Amazon, Machu Picchu, Iguazu Falls & Rio de Janeiro
Some of the continent's top natural and cultural highlights
Days: 15 | From: $9,500/per person
- Includes accommodations at first class hotels that reflect the best of local culture
- Includes excursions and tours with superb private guides
Stay in a premier Amazon eco-lodge, then explore Cusco and Machu Picchu before traveling to Iguazu Falls, and finish your trip in glittering Rio de Janeiro.
Inquire about this trip
Talk to a Vaya Travel
Specialist
We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.
We consistently receive 5 star reviews from our discerning clients.
At a glance
- Lima
1 night: renowned cuisine and world class museums - Amazon Jungle
3 nights: stay in a premier ecotourism lodge - Sacred Valley
2 nights: Andean life and ancient ruins in this magnificent river valley - Machu Picchu
1 night: time to explore this stunning icon in depth & at non-peak hours - Cusco
2 nights: take in the captivating former Incan capital - Iguazu Falls
2 nights: walk among 275 distinct cascades in the middle of subtropical forest - Rio de Janeiro
3 nights: visit the beaches of this sparkling coastal metropolis
All itineraries are fully customizable. We will send you a personalized variation that reflects your interests and travel dates at no extra cost. Call to discuss your travel plans with one of our Specialists who know this region firsthand.
Customize this trip
1 (800) 342-1796
Sample itinerary
Welcome to Lima
Arrive to Lima, former capital of the Spanish empire in the Americas, and transfer to your first class hotel in Miraflores, Lima’s main cultural and commercial district. This is a great area for strolling around and is home to many of Lima’s best restaurants.
Private tours of Lima or visits to any of Lima’s museums can be arranged; we can also arrange culinary tours focusing on Peru’s increasingly renowned cuisine, or art tours for those with special interests.
Accommodations: Atemporal
Housed in a renovated 1940s townhouse in the chic Miraflores district, this six-room hotel provides a relaxed atmosphere with excellent service. Atemporal offers its guests an alternative lodging experience in three room categories: Grand, Charming, and Cozy. Atemporal is entirely private, meaning only guests and those they invite can use its exclusive spaces, with their offbeat but functional collector’s aesthetic, including a veranda, salon and private garden.
Upgrades available: Hotel B, Miraflores Park Hotel, and othersFly to the Amazon
Fly into the jungle to Puerto Maldonado, a river city in the Amazon rainforest, and travel by boat up the Tambopata River to the Tambopata Research Center, one of the most remote lodges in South America, with a pristine location that hosts an incredible density of wildlife.
Here you have a variety of excursion options, such as visiting the local macaw clay licks, taking a monkey search hike, jungle night walks, and exploring the unique Palm Swamp Trail, all led by Tambopata’s talented and knowledgeable guides.
Spend the next three nights at Posada Amazonas, with daily excursions to view the unique plant and animal life of the area. Posada Amazonas is part of a pioneering ecotourism project that has been supported in its work by Conservation International. It’s a great base from which to explore the surrounding rainforest.
Accommodations: Tambopata Research Center, 3 nights
Adjacent to a macaw reserve and featured in National Geographic Magazine, the 18-room Tambopata Research Center gives intrepid travelers a chance to get up close and personal with the local wildlife. A raised boardwalk connects its 18 rooms and leads to a dining area and an interpretation center.
*Includes: Breakfast, DinnerAlternative lodging options: Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, Refugio Amazonas, Posada Amazonas; Luxury Amazon cruises are also an option, such as the Delfin I or the Aria Amazon
Explore the Amazon Jungle in Search of Unique Plant and Animal Life
Explore the Amazon Jungle and learn about the life it supports.
Your exact excursion options will depend on the weather and the time of year, but usually include jungle treks, climbing the canopy tower, visiting the local Ese Eja community, birdwatching, canoeing on an oxbow lake, stand up paddleboarding, and more. The exact itinerary can vary, but you will make a series of excursions into the rainforest and to nearby lakes to spot wildlife, with chances to see several species of monkeys, a wide variety of bird life, and an incredible variety of other flora and fauna. You also have the option to simply relax at your comfortable lodge and enjoy the incredible isolation and tranquility of the area.
