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Peru Classic Tours
Andean Odyssey proudly offers an outstanding selection of tour packages to Peru - from Peru classic tours to well-known destinations like Cusco, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, to tours to little-known delights such as Kuelap in the northern jungle region, as well as a variety of adventure programs and special interest packages.

Peru classic tours include the 7-day "Best of the Southern Andes," 5-day tours of "the Inca Empire" or "Pre-Incan Civilization" and the two-week tour of "Enigmatic Peru." Peru classic tours offer the best of Peru's world-renown attractions in its southern highlands, as well as jungle adventure and spectacular archaeological ruins and museums in the north.

Do you want to see the best that Peru has to offer in a package that makes the most of your vacation time? Then Peru classic tours are just what you are looking for.

Regional Tours
In Peru's coastal region, Andean Odyssey will guide you to magnificent colonial Lima, the mysterious Nazca lines, pristine beaches of Tumbes, lush desert oasis outside Ica and the nearby Ballestas Islands teeming with marine and bird life, the world-class archaeological ruins and museums near Chiclayo and Trujillo, or to the famed Chulucanas artisans near Piura.

Andean Odyssey tour packages to Peru's spectacular Andean highlands region help you enjoy the very best of Cusco and Puno, as well as such lesser-known delights as the marvelous Colca canyon near Arequipa, the renowned fairs and handicrafts of Huancayo, the snow-covered Cordillera Blanca at Huaraz, the newly excavated Chachapoyas fortress at Kuelap, or the historical wonders of Cajamarca

Andean Odyssey tours to Peru's Amazon jungle region near the cities of Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado are unsurpassed. Whether you are looking for an air conditioned cruise down the Amazon or a walking tour in search of the exotic flora and fauna of the rainforest, you can't do better than the tours we have to offer.

Adventure Programs
Hiking on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu? Trekking in the breathtaking Cordillera Blanca? River rafting down the Urubamba between Cusco and Machu Picchu? Or perhaps you would prefer mountain biking or horseback riding in the Cusco region? Full adrenaline - Andean Odyssey tours in Peru have it all!

Special Interest Tours
Andean Odyssey has a variety of bird-watching tours to Lima and Paracas, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, the Cusco-Machu Picchu region, Lake Titicaca, and to the jungle regions. Other special interest tours include educational family-oriented tours, study tours for executives and students, photography programs, archaeology and experiential tourism tailored to your desire to work with the local population.

So don't forget - whether you seek Peru classic tours to its world-renowned destinations, a package tour to one of its lesser-known attractions, or a specialized, made-to-order adventure or educational experience, it's all here at Andean Odyssey!
 
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  Highlights
 
  Blue-crowned Trogon
 
   
 
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- Lima, Paracas - Titicaca Lake
- Arequipa, Colca - Puerto Maldonado
- Cusco, Machu Picchu, Abra Malaga - Manu National Park
Program: Puerto Maldonado
(5D,4N)

DAY 1
Puerto Maldonado - Posada Amazonas
Upon arrival from Lima or Cuzco, reception and transfer to the Tambopata river port in Puerto Maldonado. Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling, booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism. After a brief survey of the town we will depart on the 2 hour boat trip by motorized canoe to Posada Amazonas. Depending on the arrival time of the plane we will have a boxed lunch aboard the boats or have lunch upon arrival at Posada Amazonas. During our voyage we may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger), Pied Lapwing (Vanellus cayanus), Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus), Jabiru (Javiru mycteria), Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris) , and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. When we arrive at Posada Amazonas we will unpack and unwind. Posada Amazonas is a comfortable yet unobtrusive 24 room lodge owned jointly by Rainforest Expeditions and the Local Community of Infierno. We will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing on the lodge and the Ecotourism Project before our afternoon activity: the canopy tower. In this activity, we will visit a 35 meter scaffolding tower that is 15 minutes walking from the lodge. The scaffolding tower is built so that you safely climb using the internal staircase with verandahs on each side, and rest in platforms present every 2 meters. From the top you not only get spectacular views of the river and the surrounding forest but also excellent opportunities to observe birds from the canopy including parrots, toucans and macaws. A video about the forest of Tambopata will be displayed after dinner.
L, D.


DAY 2
Posada Amazonas - Tambopata Research Center
We will be up at dawn for a visit to the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake. After an early breakfast we depart, fifteen minutes from Posada Amazonas by boat and a 30 minute walk take us to the lake shore. From here we take a long, easy canoe ride around it. We will look for hoatzins, and wading birds. As we approach noon, animal activity decreases, and we will continue travel up the Tambopata River for 3 to 4 hours into the pristine heart of the reserve. After the first hour we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind as we cross the northern boundary of the 700,000 hectare, completely uninhabited nucleus of the Tambopata National Reserve. Differences in wildlife abundance will be noted immediately: We will begin to sight macaws, herons, kingfishers and cormorants frequently and improve our chances of encounters with capybaras, caiman, storks, ducks and other wildlife. Boxed lunch on the boat. We will arrive at Tambopata Research Center in the early afternoon, being greeted by the Chicos, our flock of semi-wild, rescued macaws. On arrival, we will hold an orientation session. After this we will hike the 1.5 mile Bamboo Trail, a trail that is famous for the abundance of rare birds that live exclusively in this habitat and are endemic to southern Peru. As we bird watch our way through the trail we will end our hike at the overlooks which are good places to observe canopy birds like tanagers, jacamars, elaenias, guans, and oropendolas. We will return to TRC for dinner.
B,L,D.


