The Traveling Professor recently completed two small group tours to Peru. The first one was October 27, 2024 to November 4, 2024. The second small group Peru tour was from November 5, 2024 to November 13, 2024. The size of our first group was 16 travelers. Our second group had 18 travelers. Most of our travelers are in their 60's but on these two tours the ages ranges from late 40's to mid 70's. They were from all over the United States from about 10-12 different states.
Both tours were 8 nights and 9 days as follows:
- 2 nights in Cusco
- 2 nights in Machu Picchu Village (Aguas Calientes)
- 1 night back in Cusco
- 3 nights in the Amazon
We used these hotels:
Aranwa Hotel Cusco: This is a 5-star hotel in central Cusco. The rooms were exceptionally large. It is an impeccably clean hotel beautifully furnished. Of all the tours The Traveling Professor runs, this is probably the best boutique hotel we stay at. A bountiful and delicious breakfast was served each morning. The hotel features a “smart oxygen system” that did a great job in mitigating the effects of high altitude.
Machu Picchu: While visiting Machu Picchu we stayed at the fabulous 5-star Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. By far, this is the best hotel in Machu Picchu. Rooms are large, breakfast was bountiful, it was beautifully decorated. This was the first time staying at this hotel on a small group tour and we were impressed! The best feature was the guided nature tours on the property conducted by naturalist on staff at no charge to our group. After returning from a day touring Machu Picchu, these tours were easy to schedule for our guests. Dinner is also included at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel and these meals did not disappoint. The dining room is elegant, there were at least 3 options for appetizers, about 8 choices for dinner, and 3 dessert options. We loved the food!
Inkaterra Amazonica Lodge: This may have been the highlight of our Peru experience. This highly regarded eco lodge is located on the Amazon on the Madre de Dios River, deep in the Amazon jungle. The property has 34 cabanas and a large main lodge. Each cabana is large with private shower and bath, hammocks, and seating area. Purely a delightful experience! Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are served a la carte by an expert wait staff. This is a luxury lodging experience! The Inkaterra is staffed by professional naturalists. Each excursion (in more detail below) is included with the lodging. It is a full day and evening of activities.
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco. Some travelers arrived the night before in Lima and flew into Cusco the next day. Others arrived in Cusco on the day the trip started. Check in at the Aranwa Hotel was quick and easy. Since Cusco is at 11,000 feet altitude, we took it easy. It was a short walk to the market and a quick tour of the city. We had a fantastic dinner at the well-known Chi-Cha restaurant, just around the corner from the hotel.
Day 2: Cusco. We started the day with a trip to the San Pedro Market and spent time looking over and sampling local foods. We then went to the colonial Convent of San Francisco. Both the market and convent are less than a 5-minute walk from the hotel. The convent provided insight into the Spanish presence in Cusco and the view from the bell tower was outstanding. We then broke for about 90 minutes for lunch and returned for a pickup by private van to Sacsayhuaman, an Inka citadel on the northern outskirts of the city. Then it was a surprise to go to the Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary. This organization protects animals that were mistreated, rehabilitates them, and when possible, returns them to nature. We were treated to spectacular demonstrations of condors, pumas, llamas, all sorts of birds, monkeys, Peruvian speckled bears and other wildlife. We returned to Cusco at about 5 pm for pisco sours and dinner.
Day 3: Machu Picchu. An early morning departure by private van to the Poroy train station outside of Cusco. It takes about 3.5 hours through the Peruvian country side as we descend to the cloud forest at Machu Picchu at about 6,000 foot altitude. Travelers were very impressed with the check in at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. After lunch, we descended to the citadel of Machu Picchu. Our guides, Aracely and Hector, have been doing tours with us for years. They are articulate and have expert knowledge of Machu Picchu. To try to put into words what we saw in Machu Picchu is difficult. It is truly one of the most spectacular places in the world. We toured the first day until about 5 pm, when MP closes. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed a 3-course meal served in the elegant dining room.
