We’ll pick you up at 10am and head out for a day exploring Lima! First we’ll head to Lima’s historic centre to explore beautiful colonial buildings, stately plazas and creepy catacombs. This afternoon we’ll wander the quaint byways of Barranco, where we’ll sample Peru’s answer to the doughnut – sweet potato dough-based picarones.

Meals: Lunch included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Lima

We will fly to Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire, one of the most beautiful cities on Earth, and a natural starting point for any Peru itinerary. We’ll meet you at 1pm for a traditional Peruvian meal at a local favourite restaurant. In the afternoon your guide will lead a relaxed walking tour around Cusco’s stunning historic centre – it’s important to take it easy if you’ve arrived from sea level today, as you need to adjust to Cusco’s 3,400m (11,200 feet) altitude.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Cusco

Pisac, 45 minutes drive from Cusco, is the gateway to the Sacred Valley and was fiercely defended by the Incas, as evidenced by the massive fortress which bristles above the town. We'll spend the morning hiking and exploring its many terraces and fortifications, and enjoying the stunning views. In the afternoon we'll check out Pisac's other famous attraction - the largest artesania (handicraft) market in the region - it's the perfect place to get all your souvenir and gift shopping taken care of in one fell swoop!

There's also time today to explore Pisac's cobbled, pedestrian backstreets where you can taste local specialty empanadas, and meet guinea pigs who live in elaborate miniature castles!

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Pisac

This morning we’ll head up to local favourite attraction, the Lares hot springs, where naturally occurring hot springs are surrounded by lovingly landscaped terraces carved out of a rushing river gorge. We’ll relax and soak before lunch, then spend the afternoon biking down around craggy Andean peaks through high-altitude farmland where traditionally-dressed locals tend flourishing llama flocks and potato crops.

As we gently descend, the landscape gradually changes from austere open pasture and rock to a verdant, bushy river gorge that brings us down through the villages of Patacancha and Huilloc and eventually back into ithe verdant Sacred Valley.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Ollantaytambo

This morning we’ll visit the coffee and cacao cooperative of Chichubamba, where we’ll participate in both the processing and the consumption of these delicious Peruvian products, and experience firsthand how they underpin the local lifestyle and economy.

This afternoon there’s time for a little exploration of Ollantaytambo - perhaps the most perfectly preserved of all Inca towns, a maze of cobbled alleyways and sun-drenched plazas presided over by a spectacular, llama-shaped ruin – before we take the 1.5 hour train ride to Aguas Calientes, our jumping-off point for Machu Picchu tomorrow.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Aguas Calientes

A spectacular stone city surrounded by incredibly steep, incredibly green mountains, Machu Picchu needs no introduction and is deservedly one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

We’ll be up at sunrise so there’s time for your guide to show you around Machu Picchu’s main citadel, as well as our favourite hidden nooks and crannies, before the crowds arrive. Then there’s time for your own exploration of the massive, still-mysterious site, before we catch the train back to the Sacred Valley.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Ollantaytambo

Today starts with Chinchero, best known for its outdoor weaving studios and extensive Inca terracing with incredible views. Next we’ll explore Moray – a mysterious complex of massive amphitheatres of incredible engineering precision and stern, magnificent beauty.

Then an easy stroll (or ride in the vehicle if you prefer), through rolling farmland and views of the high Andes, brings us to Salineras – a surreal and beautiful patchwork of pools and paths that still produces salt using Inca technology and is our favourite site in the Cusco region.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Cusco

You can book your flight out for any time you like today and we will get you to the airport in time for your flight.

Meals: Breaksfast included