Family Adventure in the Andes

This exciting adventure visits Peru’s three key geographical regions – coast, rainforest and mountains – and is jam-packed with activities that will keep the kids on their toes. They will be enthralled with Peru’s colourful wildlife, its adventurous terrain as well as its vibrant history and culture.

Focus is fun for the whole family, including children aged 6 to 15 years old. We have selected assorted activities that are entertaining for everyone. Not all possible activities are described below, and some described are suitable for older children only. There are numerous additional options that can be substituted or added to this sample itinerary. Also, this itinerary can be shortened to cover only 1 week or 10 days.

Good time to travel: Year round. Absolute best months: March - November

Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 (with possible 2-day extension) 15 | 16

Day 1

Arrival Lima

Arrival in Lima from your evening international flight. You will be met by our representatives and transferred to to the Miraflores Park Hotel, a luxury high rise overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Overnight Miraflores Park Hotel.

(Alternatively Casa Inka)

Day 2

Lima

After breakfast, you will start the day with a boat excursion to see wildlife near Lima. This highly-recommended experience takes you to a huge colony of Sea Lions. As well as seeing these fantastic creatures up close, the children will actually have the opportunity to swim with Sea Lions! There are ample other opportunities for seeing wildlife and birdlife along the way. The whole trip lasts about 3 hours returning in time for lunch.

Spend the afternoon in a Lima archeological museum. Provided that the guiding is of the best quality, families will love a museum trip – if they are shown in the right manner, the kids are enthralled with the variety of animals, deities and figures represented in pre-Columbian pottery and ceramics as well as the vibrant and vivid designs, and their imagination can run wild.

Our tour is conducted in a very educational and compelling manner and a number of exciting activities for children can be arranged.

Day 3

Lima - Tambopata

The jungle is the best place to head next, and you will be collected from your hotel and driven to the airport to take your morning flight to Puerto Maldonado. From Puerto Maldonado you will travel to our favourite jungle lodge for families. This 4-hour journey is comprised of 1 hour by land and 3 hours by motorized canoe.

The lodge we have located is a particularly well-equipped jungle lodge for families: it offers many exciting activities such as wildlife spotting, canopy towers and adventure trails, including the only trail in the Peruvian Amazon to be made for Children by Children.

Overnight at our hand-picked jungle lodge.

Day 4

Tambopata

After morning activities, you will then begin your journey up river to another lodge which is located within the Tambopata Reserved Zone. This lodge is a 10 minute walk from the Tambopata River, located 8 hours up river from the city of Puerto Maldonado (4 hours from the previous lodge). It features 18 bedrooms with shared bathrooms and is charming and intimate. It is one of the best spots for wildlife viewing in the Amazon basin, and has many activities for older kids.

Overnight at our hand-picked jungle lodge.

Day 5

Tambopata

Enjoy an adventure filled day including a visit to the Macaw clay lick and night-hiking.

Overnight at our hand-picked jungle lodge.

Day 6

Tambopata

This morning you can have some leisure time, exploring the lodge and its surroundings, try out a new trail or activity.

You will then take a 3.5 hour boat ride back to the first lodge and enjoy more time in the Amazon. Visit "Don Manuel" who can give you rainforest tattoos with colourful pastes that last for days – the kids will have a blast!

Overnight at our hand-picked jungle lodge.

Day 7

Tambopata

After breakfast you can indulge in further activities such as jungle mountain biking and kayaking on the Tambopata river.

Overnight at our hand-picked jungle lodge.

Day 8

Tambopata - Cusco - Urubamba Valley

In the morning transfer by boat to the Tambopata River Port, and from there to the Puerto Maldonado Airport to catch your flight to Cusco. At Cusco airport you will be met by the Aracari representative and driver and transferred to your hotel in the Urubamba Valley. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure acclimatizing to the high altitude.

Overnight Ticllabamba Maison d'Hôtes or Sol y Luna

(Alternatively Albergue de Ollantaytambo)

Day 9

Urubamba Valley

After breakfast, the kids can enjoy a textile demonstration designed especially for them. This is a genuinely unique opportunity for your children to learn from one of the most accomplished weavers in Peru. They will take part in a mini-workshop where they will experience the complete process of backstrap weaving – from identifying the plants and minerals that provide the dyes, to dyeing the thread and even weaving simple designs themselves.