DAY 3
Tambopata Research Center
At dawn we will cross the river and enjoy the world's largest macaw clay lick where hundreds of parrots and macaws of up to 15 species congregate daily. The January 1994 issue of National Geographic features an article on Tambopata Research Center and the Tambopata Macaw Project. It begins with a description of the daily spectacle at the clay lick:
" When the morning sun clears the Amazon tree line in southeastern Peru and strikes a gray-pink clay bank on the upper Tambopata River, one of the world's most dazzling wildlife gatherings is nearing its riotous peak. The steep bank has become a pulsing, 130-foot-high palette of red, blue, yellow and green as more than a thousand parrots squabble over choice perches to grab a beak full of clay, a vital but mysterious part of their diet. More than a dozen parrot species will visit the clay lick throughout the day, but this midmorning crush belongs to the giants of the parrot world, the macaws."
You can expect to see around twelve of the following members of the parrot family: Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloroptera), Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao), Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilata), Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severa), Blue-headed Macaw (Propyrrhura couloni); Mealy Parrot (Amazona farinosa), Yellow-crowned Parrot (Amazona ochrocephala), Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus), Orange-cheeked Parrot (Pionopsitta barrabandi), White-bellied Parrot (Pionites leucogaster); Dusky-headed Parakeet (Aratinga weddellii), White-eyed Parakeet (Aratinga leucophthalmus), Cobalt-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris cyanoptera), Tui Parakeet (Brotogeris sanctithomae), and Dusky-billed Parrotlet (Forpus sclateri). This show will continue until the macaws sense danger, usually in the form of an eagle, and depart simultaneously in an explosion of sound and color. Around mid-morning, when the most intense clay lick activity is over for the day, we will return to TRC for breakfast..
After breakfast we will hike the 1.5 mile Ocelot Trail, a trail which exemplifies the quintessential rainforest. This forest is estimated to be 200 to 300 years old and includes truly huge Ceiba trees and Strangler figs. This trail is the one which most often sports ocelot, puma and jaguar tracks, although any one of these three large cats is extremely difficult to spot. We will return to TRC for lunch and then embark on a 2 mile hike to the palm swamp, a nesting colony and preferred roost for Blue and yellow and Red-bellied Macaws. Although there are different degrees of macaw activity at the swamp year round, the most exciting time to visit it is from October to March, during the nesting season, when macaws will land on the nests and stand there for several minutes, interacting with other individuals at less then 20 feet from our observation tower. The scenes at the swamp, especially with late afternoon sun in our backs, make prized photo opportunities. After a lazy afternoon with the macaws we will hike back to the lodge for dinner.
B,L,D.


DAY 4
Tambopata Research Center - Posada Amazonas
We will wake up at dawn once again to visit the macaw clay lick and then return for breakfast. After breakfast we will take a short five minute boat ride to a small, drying oxbow lake where we will spend the morning on a platform in the middle of the pond observing some of its birdlife, which may include hoatzin, duck, ibis, woodpeckers, chachalaca, parakeets, oropendolas and numerous flycatcher species. We will return to TRC and embark to Posada Amazonas, arriving at mid-afternoon. We will spend our last night in the rain forest in this wonderfully designed lodge enjoying its happy hour as we ponder over the exciting happenings of the past few days.
B, L, D.


DAY 5
Posada Amazonas - Puerto Maldonado
After an early breakfast we will return to Puerto Maldonado for our flight back to Lima.
B.

Some of the species we can sight at the Tambopata Research Center and Posada Amazonas , among others are:

Tambopata Research Center:
  • Blue-headed Macaw (Propyrrhura couloni)
  • White-lined Antbird (Percnostola lophotes)
  • Black-capped Tinamou (Crypturellus atrocapillus)
  • Blue-throated Piping Guan (Pipile cumanensis)
  • Pied Puffbird (Notharchus tectus)
  • Razor-billed Curassow (Crax (mitu) tuberosa)
  • Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)
  • Goeldi´s Antbird (Myrmeciza goeldii)
  • White-throated Jacamar (Brachygalba albogularis)
  • Orange-cheeked Parrot (Pionopsitta barrabandi)
  • Rufous-capped Nunlet (Nonnula (ruficapilla) ruficapilla)
  • Scarlet-hooded Barbet (Eubucco tucinkae)
  • Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris)

Posada Amazonas:
On the Rio Tambopata- 2 hours upstream from Puerto Maldonado
  • Starred Wood-Quail (Odontophorus stellatus)
  • Pheasant cuckoo (Dromococcyx phasianellus)
  • Ruddy spinetail (Synallaxis rutilans)
  • Speckled spinetail (Cranioleuca gutturata)
  • Chestnut-shouldered Antwren (Terenura humeralis)
  • Striated Antthrush (Chamaeza nobilis)
  • Plain Softtail (Thripophaga fusciceps)
  • Long-winged Antwren (Myrmotherula longipennis)
  • Ornate Antwren (Myrmotherula ornata)
  • Rufous-headed Woodpecker (Celeus spectabilis)
  • White-cheeked Tody-Tyrant (Poecilotriccus albifacies)


(B) Breakfast Included
(L) Lunch Included
(D) Dinner Included

*We provide vegetarian meals
 
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