In the Shadow of Machu Picchu

Fly to Puerto Maldonado and jump on board your motorised canoe to your exclusive Amazon Rainforest lodge. Discover the exotic wildlife of the jungle in Tambopata, including a wide variety of colourful birds. Join your naturalist guide as you explore oxbow lakes and clay licks searching for anaconda, giant river otters and black caiman. Venture into the rainforest after dark and spot the less-common nocturnal animals such as owls, poison dart frogs, caimans and bats. Swim in the nearby swimming holes or relax in a hammock, and there’s also the option to climb up to a tree platform for a bird’s eye view of the forest (optional, extra cost).  

Fly into Cusco, at an altitude of 3400 metres, and explore the markets and museums. Try to take it easy on your first day here and adjust to the altitude. Perhaps visit the Inca ruins of Qorikancha or learn about chocolate production and taste its delights in the Chocomuseo. Cusco is a surprisingly attractive city filled with colonial architecture, wide open squares, Inca walls and pretty cathedrals. Just looking up at the surrounding hills you’ll be rewarded with pretty views, and the distant outlines of further ruins, including the impressive Sacsayhuaman. 

Arrive in Urubamba and join your guide for a tour of the Sacred Valley, visiting the ruins of Ollantaytambo and Pisac, and calling in at a women’s weaving cooperative. See how the local women purchase alpacas for wool, then use looms and sewing machines to create garments for tourists to buy, so learning new skills and providing themselves with an income. Swing by Huchuy Qosco, a small village often bypassed by other travellers, then check out the hilltop ruins at Pisac, surrounded by dramatic scenery. Finally, explore the fortress of Ollantaytambo, an important Incan stronghold against the Spanish.

Don your boots and get your walking poles ready for one of the world’s most famous hikes, the Inca Trail. Nothing quite prepares you for your first sight of Machu Picchu, looming out of the mist, surrounded by dramatic peaks, and the sense of satisfaction that you walked there yourself. Those choosing to follow in the footsteps of the Incas on the Inca trail will spend four days hiking to the mountaintop settlement, a challenging hike, while those not wishing to walk will explore the Inca ruins around Cusco before meeting the rest of the group at Machu Picchu. It is also possible to do the less well-trodden Lares trek instead of the Inca Trail. 

Take the train back to Cusco for one last night in this attractive and historical town. Stock up on those last minute souvenirs and reminisce about your trip over a pisco sour or the local Cusqueña beer.