Welcome to Lima, the 'City of Kings'. You will be met at the airport and privately escorted to your hotel.

Arrival to Iquitos in the late afternoon. After arriving at Iquitos airport, you will be escorted for a trip by coach for about 1 ½ hours, heading northwest toward Nauta (the oldest city in the department of Loreto). Nauta lies between Iquitos and the Marañon River, where the Delfin II is waiting for you. This new river cruiser with just 14 air-conditioned cabins is furnished in natural woods with luxury private bathrooms, high quality beds, hot showers and a variety of environmentally friendly amenities for your ultimate indulgence. Just before dusk as the ‘Delfin II’ starts its journey to the remote Pacaya Samiria Reserve with five million acres of protected, flooded forest, roughly the size of a small Central American country. A world of flora and fauna awaits you. The barman and staff will provide you with a wide variety of drinks and cocktails. Later on you have your first dinner on board. Because of its cultural and ecosystems’ diversity, Peru’s gastronomy is considered one of the world’s finest, making the country an attractive culinary destination. Aside from providing you with a memorable adventure in the Amazon forest, the Delfin II is also a unique culinary experience, offering the best of Amazonian-Peruvian cuisine in a cosmopolitan gourmet setting. Before the relaxing with after dinner drinks your guide holds a short briefing about next day’s program.

After a rich buffet and freshly squeezed fruit juices you board the two well-equipped and comfortable excursion skiffs.

Aboard the skiffs, we will explore this black water stream and start learning about the rainforest. You are now in the Pacaya-Samiria national reserve, where you will have the chance to see its amazing wildlife. From the skiff you can easily spot parrots, macaws and monkeys, such as the monk Saki monkey with its gray and black body, naked face and long shaggy tail. You might also see the saddle-back tamarin monkey, whose high chirping notes can easily be confused with those of a flock of birds. It’s also a good spot to see the beautiful morpho butterfly that flaps lazily along open corridors through forest or along river edges of lowland forest on sunny days. Different species of hawks will also be found and if we are lucky we’ll see the noisy ‘laughing falcon’ named after its loud falsetto call as it sits solitary in secondary forest and plantations.

During the dry season, you can visit the community of Yanallpa and explore two different kinds of ecosystems: flooded forest and terra firme forest. After disembarking at this native village, we’ll start our morning hike. This walk affords excellent opportunities for spotting transitional species such as the snail kite, black tailed ant bird, manikins, tanagers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, nun birds, orioles, blackbirds, etc. You’ll also see tall trees filled with epiphytes, woody vines and many varieties of palm trees. After an hour we’ll reach a lovely lagoon where two dugout canoes await us in the midst of one of the most remote, least visited areas in the world. This lagoon is filled with endangered and unique fresh water fish, such as the ‘paiche’, the largest in the Amazon basin, which can weigh more than 80kg (170 lbs). The ‘paiche’ is considered a delicacy, and you can often hear them when they rise to the surface. We’ll also look for the peculiar crested hoatzin bird with its olive-colored plumage. Hoatzins live in small family groups along forested swamps and oxbow lakes. We will then hike back to the skiffs, where icy towels will refresh us, while we continue exploring the surrounding wildlife. There’s a good chance of spotting the smallest monkey in the world, the pygmy marmoset, seen only at its sap-sucking sites low on tree trunks. After lunch we will head for this spectacular spot within the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve in the skiffs. Enjoy a unique opportunity to swim among pink and gray dolphins. On the river you will experience abundant wildlife and nature in all of its exuberance while we search for the Amazon River’s transitional forest specialties such as snail kites, festive parrots, endangered scarlet macaws, olive spotted hummingbirds, Amazonian parrot, and wood creepers, among others. Prehistoric looking iguanas laze in the sun as we travel along the shoreline searching for Squirrel Monkeys that are very active at this time of the day. Dinner, happy hour and relaxation on board.

This morning we will start very early and breakfast on board the skiffs, in order to see as much wildlife as possible in one of the earth’s greatest wilderness - the very heart of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Pacaya is Peru’s largest protected area and by far the largest protected wetland reserve in the world. Filled with lakes, palm swamps and streams, the reserve becomes a flooded forest in the rainy season and is one of the most beautiful places you have ever visited. An early rise is very rewarding: you’ll see parrots, macaws, toucans, kingfishers, black collared hawks, southern swallows, white winged swallows, and manikins. Aside from the large variety of birds, you’ll also see troops of squirrel monkeys. Aboard our comfortable skiffs, we will go in search of magnificent views and wildlife opportunities, experiencing spectacular rainforest wilderness, while searching for different species of monkeys, such as small family groups of red howler monkeys, the largest in the Amazon basin, with its bright rust-colored fur and long prehensile tail. As the sun starts to heat up, we will continue along the shores of the Pacaya river, spotting huge ceiba or kapok trees, mahogany trees, strangler figs, epiphytes such as bromeliads and orchids, palm trees and woody vines. Breakfast will be served as we float amidst a favored dolphin feeding spot. After breakfast, you can jump in the water for a very refreshing morning swim, a once in a lifetime experience in the beautiful setting of dark, clean and warm water, deep blue skies, and a light breeze, just a perfect moment to enjoy the wild and unique Amazon rainforest at its best.

