DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive in Lima

You will be met at Lima Airport and transferred to your hotel.

Check in and relax in this capital city - the largest in Peru and its gastronomical centre.

Day 2: City Tour

Today enjoy a half day private tour of Lima, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well preserved architecture. Founded in 1535, it was re-named the "City of Kings" when it was conquered by the Spanish and became the most important centre in the region.

Our tour starts in the Miraflores residential district, where we stop at Parque del Amor (Park of Love) with its magnificent views over the Pacific Ocean, before driving through the modern San Isidro business district, where we see the impressive Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid that was a sacred pre-Inca site.

We continue to the historic centre, where we visit the 17th century Santo Domingo Convent. The remains of the patron saint of Peru, Saint Rose of Lima, are interred here as well as the remains of Saint Martin of Porres, the patron saint of people of mixed race.

On the Plaza Mayor (the main square, also called the Plaza de Armas) you can see many imposing colonial buildings with their intricate balconies - including the Government Palace, where the changing of the guard takes place, the City Hall and beautiful Cathedral. Time permitting we can also visit the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco.

In the afternoon we visit the Larco Museum, a remarkable private collection of treasures from ancient Peru with more than 45,000 exhibits including ceramics, textiles and many exquisite gold and silver artefacts. It is well known for its gallery of erotic pottery.

At the end of your tour you will be dropped off at your hotel. This evening do try a Pisco Sour, the nation's favourite drink..

Note: Lima Cathedral is not open on Sundays.

Day 3: Fly to Cusco & transfer to Sacred Valley

Transfer to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco, where you will be met and transferred 2 hours to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Check in to your hotel in this region that is renowned for its many ancient Inca ruins, including the amazing citadel of Machu Picchu. Balance of the day is at leisure to rest and acclimatise to the altitude.

Day 4: Sacred Valley

Today enjoy a full day tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Our first stop is at the fortress at Ollantaytambo, built to protect the northern entrance to the Sacred Valley from invasion and later the centre of Incan resistance against the Spanish. The fortress and walled terraces of this town provide some of the finest examples of Incan architecture, with the six rose-coloured monoliths of the Temple of the Sun being particularly outstanding. The village itself is the best surviving example of Inca urban planning, with stone-paved streets that have been used since the 12th century.

We then drive to the archaeological site at Moray, where the Incas built enormous circular agricultural terraces on steep hills by hauling topsoil up by hand from the lower land, thereby generating much higher crop yields than would have been possible at such high altitude. This site is believed to be a former agricultural laboratory, an astronomical observatory or a place of worship - or maybe all three. We also stop at the Racchi viewpoint, for one of the best views of the Sacred Valley.

After an included lunch in a local restaurant, we continue to the Maras Salt Pans, a complex network of nearly 5,000 pre-Inca salt pans that have been hand-harvested by local families for thousands of years. The salt is formed when water from a spring that permeates these pools is evaporated by the intense sun, forming thick crystals in a variety of colours. The naturally pink ‘Sal de Maras’ is one of the finest salts in the world, getting its beautiful hue from trace elements in the spring water.

Day 5: Machu Picchu

Today transfer to Ollantaytambo Station for the air-conditioned Vistadome or Inca Rail 360 train to the famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu - an amazing 1.5-hour journey to this magnificent mountain top city situated in a beautiful cloud forest, that was abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911.

This legendary Lost City of the Incas is without a doubt one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites. Built on the summit of Machu Picchu (meaning "Old Peak"), on a natural saddle between steep forested mountains, it overlooks the deep canyon of the Urubamba River some 7,972 ft (2,430 m) above sea level. With its giant walls, terraces and ramps that appear to have been cut naturally out of the rock escarpments, Machu Picchu's history remains shrouded in mystery as the Incas did not leave any written records.

