Day 1
Arrive in Cusco, Peru. This usually requires departing from North America the previous day. A Bio Bio Expeditions guide will meet you at the airport. Look for the Bio Bio logo. You will be taken to the Hotel Casa Andina Private Collection. Please be sure Bio Bio Expeditions has your flight information.

A few words about Cusco…
If the Incas were the Romans of pre-Columbian America, Cusco was their Rome. The Incas built a vast empire that stretched from modern Ecuador and Colombia to southern Chile. The empire, much larger in size than any previous new-world empire, was called Tawantinsuyo (the “Four Quarters of the Earth”). Cusco was the heart of the empire, and its exact center was considered to be the main square of the city. Today, Cusco is still laid out much as it was in Inca times. Seen from above, it takes the form of a puma, with the river Tullumayo forming its spine, the ruins of Sacsayhuaman the head, and the main city center the body. The center, or torso, was a tongue of land bordered on the east side by the Tullumayo and on the west by the Huatanay. These two rivers now run under concrete. Cusco was more than just a capital city to the Incas and the millions of subjects in their realm. Cusco was a holy city, a place of pilgrimage that was as important to the Quechuas as Mecca is to Moslems.

Cusco is a thriving marketplace where goods and services of all kinds tempt the eye and the pocketbook. The city has an impact on all the senses: sounds greet the ears and the aromas of spicy local kitchens tantalize the nose. The colorful locals draw our attention as they display their wares. Merchants smile and make a sale with characteristic cheerfulness. A good place to take it all in is the central “Plaza De Armas”, where on the second floor balconied terraces of the many restaurants, you can enjoy a beer or a cool drink and see the action from above.

Day 2
We start today with an excursion up to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, led by one of our local guides. Over a period of 50 years, 20,000 men were employed in the construction of this site. Here at Sacsayhuaman, you will see stone blocks 8.5 meters high weighing more than 361 tons. It has been said that these ruins are one of the most astounding megalithic structures of the ancient world. However, this is only a preview of what you will see at Machu Picchu!

Drive to the Sacred Valley stopping at Awana Cancha (a Quechua name meaning “The Palace of the Weaver”), to view the beautiful Exhibition Centre of Textiles and South American Camels before moving on to the ruins and market place of Pisac. We overnight along the banks of the Urubamba River at the Urubamba Boutique Lodge, owned by the famous Velluntino family!

Day 3
We wake up this morning at the beautiful Boutique Hotel - Enjoy an early morning walk along the Urabamba river and a fresh buffet breakfast. We travel high into the Andes to visit the Inca ruins of Moray. Moray is the site of an experimental farm where natural depressions in the earth have been transformed into huge, circular agricultural terraces. From Moray we get another chance to stretch our legs and enjoy a 5km hike through the high Andes. Along the hike we get impressive views of the 18,000 foot peaks in the distance and close up encounters with locals plowing their crops with oxen. We eventually arrive in the town of Maras, famous for it's impressive salt mines. This culturally enriching day ends at the quaint and ancient town of Ollyantaytambo.

Overnight at the Urubamba Boutique Lodge.

Day 4
It's time for the Inca Trail!

A few words about the Inca Trail…
The whole of Peru was once criss-crossed with Inca and pre-Inca highways paved with thick interlocking blocks of stone. Sometimes these highways followed the valleys, but just as often they traversed the high mountainsides, tracing impossible pathways and forming narrow ledges over the bottomless gorges of the Andes. The trails were built for men on foot and lightly burdened llamas.

Frequently, their gradients gave way to steps, tunnels and long zig-zag trajectories down steep faces. The part of the trail that we will hike was formerly the royal highway to Machu Picchu. The explorer, Hiram Bingham, rediscovered the trail in 1915. Few relatively short hikes in the world can offer such a variety of scenery, staggering views, and such a mix of jungle and high sierra. Certainly no other walk known to us will lead you along an ancient highway from one secluded ruin to another, each in a breathtaking setting, each almost perfectly preserved, offering shelter, solitude, and views that no pen or camera can ever adequately record.

