Intrepid Travel - Premium Peru, Chile & Argentina

Itinerary:

Day 1: Lima
Bienvenido! Welcome to Peru. Your adventure begins in Lima, where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for a welcome meeting at 2 pm. After, head out to get to know the city on a walking tour of downtown Lima with your leader. Admire the buildings of Plaza Mayor and visit the eerie catacombs of the Saint Francis Monastery, then head away from the tourist trail to Alameda de Chabuca Granda – an area popular with the locals. Stop off at the colourful street food stalls to sample some of Lima’s favourite sweet treats, like Peruvian doughnuts and mazamorra morada (porridge made from purple corn). Lima has one of the world’s most revered culinary scenes, and tonight, you’ll head to one of the city’s best restaurants that boasts stunning views, surrounded by ancient ruins. The creative chef here offers traditional Peruvian dishes with modern twists in a one-of-a-kind environment. Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: 1 x Pullman Lima Miraflores or similar

Included Activities:

• Lima - Downtown walking tour
• Lima - Alameda Chabuca Granda tour and tastings
• Lima - San Francisco Monastery and the Catacombs
• Lima - Welcome Dinner
• Complimentary Arrival Transfer

Optional Activities:

• Lima - Private Larco Museum (Based on 4 participants) - 50USD
• Lima - Lima Discovery + San Francisco and Pisco Sour - Urban Adventures (Price based on 2 participants) - 39USD
• Lima - Lima Pisco Making (Based on 4 participants) - 35USD
• Lima - Lima Water Show (Based on 4 participants) - 40USD
• Lima - Private: Home Cooked Tour Ceviche experience Urban Adventure (Based on 2 Participants) - 85USD

Day 2: Amazon Jungle
Today, you’ll catch a flight to Puerto Maldonado. When you arrive, take a bus to the port where you’ll board motorised canoes and head into the Amazon rainforest. Keep an eye out for macaws, herons, alligators and capybaras along the way. Here, you’ll find Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion – your Feature Stay for the next two nights. Built in the heart of a 380-hectare private ecological reserve, this unique resort is focused on the conservation of local habitats and features 25 private cabanas plus an on-site team of expert local guides. Enjoy lunch at the lodge, then explore the Concepcion Trails with an expert guide. As darkness begins to fall, join a guided Twilight River boat ride and try to spot some caimans lurking on the riverbanks. Dinner tonight will be a la carte and draws on local Amazon ingredients. Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Accommodation: 1 x Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion (Feature Stay) or similar

Day 3: Amazon Jungle
After breakfast, board a dug-out wooden canoe and glide across Lake Sandoval, keeping an eye out for potential wildlife sightings, like red howler monkeys, giant river otters and colourful macaws. After lunch, you might like to walk along the Inkaterra Canopy Walkway – a 344 m network of suspension bridges that take you high above the forest floor to some of the best places to spot toucans, woodpeckers, monkeys and three-toed sloths. Join a night walk to discover the nocturnal activity in the surrounding areas or book into the lodge’s spa before you meet your group for dinner. Meals: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Accommodation: 1 x Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion (Feature Stay) or similar

Included Activities:

• Amazon Jungle - Oxbow Lake
• Amazon Jungle - Night jungle walk

Day 4: Cusco
This morning, you’ll travel back to Puerto Maldonado, then take a flight to Cusco – the former centre of the Inca Empire. Arrive in the early afternoon before heading out with your leader to discover what the city has to offer. Stop by the stunning Plaza de Armas – the heart of the city, flanked by ornate churches. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cusco Cathedral, built on top of an Inca palace and one of the city’s greatest repositories of art. Here, you’ll meet with a local historian guide who will provide expert insight into the building’s art, architecture and history and the surrounding city. Visit the Coricancha Temple – once the most important temple in the Inca Empire. The evening is free for your own discoveries. Cusco offers no shortage of restaurants and as night falls, the city is swept up in a flurry of live music and late-night street food stalls. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x Casa Andina Premium Cusco Hotel or similar

Included Activities:

• Cusco - Leader-led orientation walk
• Cusco - Cathedral tour with Specialist Historian Guide
• Cusco - Coricancha Temple (entrance fee)

Day 5: Cusco
Today is free for you to explore at your own pace. Why not head to the San Pedro market, where you can practice your bargaining skills and take photos, then swing by the Plaza de Armas for another look at the cathedral. Speak to your leader about the optional cooking class at a local restaurant using fair trade products, or take the half-day Inkilltambo trek, exploring an archaeologic site on the city’s outskirts. Maybe consider checking out the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, where the massive stone blocks that form the walls provide an impressive picture of how greatly developed Inca engineering was. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x Casa Andina Premium Cusco Hotel or similar

Optional Activities:

• Cusco - Inca Museum (entrance fee) - 10PEN
• Cusco - Pisco Making Urban Adventure (Based on 2 participants) - 57USD