At the gateway town of Aguas Calientes, leave the train and board the bus for the 40-minute ride up to this 14th century citadel for a guided tour. Here we visit the Main Plaza, Circular Tower, the Sacred Sun Dial, Royal Quarters, Temple of the Three Windows and various burial grounds. We suggest you take a packed lunch (to avoid queues at the restaurant). Afterwards return by bus to Aguas Calientes and take the train back to Ollantaytambo Station, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Note: You must take your passport with you today, as this will be needed to gain entrance, which is restricted to 4-hours (based on either a morning or afternoon schedule). It is mandatory to enter with a guide and you cannot take selfie sticks, tripods, umbrellas, food or alcohol onto the site. You may not wear high heels or hard soled shoes and smoking is prohibited. If you leave the sanctuary for any reason (eg for lunch), re-entry will not be permitted. Only one bag not exceeding 11 lb (5 kg) is allowed as hand luggage on the train, so your main bags need to be left in luggage store at either your Cusco or Sacred Valley hotel, for later collection by yourself or our ground handler. From January to June parts of the rail track may be impassable at times due to mud slides, when a bus transfer will be substituted.

It is also possible to upgrade to the much more luxurious Hiram Bingham train.

Day 6: Transfer to Cusco

Today transfer 2 hours from the Sacred Valley to the city of Cusco.

Along the way we visit the town of Pisac, famous for its ruins that lie at the top of a hill at the entrance to the valley and are separated into four groups - P'isaqa, Inti Watana, Q'allaqasa, and Kinchiraqay. We visit the Inti Watana group which includes the Temple of the Sun, baths, altars, water fountains, a ceremonial platform, and an inti watana - a volcanic ritual stone used as an astronomic clock or Inca calendar to define the change of seasons. The narrow rows of terraces beneath the citadel are thought to represent the wing of a partridge (pisaca), from which the village and ruins get their name.

We continue to the colourful Pisac Market, where all the artisans of the region get together to buy and sell their products. This is an excellent opportunity to barter for goods and crafts typical of the area, including silver jewellery.

After an included lunch we continue to Cusco, where you will be dropped off at your hotel.

Day 7: Cusco City Tour

Today enjoy a half day shared tour of the magnificent colonial city of Cusco, built on Inca foundations and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Comprising a fascinating mix of colonial churches, monasteries and extensive pre-Columbian ruins, almost every central street in this city has remnants of Inca walls.

We start with a visit to the San Pedro Market, where you can explore the colours, flavours and traditions of modern Cusco. We then visit the impressive Temple of the Sun (Koricancha) whose walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold. On the site of this ancient Inca palace and centre of worship of the Sun God, the Dominicans ordered a church to be built, which survives to this day.

We walk along the cobbled streets to the Plaza de Armas, the central plaza around which you will see many magnificent colonial buildings - including the Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Walking down well preserved Loreto Street you can see the remains of Incan palaces, as well as old colonial buildings. If you walk down Hatun Rumiyoc, a cobbled street near the Archbishop's Palace, keep an eye out for the famous 12-sided stone that fits so perfectly you can't even insert a coin.

We then leave the city and visit the impressive walled fortress of Sacsayhuaman (meaning 'speckled falcon') on the northern outskirts, believed to have been both a military and ceremonial centre. This enormous Inca structure has massive walls of hewn stone and is strategically located on a hill overlooking the city. We also visit Qenko (meaning 'zigzag') where the sun, moon and stars were worshipped and Puca Pucara (the Red Fortress), which may have been a "tambo" or rest and lodgings for the Inca. Finally we visit an art workshop, where you will be able to see artists working in silver, paint and wood - the perfect place to see Andean art.

In the evening savour the local cuisine. If you are feeling adventurous you can try guinea pig - a local speciality.

Note: Cusco is situated at high altitude (11,150 ft / 3,400 m), so walk slowly. The Temple of the Sun is not open on Sunday mornings & religious holidays. You will need to carry your passport to gain access to the site at Sacsayhuaman. Shared day tours have a maximum of 16 people.

Day 8: Free Day

At leisure to explore more of the sights of Cusco independently.

