Lima, the capital city of Peru, is a huge, sprawling and very busy city with a population of 8 million people - one third of the population of Peru. After the conquest of the Incas, the leader of the Spanish Conquerors, Francisco Pizarro looked to establish a capital for the new Spanish colonies in South America. The Inca capital of Cusco was not considered suitable as the Spanish were sea-faring people, and so Lima was founded in 1535. It was originally known as the City of Kings. Lima became the seat of the Spanish Viceroyalty of South America. Lima has some great colonial architecture and some of the best museums in Peru. The Plaza de Armas has the main Cathedral, which houses the remains of Francisco Pizarro as well as many beautiful monuments. Also on the Plaza is the Presidential Palace, where each morning the palace guards perform a changing of the guard ceremony. The fabulous Gold Museum houses a private collection of gold and weapons, and the Museo de la Nacion houses many exhibits and artefacts from the ancient cultures of Peru.

Our hotel is in Miraflores, a cosmopolitan and up market suburb of Lima. The centre of Lima is delightfully colonial while the coastal suburb of Miraflores is a striking contrast with outdoor bars, nightclubs and modern shops.

We continue to the oasis village of Huacachina. For the active, there are optional dune buggy and sandboarding excursions. Or you can kick back and relax beside the pool in the sunshine! 

On day 3, we make a morning excursion to the Ballestas Islands, where we enjoy a boat trip out to the islands, known for their sea lions and spectacular array of sea birds. We pass the Candelabra, an ancient drawing etched into a hillside visible only from the sea. Ballestas means ‘arches’ in Spanish and the islands are named for their many caves and tunnels. On our return to the mainland we may see flocks of flamingos feeding in the shallow waters of the bay. We return to Huacachina oasis for a free afternoon and where we will spend the night. 

The following morning we travel to the town of Nazca, where there is an optional morning flight over the Nazca Lines, which reveals strange mystical shapes and figures etched into the desert floor by the ancient Nazca peoples over 2,000 years ago. From the air you will see (amongst other designs) a spaceman, spider, monkey and a condor.

In the afternoon we visit the Cemetery of Chauchilla, dating from the Nazca period where human bones and sculls lay scattered on the desert floor. Much of the cemetery has been excavated to reveal mummies with their hair and clothes still intact. We return to Nazca to grab a quick shower before boarding the nightbus to Arequipa.

Peru’s second largest city, Arequipa is set against a spectacular backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Arequipa is a very attractive colonial city with beautiful plaza, cathedral and cobble stoned streets. We visit the once mysterious Monasterio de Santa Catalina, which was built in the 16th century and became a secret city within a city. Behind its walls up to 450 nuns and their servants lived lives that no one else knew about. It was opened to the public gaze in the 1970s, and you are now able to take a guided tour through its maze of alleyways and gardens.

Another interesting is to visit Juanita (optional). Juanita is an Inca mummy, sacrificed to the Inca gods over 500 years ago, and then found by a team of archaeologists at the top of the Volcano near Ambato, over 5000 metres high, in 1995. Many of the textiles and gold which adorned her were very well preserved, and they continue to be well preserved, along with many other artifacts, at her home in the Universidad Catolica near the Santa Catalina monastery.

From Arequipa, we take an overnight excursion to Colca Canyon on day 6. Chivay is our base to do our trip to see the Condors in Colca Canyon nearby and is a very traditional mountain town with many of the locals dressed in traditional costume.  Another great attraction of Chivay is the nearby hot springs. You can enjoy a drink as you relax in the soothing waters of the baths.

We head to Cruz del Condor, the edge of the mighty Colca Canyon. Not only does this spot provide some spectacular mountain views, but we are in a prime position at 1,200 metres above the canyon floor to get a memorable sight of the magnificent Condors, the heaviest flying bird in the world, and a wingspan of 3 metres, soaring majestically up the canyon on the thermals. Great photo opportunity! Our route from Colca Canyon takes us past amazing Inca farming terraces and away from the valley as we continue further down into the Peruvian Andes towards Arequipa. On the way we drive though spectacular mountain scenery, and over a pass at 4900 metres altitude. We also see many of the South American Camelids, the most well known being the Llama, along with its smaller relations the Alpaca and the Vicuña, which is said to have the finest wool in the world. We then return to Arequipa for a free day.

On the morning of day 9 we wave goodbye to Arequipa and board a short flight to the city of Cusco, where we will spend the next two nights and you'll have free time to explore the city before heading off to the Sacred Valley and the Inca Trail.

Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire. The word Cuzco actually derives from the word Qosqo (from the Inca language of Quechua), which means Navel of the World, for this city was the hub of a network extending to each of the 4 regions which formed the 4 parts of the world according to the Incas world view. This is where the Inca Emperors held their throne during the period of the Inca Empire in the 15th and early 16th centuries. The city has abundant historical buildings, and still has original Inca-built walls, as well as many colonial churches and houses. Cuzco has some stunning attractions. Take a look at the magnificent Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral is on one side and the La Compania de Jesus on the other. And there are many ancient Inca sites to visit in and around Cuzco. Most notable are those of Koricancha and Sacsayhuaman. Koricancha, or place of gold, was the Incas principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun. Sacsayhuaman is situated on the outskirts of Cuzco overlooking the city. This spectacular fortress guarded the Inca Capital. The ruins are renowned for their enormous carved stones joined together with incredible precision.

Cuzco has some great markets for souvenir hunting – good buys are jewellery, ceramics, and woodcarving, which you can get from workshops that are open to the public. And while you’re here you can eat to your hearts content for the trek ahead. Cuzco has lots of great restaurants and bars. Peruvian food is good and hearty, featuring tamales filled with cheese or meat, soups and stews, kebabs and peppers - don't forget to try the guinea pig! Cuzco is also renowned as a party town - with some of the best nightlife in Peru.

The trip now takes you to the Urumbamba Valley for a tour of what is know as the Sacred Valley. We visit the magnificent ruins of Pisac, set high in the walls of the valley, and then to the famous markets in the town of Pisac below the ruins. These markets offer a great selection of blankets, jumpers and other local handicrafts. From here we continue along the valley to Ollantaytambo, where we visit another Inca ruin before spending the night at Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley.

From Ollantaytambo we begin our four-day and three-night hike to mythical Machu Picchu. The trek takes you in the footsteps of the ancient Incas along original pathways and past many ruins.

Day one of the trek includes approximately 6 hours walking, taking in some spectacular scenery and local life as we walk through a couple of villages. Day two is the tough one as we reach the highest point of the trail at Dead Women’s Pass with an altitude of just over 4200 metres above sea level. Day 3 requires a bit more uphill climbing before beginning the gradual descent down towards Machu Picchu. We rise very early on the morning of Day 4 so that you arrive at the Sun Gate for dawn on the final day. Providing the weather is clear, the view from the Sun Gate down to Machu Picchu is breathtaking and something you will never forget. Imagine what it was like for the explorer Hiram Bingham who discovered this long-lost city back in 1911 and gave the world one of its most breathtaking ancient sites. The city, with its temples stairways and gabled dwellings is probably one of the most astounding engineering feats of the whole of the Ancient American civilizations. What you see is never to be forgotten - but have your camera ready as well, just for the record. Upon reaching the ruins, our experienced local guides will give you a tour of the ruins for approximately two hours and then the rest of the day is yours to explore the ruins. If you’re still feeling energetic you can climb the nearby Huayna Picchu Mountain and get some more great views of the city and some great pictures as well!

That afternoon you can lie back and relax in the hot springs at Aguas Calientes (optional) before catching the train back to Cuzco where we arrive in the evening. The following day you have a free day to relax, participate in optional excursions, have a massage or to do some souvenir shopping!

This morning we head to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. At an altitude of 3820m, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. The lake has great spiritual significance for the local people, and particularly the Inca culture, as it was here that Inca legend says that the first Inca Emperor, Manco Capac rose from its waters to begin the Inca Empire. Titicaca means Rock of the Puma.

After spending the night in Puno, the next morning we take a boat trip across the blue waters of the lake to the Floating Reed Islands of the Uros Indians. They make the islands from the tortoro reeds that grow on the lakeside. Our experienced local guide will give us information on the various customs of these people and you have the chance of buying some of their handicrafts and taking a short boat ride on one of their traditional fishing boats.

From there we travel across the lake to Amantani Island where the Ayamara Indians live. Here we spend the night with a friendly local family, and get to know about how they live -a very different life from our own. In the early evening we climb to the top of the island for spectacular views of the sunset around Lake Titicaca. That night after dinner your family will dress you up in traditional costumes and take you dancing. Dance the night away to traditional music and learn some of the local dance moves.

The next day we cross to the nearby island of Taquille. After a 45-minute hike to the top of the island you arrive at the small plaza, which has fantastic views of the lake. Taquille Island is famous for its superb handicrafts, which you can see in the cooperative market in the plaza. After a delicious fish lunch we return on the boat back to Puno for one more night before heading to our next destination, Bolivia’s capital city, La Paz.

La Paz is the highest capital city in the world, built 400 metres below the Altiplano at the bottom of a canyon to escape the cold. As the city grew, it expanded up the walls of the canyon and is now an amazing blend of winding, cobblestone streets filled with markets of all types, the most interesting being the witches market, where you can purchase many different potions and spells. Nearby are some interesting optional excursions to the highest ski resort in the world Mount Chacaltaya, and the "Valley of the Moon" with its strange rock formations. There is also the option of visiting the pre-Inca ruins of Tiahuanaco or the famous bike ride down the world’s most dangerous road! Descend from 4700m to 1100m on mountain bikes in 4-5 hours.

Tour finishes.