How to Combine a Trip to the Amazon & the Andes

Dec 3
10:00

2012

Matthew Barker

Matthew Barker

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Once you travel to Cusco, it’s relatively easy to add Amazon trips onto your itinerary. Learn how in this article written by a Peru vacation expert at Peru For Less.

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If you’re planning Peru Vacation to visit Machu Picchu you may not realize how easy it is to also see another of Peru’s wonders,How to Combine a Trip to the Amazon & the Andes  Articles the Amazon Jungle. In fact, from the city of Cusco there is daily flight service to Puerto Maldonado, the starting point for many Amazon trips, making it easy to explore the historical and archaeological highlights of Peru and also becomes immersed into one of the world’s most biologically diverse areas. You can squeeze Machu Picchu and the Amazon into a weeklong vacation, but obviously the more time you have the better.

 

CUSCO & MACHU PICCHU

Cusco is the historic capital of Peru and anyone trying to get to Machu Picchu will have to pass through this small city of 400,000. The historic center is beautiful and worth spending a few days in. You’ll see Inca walls throughout the city, remnants of a once mighty empire that spread across the western edge of the South American continent. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire. Spanish colonizers destroyed much of the city, and built their own houses, but their churches are what stand out the most in the geography in modern-day Cusco.

 

Cusco is also the gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss the chance to hike the Inca Trail to Machu. The journey is one of the most unforgettable experiences in Peru travel. If time is an issue, it is also possible to arrange a quick 1-day tour to Machu Picchu, going from Cusco in the early morning and returning late the same day.

 

PUERTO MALDONADO & AMAZON

A handful of airlines operate daily flights between Cusco and Puerto Maldonado. In fact, most all flights to or from Puerto Maldonado transit through the imperial Inca city and the connection is a short one, less than an hour. A second alternative is to take a bus between the 2 cities. This is a 10 to 12 hour ride, which offers a more extended view of the dramatic landscape change between high Andes and lush Amazon, truly a visual treat. One last thing for travel between Cusco and Puerto Maldonado is the rainy season; heavy rains may cause delays or cancellations. From November to March it is important to schedule connecting flights with this in mind.

 

Once in Puerto Maldonado there are a few options for Amazon tours. The most common route is to arrange a stay at an Amazon lodge. Around Puerto Maldonado, there’s a huge selection of lodges in the area. Board a motorboat at the ferry and a 30 minute to 4 hour ride will get you to your lodge of choice. Where you stay will depend on your wildlife viewing interests, whether you need more or less luxury, and how much time you have. An alternative is to stay in a lodge in Puerto Maldonado and hop on day tours from there. Whatever your choice, be prepared to be amazed by the quantity of life, flora and fauna, that surrounds you.