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Andes and Amazon Combo Trip

by | Jul 8, 2016 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

ANDES / AMAZON COMBO

This is a bare minimum 10-day itinerary; we can also comfortably extend for 2-3 weeks to allow more than just a minimal visit.

 

machu-picchu-by-michael-mong
Machu Picchu

Day 1

Fly to Cusco.
After clearing baggage security in Cusco Airport look for your guide in the parking lot waiting area, holding up a sign with your name on it.
Transfer in
Afternoon guided excursion to Sacsahuaman National Park and other sites near Cusco

Cusco Hotel Casa Andina www.casa-andina.com

Day 2

Full day guided excursion in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, including Ollantaytambo Inca Citadel and the native bazaar at Pisaq.

Hotel Casa Andina
(Breakfast and Lunch included)

Day 3

Transfer to train station; train to Machu Picchu.  Meet your private guide at Aguas Calientes train station.
El Sanctuario http://www.santuariohotel.com/spanish/sh006.html
(Breakfast included)

Day 4

return to Machu Picchu on your own, entrance pass and bus tickets included.
Afternoon train departs late afternoon to Cusco
Transfer in Hotel Casa Andina
(Breakfast included)

Day 5

black-caiman-by-michelle-ferng
Caiman Crocodile

Transfer to Cusco Airport
Fly to Lima then to Iquitos.
After clearing baggage security in Iquitos Airport exit the nearest door, look for our staff in the parking lot waiting area, wearing uniforms and tee shirts with our logo (head of a hoatzin bird in a diamond shape).
Transfer in
Speedboat transfer (note–is 4 hours) up the Amazon, then the Tahuayo tributary to our lodge.
Evening excursion

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Days 6-7

From the main lodge

Guided excursions in and around the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve. Every day your guide will discuss a selection of activities that you can choose to do. There is no extra cost for private guide or customizing your itinerary to your needs and interests.
The main lodge has the greater variety of excursions of our two lodges.  The following is but a sample list:

Canopy platforms and zip lines

Hike into varzea forest behind lodge; highly probable to see pygmy marmosets, owl monkeys, yellow-crowned brush-tailed rates, wire-tailed manakins, barber bees. Also possible to see black tamarins, saddle-backed tamarins, trogons.

Hike to Lake Tapaje, explore by canoe.

Canoe into tahuampa forest (flooded forest), canoe past giant ficus trees, see hoatzin birds, horned screamers, look for caiman on the observation platform.

Motorboat to terra firme forest, hike into frog valley.  See beautiful little poison dart frogs, which were studied by scientists from Uppsala University (Sweden) September-November 2013. See bat cave; braver people can crawl through the bat cave.

Motorboat to Lake Charo to see pink dolphins, swimming. En route look for squirrel monkeys, sloths, raptors.

Fish for piranha.

Visit native village of El Chino. Visit artisania cooperative. Visit with shaman. Visit farm. Visit school.

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Days 8-9

To the Amazon Research Center lodge, ARC

The Research Center is more remote.  On the boat ride to the Research Center Peru Lodge, we stop to see bats, sloths, monkeys, raptors, toucans. We have over 100 km of hiking trails from the research center, most of the trails are laid out in a grid to facilitate the scientific collection of population data. The trails go through several ecosystems, including bajial, high and low restinga, palm swamp and terra firme. We can see many different species of monkeys, including brown and white capuchins, saki monkeys, titi monkeys, squirrel monkeys, pygmy marmosets, moustached tamarins, saddle-backed tamarins, and sometimes uakaris, as well as giant tayra weasels and tamandua anteaters.  Data collected from camera traps also reveal a high density of jaguars live here but these are rarely seen.chesnut-eared-aracari

Boating the various lakes and rivers from the research center we often see caiman as well as the highly endangered giant river otters.

Hiking to Lake Yarina (full day) we can see hoatzins on their nests, blue and yellow macaws and howler monkeys.

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Day 10

Morning excursion
Afternoon motorboat to Iquitos.
Transfer to airport, fly to Lima.

(Breakfast and Lunch included)

All land as below: $2,295 per person (based on double occupancy)

The Andes portion includes all transfers, all lodging (very nice 3 star), meals as below, small group guided excursions, and with a private guide for Machu Picchu, taxes and entrance fees

Includes all in Amazon (all transfers, lodging, meals, private guided excursions–customized to your liking, entrance fees, port taxes, tips). Optional expenses only: cola or beer drinks, souvenirs, laundry

Airfare not included; we do have discounted rates on Lan Airlines, Per’s most reliable carrier.

