Peru

Starting Price:	$3,069.00
Trip Length:	9 days
Includes airfare allowance from Miami (US)

Sandoval Lake

The Lodge

Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu with Sandoval Lake Lodge

Description Pricing Itinerary Hotels

Visit all the most popular sites of Peru including Lima, Cuzco, and the lost city of Machu Picchu. Your trip will begin with a city tour of Peru’s capital, Lima, before traveling to Cuzco and then Machu Picchu. Leaving the Andes, you will fly to the Amazon where you will take a 25 minute motor canoe ride down the Madre de Dios River, deeper into the lush rainforest. Here we will spend 3 days in the Amazon Jungle at the remote Sandoval Lake Lodge participating in several unique excursions including a night cruise, and a canoe through the flooded forests.

Located a 25 minute motor canoe ride down the River Madre de Dios from Puerto Maldonado, Sandoval Lake Lodge is a perched above what many rainforest specialists feel is the most attractive lake in southern Peru, if not the entire Peruvian Amazon. The whole complex is housed in one structure and includes 25 double occupancy rooms (all with private baths), hot showers and a spacious dining room overlooking the lake.

No other lodge in the Tambopata-Madidi is on the banks of a protected oxbow lake. The Sandoval Lake Lodge is built out of ecologically-correct driftwood mahogany and is owned jointly by a non-profit conservation group and five families of indigenous Brazil nut collectors. For a more relaxed, complete introduction to the rainforest, we recommend a two night stay. However, with easy access from Puerto Maldonado, it is possible to spend only one night in the rainforest and still get a good preliminary idea of the splendor of the Peruvian Amazon.

This trip can be customized to fit your individual travel dates and any specific requests you may have. Your travel consultant will prepare a customized itinerary for you. We offer a choice of 3, 4, 5-star and deluxe hotels. The Deluxe option is with the Orient Express hotels: the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu, Monasterio in Cuzco and the Park Plaza in Lima. You may also choose to upgrade to the luxury Hiram Bingham train from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.

Recently, following UNESCO recommendations, Peruvian authorities have placed restrictions on the visitation of Machu Picchu, the lost Incan ruins. Currently, no more than 2,500 people daily will be allowed to visit the ruins. While these new restrictions are great for the preservation of the ruins, they may cause some difficulties in your ability to visit them, so we recommend booking with plenty of notice.

This tour includes airfare allowance from Miami (US), on non-holiday dates. You do not need to fly via Miami; Yampu will fly you the most direct way to your city of destination. Depending on your travel dates and proximity of travel, we will quote you the most economical surcharge from your city or country of origin.

Additional information on this trip:

Days of Week the Trip can Start:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Visited Cities:
Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cuzco, Machu Picchu

Day 1

Overnight flight to Lima.

Day 2

Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Afternoon city tour of Lima—always one of the most important cities in South America since its founding in 1535. Journey through the historic center of the city. Admire the beauty of San Martín and Major squares, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, and visit San Francisco Convent, religious building from the late 16th century, and its catacombs. Also drive through the residential districts of San Isidro and Miraflores. Note: check-in is normally after 2 pm. Early check-in may be granted subject to availability (not confirmed).

Day 3

Lima – Puerto Maldonado – Sandoval Lake Lodge Transfer to the airport for your flight from Lima to Puerto Maldonado. Upon arrival, transfer to the river port on the Madres de Dios River. A 25 minute journey down the Madre de Dios River by motor canoe brings you to the beginning of the trail to the Sandoval Lake Lodge. From here, the trail take you on a 2-mile walk or rickshaw ride through secondary forest, until we reach a small canal where we board canoes and are paddled 220 yards through a flooded forest of 100 foot tall Mauritia palms. As the canal opens onto the shimmering surface of the lake, we transfer to a catamaran and are leisurely paddled across half of the lake to the lodge. After lunch and a brief rest to avoid the early afternoon heat, we once again board the catamaran and set off to explore the entire west end of the lake. Here, in the flooded palm forest we drift to the sounds of hundreds of red-bellied macaws as they return to the palm forest for the night. We return to the lodge around nightfall for dinner. After dinner, we return to the canoes to look for the large and extremely rare black caimans. If it is a clear starlit night, we will also be able to float in the middle of the lake and marvel at the brilliance of the sky.

Day 4

Sandoval Lake Lodge A pre-dawn wake-up call will enable us to be on the lake for sunrise and a hopeful encounter with the family of giant otters which frequent the lake and are most active at this time of day. Most of the fish-eating water birds around the lake actively fish in the early morning as well, and this outing should provide excellent views and photographs of the pre-historic-looking Hoatzins. After lunch and an hour or so to relax, we once again board the catamaran to explore the eastern part of the lake, where we might see one or more of the five species of monkeys which live in the forest near the lake, such as the brown capuchin monkey. There is a final chance after dinner to try and spot some black caimans on the lake or to go on a short night walk through the primary forest.