Day 4. Machu Picchu. About 80% of those who go to Machu Picchu stay for one day. But one day in MP is a very tiring experience and how much can really be covered in one day? And what if it is raining when you get there? This is why we plan two days at Machu Picchu. On our second day, we explored more of the citadel and again, it is hard to put into words the majestic beauty of this Inka wonder. In the afternoon, we returned, had lunch, and most guests did a guided nature tour on the property of the hotel. Dinner was full of conversation and sharing of those fantastic photos.
Day 5: After a relaxing breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and boarded the train to Ollantaytambo, in the heart of the Sacred Valley. We stopped for a delicious buffet lunch at Tunupa. It is on the site of an old hacienda, right on the Urumbamba river. Guests strolled the gardens and grounds with llamas and alpacas milling about. Our return to Cusco was in the afternoon giving people a chance to explore on their own. On one of the trips, it was Halloween in Cusco. What fun it was to see the kids all dressed up and trick-or-treating with their parents in town.
Day 6: The Amazon. After breakfast, we went to the airport and boarded a one-hour flight to the Amazon. What a change in eco system from 11,000 foot Cusco to almost sea-level Amazon. To get to the lodge, we boarded a boat that took us about 15 kilometers down river to the Inkaterra Amazonica Lodge where we were warmly (yes, it was warm) greeted. After a sumptuous lunch (gazpacho, salads, empanadas, chicken skewers as appetizers. Pasta, burgers, veggie choices, chicken sandwiches as a main. And two dessert choices).
After check out our very cool cabanas, we were introduced to the excursions for the next few days and met our naturalists. That evening, we did a twilight cruise and saw plenty of caimans, birds, and capybaras. Very exciting. We returned for delicious dinner. Everyone was tired and hit the sack before 10 pm.
Day 7: It was an early morning to get out and do our next excursion into the jungle. We went to Tambopata National Reserve. Both groups saw different animals but there were plenty of monkeys, birds, and jungle plants. We got in a small boat and paddles about on Lake Sandoval. One group had the rare opportunity to see 6 foot river otters, playing in the water, enjoying a fish breakfast. Spectacular! We returned to the lodge for lunch. That afternoon we too a short hike to the canopy. The canopy is a system of 7 walkable bridges over 100 foot high in the jungle. Our naturalists did an expert job of explaining the wildlife, insects, birds, flora and fauna of the jungle. We returned for dinner but not before an evening walk in the jungle. What we saw at night in the jungle is more than amazing. You need to go on a tour to find out more!
Day 7: We did two excursions today. The first was to go on a boat about 2 miles from the lodge to a plantation on the river. The naturalist explained the fruits and vegetation grown in the jungle. We walked through the jungle seeing birds like macaws and sparrows. After that, we paddled down a creek to experience another jungle ecosystem. We returned at about 10 am. Had lunch at noon and at 2 pm went across the river to visit the Hacienda Concepcion with a Botanical Garden with over 200 different species of rainforest plants. The naturalists gave an in-depth explanations of native plants and animals. And we spotted quite a few monkeys doing what monkeys do! Next, we take a canoe trip on a small lake and watch for wildlife – turtles, sun grebes, nightjars and herons. We returned to the lodge for happy hour and a delicious dinner. Lots of fun but boy, were we tired from all the activity of the day.
Day 8: Plenty of time to relax and enjoy the lodge. The birds seem to wake up guests everyday early in the morning. Everyone had breakfast on their own (omelets, quinoa pancakes, fruit, delicious Peruvian coffee, veggies, breads and pastries). They had a chance to roam the beautiful grounds and get packed up for departure today. After our last lunch together, we boarded the boat, went 15 kilometers back up the river to catch our flights to Lima.
Here are photos of our tours:
Here is more information about our small group tours to Machu Picchu, Peru and the Amazon