Peru Trip Extensions

NAZCA LINES
3 days / 2 nights from Lima, offered year-round
The mysterious lines etched into the coastal plains near the town of Nazca have fascinated scientists, archaeologists and visitors for decades. In 1901, extensive excavations determined that the inhabitants who drew these lines were a separate culture, distinct from their predecessor, the Paracas culture. Best viewed from the air, Nazca figures such as the monkey, fish, hands & whale are the highlight of this tour which also includes a drive along the Peruvian coast (the northern extension of the Atacama Desert), the pre-Inca archaeological site of Pachacamac, and some coastal communities!

NORTHERN PERU
4 days / 3 nights from Lima, offered year-round
Peru has been a cradle of civilization in South America for centuries. Long before the Incas controlled the country, sophisticated cultures existed along the Peruvian coast; and northern Peru is one of the best destinations for visiting the remains of their cities, temples and burial sites. Moche ruins including the renowned Lord of Sípan (where one of the most important archaeological finds of this century was unearthed) and the Tucumé Pyramids, as well as the world's largest adobe city, Chan Chan, built by the later Chimu culture, are visited on this exciting extension.

LAKE TITICACA
4 days/3 nights from Cusco or Lima, operated April-November
For those who want to experience authentic Quechua culture first-hand, and to feel like you've traveled backwards in time, nothing beats a visit with a family on Taquile Island, one of Lake Titicaca's natural islands. Isolated from the modern world until the last half of the twentieth-century, Taquile's inhabitants retain a relatively untainted culture handed down from Inca times. Equally fascinating are the man-made floating reed islands of the Uros Indians in the Bay of Puno. This cultural extension explores life in the Altiplano, the highland desertic plains, with the world's highest navigable lake.

CUSCO AMAZON LODGES (Reserva Amazonica or Lake Sandoval)
5 days/4 nights from Lima or Cusco, offered year-round
Families and travelers with limited time, who want a taste of the Amazon Basin rainforests, will enjoy the new Reserva Amazonica or Sandoval Lake lodges. Located 30-45 minutes by motor boat from Puerto Maldonado, these lodges offer excellent wildlife viewing. Both allow access to small oxbow lakes as well as several miles of forest trails and rivers for the chance to visit different habitats. Each lodge provides a variety of natural history experiences, plus the opportunity to maximize wildlife encounters. The lodges are built in the style and tradition of the native communities, with thatched-roofs and ecologically harvested, driftwood mahogany (or similar) flooring. Accommodation for 50-80 guests are in twin bed double rooms (beds have mosquito netting). Both lodges have private bathrooms with hot showers and flush toilets. Meals are in a communal dining area. Comfortable lounge/rest areas have hammocks, chairs and tables. Electricity is available at both lodges; although Reserva Amazonica has electricity in its main building only, not in the rooms, which have lanterns at night. A recently built, 1,095 foot long canopy walkway, is available near the Reserva Amazonica. The structure has 7 hanging bridges and 8 treetop observation platforms.

MANU BIOSPHERE (Manu Wildlife Center)
5 days / 4 nights from Cusco, May-October
For travelers wanting to maximize their wildlife viewing opportunities in a short extension, no place in the Amazon Basin can compete with Manu National Park in southeastern Peru. Considered one of the most pristine and important rainforest preserves on the planet, Manu offers the greatest concentration of wildlife and birds within the Amazon Basin (not including Brazil's Pantanal or the Llanos in Venezuela which are both outside of Amazonia). The park was created in 1973 (designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 1977), and there are an estimated 20,000 plant species, plus more than 1000 species of birds and 13 species of monkeys, recorded within its boundaries. The area is home to endangered wildlife such as the Andean spectacled bear, giant river otter and black caiman, as well as several primitive Indian tribes, and Manu is one of the best places in the Amazon to spot rarely observed species such as the ocelot, jaguar or harpy eagle. The Manu Wildlife Center provides an ideal base to explore the region. The lodge is situated about 2 hours down the Madre de Dios River from the dirt landing field at Boca Manu.

Additional Extension Options include:
While the above list represents our most popular trip extensions, choices are not limited to only these programs. Let imagination and interest be your guide, and consider the following possibilities as well:

• 4 days/3 nights - Arequipa and Colca Canyon (The White City & The World's Deepest Canyon)
• 4 days/3 nights - Paracas National Reserve & Nazca (Coastal Wildlife Viewing, plus Nazca Lines)
• 4 days/3 nights - Piura and the Northern Peru Beaches
• 5 days/4 nights - Kuelap (The Land of the Cloud Peoples)
• 5 days/4 nights - Huaraz & The Cordillera Blanca (Highest of the Peruvian Andes)
• 5 days/4 nights - The Northern Amazon & Canopy Walkway (From Iquitos, Deep into Amazonia)

Contact us with questions or to check on availability or call 800.377.9463

Download Peru Trip Extensions Summary and Land Cost (.pdf)