Journey to the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Navigate back down the Tambopata River to Puerto Maldonado, where you will board your plane to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incan Empire. Your local guide will meet you at the airport and take you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a long, fertile river valley surrounded by snowcapped peaks that lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Visit Chinchero, a traditional small town situated on a plateau overlooking the Sacred Valley. Explore a colonial church with remarkable paintings and frescoes, which was constructed over the ruins of an Incan temple and is surrounded by impressive Incan terracing. Chinchero is also home to several highly-regarded weaving cooperatives known for the quality of their textiles. Peru is known for its intricate traditional weavings, many of which use symbols to tell stories or depictions of daily life.
Afterward enjoy lunch at a great small restaurant founded by a renowned local chef. Your private guide will be there to help you make the most of the entire experience.
Accommodations: Hotel Sol y Luna
The Sol y Luna Lodge is located in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas, not far from the town of Urubamba. Peruvian art adorns each of the first class, comfortable adobe cottages, whose terraces offer spectacular views of the mountains. A place that does things the right way, this hotel has long been among our traveler favorites due to the superb accommodations, location, and service. The property offers two outstanding restaurants. There is also a stable with beautiful horses that can be taken out into the surrounding mountains on horseback riding excursions. This is a Relais & Chateaux property.
*Includes: Breakfast, LunchAlternative lodging options: Albergue Ollantaytambo: for those who want to stay right in Ollantaytambo
Incan Sites and Ancient Villages: Moray, Maras, and Ollantaytambo
Spend the day exploring more of the Sacred Valley, seeing less-visited sites that will deepen your understanding of the local culture.
Discover the unique Incan site of Moray and the nearby town and ancient salt pans of Maras. After a scenic picnic lunch, visit Ollantaytambo, one of the few towns to survive in its current layout from Incan times.
Machu Picchu
Travel by train to Machu Picchu, one of South America’s most iconic sites.
Visit this remarkable site with a private guide, enjoy lunch at the famous Sanctuary Lodge, and then have the chance to explore the ruins on your own before returning to your hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Accommodations: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
This hotel sits on its own 12 secluded acres in Aguas Calientes, the town located at the base of Machu Picchu. The hotel is ideally located in natural surroundings, a short walk to the train station and the shuttles that take visitors to the ruins, but just outside the town, which is quite touristy. Guests follow stone pathways to their rooms, located in comfortable one- or two-story whitewashed casitas. Unlike the other hotels in Aguas Calientes, the Pueblo is set in a natural cloud forest, allowing you to experience the beauty of this unique ecosystem during your stay.
*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerMachu Picchu and Cusco
Return to Machu Picchu in the early morning to explore and discover the citadel on your own. You’ll also have the chance to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu, the mountain that towers above Machu Picchu, or hike back along the Inca Trail to Inti Punku (the Gate of the Sun). There is a lot to see in and around Machu Picchu.
After visiting the ruins, catch the afternoon train back to Cusco, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.
Accommodations: Inkaterra La Casona Cusco
A Relais & Chateaux property, La Casona is set in a restored 16th-century colonial manor house, which was built over an Inca complex and later occupied by the conquistadors of Peru. Its 11 suites surround an elegant courtyard, and the hotel offers a dining room, dining terrace, lounge and sitting area. La Casona graciously preserves the site's historic details while offering modern comfort and amenities. An exclusive boutique hotel experience, and one of the top options in Cusco.
*Includes: Breakfast, LunchUpgrades and alternatives: Palacio Nazarenas, Palacio del Inka, and others
Private Tour of Cusco: History, Culture, Architecture, and more
Get to know Cusco with your knowledgeable private guide, visiting the historical highlights of this fascinating city. Visit Sacsahuaman, the massive Incan fortress on the hills above the city, where you can enjoy views out over Cusco and the entire surrounding area. Afterward enjoy the afternoon to explore more of the city on your own.
Cusco is one of the highlights of a trip to Peru, an intriguing place built on the foundations of the former Incan capital. You can observe massive Incan walls along many of the streets of the city. The city has a vibrant atmosphere and many excellent restaurants.
Fly to Foz do Iguaçu
Fly into Foz do Iguaçu, home to the magnificent Iguazu Falls, where your private guide will welcome you to the country and take you to your hotel. Your hotel is the only one located within the Iguazu National Park on the Brazilian side. Enjoy a private walking tour of the Brazilian side, exploring the trails and catwalks around the falls. Guests at this hotel also have the unique privilege of being able to see the falls at close range after the park closes.
