This holiday visits the places ticked below. You can design your own itinerary by adding destinations. Select the destinations you would like and click the red button to see full details of the holiday you have chosen.
Day 1 (Thursday) Lima Fly from the UK to Lima. You are met at the airport and escorted to your hotel (2 nights).
Day 2 (Friday) Lima Enjoy a free day in Lima, or alternatively take our half day Colonial Lima excursion. The city tour includes a visit to the catacombs of San Francisco and the cathedral of Lima where the conquistador Francisco Pizarro is buried. Afterwards, return to the modern district Miraflores and visit the pre-Inca site of Huaca Pucllana.
Day 3 (Saturday) Cusco Take a morning flight to Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire nestled in the Andes at 3,300 metres above sea level. The afternoon is free to help you acclimatise to the altitude (4 nights).
Day 4 (Sunday) Cusco Enjoy a free day in Cusco, or take the half day optional Inca Cusco excursion. This excursion takes you to several Inca sites in and around Cusco, including the fortress of Sacsayhuaman and Qoricancha, one of the most important sites in the Inca Empire.
Day 5 (Monday) Cusco A free day to explore Cusco further. The colonial centre of Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the centre of the city, has a mix of colonial and Inca architecture, making it a truly fascinating place to visit. The city is also an excellent place for shopping, with a huge range of local goods on sale from fine alpaca jumpers to traditional Andean paintings; and it is very easy to spend hours wandering around the various market stalls.
Day 6 (Tuesday) Cusco Take the optional full day Sacred Valley excursion. You visit the bustling market town of Pisac, which sells some of the finest crafts in Peru. After a good lunch at a country restaurant, explore the superb Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo, and then continue to the colonial village of Chincheros, with amazing views of patchwork fields.
Day 7 (Wednesday) Inca Trail You depart Cusco early in the morning and you are driven to km 82 where you begin the trek. Starting at Piskacucho, you climb up to Llactapata after about 2km, following the Urubamba river. This was an important agricultural site, producing food for the Machu Picchu area. From here, the trail gently climbs to Huayllabamba, a small village at 3,000m, where you camp for the night.
Day 8 (Thursday) Inca Trail This is the toughest day of the trail. From Huayllabamba, you climb for three to four hours, which can be very tiring, especially due to the altitude and the sun beating down on you. The first pass at 4,215m, Warmiwañusqa (dead woman's pass), offers a superb view of the snow-capped Vilcabamba range of mountains. From here, you descend into the valley of the Pacamayo River where the camp is set up for the night.
Day 9 (Friday) Inca Trail On the third day, you climb up to the second pass. Halfway to the top are the ruins of Runkurakay. The trail then continues to 3,920m before descending to the fine ruins of Sayacmarca. You pass through an Inca tunnel in the mountain, before coming to the third pass, at 3,700m with a superb view of the cloud forest below. Near here are the ruins of Phuyupatamarca. You then descend the steep Inca steps to the spectacular Inca terraces of Wiñay Wayna. Here, hot showers are available at the visitors’ centre and there is a shop selling snacks and drinks, including beer.
Day 10 (Saturday) Cusco You set out from Wiñay Wayna before dawn in order to get to the Intipunku (Sun Gate) for sunrise. As you climb the final few steps and arrive at the Sun Gate you are greeted by your first, spectacular view of Machu Picchu. The trail down to the ruins themselves takes about half an hour. Take a guided tour of the site of Machu Picchu before heading down to the town of Aguas Calientes before taking the train back to Cusco in the afternoon (2 nights).
Day 11 (Sunday) Cusco A free day in Cusco to unwind after the trek or further explore the area. Get to know Cusco better; there are 500 Inca sites around the city, alternatively revisit the Sacred Valley or try one of the many adventure sports on offer.
An excellent day trip is to visit the town of Maras which is famous for its salt pans. The soil in the region has large amounts of salt in it, and salt evaporation ponds have been used since pre-Inca times. Close to the town of Maras are the very different Inca ruins of Moray, which were used as an agricultural experimentation centre. The ruins consist of many levels of terraces in concentric circles at different elevations, and each different level was used to try out different crop strains.
Day 12 (Monday) Puno A fascinating full-day coach journey across the altiplano, including guided visits to the Inca site of Raqchi and the beautiful colonial church in Andahuaylillas. After lunch in Sicuani (included), visit the pre-Inca site of Pucara, before arriving in Puno, on the edge of Lake Titicaca (2 nights). There is also the option to travel to Puno by Train. This beautiful train journey across the altiplano includes a three course lunch, and the train has a special glass walled observatory car.
Day 13 (Tuesday) Puno A full day on the lake, exploring the islands by fast, comfortable boat. You first visit the floating Uros Islands, made from reeds grown on the lake. The islanders also use the reeds for food and to make boats, which you can ride in. You then continue to Taquile Island, where the islanders have established their own distinct culture. After an energetic walk up the hill to the main village, have lunch of fresh fish caught in the lake. Taquile Island produces some of the finest handicrafts in Peru, and crafts are still one of the most important activities for the Islanders. You return to your hotel in the afternoon with the Cordillera Real mountain range providing an impressive backdrop.
Day 14 (Wednesday) Lima Visit the funerary towers of Sillustani, constructed by the Colla people before they were conquered by the Incas, offering a fascinating insight into pre-Inca culture. There are over 60 towers at Sillustani, and the style of the Chullpa varies according to the person who was being buried. Afternoon flight to Lima (1 night).
Day 15 (Thursday) Fly overnight to the UK.
Day 16 (Friday) Arrival in the UK.
Lima: Bed and Breakfast
Cusco: Bed and Breakfast
Inca Trail: Full Board
Puno: Bed and Breakfast; lunch is included on the coach or train from Cusco to Lake Titicaca; lunch is included on the full day excursion on Lake Titicaca