Peru

Machu Picchu & the Amazon

13 Days

Lima to Lima

  • Countries

    Peru

A map showing the route of Abercrombie & Kent's Machu Picchu & the Amazon tour through Peru.
A black logo for Abercrombie & Kent on a white background.

Overview

Spanning the soaring stone walls of Machu Picchu and the remote reaches of the Peruvian rainforest, this exhilarating Peruvian adventure combines two bucket-list destinations in one incredible journey. First, explore the Sacred Valley with llamas at your side and discover the wonders of Machu Picchu. Then, cruise the Amazon Basin aboard A&K’s all-new boutique river cruiser, the region’s finest vessel.

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A&K Advantages

  • Get a taste of Lima with a cycling foodie tour through the city, one of the world’s most vibrant culinary capitals
  • Ride the scenic Vistadome train to Machu Picchu or trek the Inca Trail from KM 104
  • Trek the Sacred Valley with llamas by your side
  • Cruise aboard our all-new boutique riverboat Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary, disembarking to explore the biodiverse Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

Itinerary

Arrive Lima, Peru

Arrive in Lima, where you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Lima - Immersion in Peruvian Cuisine

Set out for a guided visit to a market to learn about the products used locally for Peruvian cuisine. Continue by bike, stopping along the way for juice and a Peruvian lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, return to the hotel by bike or car, enjoying time to freshen up and rest. This afternoon, embark on a colonial city tour, starting in the historical center of Lima, visiting Casa de Aliaga and Santo Domingo Convent. Stop at a chocolate shop for a brief explanation on the importance of chocolate and coffee production in the Amazon region. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner at a top-flight local restaurant.

Cusco - Into the Sacred Valley

Fly to Cusco, located more than 11,000 feet above sea level, where you are met and transferred to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. En route, visit an animal sanctuary to interact with the South American camelids living there — such as llamas and alpacas — and learn about the valuable fibers created from their coats. Then, visit the beautiful Hacienda Sarapampa to savor lunch with the owner for a unique Chef's Table experience. Listen as he shares his family's history in farming and shows you around the estate. Continue to your awe-inspiring resort, designed to fit in with the Sacred Valley's landscapes.

Sacred Valley - Village Visit & Llama Walk

Begin your day with a refreshing light trek — escorted by llamas — on a trail that overlooks a lake, and then proceed to a village in the Sacred Valley to meet with members of the local community. Stop for a delicious picnic lunch before enjoying an afternoon at leisure capped off by a Scenic Sundowner. Tonight, dine at your hotel.

Machu Picchu - Stunning Citadel of the Incas

Start the day by exploring Ollantaytambo, a fortress of massive stone terraces that hug the mountain slopes and the site of the Incas’ greatest victory over the invading Spanish. Then, journey by Inca Rail First-Class Train deep into the Andes toward Machu Picchu gazing out at the spectacular Peruvian countryside. Upon arrival, transfer up to Machu Picchu and check into the only hotel on site, situated just steps from the Incan citadel. This afternoon, explore the ruins with your expert guide and, as you wander amid the age-old stone walls, picture life as it might have been in this majestic citadel. Alternatively (for an additional cost), you may opt to hike the Inca Trail en route. Depart early, forgoing the visit to Ollantaytambo, boarding a many-windowed Vistadome Train for the same scenic ride, but with a twist: disembark at KM 104 and set out with a guide on a hike that culminates at the Sun Gate (Inti Punku), looking out over the vast UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Machu Picchu - In the Spectacular “Lost City”

Rise with the sun to walk through Machu Picchu in the early morning mist before the crowds arrive, an experience some consider the spiritual highlight of the journey. Overlooking the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at the height of the Inca Empire. Although this “Lost City” was revealed to the rest of the world by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911, its location was long known to locals. Its original purpose, however, remains a matter of some conjecture, as the Incas left no written records. Enjoy lunch before returning to Ollantaytambo by Vistadome Train. Continue to Cusco.

