Machu Picchu & the Amazon, 7 Days
Cusco, the citadel, Rainbow Mountain, then two nights in the rainforest
- 7 days
- 5,200 m max
- Moderate
- Cusco airport to Puerto Maldonado airport
Peru's two halves in one week. Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then Rainbow Mountain, then a flight over the Andes to the Madre de Dios and two nights at a rainforest lodge — Lake Sandoval, a canopy walkway and the forest after dark.
Peru is two countries, and most people only book one of them. The Andes get the week and the Amazon gets a vague intention to come back.
This itinerary puts them in the same booking. Three days on the classic Cusco circuit — the city, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu — then Rainbow Mountain at around 5,200 m on day four, and then a short flight east over the mountains to the Madre de Dios and two nights at a lodge in the rainforest.
The contrast is the point. On Thursday you are above the snow line in gloves. On Saturday you are in a canoe on an oxbow lake, in thirty degrees, listening to howler monkeys. Very few weeks anywhere manage that.
What you'll see
Andes and Amazon in one trip
Machu Picchu on Wednesday and a canopy walkway on Saturday. The two things people come to Peru for, without a separate booking for either.
Rainbow Mountain on day four
Vinicunca at around 5,200 m and the Red Valley beyond it, placed after three nights at altitude rather than at the start.
Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica
Two nights at a lodge on the Madre de Dios, forty-five minutes downriver from Puerto Maldonado, with naturalist guides and its own trail system.
Lake Sandoval and the canopy walkway
A wooden canoe across an oxbow lake, and a walkway strung above the trees. Plus the forest at night, which is when most of it is awake.
A twilight river cruise
On the first evening, before dinner, when the river is at its best.
Everything but the flights
Hotels, lodge, guides, trains, transfers, tickets and entrance fees, from Cusco airport to Puerto Maldonado airport.
Machu Picchu & the Amazon, 7 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Arrive in Cusco, and the city tour
Met at the airport and taken to your 3-star hotel. In the afternoon, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and the historic centre with a guide.
- Meals
- None included
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 2
The Sacred Valley, then the train
An alpaca centre, the Taray viewpoint, Pisac, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo, with a buffet lunch, then the Expedition train to Aguas Calientes.
- Meals
- Breakfast and buffet lunch
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 3
Machu Picchu, then back to Cusco
An early bus up and the citadel with a local guide, then back down for the Expedition train through the Sacred Valley and on to Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 4
Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley
The drive out before dawn, breakfast at a local restaurant, the climb to Vinicunca at around 5,200 m, then the Red Valley beyond the ridge. Lunch on the way back.
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 5
Cusco to the Madre de Dios
A transfer to Cusco airport and the flight over the Andes to Puerto Maldonado, then a forty-five minute boat ride downriver to the lodge. The trail system in the afternoon and a twilight river cruise before dinner.
- Meals
- Lodge meals
- Night
- Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica
Day 6
Lake Sandoval, the canopy and the forest at night
A wooden canoe across Lake Sandoval, the canopy walkway high above the trees, and a guided walk into the forest after dark, when most of it is awake.
- Meals
- Lodge meals
- Night
- Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica
Day 7
Out through Puerto Maldonado
A last morning in the rainforest, then the boat back upriver and a transfer to Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Not included — you fly out
What the price covers
Transfers
- Airport pickup on arrival in Cusco
- Transfer from your Cusco hotel to the airport on day five
- Ground and boat transfers at Puerto Maldonado
- All tourist transport for the tours listed
Hotels and the lodge
- Three nights in a 3-star hotel in Cusco
- One night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Two nights at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica
- Complimentary luggage storage in Cusco where needed
The guided days
- Cusco city tour and the full Sacred Valley tour
- Guided visit of Machu Picchu
- Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley, with entrance tickets
- The guided activities in the lodge programme, with naturalist guides
- Entrance tickets for the tours listed
- Trekking poles, a first-aid kit and oxygen on the Rainbow Mountain day
Trains, buses and the citadel
- Return Expedition train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes
- Return shuttle bus at Machu Picchu
- Machu Picchu entrance, with Circuit 2 requested by default
Meals
- Hotel breakfasts and the lodge meals listed in the itinerary
- Buffet lunch on the Sacred Valley day
- Breakfast and lunch at a local restaurant on the Rainbow Mountain day
Not included
- International flights
- Domestic flights between Cusco, Puerto Maldonado and Lima
- Any meal not listed, including lunch on day seven
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
Machu Picchu & the Amazon, 7 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
About two hours there and back on day three. Book well ahead.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
About three hours there and back, on a broader path.
- +£45
Vistadome train, one leg
Panoramic glass roof instead of the standard Expedition carriage.
What to bring
Papers and money
- Your original passport — checked at the citadel gate and on the train
- Cash in soles for tips, the markets and anything on the mountain
- Your medication and any personal first aid
- Insect repellent with a high DEET content for the Amazon
For the mountains
- Walking boots or trail shoes with grip
- A warm hat, gloves and a windproof layer for Vinicunca
- A refillable water bottle
- Sun cream, and more than you think
For the rainforest
- Long-sleeved light shirts and long trousers, which beat shorts against insects
- A lightweight waterproof
- A quick-dry towel and a swimming costume
- Binoculars if you own a pair, and a torch
Throughout
- A small daypack, 25 litres at most for inside the sanctuary
- Clothes you can layer — you will see below freezing and above 30 °C in the same week
- A camera and a power bank
- A rain poncho
Questions we get asked
Is a week enough for both the Andes and the Amazon?
Yes, if you accept that the Amazon half is two nights rather than a full expedition. That is enough for Lake Sandoval, the canopy walkway, a night walk and a river cruise, which is a proper introduction to the rainforest. It is not enough to go deep into Manu or Tambopata, and we would not pretend otherwise.
Do I have to book the internal flights myself?
Yes. The Cusco to Puerto Maldonado flight on day five and the flight out of Puerto Maldonado on day seven are not included. We will tell you exactly which timings the itinerary needs so that the transfers meet you — it is a short hop and there are several a day.
Why does the trip end somewhere different from where it started?
Because the Amazon leg goes downhill and east. You start at Cusco airport and finish at Puerto Maldonado, which usually connects back through Lima. It is worth checking your international return before you book the domestic legs.
How hard is Rainbow Mountain?
It is the hardest thing in the week — around 5,200 m, on a steady uphill path, with cold and thin air doing the work rather than the gradient. Day four is the right place for it, after three nights at altitude. Horses can be hired on the mountain if your legs give out.
What will I actually see in the rainforest?
Nobody can promise animals, and any operator who does is selling you something. What the programme guarantees is the settings — an oxbow lake by canoe, a walkway above the canopy, the trail system and the forest at night, all with naturalist guides. Giant otters, caiman, macaws and monkeys are all regular rather than certain.
How big a change is the climate?
Very. Vinicunca on day four can be below freezing at dawn. The Madre de Dios on day six is hot and humid. Pack for both and expect to use everything.
Which circuit will I get at Machu Picchu?
We request Circuit 2, the most complete route, and take the best remaining alternative if it has sold out. We confirm it in writing before you travel.
When should I book?
Three to four months ahead for the May to September window. The citadel ticket is the binding constraint, and the lodge in high season is not far behind.
Ask us about Machu Picchu & the Amazon, 7 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.