Amazon Trip and Machu Picchu Tour – 9 Days – Custom Tours

Pricing

Small group departures require a minimum of 2 people.

$2,277 USD per person (based on double occupancy)

This price combines four days in Tambopata National Reserve with jungle lodges, the domestic flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco, the Short Inca Trail permit, and Machu Picchu entry for both Circuit 1 and Circuit 3 in 2026. By flying from the jungle to the Andes you avoid backtracking to Lima, spend the critical first morning at the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick during peak activity, and arrive at the Sun Gate in the afternoon light after the day-trippers have left.

This tour operates March through January. The Short Inca Trail is closed each February for trail maintenance by the Ministry of Culture. February departures operate with the train-only Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu itinerary.

Included in the Price

• All Permits and Tickets
  Tambopata National Reserve entrance, Sandoval Lake Reserve fee, Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick permit, Sacred Valley sites (Pisac, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo), Short Inca Trail permit, Machu Picchu Circuit 1 and Circuit 3 entry, and Rainbow Mountain entrance.
• Domestic Flight and Transfers
  One-way LATAM flight Puerto Maldonado to Cusco with 23kg checked bag, plus all airport transfers, private vans, motorized canoes, and shared lake canoes.
• Accommodation
  8 nights total: 3 nights in jungle lodges (2 nights Tambopata Lodge Inn, 1 night Sandoval Lake Lodge), 1 night Wasai Lodge Puerto Maldonado, and 4 nights in 3★hotels in Cusco (2), Ollantaytambo (1), and Aguas Calientes (1). All rooms private with daily breakfast in the
• Train and Bus Tickets
  Expedition train Ollantaytambo to KM 104 and Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, plus round-trip bus tickets Aguas Calientes–Machu Picchu.
• Professional Guides
  Bilingual Amazon naturalist for Days 1–4 and licensed English-speaking Andean guide for Days 5–9, both certified in wilderness first aid.
• Meals as per Itinerary
  Amazon: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners. Andes: daily hotel breakfast, box lunch on Inca Trail Day 7, dinner in Aguas Calientes Day 7, and breakfast and lunch on Rainbow Mountain Day 9. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free available.
• Safety and Support
  First-aid kit, emergency oxygen for high-altitude sections, pre-trip briefing at 6pm, and 24/7 Cusco and Puerto Maldonado office support.
• Extras (Optional)
• Vistadome Train Upgrade
  Panoramic windows and glass ceiling for the return journey. $67 USD per person.
• Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain
  Add the summit hike inside Machu Picchu. $75 USD per person, must be booked 3 months in advance.
• Single Supplement
  Private room throughout (jungle lodges and hotels). $280 USD per person.
• Hotel Upgrade to 4★
  Casa Andina Premium Cusco and Sacred Valley. $195 USD per person.
• Travel Insurance
  Comprehensive cover for Amazon and high-altitude trekking available on request.

Discounts

• Students 18 to 25 Years
  $25 USD off per person. Valid university ID required at booking.
• Under 18 Years
  $25 USD off per person. Passport copy required at booking.
• Groups of 6+
  $40 USD off per person when booking together.

Added Value Experience

• Jungle to Andes in One Ticket
  Four days at 200m for wildlife, then direct flight to Cusco for altitude acclimatization — no Lima connection required.
• Both Machu Picchu Circuits Included
  Circuit 1 for the classic Guardhouse photo and Circuit 3 for the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Condor, confirmed at booking for all 2026 departures.
• Dawn at Chuncho Clay Lick
  5:00am departure puts you at the blind by 6:30am for peak macaw activity, with breakfast served at the viewpoint.
• Small Group Guarantee
  Maximum 8 travelers, average group size 5 to 6, for quiet canoes on Sandoval Lake and personal guide time on the Inca Trail.

Circuits and Safety

The 9-Day Amazon & Machu Picchu tour is a jungle-to-mountain expedition, not a single-climate trek. We designed it around wildlife activity windows in Tambopata and altitude logic in the Andes. You spend four days at 200m in the Amazon, then fly to Cusco and spend three nights above 2,800m before hiking to 5,020m. That sequencing is why this route works for active travelers without prior high-altitude experience.

By starting in Tambopata, you visit the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick at dawn on Day 2 when parrots are most active, and paddle Sandoval Lake at dusk for the red-bellied macaw roost. By flying to Cusco on Day 5, you get two full nights at 3,400m before the Short Inca Trail, and by placing Rainbow Mountain on Day 9 you climb to 5,020m after seven nights of acclimatization. For 2026, your Machu Picchu ticket includes both Circuit 1 and Circuit 3, completed across two days.