Day 6: Ollantaytambo
This morning, travel through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, passing maize crops and fertile terraces carved into the valley walls. Visit the AMA Restaurant in Urubamba – this cafe provides employment opportunities and job training for single mothers throughout the Sacred Valley. Enjoy a snack and learn how this inclusive enterprise focuses on economic growth, gender equality and the support of vulnerable communities. Then venture further into the Sacred Valley to meet the Willoq community and gain a greater insight into the local lifestyle and visit a local workshop where you’ll learn about traditional textile techniques that are used by the community – you’ll even have the chance to make your own bracelet with the local women. Sit down for a festive pachamanca lunch. Continue to Ollantaytambo – a magnificent example of Inca urban planning and the perfect warm up for Machu Picchu. Explore Ollantaytambo’s archaeological site with an expert local guide who will discuss the evidence of the Incas’ engineering skills in the ruins of ancient aqueducts, irrigation canals, dams, terraces and centres of worship dedicated to Pachamama (Mother Earth). Meals: Breakfast,Lunch

Accommodation: 1 x Pakaritampu Hotel or similar

Included Activities:

• Ollantaytambo - Archaeological site
• Sacred Valley - Community workshops visit
• Sacred Valley - Home-cooked lunch
• Sacred Valley - Snack & drink at AMA Restaurant social enterprise

Day 7: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu
Today, travel from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes in style, boarding the 360 Machu Picchu Train. High, domed windows offer unbelievable views of the Andes, allowing you to sit back comfortably and take it all in. The train also features an open-air observation carriage to completely immerse yourself in the remarkable landscape. Disembark the train in Aguas Calientes, drop your belongings at your hotel, then take a short bus ride up the winding road to Machu Picchu, where you’ll be joined by a guide who will take you through the ruins and tell you stories of its history. The true purpose behind Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, may always be a mystery since no records of the complex exist. Most archaeologists, however, believe it to be the 15th-century headquarters of Emperor Pachacuti. Later, take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x MAPI Hotel or similar

Included Activities:

• Machu Picchu - Entrance & Guided visit
• Ollantaytambo - 360 degree train to Aguas Calientes

Optional Activities:

• 1 Day Inca Trail - Add-on (Must pre-book) - 465USD

Day 8: Cusco
Rise before the sun and take the winding road back up to the incredible Machu Picchu. On your second visit, explore more of the extraordinary architecture of the temples, palaces and living quarters. Looking at Machu Picchu as it sits against a backdrop of forested mountains is a truly breathtaking experience. Its mortar-free design is particularly earthquake resistant, and the stones are so precisely cut that, to this day, not even a knife fits between them! Take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, then catch a train back to Ollantaytambo. From here, you’ll make the drive back to Cusco for the evening. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x Casa Andina Premium Cusco Hotel or similar

Day 9: Cusco to Lima
In the afternoon, fly from Cusco to Lima, where you’ll spend the night. In the morning, you’ll depart Peru and head to Chile for the next stage of your adventure. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x Lima Holiday Inn or similar

Day 10: Santiago
Today you’ll leave Lima and fly on to Santiago, where you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation for another welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe head out and explore the Parque Forestal just steps from your front door. After your meeting, head out for dinner with your leader and group. From baked casserole to razor clams cooked in parmesan cheese,Chilean food is hearty, fresh and delicious. Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: 1 x Hotel Ismael or similar

Included Activities:

• Complimentary Arrival Transfer
• Santiago - Welcome Dinner

Day 11: Santiago
Get to know the city on a tour with a local guide who’s an expert on all things Santiago. Your guide will peel back the many layers of the city’s history, beginning at the main square of Plaza de Armas where you’ll hear the tales of the foundation of Santiago and its turbulent past. Continue to La Moneda Palace, the home of Chile’s presidential office, where your guide will fill you in on the country’s complicated political history. From here, take the short drive to Parque Bicentenario, created in 2011 to commemorate 200 years of independence. Walk through the grounds then head to a local eatery to sample some excellent cheese, ham and wine for lunch. The rest of the day is free for your own explorations. Meals: Breakfast,Lunch

Accommodation: 1 x Hotel Ismael or similar

Included Activities:

• Santiago - City tour
• Santiago - Gourmet bodega lunch

Day 12: Valparaiso
Enjoy a free morning in Santiago. Maybe visit the Mercado Central – Santiago’s celebrated fish market. Then, begin the journey to Valparaiso, stopping off for a wine tasting on the way in the Casablanca Valley. Sitting on a coastal plain between the capital and Valparaiso, Casablanca Valley is Chile’s fastest growing wine region, with rich soil and a perfect climate for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Visit a vineyard focused on sustainable and organic viticulture, then continue to Valparaiso, known for its brightly hued houses that spread over the hills overlooking the ocean. Your Feature Stay hotel for the next two nights dates to 1885 during the boom of the shipping port and sits in the historic heart of the city, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Decorated with works by Chilean artists it’s the perfect base from which to explore the city. Enjoy an introduction to pisco on the rooftop and take in the views. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x Hotel Casa Galos (Feature Stay) or similar

