Peru: Unique Wildlife and Ancient Civilizations

The Trip

Indulge your love of Amazon wildlife, archaeology and pre-Columbian history in one trip! The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is a must-see for all world travelers, and we will spend two days there while staying at the famed Sanctuary Lodge, right outside the gates. But before we get there, we will fly up the northern coast of Peru to explore some lesser known, but impressive and significant sites that ruled the land long before the Incas. After visiting the Larco Museum in Lima to learn about Peru’s pre-Incan heritage, we fly to the colonial town of Trujillo to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chan Chan and the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. We will also visit El Brujo with its recently discovered burial site of the Lady of Cao as we drive up the Pan American Highway to Chiclayo, where we will explore the archaeological site of the Lords of Sipan and then visit the highly acclaimed Royal Tombs Museum.

The next leg of our trip takes us from Cusco by all-terrain bus down through the cloud forest and into the Amazon Basin to the remote Manu Biosphere Reserve. Staying in comfortable jungle lodges, we ride canoes down the river, view the jungle canopy, and walk quietly through the rainforest in search of cocks-of-the-rock, macaws, tapirs, giant otters, and other unique Amazonian wildlife. A wide variety of hummingbird species also abounds.

Back in the Andes, we explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, viewing numerous archaeological sites and Quechua villages along the way. Our trip culminates at Machu Picchu, perched on its majestic mountain high above the Urubamba River, where you can dream about the lives of its inhabitants long ago, before they disappeared into the jungle to evade the Spaniards. 

Key for meals included in the trip price: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D).

Day 1: Lima. Most flights from the United States arrive in Lima late in the evening or very early in the morning. So take a cab to our hotel and catch up on your sleep.

Day 2: Lima. After our morning orientation meeting, we visit the National Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology to learn about the Lima, Huari, Moche, Chimu, and Inca civilizations. After lunch, we’ll visit the Larco Museum for its pre-Columbian art. Before dinner, we will tour Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca adobe mound in the middle of Miraflores, and we’ll enjoy dinner overlooking the site. Overnight in Lima. (BLD)

Day 3: Lima/Trujillo. Our day begins with a visit to the Pantanos de Villa, a wetlands wildlife refuge where we will do some bird watching. After lunch, we’ll explore the ruins of Pachacamac, which was first settled in 200 AD and became one of the most important religious centers on the Peruvian coast. We then head to the airport for a 45-minute flight to Trujillo, a little-visited jewel on the northern coast of Peru, known for its colonial-style architecture and its important pre-Inca sites. Overnight in Trujillo. (BLD)

Day 4: Trujillo. We head out today to visit some of the archaeological wonders of the area. The Huacas del Moche, built by the Mochica culture around 500 AD, include the Huaca del Sol (Temple of the Sun), the largest mud-brick pyramid in the Americas, and the Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon), its smaller, but more complex and lavishly frescoed twin. After lunch in the beach town and surfer’s paradise of Huanchaco, we visit the giant adobe city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chan Chan, the ancient capital of the Chimu Empire that appeared on the Peruvian coast about 1100 AD. (BLD)

Day 5: Trujillo/Chiclayo. Driving through the sugar cane fields of the Chicama Valley to Chiclayo in Peru’s Northern Desert, we visit Huaca El Brujo (Temple of the Wizard), where the Lady of Cao, a tattooed royal mummy, was found several years ago. Overnight in Chiclayo. (BLD)

Day 6: Chiclayo. Today we visit the Temple of Sipan, the actual burial site of the Lords of Sipan which was discovered in 1987 and proved to be one of the richest tombs in the Americas. After lunch, we will visit the Museum of the Royal Tombs, which houses the treasures that were removed from Sipan. Overnight in Chiclayo. (BLD)

Day 7: Chiclayo/Lima/Cusco. Today is a travel day. We fly back to Lima in the morning and take a 1 hour 20-minute flight to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco (11,300 feet) in preparation for our descent into the rainforest the next day. The balance of the afternoon is free to acclimate to the elevation or explore Cusco on your own. Overnight in Cusco. (BD)

Day 8: Cusco/Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Leaving Cusco after an early breakfast, we travel by all-terrain bus through traditional Quechua communities and the spectacular eastern range of the Andes to the pretty village of Paucartambo (Village of the Flowers) before ascending to the last pass overlooking the Amazon Basin and beginning the breathtaking descent -- from 11,200 feet to 5,120 feet -- to our comfortable lodge in the orchid-laden cloud forest. In the late afternoon, we walk into the lodge to the sounds of quetzals, trogons, and gray-breasted wood wrens. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. (BLD)

