Sacred Peru: Lima to Machu Picchu (14 days)

The trip begins in Peru's coastal capital. After your check-in, the group meets at the hotel at 7:30 pm for an informal welcome — a chance to meet your tour leader and the other travellers before tomorrow's early flight inland.

This morning's transfer is back to the airport for the short flight to Arequipa, sitting at 2,380 m beneath three snow-capped volcanoes. The afternoon is yours — a deliberate buffer for acclimatisation. Wander the arcaded Plaza de Armas, sit with a coca tea, take your time.

A morning visit to Santa Catalina Convent — a 16th-century walled town within a city, once home to 450 cloistered nuns, painted in vivid blue and ochre. The afternoon is free for further exploration: the twin-towered cathedral (1612), the city museums, or a long lunch at a picantería.

North into the world of the Andean Altiplano, passing behind Arequipa's volcanoes through landscapes grazed by llama, alpaca and, if luck holds, the elusive vicuña. The route briefly crosses the 4,910 m highest point of the trip — a photo stop only — before descending into the Colca Canyon valley to Chivay.

An early start for the Mirador Cruz del Condor, where Andean condors ride the morning thermals out of the canyon's depths. The drive continues east to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,820 m and the legendary birthplace of the Inca civilisation.

A morning boat trip out to the Uros — communities living on islands they build themselves from totora reeds. From there, on to Taquile, a granite island that has kept much of its pre-Inca culture intact. You'll walk the stone paths to your guesthouse, share an evening meal with your hosts, and sleep one night in this Quechua-speaking community.

The morning is free to wander the Inca ruins above the village, or simply sit by the lake. A lunchtime boat takes you back to Puno where the afternoon is free — visit the Yavari Steamer Ship if you're interested in maritime history, or the local market.

The longest road day of the trip — the legendary Inca route to Cusco, following the Altiplano north to the chullpa funeral towers at Sillustani, the colonial chapel of Andahuaylillas (optional) and the temple ruins of Raqchi (optional). You cross La Raya pass at 4,335 m and descend through high-pasture country to the Sacred Valley.

The morning is a walking tour of Cusco — the old Inca capital, with colonial pink-roofed houses standing on stones laid centuries before the conquistadors arrived. You'll see the Plaza de Armas, the Twelve-Angled Stone, the temple complex of Qoricancha and the citadel of Sacsayhuamán. In the evening you join the community of Misminay for an Andean dinner and a night of stargazing.

A morning train along the Urubamba river, walled in by cliffs, to the small town of Aguas Calientes. After dropping luggage, a bus climbs the switchbacks to Machu Picchu itself. With visitor numbers strictly managed, the group may be split across pre-booked circuits — but everyone gets a guided exploration of the citadel. Tonight, the hot baths in town are open if you want them.

The morning is free — either a second entry to the citadel along an alternative circuit, a Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain climb (pre-paid permit required), the Inca Trail walk to the Gate of the Sun, or simply a slow morning in Aguas Calientes. The afternoon train returns you to Ollantaytambo and onward to Cusco.

A second day in the city. Optional early start for sunrise above the valley. Walk the cobbled lanes to Sacsayhuamán's giant zig-zagged walls, the San Blas artisan quarter, the San Cristobal viewpoint and the Wanchaq market — typically a 4–5 hour route at altitude. Evening free.

A spare day with options — rafting the Urubamba river through the Sacred Valley, returning to the Misminay community, the salt terraces of Maras, the agricultural circles of Moray, or simply slow exploration of Cusco. The leader has the local contacts to set up any of these.

After breakfast the trip concludes. The Alejandro Velasco Astete airport is about 15 minutes from the hotel for onward connections — Lima for international flights, or direct via Bogotá to Europe.