Route Structure

• Days 1–4 Tambopata National Reserve
  We meet you in Puerto Maldonado and transfer 1.5 hours by road plus 50 minutes by motorized canoe to Tambopata Lodge Inn at 200m. Day 2 starts at 5:00am for the 1 hour 20 minute upriver run to the Chuncho clay lick blind. Day 3 transfers to Sandoval Lake via 3.2km forest trail and 30-minute canoe paddle. Day 4 includes dawn canoe for giant otters and canopy walkway before overnight in Puerto Maldonado. You carry only a daypack; main luggage stays at our office.
• Days 5–6 Cusco and Sacred Valley
  55-minute flight to Cusco (3,400m). Day 5 is rest and briefing. Day 6 is full-day private van tour to Pisac (3,400m), Maras (3,300m), Moray (3,500m), and Ollantaytambo (2,792m) with overnight in the valley to shorten the next morning’s train.
• Day 7 Short Inca Trail KM 104 to Machu Picchu
  5:30am pickup for 6:10am Expedition train to KM 104 (2,000m). Hike 12km on original Inca pavement to Wiñay Wayna (2,650m) for lunch, then continue to Inti Punku (2,720m). Enter Machu Picchu for Circuit 1 upper terraces and Guardhouse viewpoint in afternoon light. Bus down to Aguas Calientes.
• Day 8 Machu Picchu Circuits
  5:30am bus to Machu Picchu for Circuit 3 guided tour (2.5 hours) covering Temple of the Sun, Intihuatana, and Temple of the Condor. Return by Expedition train to Ollantaytambo and private van to Cusco.
• Day 9 Rainbow Mountain
  4:00am pickup for 3-hour drive to trailhead at 4,650m. Hike 1.5 hours up to Vinicunca summit at 5,020m, descend 1 hour, lunch, and return to Cusco by 6pm.

Safety Management

• Altitude First
  Maximum altitude is 5,020m at Rainbow Mountain for 30 minutes only on Day 9. You sleep at 3,400m (Cusco), 2,792m (Ollantaytambo), and 2,040m (Aguas Calientes) before that climb. We require no prior high-altitude experience, but we build in three nights above 2,800m before the 12km Inca Trail. Guides monitor symptoms twice daily on Days 7–9 and carry pulse oximeters.
• Jungle Safety
  Tambopata is primary rainforest with caimans, snakes, and insects. We stay on marked trails, use headlamps on all night walks, and provide rubber boots in wet season. Guides carry first-aid kits, satellite phones, and are trained in tropical medicine. No swimming in rivers or lakes. Lodges have screened rooms and mosquito nets.
• Trail Safety
  The Short Inca Trail is original Inca stonework, often wet and steep with 600m of ascent. Rainbow Mountain is high-altitude scree with no shade. We set a slow, steady pace, mandatory rest stops, and trekking poles with rubber tips are required. Guides carry emergency oxygen on all Andean days.
• Real Guides
  Certified Amazon naturalists from Puerto Maldonado for Days 1–4, and licensed English-speaking Andean guides from Cusco for Days 5–9. Maximum 8 travelers per guide. All guides are WFR-certified, paid under Peruvian law, and return season after season on this route.
• Weather and Terrain
  The route moves through three climate zones in nine days. Amazon mornings are 22°C with 85% humidity and afternoon downpours November–March. Andes mornings on Rainbow Mountain can be -5°C with wind, afternoons in the Sacred Valley 20°C and strong sun. We check conditions at the 6pm Cusco briefing and adjust start times if needed. The advantage of the jungle-first design is full acclimatization before altitude.

What We Provide for Safety

• WFR-certified guides with radio (Andes) and satellite (Amazon) communication.
• First-aid kit and emergency oxygen bottle on all Andean days.
• Pre-trip briefing in Cusco and daily safety talks in Tambopata.
• Filtered water at jungle lodges and boiled water on Inca Trail.
• Private support team with evacuation plan to Cusco clinic (Andes) and Puerto Maldonado hospital (Amazon).

How to Arrive Ready

• Spend the full Day 5 in Cusco resting; avoid alcohol the first night at altitude.
• Bring layers for freezing mornings and hot sun, plus broken-in boots for both muddy jungle trails and Inca stone steps.
• Pack strong DEET repellent and long sleeves for Amazon; do not use scented products.
• Tell your guide immediately if you feel headache, nausea, or dizziness in the Andes. We control pace and can descend quickly from Rainbow Mountain.
• Use trekking poles on the Inca Trail descent to Machu Picchu and on Rainbow Mountain scree.
• Carry 2L water capacity in both jungle and mountains. Dehydration worsens both heat and altitude symptoms.

This is why we run the Amazon & Machu Picchu as a small-group lodge and hotel expedition with strategic sequencing — you get dawn wildlife at Chuncho, the Sun Gate arrival, and both Machu Picchu circuits in 2026, with professional support managing the river, rainforest, altitude, and weather.