Day 9: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge/Amazonia Lodge. We take a pre-breakfast walk through the cloud forest to see the strange and beautiful cocks-of-the-rock display at dawn. Up to 25 bright red-orange males dance and sing, attempting to attract the favors of the females. After a leisurely breakfast and a walk down the little traveled road to view the flora and fauna, we continue by bus to the Alto Madre de Dios River where we take a short canoe ride across the river to the Amazonia Lodge. This family-run, converted tea hacienda has a bird list of over 550 species, including numerous hummingbirds. The lodge is situated in the transitional zone at 1,500 feet where the last low foothills of the Andes flatten out into the lowland Amazon Basin. Overnight at Amazonia Lodge. (BLD)

Day 10: Amazonia Lodge/Manu Wildlife Center. After our early morning nature walk, we head down the Alto Madre de Dios river in motorized canoes, past native communities, to our comfortable lodge at Manu Wildlife Center. This lodge is a base for scientific research in the area and a center for visitors exploring the rainforest. The afternoon is set aside to relax, or you may want to walk through the jungle at sunset to watch roosting flights of parrots and macaws. Manu Wildlife Center has a canopy platform accessible via a spiral staircase so everyone can enjoy the rainforest canopy. Those who wish can participate in a night walk with our guide in search of nocturnal animals. Overnight at Manu Wildlife Center. (BLD)

Day 11: Manu Wildlife Center. Today will be a very early day as we head out to a macaw clay lick. This is a true spectacle as hundreds of parrots and macaws congregate to eat mineral-rich clay that is essential to their diet. We hide in a comfortable blind to get close to the birds. After lunch at the lodge, we'll explore other trails in search of emperor and saddleback tamarins, and we have often seen the rare Goeldi's monkey. Overnight at the Manu Wildlife Center. (BLD)

Day 12: Manu Wildlife Center. It's another early morning as we head out to Cocha Blanco, an ox-bow lake, on our floating platform and look for giant otters and other wildlife. In the evening there is an optional walk to another clay lick for a chance to see some nocturnal creatures, including tapirs, the largest South American land mammal, from the comfort of a blind with mosquito nets and mattresses. Overnight at the Manu Wildlife Center. (BLD)

Day 13: Manu Wildlife Center/Cusco. Early morning flocks of birds pass over the boat as we head downriver to catch our bus to Puerto Maldonado for the 55-minute flight over seemingly endless rainforest and then over the majestic Andes, passing glaciers and snow-covered peaks. In Cusco, we transfer to our hotel and have a free afternoon to re-acclimatize. Overnight in Cusco. (BD)

Day 14: Cusco. We spend the morning touring the city, including visits to the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Santo Domingo Convent which sits atop the Inca Temple of the Sun (Korikancha), and other Inca ruins. The afternoon is free for resting, shopping or further exploring. Overnight in Cusco. (B)

Day 15: Cusco/Sacred Valley. Today we head into the Urubamba River Valley, known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to visit the high mountain village of Chinchero (12,300 feet), which boasts a fine colonial church and a massive Inca wall. While there, we’ll also visit a women’s weaving cooperative. Next, we visit the Inca’s experimental agricultural site of Moray and walk through the Maras salt pans (10,800 feet) that have been used since Inca times to produce salt by evaporation. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. (BLD)

Day 16: Sacred Valley. We begin the day at the Inca fortress above the colonial town of Pisac (9,700 feet) and then visit its famed Sunday market. After lunch, we’ll visit the fortress at Ollantaytambo (9,200 feet) where the Incas laid out a cobblestoned village below a massive, terraced fortress/temple. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. (BLD)

Day 17: Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu. Today we get up early to take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, where we’ll catch the bus up the winding mountain road to Machu Picchu. Situated on a granite peak some 2,000 feet above the Urubamba river, Machu Picchu is one of the finest architectural achievements of the early Americas. At the end of the day, as all the other tourists leave the site, we will be among the special few that get to stay on the mountain at the Sanctuary Lodge. Overnight in Machu Picchu. (BLD)

Day 18: Machu Picchu/Cusco. We awake to enjoy an uncrowded and unhurried second visit of the site before the busloads of tourists arrive. And then we’ll take the afternoon train back to Cusco, where we’ll hold our Farewell Dinner. Overnight in Cusco. (BLD)

Day 19: Cusco/Lima. After breakfast, we’ll return to the airport to catch our flight back to Lima where you can await your flight home or continue on your journey. (B)

Please note: Weather or other conditions may require changes to this itinerary.