After breakfast on board our skiffs we will stop at the village of Puerto Miguel to meet local villagers. You will have the chance to learn about their culture, traditions and folklore. You may also visit one of the villager’s homes, to see how they live and the simplicity of their lifestyle and purchase some of the handcrafts they make. After visiting the village, we will explore the Yarapa River, where there’s a good chance that you’ll see squirrel and capuchin monkeys, herons, egrets and green iguanas. We will reach a beautiful lagoon called Uvos, named after a fruit that grows wild along it shores. Pink river dolphins ply its waters in search of fish. The forest also boasts abundant flora including a variety of bromeliads and orchids. Monkeys love these surroundings. Farewell lunch. Today the chef will treat you to a real feast of flavors and colors, having designed a sophisticated menu featuring the best of Amazonian haute cuisine. Afterwards a comfortable air conditioned bus will be waiting here to bring you straight to Iquitos airport to board your flight back to Lima. On arrival you will be met at the airport in Lima and be transferred to your hotel.

Morning city tour of Lima. The city has always been one of the most important cities in South America since it was founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. Your sightseeing tour explores the historic quarter and modern districts of the city: the main square with beautiful buildings. The Government Palace, the City Hall and the Palace of the Archbishop are still the most important places in town. You continue on to the San Francisco Monastery and then the most popular place, Plaza San Martin.

The country possesses extraordinary biodiversity, and its gastronomy showcases this bounty of ingredients in exciting dishes inspired by different cuisines. A visit to a traditional market offers not only a fascinating insight into the daily rhythm of ‘Limeno’ life but also shows you the main ingredients on Lima’s menus: fish, shrimps, octopus, scallops, tropical fruits, purple corn and yellow cobs, a rainbow of potatoes, fresh herbs and a wide array of chili peppers.

Lunch in Senorio de Sulco. Located in an old house in neo classical style, this restaurant recreates the history of Peruvian cuisine in all its diversity. The owner Isabel Alvarez, is an anthropologist, who has written several cookbooks aiming at preserving the authenticity of Peruvian cooking. The menu is a collection of creations of Executive Chef Flavio Solorzano Alvarez, son of Isabel Alvarez. Native dishes, some of which had been forgotten for generations can be found in the menu or the Creole buffet. Not only the ingredients are typical Peruvian but also the dining room walls decorated with fine ceramics, weavings and antique cooking vessels. The atmosphere is enhanced by the lovely ocean view.

Morning flight to Cusco. Our comprehensive afternoon tour includes the Koricancha or Sun Temple, the Cathedral and Qenqo, believed to have been an important sanctuary during the Inca period. This is followed by a visit to Puca Pucara, a strategically located ‘red fortress’ that dominates the entire area before visiting Tambomachay, with its two distinctive aqueducts, fortress of Sacsayhuaman.

Paukartampu show (TUE to SAT) In the evening we head to Garcilazo Theater to see a new and world-class show in Cusco. 'Paukartampu' recreates one of Cusco’s most popular festivities to honor the Virgin of the Carmen in Paucartambo town. Thousands of pilgrims come together in mid July to witness or participate in the dances featuring fantastically colored masks and costumes. This evening performers create an entirely original form of live entertainment fusing theater with acrobatic performances and multimedia. Besides the dances, we will discover in this play the encounter of two cultures and the religious syncretism between the Andean and the Spanish, the merging of these two worlds that has resulted in a mestizo Peru, rich in traditions.

This morning we drive to the valley of the Urubamba River the so called Sacred Valley of the Inca. We proceed then to Pisaq where hundreds of visitors and people from remote communities dressed in their traditional and colourful attires meet to market and barter their products. Today, the market also has a tourist element, so there is an opportunity to buy souvenirs.

Lunch will be served in ‘El Huacatay’. The discreet restaurant is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the whole Sacred Valley. The Limenan owner Pio Vasquez de Velasco is an extremely talented young chef who is making a name throughout the country with his Novo Andino creations. El Huacatay’s dining room is small and cozy, with only a handful of tables, guaranteeing that you feel like a guest in the owner’s house. A cocktail before dinner can be enjoyed in the bar/lounge that is tastefully decorated with Andean elements. Afterwards, we drive along the valley to Ollantaytambo, where the Temple of the Sun (formed of six gigantic monoliths, whose total weight exceeds 50 tons) and the Terrace of the Ten Niches stand out.

Dinner in MAP Café. The restaurant’s owner Jorge Luis Ossio is one of Peru’s most renowned chefs (graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and externships with celebrity chefs like Eric Ripert and Jean-Georges he returned to Lima). The sophisticated MAP Cafe is housed in a modernist glass box set in the courtyard of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (MAP). Specialties of the Andean Nouvelle Cuisine are offered in a special atmosphere featuring minimalist decoration.

Morning transfer to Ollanta train station. The 1 ½ -hour train ride train takes you through the Sacred Valley of the Incas up to Machu Picchu. On arrival a small coach takes you up the steep roads to the entrance of the citadel. Machu Picchu remained for centuries undiscovered by the Spaniards, only to be found in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. The uniqueness of its location and the genius that went into its construction make this Inca archaeological site truly one of the great wonders of the world. After the guided excursion you will return to Aguas Calientes to spend the night.

After breakfast you have the remainder of the morning free to roam around the majestic site of Machu Picchu, climb the Huayna Picchu (at 3000 m) and get panoramic pictures from Machu Picchu. In the afternoon you will board the train back to Ollanta, where you will be gathered to be transferred by coach to your hotel in Cusco.

Flight back to Lima. At proper time you will be transferred to the airport for your international flight.

T-shirts and long pants

Absorbent cotton socks

Rain suit or long poncho (100% waterproof)

Long-sleeved cotton shirts

Sunscreen lotion (high factor)

Shorts

Sunglasses and a hat

Hiking boots

Insect repellent with DEET (diethyl-metatoluamide)

Swimsuit

Cash for your drinks at the bar or tips

Eventually gifts for the children of the communities you will meet