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: Fly to Cusco & transfer to the 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 3: Sacred Valley Tour

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 4: Train to Machu Picchu

Today transfer to Ollantaytambo Station for the air-conditioned Vistadome or InkaRail 360 train to the famous Inca citadel of Machu Picchu - an amazing 1.5 hour journey to this magnificent mountaintop 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 (e.g. 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.

Day 5: Pisac Market & 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 6: 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.

Day 7: Explore Cusco

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

Day 8: Fly to Amazon

Transfer to Cusco Airport for your flight to Puerto Maldonado, where you will be met and transferred into town. Here you will be asked to take only the necessary items for the next few days and leave the rest in safekeeping to keep the boat light (bring a suitable overnight sports bag with you for this purpose).

You will then be transferred 1 hour to the Tambopata River for your boat ride to your Amazon lodge. This scenic river transfer takes from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the location of your lodge. On longer transfers, this will include a light traditional lunch.

On arrival walk to your lodge, check in and relax in your tropical jungle surroundings.

Days 9 to 10: Amazon

Explore the birds and wildlife of the Amazon Basin today - an amazing 2.7 million square mile (6.7 million sq. km) conservation area that is the largest rainforest in the world, spreading across nine countries - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana.

Your naturalist guide will accompany you along the many trails that wind through the rainforest. As you walk through woods and past waterfalls, you can marvel at the magnificent trees and the extraordinary variety of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, begonias, lichens and mosses that grow here.

You can hope to see caimans (related to alligators), turtles, woolly monkeys, tufted brown capuchin monkeys, a variety of frogs and many other reptiles and insects. You can also see some of the many colourful tropical 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, banded-tail fruiteater and a variety of flycatchers. At certain locations, from September to November you may see the raucously competitive lek mating displays of the spectacular Cock-of-the-Rock, Peru’s fiery orange national bird. Jaguars also live along the riverbanks, but are rarely seen.

Activities vary by lodge but usually include guided walks in the rainforest and canoe rides in search of hoatzin (stinkbird), otters, macaws, piranha fish and other wildlife. You can learn about traditional medicinal plants, visit a local village and take an exciting night walk in the jungle. At some lodges you can climb an observation tower for treetop views of the birdlife of the forest canopy (macaws are most active from August to October and least active in May & June). Lodges adjacent to Tambopata National Park also offer excursions to bird and animal clay licks.

Note: Daily programme is subject to change, according to weather conditions. A headlamp is essential in the Amazon and assume there will be no mobile phone coverage and weak (or non-existent) Wi-Fi.

Day 11: Fly to Lima

Transfer by motorised boat for 45 minutes to 3 hours (depending on the location of your lodge) to Puerto Maldonado, where you will be met and transferred 1 hour to the airport for your flight to Lima. Here you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

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

Day 12: Lima City Tour & Fly Home

This morning enjoy a half day 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 and modern San Isidro, where we see the impressive Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid that was a sacred pre-Inca site. We also stop at Parque del Amor (Lover’s Lane) with its magnificent views over the Pacific Ocean.

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 guards takes place, the City Hall and beautiful Cathedral.

Time permitting, we can 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 (pay entrance locally). We can also visit the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco.

Afterwards transfer to Lima Airport for your flight home. Before you leave do try a Pisco Sour, the nation's favourite drink.

Note: Lima Cathedral is not open on Sundays.

PRICING

Price is based on two adults sharing en-suite accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, with full board in the Amazon. 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 hotels are subject to availability.

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