Cusco - Plaza de Armas & Colossal Sacsayhuaman

Discover Cusco on a city tour that includes the remnants of Korikancha, once a major Incan religious center, as well as the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domingo Temple. Listen as a local expert explains how the historic clashes between the Incas and the Spanish played a role in forming today’s Peruvian culture. Later, visit the well-preserved ruins of Sacsayhuaman, an imposing fortress compiled from colossal stones. Later, enjoy time at leisure to rest or shop. This evening, dine at an elegant Cusco restaurant, where the chef gathers local ingredients for use in innovative recipes that honor Peru’s culinary traditions.

Cusco - Design Your Day

Experience Cusco your way, enjoying one of these Design Your Day activities.


  • Visit the San Blas Neighborhood, a unique, bohemian enclave where you can visit the workshops of artisans.
  • Stroll San Pedro Market and Visit the Inca Museum, first tasting local fruits and cheese and glimpsing daily life, and then looking back into Peru’s rich history.
  • Explore with an Expert Photographer who helps you refine your skills and capture Cusco as a local sees it, including its narrow streets and beautiful houses.

Later this afternoon, depart for Lima. Enjoy dinner at the hotel before you retire early to rest up for the next leg of the adventure.

Nauta - Cruising the Marañón

Today, fly to Iquitos. Upon arrival, journey overland into the Peruvian countryside en route to remote Nauta, a village set on the banks of the Marañón River, one of the Amazon’s three main tributaries. Begin your four-night river-cruise adventure, embarking elegant Pure Amazon, A&K’s all-new boutique riverboat offering an intimate and exclusive experience. Designed for sustainable exploration and authentic cultural immersion it features panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows for superb wildlife viewing and a staff-to-guest ratio of over 1:1, ensuring exceptional, personalized attention. Settle into your spacious suite before meeting the expert naturalist guides who accompany your expedition. This evening, gather for dinner featuring innovative Amazonian cuisine.

Pure Amazon - Seeking the Life of the Forest

In this paradise for birders, where vibrantly colored macaws may be seen gliding overhead, start your day at dawn’s first light on an expert-led birding excursion. View any of the hundreds of amphibians, reptiles and mammals that call the Amazon home as well, including frogs, bats, iguanas and insects. Return to your ship for lunch and an exclusive midday lecture from one of the local experts travelling by your side. This evening, as the equatorial sun dips behind the treetops, you may opt to set out by skiff for a night safari, watching as your guide shines a light over the ink-black water to reveal the glowing yellow eyes of dozens of caimans and other nocturnal river dwellers.

Pure Amazon - Learning from the Experts

Devote your day cruising along the Pacaya River aboard a skiff for up-close looks at shoreline flora and fauna, and be sure to scan the forest canopy for long-limbed spider monkeys or an endearingly slow-moving sloth.

Pure Amazon - Village Visit & Piranha Fishing

A new day along the ever-changing river brings with it new possibilities. This may be the day you spot the Amazon’s fabled pink dolphins or go ashore to visit the residents of a local village to learn about daily life deep in the Amazon. Back on your vessel, enjoy lunch before heading out on another river foray or fish for piranha from a skiff, catching (and carefully releasing) this tenacious species. Later, gather for a chat with your vessel’s expert guides who recount stories of life in the Amazon, followed by a farewell dinner on board

Depart Lima

Disembark Pure Amazon in Nauta and return to Iquitos to immerse yourself in everyday local life with a visit to a lively neighborhood market with freshly harvested bounty from the surrounding forest is on display as well as the Museum of Indigenous Amazonian Cultures. Fly to Lima, where you enjoy the use of a dayroom until privately transferring to the airport for your departing flight.

  • Inclusions
    • English-Speaking Resident Tour Director® and Local Guides
    • Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
    • Travelling Bell Boy® Luggage Handling
    • Traveller’s Valet® Laundry Service
    • Internet Access
    • Entrance Fees, Taxes, and All Gratuities Except Resident Tour Director
    • 24/7 A&K On-Call Support
    • Internal Air Included (Economy Class, $1,000 value) Lima/Cusco/Lima/Iqitos/Lima
Two llamas are standing next to each other in the Sacred Valley, Peru.

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