forest – a distinctive and awe-inspiring environment. En route, you will pause at Paucartambo village and Acjanaco ranger station to enjoy the panoramic views before arriving at Manu Cloud Forest Lodge for an overnight stay.
Overnight: Manu Cloud Forest Lodge
Day 3: Manu Cloud Forest - Manu Learning Center
Starting at the port town of Atalaya, you will arrive at the Manu Learning Center by motorized canoe along the Madre de Dios River. After lunch, you can explore the rainforest trail system with the naturalist guides and spend the evening learning more about the jungle.
Overnight: Manu Learning Center Lodge
Day 4: Mangrove Volunteer
Conservation Project
Set within a 643-hectare private reserve, the Manu Learning Center is a hub for research, education, and sustainable tourism. Since 2003, this initiative has been dedicated to conserving a segment of the Amazon. Here, conservationists have demonstrated that the rainforest can recover and thrive sustainably after over 40 years of non-extraction work and more than 18 years of conservation.
Today is the first of two days dedicated to engaging in conservation and research projects within the Amazon. Collaborating closely with scientists and researchers, you will gain insights into rainforest preservation techniques.
Overnight: Manu Learning Center Lodge
Day 5: Conservation Project
Another early start at 5am for your second day of conservation work. Throughout these two days, you will acquire skills in tracking mammals, conducting surveys to monitor bird and butterfly populations, and trekking through the rainforest.
Overnight: Manu Learning Center Lodge
Day 6: Community Project
In the morning, you depart for the nearby town of Salvación to participate in community projects alongside the local people. The day consists of constructing a bio garden to provide local people with access to sustainable fresh vegetables. You will also assist in the agroforestry initiative by planting trees in the rainforest as part of the rejuvenation project.
Overnight: Manu Learning Center Lodge
Day 7: Manu Learning Center – Ollantaytambo
Departing the Manu Learning Center Lodge, you will travel by boat back to Atalaya where you board your transportation to stay in the Sacred Valley. Upon arriving at your hotel in Ollantaytambo, you have the rest of the day to explore the surroundings. The region has a mild climate, snow-capped mountains, lush meadows, and vibrant flora and fauna. A local Incan market is nearby for those interested in shopping and picking up some souvenirs.
Overnight: Ollantaytambo
Day 8: Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley
Today, prepare for an exciting whitewater rafting expedition down the Urubamba River. After a briefing from an expert rafting guide, you will navigate one of the most enchanting landscapes in the Sacred Valley as the river winds through the picturesque surroundings.
After lunch at a local restaurant in Ollantaytambo, you can explore an ancient Inca fortress and temple that will take you back to the 15th century. Below the fort is a thriving Inca town where you will have time to wander through the charming streets of the modern-day settlement.
Overnight: Ollantaytambo
Day 9: Machu Picchu
It is a very special day today as you visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World - Machu Picchu. The day begins with a train journey to Aguas Calientes, with breathtaking views of the Urubamba River beneath the towering Andean glaciers.
Upon arrival, board a shuttle bus that will take you up the hillside to Machu Picchu, famously known as the ‘Lost City of the Incas’. Spend the afternoon exploring the sacred Inca citadel, discovering its temples and hidden enclaves.
Overnight: Cusco
Day 11: Lima
On your last day in Peru, you will take a flight to Lima and be met at the airport by your tour guide. You’ll spend the day in the nearby seaside city of Callao. The city has struggled with crime and poverty for years, but this has slowly been changing thanks to the urban art project and community organization ‘Monumental Callao.’
After a street art tour around the city, you will attend an art lesson and be taught by one of Callao’s famous graffiti artists. Once the lesson is over you will be transported back to Lima for your flight home, so it’s huk kutikama from Peru for now.
Day 10: Cusco
Your day begins with a visit to the Textiles Museum, where you will delve into the ancient weaving techniques of Peru. The exhibited works are crafted by artisans from Andean communities in the Ayacucho and Cusco regions. These artists, who lovingly raise their own camelids, utilize their wool to fashion the intricate pieces on display.
Next you will learn the art of crafting a quipu, a knotted cord with significant meaning in the Quechua language. Used by the Incas to record numbers and calendar information, you get to try creating knots and assembling cords, then take home the framed quipu you've crafted during the session.
Following the workshop you will participate in a ceremony of sound and traditional offerings to Pachamama, the revered Mother Earth. This ceremony involves sacred medicines such as Palo Santo, Tayta Sayri, Mama Coca, Agua Florida, Condor’s Feathers, Grandfather Puma, Essences and Incenses.
After lunch at Cusco's Pachapapa restaurant, you will venture to the bohemian district of San Blas. Here, you will find the workshops and establishments of renowned Cusco artists.
Your day concludes with a visit to the legendary Koricancha, a temple once adorned with sheets of gold dedicated to the Sun deity. Then, proceed to the main square of Plaza de Armas to explore the Cathedral.
Overnight: Cusco
Total Cost: From $4590
What is included
Activities:
White water rafting
Street art tour in Callao
Quipo making session
Accommodation and services:
All meals included while on project and 2 meals a day included when not
A 24/7 tour manager accompanying you throughout the trip
Internal flights and private transportation throughout the trip
All meals
Project Accommodation in Manu Center
Post Project accommodation in 3 and 4* hotels
Medical insurance up to $50,000, and Baggage Insurance
Tickets and Tours:
Paucartambo village and Acjanaco ranger station
Ollantaytambo
Inca fortress and temple
Machu Picchu
Textiles Museum
Temple Koricancha
Projects:
Tracking mammals
Surveying bird and butterfly populations
Lessons on conservation from scientists and researchers
Constructing a bio garden
Tree planting
Not included in this Trip:
International flights not included (we can arrange these for you)
Visas, where applicable
Any vaccination required
Cancellation insurance (medical insurance up to $50,000 is included and baggage insurance is included)