Day 5

Sandoval Lake Lodge – Puerto Maldonado – Cuzco After a dawn breakfast, we will take a final, shorter paddle around the west end of the lake to try to glimpse the giant otters before returning to Puerto Maldonado to take the flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival in Cuzco, transfer to your hotel. Afternoon city tour of Cuzco, visit the Korikancha Temple or Temple of the Sun and the Cathedral and its Art Museum. After your visits, you will continue to the nearby water shrine of Tambomachay (the Inca Fountains), Puca Pucara (the Red Fortress), the amphitheater of Kenko and finally the Sacsahuaman Fortress. After the tour, return to your hotel.
Note: Because of the altitude in Cuzco, we recommend that this tour be done privately at your own pace, at an additional cost of $28 per person, based on two people.

Day 6

Morning transfer to the train station. The train takes us through the Sacred Valley of the Incas up to the town of Aguas Calientes. From here, we will board a bus to Machu Picchu. We will then have a guided tour of the ruins. Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, was a flourishing ceremonial and agricultural site, probably the gateway to the jungle marshes of the Inca Empire. The central buildings were erected with the polished stone works of the Cuzco Imperial style, though the site was probably occupied well before the Incas started their expansion. It was associated with the earth cult revolving around the coca leaf, which was a privilege of the Inca royal family and priests. You will have time to enjoy a light lunch or snack and return to your hotel at your leisure. In the evening, we will enjoy a wonderful dinner at the hotel or in Aguas Calientes.

Note: Government regulations limit the number of visitors to Machu Picchu daily. Entrance is subject to availability. Please book with plenty of notice so we may confirm your entrance to the ruins.

Day 7

Day at leisure. You may choose to return to Machu Picchu, hike Huayna Picchu or relax in the village of Aguas Calientes and its hot springs. In the afternoon, we will board the train to return to Cuzco. Upon arrival, train station reception and transfer to your hotel.

Note: Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu on this day are not included. Please contact your Yampu travel consultant if you think you would like to go back to the ruins or hike the Huayna Picchu at time of booking (subject to availability).

Day 8

Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Lima. Upon arrival in Lima, transfer to your hotel. Afternoon shopping tour of Lima, taking you to the famous handicraft markets accompanied by our guides.

Day 9

Transfer to the airport to take the flight back home, or overlap with the add-on of your choice.

Suggested Hotels by City and Category *

Lima
3-star	Casa Andina, Allpa, or similar.
4-star	San Agustin Exclusive, Antigua Miraflores or similar.
5-star	Casa Andina PC, Radisson Decapolis or similar.
Airport	Ramada Costa del Sol airport hotel.
Deluxe	Miraflores Park Plaza (Orient Express), JW Marriott, Lima Country Club or similar.
Puerto Maldonado
Lodge	Wasai Maldonado Lodge, Sandoval Lake Lodge, Reserva Amazonica or Refugio Amazonas.
Cuzco
3-star	Casa Andina Classic, San Agustin El Dorado, Rumi Punku or similar.
4-star	Costa del Sol Picoaga, Novotel, Casa Andina Private Collection (oxygen available) or similar.
5-star	Inkaterra La Casona, Libertador, or Suite at the Casa Andina Private Collection inc. oxygen, matrimonial beds only, or similar.
Deluxe	Monasterio (Orient Express), Casa Cartagena or similar.
Machu Picchu
3-star	El MaPi or similar.
4-star	Sumaq Machu Picchu (this is a free upgrade to all 4 star clients). Yampu guests enjoy special benefits: welcome drink, tea time, dinner and cooking lessons.
5-star	Sumaq Machu Picchu (see above for special benefits) OR Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Yampu guests enjoy dinner and a choice of a 25 min massage, a wine bottle or chocolate truffles
Deluxe	Sanctuary Lodge (Orient Express - includes all meals), or Junior Suite at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo.

* Subject to confirmation at time of booking

9 days , from $3069

Occupancy Type	3-Star	4-Star	5-Star	Deluxe
Double	$3069	$3506	$3861	$4955
Single	$3903	$4584	$5384	$7498

Prices shown above are per person, in US Dollars ($).

Price includes:
Air transportation from Miami to Lima in economy class (surcharge applicable from other cities)
Air transportation from Lima to Puerto Maldonado and Cuzco
Train ride to Machu Picchu
Hotel accommodation including continental breakfast
Lodge accommodation at Sandoval Lake Lodge including all meals
All transfers between airports and hotels with assistance and baggage handling
Guided tours of Lima, Cuzco and Machu Picchu and around the Sandoval Lake Lodge in English including all entrance fees
Meals where specified
Local airport taxes that are payable in the country of destination are not included. Taxes and security fees that can be paid at time of ticketing are already included in the quote (if airfare has been included in the quote)

Note: Cost includes Expedition train for 3-star category, and Vistadome train for 4-star category and above. Expedition train features comfortable seats, fixed tables, backpack storage, panoramic windows as well as heating and air conditioning. Vistadome is ideal for travelers who want a personalized immersion of Andean culture with traditional dances and music along the way. This train features panoramic windows, leather seats, new table design as well as heating and air conditioning. Upgrades available from Expedition to Vistadome; please add $46 per person.

Deluxe service Hiram Bingham train features an observation wagon with a bar and two dining cars. In addition, this train includes a gourmet brunch on board, exclusive bus return to Machu Picchu, entrance to Machu Picchu as well as a guided tour. Afternoon tea in the Sanctuary Lodge, pre-dinner cocktails and a 4-course, a la carte dinner is also included. Does not operate on Sundays. Upgrades available from Vistadome to Hiram Bingham Deluxe; please add $575 per person.

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