Getting There

The trip begins at our hotel in Lima and ends at the Lima airport after our return flight from Cusco. Fly into Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM).  We will give you instructions for getting to our Lima hotel, and you might want to plan to arrive a day or two early to rest up for our trip ahead. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

We stay at clean and comfortable hotels and jungle lodges. Most are locally owned and operated, with four or five-star ratings and private baths, although we share bathrooms for one night in the jungle. Lighting at the jungle lodges is by candle and lantern, but we can use a generator to charge electrical gadgets.

A highlight of this trip will be our stay at the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu, which will give you a chance to be one of the few people on the mountain after all the other tourists descend to their hotels at the bottom of the mountain.

Breakfast at the hotels will usually be a light buffet. Lunches and dinners will be taken at hotels and independent restaurants. Occasionally, we have a box lunch on long driving days. Food will be plentiful and varied. Peruvian cuisine is considered among the best in the world, so prepare to enjoy! Some meals are not included to give you an opportunity to pick some interesting places on your own or to avoid overeating on the trip. Although Peru is not a haven for vegetarians, we will try to provide vegetarian options where possible.

Trip Difficulty

This is not a hiking or trekking trip, but we will do a lot of walking around museums, towns, and archeological sites which often have a lot of steps and very uneven surfaces. In Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we also will be faced with high altitudes, which can be debilitating, so the trip is not recommended for those with heart or significant respiratory conditions. We will often have a support bus that can carry anyone who is not up for walking, but that will mean missing some of the trip highlights. In the rainforest, we walk slowly and quietly to watch for the wildlife. To fully enjoy this trip and avoid altitude sickness, you should be in good physical condition. You should also enjoy getting up early to view wildlife or enjoy less crowded venues. Emotional balance, flexibility, maturity, and a spirit of adventure are essential to making this an enjoyable experience.

Equipment and Clothing

Sturdy, lightweight, broken-in walking shoes or boots are a must, and one or two trekking poles (with rubber tips for rocky Machu Picchu) will be helpful. A daypack is also needed. A detailed packing list will be sent to participants. 

We face several weight limitations on baggage: all domestic flights limit passengers to 20 kg (44 lbs) of checked luggage and the train to Machu Picchu will limit us to 5 kg (11 lbs). A soft nylon duffle bag will come in very handy for reducing your luggage en route and your other bag can be stored at the hotel in Cusco. Excess baggage fees may be charged and are not included.

A vaccination for yellow fever is required by Peru, though it is very rare that you will be asked to document this. It is recommended that you carry your International Certificate of Vaccination along with your passport. Detailed health information, including suggested anti-malarial medication and altitude sickness prevention measures, will be provided to participants well in advance of departure.

References

• Thomson, Hugh, A Sacred Landscape. An often-humorous account of his travels to a number of the archeological sites we will visit.
• Mann, Charles, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus. Fascinating discussion about the size and sophistication of the Incas and other New World civilizations.
• Bingham, Hiram, Lost City of the Incas. A reprint of Bingham's original account of his "discovery" of Machu Picchu. A good adventure story, but a lot of his theories were later disproved.
• Hemming, John, The Conquest of the Incas. The definitive account of the Spanish conquest of Peru and the Incas.
• Munn, C.A., Winged Rainbow Macaws. National Geographic, January, 1994. Tells of research efforts with macaws in Manu and related areas.
• Mystery of the Tattooed Mummy. National Geographic, June 2006. The story of the discovery of the Lady of Cao in the Huaca Cao Viejo at El Brujo near Trujillo.

Conservation

The Peruvian Andes, the primary source of the Amazon River, have largely protected the rainforest in Peru. However, a number of threats have appeared on the horizon: slash-and-burn agriculture, small-farm homesteading, timber extraction, mining, poaching, and oil exploration have all made inroads into this once-trackless region. Efforts are being made to protect more Amazonian areas from agriculture, mining, and tree cutting, as well as from the huge, illegal parrot and macaw pet trade, which has devastated their numbers in many areas of Amazonia. We will examine these issues, as well as the preservation of culture and heritage among the indigenous people throughout the country. We will also learn about conservation efforts being undertaken to protect the ancient adobe archaeological sites along the northern coast from air, rain, and tomb robbers. Finally, we will discuss the positive and negative impacts of ecotourism.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.