Day 1

You should arrive at the airport for your flight to Lima. On arrival in the late afternoon, we transfer to our hotel for one night on bed and breakfast, the four-star Las Americas Principal Hotel in the pleasant district of Miraflores.

Day 2

After breakfast, we take an internal flight across the Andes to Cusco and then drive to the nearby Urubamba valley. Otherwise known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas, it was the empire’s breadbasket, spiritual centre and home to some of its most iconic symbols. As we descend the winding road, you catch your first glimpse of the wide fertile plain, with ancient terraces hugging the valley sides and the imposing peaks of the Andes beyond – it is truly an awesome sight. Firstly we visit Pisac, famous for its dominating fortress, which has guarded the valley for centuries, and colourful Indian market. It is a fantastic sight, full of traditionally dressed locals bartering for all kinds of produce, chickens and goats. Every kind of local handicraft is available too – from vibrant hand-made rugs and ponchos in bright reds and yellows, to local ceramics and a huge variety of high quality llama and alpaca knit-ware. You will already feel like you are ‘under the skin’ of this wonderful country. We continue on to the small village of Ollantayambo to board the specially constructed Vistadome train taking us on  one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys through the increasingly narrow Urubamba river gorge to the legendary Machu Picchu. As we descend, the scenery changes from semi-arid  brush and cactus to dense rainforest. Below us, the river rushes headlong into numerous rapids whilst above, the precipitous sides of the gorge rise to dizzying heights. We stay at the charming three-star Hatuchay Tower Hotel with its stunning views down the narrow river gorge, in the small village of Aguas Calientes just below Machu Picchu.

Day 3

Today will certainly be the highlight of your tour! Nothing can prepare you for your first sight of the ‘Lost City of the Incas’. It suddenly and magically appears before you, its wonder and mystique astounds - the only Inca settlement never discovered or destroyed by the Spanish. Set on a ridge overlooking the gorge of the Urubamba river, it was discovered in 1910 by Hiram Bingham, an American explorer, but with the site being completely overgrown, he had no idea of the immense significance of his find. There are very few so well preserved ancient cities, and certainly none in such an incredible location. No one knows why it was built in such an inaccessible spot or why it was mysteriously abandoned. As you walk through its gates, temples and houses, our guide will explain the significance of the location in relation to the equinoxes and how central mountain-worship was to the Incas. In the afternoon we board the Vistadome train back to Cusco where we stay at the three-star Eco Inn Hotel for two nights on bed and breakfast.

Day 4

After breakfast we have a tour of Cusco, one of the most beautiful cities in South America, a heady mixture of traditional colonial architecture interspersed with fascinating Inca remains. The main square, nestling within a maze of narrow streets and quaint piazzas, has been the centre of the city since Inca times and
used to be surrounded by three palaces. Today it is the site of three churches, including the 16th century cathedral, so huge it took 100 years to complete. It has
an exquisitely carved wooden choirstall and over 400 paintings, including one thought to be a Van Dyck, plus the Last Supper featuring guinea pig as the main course! We then visit the Korichancha, the Incas’ principle temple to the sun. This
was the ‘navel’ of the Inca world, originally covered in sheets of pure gold and contained the Incas’ most sacred object, the golden disc of the sun. Although the Spanish built the Santo Domingo convent over the Inca temple, many of the internal walls remain and have now been excavated.
Our final Inca site is the extraordinary Sachsayhuaman with three vast megalithic walls, a staggering thousand feet long and with the largest blocks of stone ever found in Inca structures - 25 feet high and 360 tons - all moved with no wheels. This was also the site of the final epic four-day last stand  of the Inca rebellion. Had the conquistadors lost, the history of South America would have been quite different.

Day 5

This morning we board the first class Andean Explorer train for the journey to Puno on Lake Titicaca. Operated by Orient-Express, you will be enchanted by the gracious old-world ambience created by its plush armchairs, brass fittings and panelled interior. There is a bar carriage and observation lounge leading to an open-air patio at the rear. Both lunch and afternoon tea are served on-board. Meanwhile, the scenery slips by with the train climbing gradually through the Vilcanota valley towards La Raya, at 14,170 ft, the highest point on this stunning journey. We enter the altiplano, the high-altitude Andean plateau observing small herds of llama, alpaca and the low mud-brick, thatch-roofed houses of the local farmers. With luck we may even catch a spectacular Andean sunset just before we roll into the town of Puno, on the edge of the huge Lake Titicaca after a really rewarding day. We stay two nights on bed and breakfast at the Sonesta Posada del Inca hotel overlooking the lake.

Day 6

The panorama of Lake Titicaca has to be seen to be believed. Reflecting the blue sky above, is a fabulous deep blue expanse of water stretching as far as the eye can see. Surrounded by reeds leading up to the slopes of the altiplano and finally to the peaks of the Andes themselves, it is a breathtaking sight! After breakfast we visit the famous floating Uros Islands, where the Indians, living much as they always have, construct these islands using many layers of reeds. We then continue to the island of Taquile, further into the lake and famed for the highest quality knitware in Peru. It’s very much a typical village, with no roads or electricity, where the Indians proudly still adhere to their traditional culture and dress. Lunch is included in Taquile.

Day 7

This morning is at leisure and the ideal time to explore Puno’s farmers’ market. It stretches for several streets and you will find every variety fruit and vegetable imaginable – it is a fascinating insight into rural Peruvian life. You could also visit the Yavari museum, formally a steamship built in Britain on the Clyde and transported incredibly, piece by piece, over the Andes by mule during the 19th century. In the afternoon we fly to Lima staying two nights again at the Las Americas Hotel on bed and breakfast.

Day 8

Today we have a day at leisure in Lima. We have two fascinating optional trips available: the Hacienda Mamacona (US$110pp) is a ranch known for the breeding and training of the famous Peruvian Paso horses. They are mixture of Spanish and Arabian breeds and over hundreds of years have developed a distinctive ‘dancing’ gait. We’ll enjoy a tour of the hacienda and see a splendid example of Peruvian horsemanship before sitting down to an excellent BBQ lunch. Alternatively, we have a trip to the world-famous Nazca Lines (US$310 by road or US$452 by air, all based on a min. 10 passengers), one of the world’s greatest archaeological mysteries: we start early with the drive to Ica, arriving around lunchtime. Since the lines are almost invisible from ground level, we fly over them in a light aircraft so you can appreciate this staggering phenomenon. There are over 70 elaborate designs of plants and animals including monkeys, a llama and a condor. Some are 200 yards across and the site also contains perfectly formed squares, rectangles and other geometrical shapes of such size and with perfect dimensions. Academics have proposed they were a kind of running track, an astronomical calendar, a religious site or even an extraterrestrial space port! Nobody really knows, so the choice is yours, but it is an amazing sight. We then return to Lima for the night.

Day 9

This morning we enjoy a city tour, visiting Lima’s most important colonial sites. You will see the Plaza del Armas, Lima’s central square, surrounded by colonial-era buildings and the cathedral. A highlight is the Larco Herrera Museum - this excellent private collection includes some superb examples of pre-Columbian gold, silver, bronze and ceramics. In the afternoon we transfer to Lima airport for our return overnight flight.

Day 10

We arrive back in the UK, after a superb and highly memorable tour.