Day 9: Fly to Amazon

Transfer to Cusco airport for your flight to Lima and connecting flight to Iquitos.

You will be met at Iquitos airport and transferred 2 hours to the town of Nauta, situated on the northern bank of the Marañón River - a major tributary of the Upper Amazon. Here you will board your houseboat to explore the birds and wildlife of the amazing Amazon Basin - a 2.7 million square mile (6.7 million sq.km) conservation area that is the largest in the world, spreading across nine countries - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana.

Enjoy wonderful views from the observation deck, as your houseboat sets sail. As you glide through the vegetation, you can marvel at the magnificent trees and the extraordinary variety of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, begonias, lichens and mosses that grow here. After a safety briefing and talk from your naturalist guides, enjoy a delicious Amazonian welcome dinner.

Day 10: Amazon River Cruise

This morning we leave our houseboat and enjoy a boat expedition along the Yanallpa River. Within this vast flooded Amazon rainforest, we cruise along an amazing black water stream and explore a 'Gallery Forest' with narrow vegetation that creates a tunnel of leaves. As we float through this tunnel, your naturalist guide will help you spot parrots, macaws, fluffy monk saki monkeys, woolly monkeys and tufted brown capuchin monkeys in the trees along the riverbanks.

On the way back to our houseboat we explore the Tapiche River system and enjoy a guided jungle walk to learn more about medicinal plants and search for insects, snakes and birds deep in this primary rainforest. We also hope to see some of the colourful birds of the rainforest such as the brilliant golden-headed quetzal, grey-breasted mountain toucan, blue-crowned motmot, umbrella bird, blue-banded toucanet, fruit-eating tanager, red-crested cotinga, band-tailed fruit eater and a variety of flycatchers.

After lunch we set off again in the afternoon to explore the Dorado River. We take a skiff through a 'Mirrored Forest' where you can see towering trees reflected in the black river water, while on the lookout for parrots, blue-yellow macaws and the great variety of primates and sloths. As we make our way back to the houseboat, we hope to see caimans (related to alligators), turtles and frogs in the water and fishing bats overhead.  Jaguars also live along the riverbanks, but are rarely seen.

In the low water season (June to October) there is an optional night excursion into Zapote Creek to search for nocturnal wildlife species such as bats, boa constrictors, great pottos, tarantulas, kinkajous, nightjars and opossums.

Note: The daily itinerary is dependant on water levels and weather conditions. A headlamp is essential in the Amazon. Assume there will be no mobile phone coverage and weak (or non-existent) WiFi.

Day 11: Amazon River Cruise

We continue exploring the waterways by skiff today on an expedition along the Yarapa River, where grey and pink freshwater dolphins are likely to swim and play around our boats. Local Amazonian tribes believe these dolphins turn into humans to steal handsome men or women from their villages during special celebrations. We also hope to see monkeys such as the brown capuchin and saddle-back tamarin, as well as birds such as the flycatcher, trogon, woodpecker and more.

In the afternoon our boat turns around and start sailing downstream toward Iquitos. Along the way we stop at Panguana Zone 2 for a cooking class in an indigenous homestead, with your naturalist guide acting as interpreter. Here you can learn more about (and taste) local Amazon cuisine.

Once we are back on board, the houseboat continues downstream, sailing toward Iquitos.

Day 12: Disembark & Fly to Lima

Enjoy a final early morning excursion in the Amazon Basin today, followed by an early lunch on board.

In the afternoon we disembark at Iquitos and visit the Manatee Rescue Centre, which cares for rescued endangered Amazon manatees and re-introduces them into the wild.

Afterwards you will be transferred to Iquitos airport for your flight to Lima, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 13: Fly Home

Transfer to Lima airport for your flight home.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, with full board on the cruise. All transfers and specified sightseeing with English-speaking guides are included. International and domestic flights are not included and will be quoted separately.

We offer a choice of hotels at different prices, so please discuss your requirements with us. All accommodation is subject to availability.

It is essential that you have personal holiday insurance. The FCO should also be consulted.