After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a pottery lesson with the experts. With fragments found in the highlands dating back to around 4,000 BC, the art and techniques of pottery have long been established in Peru. Try your hand at creating your own ‘masterpiece’. Using rich colours and traditional patterns you can create a vase, or a cup – a truly lasting original momento of your trip to Peru. This is a fascinating and fun two hour session for all the family. Return to the hotel to relax for the evening.

Overnight Ticllabamba Maison d'Hôtes or Sol y Luna

(Alternatively Albergue de Ollantaytambo)

Day 10

Urubamba Valley

Spend the day enjoying a soft adventure in the Urubamba Valley. There are a variety activities suitable for families in the Valley such as kayaking, horseriding, quadbiking (ATV) and Whitewater rafting … as well as many other excellent opportunities!

Trekking is a particular favourite, and there are many day hike options that can be offered that are suitable for families. If the trip is extended by one night, this can be incorporated with camping, and of course a compulsory helping of toasted-marshmallows!

Overnight Ticllabamba Maison d'Hôtes or Sol y Luna

(Alternatively Albergue de Ollantaytambo)

Day 11

1 day Inca Trail

You will be collected by your guide and driven to Ollantaytambo (30 min) to take the Vistadome Trainto Aguas Calientes, the station that serves Machu Picchu. The total train ride is approximately 2 hours, mainly through wonderful cloud forest scenery. You will get off approximately 1 ½ hours before arrival at Aguas Calientes, and together with your guide, start your 1 day Inca trail. You will carry your daypack and box lunch only. You will cross a hanging bridge to then approach the small but interesting Inca archaeological complex of Cachabamba. After a brief visit of this site you will begin a three to four hours ascent to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna: an important Inca spiritual site, and one of the loveliest of all Inca ruins. At this point the trail joins with the main Inca Trail. From here you will be walking on Inca pavement. Here the Inca Trail cuts across the ridge above Machu Picchu to finally reach Intipunku or Gate of the Sun, from where the trail winds downhill into the lost citadel located right above the Urubamba River. You will then take a half hour bus ride down to your hotel, the lovely Inkaterra Machu Picchu.

Overnight Inkaterra Machu Picchu.

(Alternatively El Mapi)

Day 12

Machu Picchu to Cusco

Enjoy Machu Picchu almost all to yourself, as you will be able to access the site as soon as it opens, and watch the morning unfold. Machu Picchu at this time is pure magic. Full day at leisure. Catch the last afternoon Vistadome Train from Machu Picchu to Cuzco, journey time is approximately 3.45 hours. At the train station you will be collected and driven to your hotel.

Overnight Casa Cartagena.

(Alternatively Casa San Blas)

Day 13

Cusco

Spend the day on an exciting treasure hunt, the ideal way for the whole family to do the Cusco City tour!! This is an exciting and absorbing activity which sees the kids and adults alike solving clues and puzzles to search for the “Hidden Treasure of the Incas”. This can also be organized in the Urubamba Valley and Machu Picchu and is very much fun as well as being educational.

Overnight Monasterio.

(Alternatively Casa San Blas)

Day 14

Cusco - Lima

In the morning you will be collected at your hotel to transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Lima. You will have a vehicle and driver at your disposal to go wherever in Lima you prefer. In the evening transfer to the airport to catch your international flight home.

Or, if doing the extension, transfer to Paracas and overnight Luxury Collection Paracas.

Suggested 2 Day Extension:

Day 15

Paracas

In the morning you’ll board a boat to visit the Ballestas Islands (at about 8am), an archipelago of islands rich in wildlife. These islands are riddled with arches, tunnels and other wind and sea sculptures where you will appreciate different kinds of sea birds and sea lions. You will also visit Punta Pejerrey, nearly the northern most point of the isthmus and the best spot for seeing the Candelabro, a candelabra-shaped drawing scratched on to the highest point of a cliffside overlooking the bay.

In the afternoon, whizz around the desert near Ica in Sand-buggies. This is an absolute treat for the kids, who are thrilled to navigate this lunar landscape on the speedy sand mobiles.

Overnight Luxury Collection Paracas.

Day 16

Nazca lines

Finish your epic journey with a flight over the Nazca Lines and Palpa Lines, giant drawings of animals, geometric figures and birds ranging up to 300 meters in size, scratched on 220 square kilometres of desert plains. Children's imagination runs wild with the lines, and the animal shapes present many opportunities for drawing, painting and colouring-in as well as endless speculation on the flight home!

Transfer to Lima for you international flight, lunch en route.