Arrival in Lima. We will arrive in Lima in the early evening and make our transfer to a hotel nearby. The choice of hotel depends on arrival times and upgrades are available if wanted.

After a good night’s sleep and a relatively late start we drive south of Lima towards Pucusana. Our first stop will be a small nature reserve on the outskirts of Lima, Villa Marshes. Here we will see Andean Coot, Puna Ibis, Great and White-tufted Grebes, Cinnamon Teal, White-cheeked Pintail, Franklin’s Gull, Gray-hooded Gull, Bay-winged and Red-backed Hawk. We will make selected stops along the way in agricultural areas particularly for Peruvian Thicknee, Yellowish Pipit, Short-tailed Field Tyrant and others. Other possibilities include a variety of Seedeaters including Drab (endemic), Parrot-billed and Chestnut-throated as well as Scrub Blackbird and Long-tailed Mockingbird. After a seafood lunch a boat trip around Pucusana Bay will produce nesting Guaynay and Peruvian Boobies, a stunning sight, not to mention the colonies of South-American Sea-lions. Our targets here are the lovely Inca Tern, Blackish Oystercatcher, Peruvian Pelican, Red-legged Cormorant, Gray Gull, Peruvian Seaside Cinclodes and Humboldt Penguin. A stop in roadside scrub should produce Oasis and Amazillia Hunmingbirds and Peruvian Sheartail. A last stop at San Pedro and Lurin will give us a chance at many shorebirds, Peruvian Tern, Chestnut-collared Swallow, Pacific Bran-colored Flyctacher. In the late afternoon we’ll return to our Lima hotel to meet our non – birding spouses and friends. Night in Lima B:L:

Today we will visit the Lomas de Lachay, an area of low coastal hills that are covered in a unique ‘fog vegetation’ (i.e. the sparse plant life obtains its moisture almost entirely from condensation in this almost rainless landscape). Bare desert en route to the Lomas is home to the endemic Coastal Miner, whereas higher up in the hills we may find Greyish Miner and the endemic Thick-billed Miner. At times Least Seedsnipe, Tawny-throated Dotterel and Yellowish Pipit nest in this area, while other birds we may find on the green slopes of the Lomas are Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Variable Hawk, American Kestrel, Eared Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, Oasis and Amazilia Hummingbirds, Vermilion Flycatcher, Blue-and-white Swallow, Hooded Siskin, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Peruvian Meadowlark. If we are fortunate we will even find the rare and nomadic Raimondi’s Yellow-Finch in this area. A short distance away is a desolate desert canyon, where among the sparse cacti and large boulders we shall look for the endemic Cactus Canastero, and in more open areas we shall keep an eye out for the small desert race nanodes of the Burrowing Owl. On the return journey we shall diligently search recently plowed fields for the cryptic Peruvian Thick-knee and the diminutive Short-tailed Field-Tyrant, while in hedges and brushy areas we may find Groove-billed Ani, as well as Parrot-billed and Chestnut-throated Seedeaters. A brief visit to the Pacific Ocean shore will enable us to watch the numerous seabirds that feed in the nutritious waters of the cold Humboldt current, including the huge Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, Guanay Cormorant and Band-tailed, Grey and Kelp Gulls. We’ll return to our Lima hotel in the late afternoon. B:L:

Early morning flight to Cusco and saying farewell for now to our non-birding companions we head out south of town to Huacarpay lakes. The lake is surrounded by Inca, and pre-Inca ruins. Here we will see a variety of high Andean waterfowl including Puna, Speckled and Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Duck and other wetland associated birds. White-winged Grebe and Andean coot will be here too. Depending on the time of year migrant North American shorebirds (waders) may be present. We will be specifically on the lookout for Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Puna Ibis and Andean Negrito. Birds of Prey we may see include Aplomado Falcon, Cinereous Harrier, Red-backed Hawk and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle. In the arid scrub around the lake we’ll look for the endemic Rufous-fronted Canastero and also Streak-fronted Thornbird. We should find the pretty, endemic Bearded Mountaineer feeding in the tree tobacco (Nicotania sp.) with Giant Hummingbird and Trainbearers. Peruvian, Ash-breasted and Mourning Sierra-Finches will be here with Greenish Yellow-finch and Blue and Yellow Tanager. At noon we’ll drive back to Cusco and meet our non birding companions. This 3-4 hour tour takes you to all the important Inca sites in Cusco town and environs . We pick you up at 2:00pm from your hotel and visit the most sacred of Inca sites - the Koricancha . Winding out of town we will take in the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the strange temple of Kenko and the water fountains of Tambomachay. Night in the old Inca capital. B:L:

We leave early in the morning for the 4.5 hour train journey to Machu-Picchu. From the train we will certainly see Torrent Ducks and White-capped Dipper on the Urubamba River and get closer looks as we leave the train. Arriving at the ruins, birding takes a back seat for once as we are taken on a guided tour of this mystical archeological complex. White-tipped Swifts will be flying overhead. After lunch we will look for Inca Wren, which is quite common in the bamboo around the ruins and then descend into the Urubamba gorge for late afternoon birding. Night at our Hotel at Machu Picchu B:L:

All morning birding the railway track along the Urubamba River. In the remnant cloud forest we will be looking specifically for Sclaters and Bolivian Tyrranulets, Silver-backed Tanager, Pale-eyed Thrush, Masked Fruiteater (endemic), Black-streaked Puffbird, Oleaginous Hemispingus and Capped Conebill. Mixed flocks contain many species of Tanager and the endemic Green and White Hummingbird is common here. After a late lunch, we return on the tourist train to the historic town of Ollantaytambo for the night. B:L:

Very early start. After a substantial field breakfast we’ll have all day to work the humid temperate forest. Starting at a large patch of Chusquea bamboo we should see Parodi’s Hemispingus (endemic) and Puna Thistletail (endemic). Other possibilities during the day include: Drab, Three-striped, Black-eared and Black-capped Hemispingus Golden-collared and other Tanagers, White-throated and White-banded Tyrannulets, Andean Ibis, Unstreaked Tit-tyrant (endemic), White-rumped Hawk, Sierran Elaenia, Marcapata Spinetail (endemic), Inca Wren ( endemic), plus a lot more. Rufous and Undulated Antpittas are here too. In the afternoon we’ll look for Cuzco Brush Finch (endemic). We’ll return to the Sacred Valley of the Incas in the evening. B:L:

We’ll head for the Polylepis woodland at Abra Malaga. We’ll devote the whole morning to explore this unique habitat. Possibilities include Line-fronted Canastero, Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant (endemic), White-browed Tit-spinetail (endemic), Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Giant Conebill, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Andean Tapaculo, Tit-like Dacnis, Blue-mantled Thornbill, Andean Condor, Thick-billed Siskin, Junin Canastero ( endemic) and more. Our major target bird here will be the Royal Cinclodes, which we discovered here in the 80’s. On the valley floor we’ll check a variety of Ground-tyrants and Sierra-finchs. After a picnic lunch we’ll concentrate on some local endemics on the west side, including Creamy-crested Spinetail, (endemic), Rusty-fronted Canastero (endemic). White-tufted Sunbeam (endemic) and Chestnut-breasted Mountain-finch (endemic). Once again we’ll spend the night in the same hotel in the valley. B:L:D

A free day in Cusco. This is the day to rest, shop and wander around Cusco. The city abounds with small shops and street side vendors selling their wares. Colorful weavings and hand made alpaca sweaters are popular gifts for friends at home. Most migrate to the Cross Keys, Cusco's only authentic English Pub, for drinks and lively conversation with the resident congregation of guides, expatriates, adventurers, treasure hunters and smugglers from far corners of the universe. B

Morning to explore Cusco and midday flights to Lima for connecting international departures. Day use of a hotel in Lima close to the airport. B

Natural History or Birding trips to the comfortable Cock of the Rock, Amazonia and Manu Wildlife Center Lodges are available on request

Arrival in Lima. We will arrive in Lima in the early evening and make our transfer to a hotel nearby. The choice of hotel depends on arrival times and upgrades are available if wanted.

A unique archaeological and mystical experience: The Oracle, Temples, Palaces, Myths and Legends of Pachacamac. PACHACAMAC. A guided tour of the splendid and vast archaeological citadel of, the temple of the deity of the same name. Pachacamac was believed to be the creator of the universe, and a divinity adored by old Andean civilizations. A sacred and ceremonial site dating back to the the birth of Christ, where thousands of pilgrims converged to pay tribute and consult the Pachacamac oracle, who they believed could see the past, the future and people’s fate. The site comprises pyramidal temples and enclosures built by successive pre-Colombian civilizations and finally the Incas. Highlights include the Temple of Pachacamac, the Sun God shrine, and the Palace of the Chosen Women. At the site museum there is an idol of the deity which was reserved for the high priests who kept, revered and interpreted the divine oracle in ancient times. A sacred site, the temple was considered to be part of the planet’s mystical axis. After a visit to Barranco, a neighbourhood both traditional and bohemian, and its well-known Bridge of Sighs, we will tour the beaches along the Green Coast and the Friar’s Leap ledge over the ocean, the Ecological Reserve at the Villa Marshlands, with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean along the South Pan-American Highway. Afternoon return to Lima. B:L:

After a good night’s sleep –breakfast at 8:30am and at 9:15 we embark on a tour of Lima. This excursion offers the best combination of the different attractions in Lima and its three historical periods: pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary. In Lima, there were several different pre-Colombian cultures which are dated thousands of years back. Lima was part of the Inca Empire until was founded by the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro on the 18th. of January, 1535. During our guided tour we will travel its millenary history. ANCESTRAL LIMA: At the Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological precinct build in the IV century B.C., we will have a panoramic view of this magnificent ceremonial and administrative centre which was considered by the Incas a holy village. We will learn about the life and rituals of its ancient inhabitants and admire its typical pyramidal building. COLONIAL LIMA. The Peruvian Viceroyalty was the most important position in the Spanish Empire and Lima was the capital. The highlights of its historical centre are its architecture and the urban design of the city, found in the old streets filled with colonial houses adorned with Moorish-style balconies. Our trip includes the Paseo de la Republica (Promenade of the Republic), Plaza San Martin (San Martin Square) and the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), with their different buildings: Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), Palacio Arzobispal the (Archibishop's Palace), the Basilica Catedral (Cathedral Basilica) and the Palacio Municipal (Municipal Palace). HISTORICAL LIMA: In its historic centre we shall visit one of its most beautiful buildings, the Museum of the Banco Central de Reserva, where we can admire Peruvian treasures: a fine selection of objects made in gold, ceramics and textiles of different pre-Columbian cultures, from their origins to the Incas We will enter the monumental Convento de San Francisco (Convent of Saint Francis), which displays the biggest collection of religious art in America. We can admire the Choir Room and the Monks’ Library, the Sacristy, with its collection of Zurbaran and Rivera paintings. The Big Patio of the Main Cloister, decorated with Seville styles from the XVI century, its beautiful Moorish arches and its subterranean crypts known as The Catacombs, where you will feel the presence of Lima's colonial past. CONTEMPORARY LIMA Visit to the most traditional residential areas in the capital: The Olive Grove of San Isidro, Miraflores and Larco Mar, distinctive tourist centre of contemporary Lima. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. A typical Pisco Sour cocktail, appetizer, main course, dessert and beverage at a first class restaurant. MUSEUMS: Afternoon tour of selected Lima Museuems A tour comprised of beautiful Colonial mansions with some of the major gold, ceramic, textile and art collections in South America. Great museums are in capital cities and Lima is one of them. Lima is home to two of the most important museums in this part of the Americas. They house incomparable artifacts and collections of pre-Colombian art from Peru and the New World. LARCO MUSEUM. Housed in a unique colonial residence dating back to the XVII century, built on top of a VIII century pyramid, this fabulous museum includes the exquisite Collection of Peruvian Gold and Silver from the olden days, and the Pre-Hispanic Erotic Art Salon. Its pieces have toured major world museums. Larco is among only a few museums around the world opening their vaults to the public, with over 45,000 archaeological pieces that have been classified by renowned specialists and scholars. The Larco Museum exhibits the largest private collection of pre-Colombian Peruvian art in the world. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY AND HISTORY. The old Colonial mansion housing this museum was an old residence of Peru’s viceroys and then of its Liberators. This is Peru’s grandest museum and houses the Estela Raymondi and the Tello Obelisk monuments, two important carved stone pieces dating back to the Formative period 1000 years B.C. It features the largest textile collection, with fabrics from the Pre-Ceramic period through the Inca Empire, and a major collection of Ancient Peruvian metals. The remarkable Tawantinsuyo Room illustrates one hundred years of the Inca Empire through virtual models and re-creations. B:L

Early morning flight to Cusco. Saying farewell for now to our birding companions we’ll head for the center of historic Cusco and our hotel. The rest of the morning is to relax or explore the historic town on your own on foot on your own. In the early afternoon we’ll be re-united with our birder companions for lunch, and then take a 3 hour tour of the local Inca sites. This 3-4 hour tour takes you to all the important Inca sites in Cusco town and environs . We pick you up at 2:00pm from your hotel and visit the most sacred of Inca sites - the Koricancha . Winding out of town we will take in the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the strange temple of Kenko and the water fountains of Tambomachay. Night in Cusco. B:L:

All travelling together, we leave early in the morning for the 4.5 hour train journey to MACHU PICCHU. From the train we will certainly see Torrent Ducks and White-capped Dipper on the Urubamba River and get closer looks as we leave the train. An interesting few hours of click, clack and sway with all of the accompanying sounds and smells of rural Peru takes us to our overnight stop at the bustling backpacker town of Aguas Calientes. MACHU PICCHU - one of the most magical and mysterious places on Earth! Situated on the spine of a jungle cloaked granite peak towering some 2,000 ft. above an entrenched meander of the roaring river below, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced by the powerful equatorial sun. Constructed from precisely sculptured granite blocks carefully joined with the projecting exposed stone of the surrounding mountain, the site may well be the finest architectural achievement of the new world. Otherwise romantically known to the tourist world as "The lost city of the Incas". We bus back down with the setting sun to Aguas Calientes, joining those who have been birding at the hotel. Dinner follows at the local gourmet French bistro or perhaps simpler beer and pizza at one of the track side cafes. B:L:D

Early visit to MACHU PICCHU long before the tourist hoards arrive… A moderate hike back along a finely constructed Inca trail takes us to INTIPUNKU at 2950 meters/9000 ft., the impressive Gate of the Sun overlooking Machu Picchu, otherwise romantically known to the tourist world as "The lost city of the Incas". Our guide concludes the story of the raise and fall of the ancient civilizations of the Andes with the tragic end of the Inca and the enigma that this remarkable site remains. We bus back down to Aguas Calientes. In view, down the great canyon of the Urubamba below is the long cloud forested ridge of Llactapata. Now all reunited, we board the Cusco bound afternoon train, we jump off atOllantaytambo where we spend the night at our pleasant country inn. B:L:

Full Day tour of the sacred Valley of the Incas. This day trip visits the stupendous archeological sites of Pisac and Ollantaytambo. OLLANTAYTAMBO Probably built by the great Inca ruler Pachacutec in the 1460s, it was the site of Hernando Pizzaro's defeat by Manco Inca in 1536. Constructed of finely cut polygonal stones and royalties blocks, the fortress and nearby town represent the best of Inca architecture and construction. Large worked blocks, some weighing as much as 100 tons were quarried from a site more than a thousand vertical feet above the valley floor using a technique of pecking with hammer stones, then skidded down and across the Urubamba river several kilometers to the temple site. Inclined ramps were built to raise the blocks several hundred feet up hill to the construction area. We have ample time to examine the complex and ponder its many mysteries. PISAC We'll also visit the impressive but little understood temple site of Pisac and its megalithic Inca terraces still used by local peasant farmers. If it's a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday we'll also spend time at one of the traditional local markets.. We return you to our hotel in Ollantaytambo in the late afternoon. B:L

We leave our Hotel in Ollantaytambo 8:00am down the Sacred Valley of the Incas and on to the traditional village of Lamay near Pisac. Here we’ll meet our Horses and wranglers at our Lamay stables and head off up the pleasant Lamay Valley, as peasant farmers using traditional foot ploughs, till the fields. This will be a full day ride through the Andean countryside past the traditional village of Sahua and following the Del Carmen river up past Poques, carrying a gourmet picnic lunch with Chilean wine. We’ll be visiting isolated farming communities with stunning views of the Cordillera Vilcanota and visit deep blue high Andean Lake full of waterfowl such as Giant Coots and Andean Geese. As we drop back into the Lamay valley our horses will pick up speed as they know they are heading home and we’ll arrive at our stables in Lamay in the late afternoon The scenery is unsurpassed, as are our string of horses which are well trained, well groomed and well looked after. Our van will be waiting to drive you to your hotel in Cusco to meet up with the others at the Cusco hotel B:L.

This is the day to rest, shop and wander around Cusco. The city abounds with small shops and street side vendors selling their wares. Colorful weavings and hand made alpaca sweaters are popular gifts for friends at home. Most migrate to the Cross Keys, Cusco's only authentic English Pub, for drinks and lively conversation with the resident congregation of guides, expatriates, adventurers, treasure hunters and smugglers from far corners of the universe. B.

Morning to explore Cusco and midday flights to Lima for connecting international departures. Day use of a hotel in Lima close to the airport. B

Natural History or Birding trips to the comfortable Cock of the Rock, Amazonia and Manu Wildlife Center Lodges are available on request

PRIVATE TRIPS ANYTIME - PLEASE CONSULT