Estefani Mishel Maytahuari

Mishel got her degree in tourism from Nauta Institute in 2016. After working as a guide with other companies, Mishel came to study with Amazonia Expeditions as a training guide in 2023. Mishel was promoted to head guide in 2025.

Leyner Arian Ijuma

Leyner got his degree as a tour guide in 2010 at the Nauta Institute and came to work at Amazonia Expeditions in 2021. He was promoted to head guide in 2023. He has biological field work experience from supporting Nicholas Gardner of the University of Florida who he helped study the adaptations of birds in seasonally flooded igapo forests. Birding is one of Leyner's strongest skills.

Julio Pacaya

Julio finished his studies as a tour guide at the Nauta Institute in 2016 and came to work as a training guide with Amazonia Expeditions in 2021. He was promoted to head guide in 2023. Nature photography and birding are among Julio's strongest skills. Julio is fluent in English and French, as well as his native tongue of Spanish.

Claudio Huayllahua Sánchez

Claudio was born and grew up in El Chino Village on the Tahuayo River. He studied primary school in El Chino and continued his education in Iquitos, earning a technical degree from SENATI Institute. He started working for Amazonia Expeditions in 2014 as a field research assistant with several biologists and as an assistant guide. Claudio was promoted to head guide in 2017 and is our camping and jungle survival specialist.

Hersog Chavez Yuyarima

Hersog first got the idea of becoming a guide after watching the tourist boats going by his village every day. He was fascinated that tourists would come to see his home and he loved the way that the guides he saw did their work. He knew that someday he wanted to be just like them. Hersog studied at technical school for 3 years leaning the basics of guiding. After graduating, Hersog worked as a guide for several years working with Peruvian tourists, later coming to work for Amazonia in 2017. Hersog was promoted to head guide in 2019. He has worked as a field research assistant in the study of the elusive pygmy marmoset. Hersog is known for his sharp eyes and his unique stories about the jungle.

Lander Juan Peña Ramirez

Lander was born in the remote jungle community of Santa Victoria. His boyhood dream was to become to best jungle guide in the Amazon. Lander studied at a local institute for several years where he learned basic English and the foundations of the being a tour guide. Later he worked for several years at other jungle loges as a guide, honing his skills as a survival camping guide. Lander came to work for Amazonia Expeditions in 2017 and along with a strong interest in birding and fishing is also one of our lead camping and survival guides.

Aladino Jr. Hidalgo

Aladino was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River and attended school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. During this period, Aladino worked with his father as a trailblazer, assisting primate researchers who came to study at a local field station. Afterwards, he moved to Lima where he worked for several years while studying guiding & English. Upon returning in 2019, he was hired by Amazonia as a field assistant and actively supported researchers studying giant river otters, pygmy marmosets, and various bird species. He then joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was later promoted to head guide in 2022.

Jhony Hidalgo

Jhony was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school in his home village and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. Jhony later pursued further studies in Iquitos, where he obtained a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. After graduating, he worked at the Amazon Rescue Center in Iquitos (CREA), guiding visitors to the center. In 2021 he joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2023.

Sila Hidalgo

Sila was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. She attended primary school in Diamante village and high school in the community of “El Chino” on the Tahuayo River. Her family moved to El Chino so Sila could attend high school, as it was the closest village offering secondary education. Later, Sila joined our Angels (AoA) scholarship program to further her education in Iquitos, where she earned a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. She completed her internship at Tahuayo Lodge. After graduating, Sila began her career with Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2022.

Welister Perez

Welister grew up in the small community of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. He lived there for most of his life, and later worked at several jungle lodges before starting at Amazonia Expeditions. Welister has proven himself as both a talented jungle man and team player with an eagle eye for spotting wildlife. After several months of training with Amazonia he was promoted to a head guiding position in 2017.

Javier Anibal Alván Arévalo

Javier has worked at the Amazonia Expeditions lodges for 10 years, starting as a young teenager as an assistant in building repair, then moving up to motorboat pilot, then camping assistant and assistant guide, and after passing his guide exams with high grades was promoted to head guide in 2014. Javier is also our Canopy Zipline specialist and has taken professional certification classes in Costa Rica. Javier is also a fishing specialist and is beloved by families with children.