Included Activities:

• Casablanca Valley - Winery tour and tasting
• Valparaiso - Rooftop pisco sours

Day 13: Valparaiso
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage centre in 2003, Valparaiso used to be South America’s busiest port before the opening of the Panama Canal. It has since transformed itself into Chile’s most creative city, which you’ll learn more about on the walking tour today with a local guide. The hills of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre are dotted with coloured houses, cobbled streets, galleries, restaurants and shops. Later, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a beautiful art nouveau chalet. Tonight, maybe visit an iconic local restaurant credited with the invention of chorrillana. This legendary Chilean dish is made up of French fries topped with beef, eggs and fried onions. Meals: Breakfast,Dinner

Accommodation: 1 x Hotel Casa Galos (Feature Stay) or similar

Included Activities:

• Valparaiso - Walking tour
• Valparaiso - Museum of Fine Arts (entrance fee)

Optional Activities:

• Valparaiso - La Sebastiana Museo de Pablo Neruda (entrance fee) - 8000CLP

Day 14: Mendoza
Depart Valparaiso and head back to Santiago to catch a flight to Mendoza. As your plane crosses the Andes, you might catch a glimpse of Mount Aconcagua – the highest mountain in the Americas at 6962 m above sea level. In Mendoza, get to know the lively city with a gentle stroll around its wide, lively streets with your local leader. Technically a desert city, the extensive irrigation system here means Mendoza is remarkably green. Check out the city’s tree-lined spaces – from the sprawling Parque San Martin to Plaza Espana – and get a taste of local life along the bustling street, Peatonal Sarmiento. Head South towards wine country and your countryside boutique hotel. Meals: Breakfast,Dinner

Accommodation: 1 x Amerian Chacras de Coria or similar

Day 15: Mendoza
Mendoza is Argentina’s most significant grape-growing region, producing nearly three-quarters of the country’s wine. The climate produces an excellent variety of grapes, with the region’s signature being Malbec. Today, you’ll get to experience this internationally renowned wine at its source during tours and tastings at three world-class and innovative wineries, each with its own distinct style and flavour. Meet with a local wine expert and gain inside knowledge on the varieties of grapes and different production methods used at each winery, and sample award winning bottles just as spectacular as the surrounding Andes. After the tastings, settle in for a special closed-door gourmet lunch at one of the wineries. Enjoy several courses paired with wines carefully selected to bring out the flavours in the wonderful food. In the evening, maybe test your palate by attempting to pair the perfect wine with an authentic Argentine asado (barbecue-style food). Meals: Breakfast,Lunch

Accommodation: 1 x Amerian Chacras de Coria or similar

Included Activities:

• Mendoza - Tour of three wineries
• Mendoza - Gourmet winery lunch

Day 16: Buenos Aires
This morning fly from Mendoza to Buenos Aires and then spend the afternoon soaking up the Argentinean capital’s mix of European and Latin culture on an orientation walk with your leader. Visit Florida Street, National Congress and the presidential palace of the Casa Rosada (Pink House) in the Plaza de Mayo. If there’s time, your group may get to visit the Obelisk as well. The evening is free to explore at your own pace. Maybe visit a tango bar, attend a football match, or find a great local eatery and set up shop. Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: 1 x Design Suites Hotel or similar

Day 17: Buenos Aires
Today, head north of Buenos Aires to explore the city of Tigre and its surrounding delta region. First, do as the locals do and catch the subway to San Martin square, then set off on a bicycle tour around Puerto Maldero and the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve – where inhabitants of the city come for a peaceful escape and fresh air. Hop on a train to Tigre and get to know the city during a walking tour. Visit the local fruit market, follow the river along the stunning Paseo Victorica street and stop by the Tigre Art Museum to admire the European inspired building. Next, take a private boat through the third-largest river delta in the world, then stop off on an island for a homemade lunch. Here, swim, kayak or just sit back and soak in the beautiful island surroundings. Transfer back to Buenos Aires for a free night. Meals: Breakfast,Lunch

Accommodation: 1 x Design Suites Hotel or similar

Included Activities:

• Buenos Aires - Tigre Delta day trip
• Buenos Aires - Home-cooked lunch

Day 18: Buenos Aires
Your trip comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’re planning to stay on in Buenos Aires, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise extra accommodation. Meals: Breakfast

Optional Activities:

• Buenos Aires - Tango show ticket prices from - 120USD
• Buenos Aires - Football game (subject to availability) from - 120USD
• Buenos Aires - Polo day - 185USD