You know you want to see the mysterious Machu Picchu Citadel and you think there might be other destinations nearby that would make a fantastic Peru adventure. But which ones? You’ve wanted to see the Amazon, yet shouldn’t that be a whole separate trip?
I’m here to tell you if you have 10-16 days for this adventure, combining the Peruvian Amazon with Machu Picchu is an excellent idea. Not only will you get to experience the power and beauty of the Andes mountains, and bucket list-worthy Machu Picchu, you’ll also get to experience a completely different biosphere that will draw you into its leafy wonderland and deliver up a whole world of wildlife and exotic plants: the Amazon.
The Amazon will just look like a bunch of trees if you don’t have great guides, as wildlife can be very hard to see, yet if you choose to stay at one of our favorite eco lodges or to board one of our stunning river ships, you’ll have guiding aplenty and suddenly you’ll actually be able to see the wildlife and plant delights that were hiding there in full view yet camouflaged until an expert pointed them out.
What kinds of trips include this combination? At Wild Nectar, we’ve carefully curated a collection of exquisitely designed small group journeys, expedition ships and custom programs so you will be able to select the type of trip that’s just perfect for you.
Ship Trips: Traveling deep into the Amazon on a beautiful river ship will afford you the opportunity to view the sought after Victoria Water Lily, lovely pink flowers growing on a collection of enormous lily pads up to 8 feet across (!), often with reddish undersides. These gorgeous lily pads are located in certain parts of South America yet especially in the Pacaya Samiria Reserve in Peru where you can see them by ship. Pink river dolphins are another Peruvian Amazon favorite as they frequent these same waters near Iquitos.
For a ship trip to add to your Machu Picchu visit, we recommend a 10-day program aboard the Delfin II, a 4, 5, or 7 day program aboard the Aqua Nera, or a custom program of 4, 5, or 7 days aboard the Delfin III. Our Wild Nectar Signature Journey, Iconic Amazon: Tambopata and Delfin III is 11 days long and includes some time at an eco lodge deep in the Puerto Maldonado region as well. It’s easy to add a Machu Picchu adventure that includes Lima, the Sacred Valley and Cusco to any of these Amazon trips.
Small Group Journey - Nothing is easier than booking a fantastic small group journey that already includes Machu Picchu and the Amazon. Discover the Amazon & Machu Picchu offers a very small group of 10 passengers an outstanding experience. If you're more of an outdoor adventurer, you’ll love hiking the Classic Inca Trail for 4 days up and over the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, and also checking out the Amazon via our Inca Trail & the Amazon Rainforest adventure.
Custom Program: And if you’d like to add days in other parts of Peru like Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, or Colca Canyon to see the condors plus add one of our stunning Amazon ships, we’re standing by create a combination of something like our 8-day Immersive Machu Picchu: Inca Mysteries and Walk Welcomes program with one of our favorite Amazon ships. We also have some beautiful Amazon lodges like Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica, and anyone who has limited time, wants to stay on land, or is trying to keep the rate down will love our Amazon lodges as the ships are a bit more pricey.
I hope I’ve convinced you to visit Machu Picchu and the Amazon together. You’ve flown all this way and since the Peruvian Amazon is just a short 1.5 hour plane ride away from the Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu, you owe it to yourself to visit both. Ready to head see both of these Peruvian wonders? Contact us and we’ll help you select the perfect trip elements today!