The adventure continues as we take our private van to “Kilometer 82” where the local porters are waiting for us. The porters will carry our duffle bags (18 pound limit) and we will carry our own daypacks stocked with water, snacks, cameras, and extra clothes. The weather can change quickly so it’s best to carry with you cold weather and rain gear. We visit archeological sights at Wilkaray and pass numerous ancient terraces. Today’s hike is easy going with a gradual incline with incredible views of the snow capped Wecheywilk. We arrive at camp well below the first pass at 7000 feet. Luckily, we'll be able to call on the strength of the legendary

Quechua whose high altitude lungs bear our burden more easily. We’ll be camping in 3 season tents every night on the trail. (From Km 82 to Huayllabamba / 11km / 5-6 hours of hiking.)

Day 5
We pass through the incredible cloud forests of Yunkachimpa and Corralpunku, and slowly work our way up the first pass - 14,000 feet! The views from here are impressive, as if we’ve landed on a condor’s perch above the clouds. We then descend down to the ruins at Runkurakay and sleep for the night. (From Huallabamba to Pacaymayo / 12km / 6-7 hours hiking.)

Day 6
We ascend the second pass of 13,000 feet visiting the archeological sites of Sayacmara located out the brow of the jungle. Plant and bird life become more varied and amazing spectacle of the Urubamba Valley comes into view. We camp on the ridgeline at Puyapatamarca with a 360-degree panorama of the magnificent Andes. (From Pacaymayo to Phuyupatamarca / 8km / 4-6 hours hiking.)

Day 7
This is a spectacular day of hiking as we marvel at the engineering feats of the Incas. We descend into the rainforest upon the ancient stone stairs; tunnels and bridges carved right into the mountain. We take a 15- minute detour to visit the empty and haunting ruins of Winay Wayna (meaning “Forever Young”) where a well-deserved catnap is a welcome afternoon treat. We arrive at the spectacular Sun Gate of Machu Picchu in the golden light of afternoon after the last tourist buses have left the ruins. Machu Picchu, the lost, mysterious city of the Incas now lays in front of us. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Machu Picchu is a perfectly preserved Inca city that was lost in the dense jungle for hundreds of years. This is perhaps the most famous and awe-inspiring of all the ruins discovered in the 20th century. Machu Picchu allows us to step back in time and experience the wonder of living in a stone-hewn, ancient Incan city that continues to mystify scholars with its spectacular engineering. After our brief initial visit, we take a bus to the clean little town of Aguas Calientes, nestled in the steep Urubamba River Valley. We check into the beautiful 5-star Pueblo Hotel to rest up with a hot shower and then a delicious group dinner. (From Phuyupatamarca to Machu Picchu / 10km / 6 hours hiking.)

Day 8
In the morning, we take a bus up the twisty road back to Machu Picchu. Those who still have the energy are welcome to hike the steep staircase straight up to the ruins. We spend most of the day at the ruins with our knowledgeable Peruvian guide who will show us all the wonders of Machu Picchu. In the late afternoon, we climb aboard a first class train for a spectacular ride back to Cusco. The train tracks themselves are a miracle of human ingenuity and tenacity. The ride down the mountain will give you ample time to reflect on your journey by foot and provides us with an early evening arrival in Cusco.

Day 9
It’s a morning flight out of Cusco to Puerto Maldonado. (Again, please be sure and book your own internal flights.) A Bio Bio representative will be at the airport to provide you with a transfer to the main square and a city tour. It’s a short walk to the port at the Madre de Dios River where a motorized launch will be waiting to take you upstream a few hours to the Reserva Amazonica Lodge. Upon arrival you will be shown to your bungalow and then enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, a bilingual guide will take you for a walk on the trails near the lodge and a visit to the botanical gardens where there are 200 medicinal jungle plants. Later in the evening a typical “jungle” dinner will be served with lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, rice, fish and other delicacies!

Day 10
You will be awakened by the melody of the jungle sounds. After breakfast we will hike for about and hour and a half through the jungle to Lake Sandoval. The boat ride affords you close views of the local flora and fauna. Now on foot, we visit the Fitscarraldo steamboat stranded in the middle of the jungle and return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit a native "chacra" and Monkey Island. The evening is spent at the lodge. Enjoy dinner while viewing the spectacular tropical sunset.

Day 11
It’s another beautiful morning in the jungle. After a tropical breakfast, we return down river to the airport for your flight back to Cusco and/or Lima for your flight home. You will, undoubtedly, leave this exquisite country with memories of an incredible adventure!