Early morning departure from London Heathrow, travelling KLM (or similar) via Amsterdam (1 hour) to Lima (13 hours) On arrival you will be met by your Peruvian Tour Manager and transferred to the Casa Andina Private Collection, Miraflores.

Our sightseeing in Lima, the fabled ‘City of Kings’, starts with a visit to the Archaeological Museum, which, importantly, is a rich repository for many exhibits and displays relevant to the areas of Peru that we will see later in the itinerary. We then continue to the colonial heart of Lima, where we visit the magnificent grandeur of the Plaza de Armas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the magnificently ornate church of San Francisco, a beautiful mix of baroque and Mudejar styling, which is renowned for its tilework and panelled ceilings. We shall also visit the ancient site of Pachacamac, set amongst the landscapes of the Lurin Valley. Once one of the most important religious sites in the entire central Andes, its towering pyramids and ornate palaces brought it unwanted attention from the invading Spanish, who destroyed the city in search for gold.

Leave Lima at approximately 6am for the drive south to Paracas, where we take a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands. These are one of the best places in South America to view marine birdlife, including pelicans and penguins. There may be opportunities to look for sea lions, and sometimes dolphins, playing amongst the rich coastal waters. Afterwards, continue to Ica for lunch and visit the Regional museum there, before heading to Nasca, and the Nasca Lines Hotel for 2 nights.

Today there is an option to take a flight (weather permitting) over the mysterious Nasca Lines (Please advise at the time of booking if you would like to take this excursion which costs £75 per person). These incredible geometric patterns lay undiscovered across the Nasca plains until the mid 20th century, when their remarkable shapes were revealed in all their mystical glory. Dating from the 5th century BC their purpose still remains a mystery even today, but little can detract from the phenomenal achievements of their ancient creators.

A fascinating day today sees us crossing the desert landscapes of the Pacific coast and heading towards the Andes and the city of Arequipa, set in a beautiful valley before the magnificent backdrop of a trio of imposing volcanoes. Stay at the Libertador Ciudad Blanca Hotel.

Founded in 1540, Arequipa is an elegant city filled with colonial grandeur, many of its dazzling churches constructed from the white volcanic sillar that litters the landscape. This morning we tour the city, taking in something of its grace and charm and visiting the remarkable Santa Catalina Convent, a quite astonishing complex of cobbled streets and elegant buildings that were only opened up to the public in the 1970s and provide a rare insight into a far from impoverished holy order.

Leaving this morning we head towards the remote Colca Valley, passing a landscape peppered with unspoilt Cabana and Collagua villages and pre-Columbian terraces, where llamas, alpacas and a variety of birdlife punctuate our journey to the town of Chivay. Stay overnight at the Casa Andina.

Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and home to Andean condors, the Colca Canyon is spectacular in the extreme. Carved by the Rio Colca it lies at a lofty 3500m above sea level at Chivay and an early start sees us visiting the spectacular majesty of this natural wonder. The canyon presents a tableau of plunging gorges set before the slopes of Sabancaya, one of the most active volcanoes in the Americas and, after our exploration of the area, we continue through the majestic Andean landscape en route to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Accommodation is at the Libertador Lake Titicaca Hotel.

The highest navigable lake on the planet, Titicaca sits on the ‘altiplano’, the high barren plateau that extends across Peru and Bolivia. Lying at over 3800m above sea level this immense lake has been the home to Aymara and Quechua tribes for centuries and this morning we take a boat ride to visit the Aymara Indians and their floating reed islands. The lake has long held deep significance for the indigenous people, its sacred waters believed to have been the birthplace of the legendary founders of the Inca race, the mythical ‘Children of the Sun’. The afternoon is free.

This morning we board the ‘Andean Explorer’ to Cusco, crossing the high altiplano and passing along the Rio Vilcanota, through a landscape of quite staggering spectacle. During this 10 hour, highly scenic journey, a three course lunch is served on board and a stop at La Raya, affords an opportunity to take in the local vendors selling an array of locally made rugs and clothes at the highest point on the line (4321m). On arrival in Cusco we will be transferred to the Libertador Palacio del Inka Cusco.

Our morning tour of Cusco takes in the impressive Plaza de Armas, with its sumptuous cathedral, the Convent of Santo Domingo and the extraordinary Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, whose imposing zigzagged walls were built to defend the city The once great capital of the ancient Incan empire, Cusco is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America and its streets present a rich treasure trove of archaeological remains, as well as a dazzling array of monuments to its colonial heritage. The afternoon is free to continue exploring at your leisure, enjoying the captivating atmosphere of one of the most engaging cities in the Americas.

Full day circular tour of the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting the towns of Chinchero, Urubamba and the ruins at Ollantaytambo, site of a mighty fortress that enjoys the rare honour of being the setting for one of the only defeats inflicted on the Spanish conquistadors by the Incas, when Hernando Pizarro was forced to flee back to Cusco after failing to breach the citadel in 1536.

This morning we travel by Vistadome train to Machu Picchu, the famous ‘Lost City’ of the Incas, where we enjoy a guided tour of what is surely one of the most spectacular archaeological sites anywhere on earth. Hidden amongst the breathtaking Andean mountains, until its ‘discovery’ in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, the city is a quite exceptional collection of tombs, temples, stairways and palaces that served as a major ceremonial and agricultural centre for the Inca Empire. Its stunning location and matchless grandeur has made this one of the most famous tourist attractions on the continent, and with good reason. Overnight at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel. (For those who would like to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge next to the ruins (see page 25) we can book this – subject to availability – for a supplement of £125 per person sharing and £90 single supplement. Please enquire at time of booking).

The morning is free to revisit the site on your own, or simply relax amidst the stunning mountain landscapes before the afternoon train back to Cusco. (Bales include a second entry ticket to the ruins for you).

Morning flight to Lima, where hotel day rooms are available until the early evening KLM flight (or similar) via Amsterdam back to London.

Arrive London Heathrow in the afternoon.