Accommodations: Belmond Hotel das Cataratas
The only hotel within Brazil's Iguassu National Park and just a two-minute walk to the Iguassu Falls, this hacienda-style property is a unique and exceptional way to experience this area. Tastefully remodeled by Belmond Hotels (formerly Orient Express), it is the most refined hotel in the vicinity, and in the evening it gives exclusive access to the falls after the park closes and all other visitors have to leave. The hotel has 193 rooms, including 16 suites, and offers two restaurants, a bar, pool, gym, tennis courts, and full-service spa.
*Includes: BreakfastIguazu Falls: Another Perspective
Enjoy a trip to the Argentine side of the falls, getting a different perspective on this magnificent site. The majority of the trails and walkways are on the Argentine side of the falls, and most boat tours that take you up close to the falls also start on this side.
Travel to Rio de Janeiro
Fly to Rio, a coastal metropolis, where your private guide will take you to your hotel on Copacabana Beach. This is one of the best locations in the city; many of Rio’s best restaurants, boutiques, and cafes are located here and in neighboring Ipanema and Leblon.
Accommodations: Belmond Copacabana Palace
The Copacabana Palace opened its doors in 1923 and continues to be the grande dame of Rio hotels. The hotel's illustrious history is apparent from the minute you walk in the door and see the photos of the countless celebrities and political leaders that have stayed there. The hotel overlooks Copacabana Beach, and its grounds and facilities are exceptionally elegant. Operated by Belmond (formerly Orient Express), the service is impeccable.
*Includes: BreakfastAlternative lodging options: Janeiro Hotel, in the trendy Leblon area
Christ Statue and Historic Santa Teresa
Get to know beautiful Rio with your private local guide. Head to the top of Corcovado Mountain to the iconic Cristo Redentor statue, where you can take in one of the best views in the world. Afterward, visit the Tijuca Forest National Park, the largest urban forest in the world. Drive through the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood, filled with mansions dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and see Rio’s bustling downtown. You have the end of the day free to explore on your own and experience Rio’s nightlife. We’ll recommend some top options for seeing great local music!
Time to Relax and Explore Rio; Cable Ride up Sugar Loaf Mountain
After a relaxed morning on your own, head up Sugar Loaf Mountain on a cable car for privileged views of Guanabara Bay, Corcovado, Rio-Niteroi Bridge, Santa Cruz Fortress, and the glittering scenery of Rio.
Depart for Home or Your Next Destination
Today you will say goodbye to your local guide and head to the airport for your flight home or to your next destination.
Popular Ways to Customize This Itinerary
Add extra days in Lima, Cusco, or Rio: All are worth exploring on your own, and we can arrange a variety of activities, including city tours, culinary excursions, visits to ruins and historical sites, art tours, and active options such as hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Take part in a Pachamanca, a traditional Andean cooking ceremony on the shores of Peru’s Lake Piuray.
Add a few nights at Lake Titicaca, easily accessible from Cusco.
Hike to Machu Picchu: Get off the train at Kilometer 104 to walk the last four to six hours along the famous Inca trail. Or see our Inca Trail to Machu Picchu itinerary for information about hiking the whole trail over several days.
Visit the Itaipu Hydroelectic Dam, one of the world’s largest operating hydroelectric facilities, at Iguazu.
Take in a samba show in Rio; we’ll arrange an evening at one of our local favorites, an intimate and authentic venue.
Hike with your private guide up Tijuca Peak, the highest peak in Rio, for rewarding views of the city and coastline.
Enjoy a private tour of Rio’s street art, learning about the history and politics of this unique art form.
Include some downtime for rest and relaxation! Some free time to unwind or have a massage will allow you to feel refreshed and ready for the remainder of your trip. Many of our properties include excellent spas or wellness centers. We can help arrange these services or include properties that offer health & wellness amenities.
Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.
Reviews From This Trip
Why Travel with Vaya?
We're TRUE specialists
We’ve not only traveled there, we’ve lived there. Our smart and engaging specialists are all current or former expatriates with years of experience in the region.
Uplifting service
From the first phone call to after you get back, we're here for you every step of the way. We listen, create, customize and advocate for you, and design experiences that go beyond the expected.
Thoughtful travel
Our discerning sensibility and good taste go beyond just choices in hotels and top guides; we have a walk the walk commitment to the environment and are genuine leaders in conservation efforts.