Peru and the Andes

Day 1- Depart for Lima via Madrid.

Morning departure from London Heathrow, on LAN / Iberia Airlines via Madrid (2 hours 15 minutes) to Lima (12 hours 25 minutes). On arrival you will be met by your Peruvian Tour Manager and transferred to the Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores for two nights (traditional / superior room).

Day 2- Sightseeing in Lima with afternoon at leisure.

This morning our sightseeing is in the colonial heart of the fabled ‘City of Kings,’ where we will 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 tile work and panelled ceilings. This afternoon is at leisure to explore Lima; alternatively you may wish to take an optional excursion to the ruins at Pachacamac and visit a Peruvian Paso Horse farm.

Day 3- Visit to the Museo Larco before leaving for Arequipa.

This morning we visit the Museo Larco, a recently refurbished private museum which houses one of the finest collections of textiles, ceramics, sculpture and jewellery chronicling centuries of civilisations across Peru. We continue to the airport for the flight to the city of Arequipa (1 hour 25 minutes) set in a beautiful valley before the magnificent backdrop of a trio of imposing volcanoes. Stay for two nights at the Libertador Arequipa (superior room).

Day 4- Visit the Santa Catalina Convent. Afternoon is free to explore.

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. The afternoon is free to explore this delightful city.

Day 5- Head to the Colca Canyon.

Leaving Arequipa 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 (160km, approximately 3 hours). Arrive in time for lunch and stay overnight at the Casa Andina Colca (standard room).

Day 6- Explore the Colca Canyon witnessing the Andean condors. Depart for Puno.

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 3,500 mt 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 exploration of the area and lunch at the hotel, continue through the majestic Andean landscape en route to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca (320km, approximately 6 hours). Stay for two nights at the Libertador Lake Titicaca (superior room).

Day 7- Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Titicaca to see the Uros Islands and local indigenous communities.

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 3,800 mt above sea level this immense lake has been the home to Aymara and Quechua tribes for centuries and this morning a boat ride is included 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’. After the Uros Islands we continue to Llachon, a less-visited Quechua community, where we learn something of another traditional way of life by the lake. Return to Puno this afternoon, where we pay a brief visit to the Yavari, a Victorian steamship built in England, dissembled and transported by mule across the Andes.

Day 8- Train ride across the Altiplano to Cusco.

This morning board the ‘Andean Explorer’ to Cusco, crossing the high altiplano and passing along the Rio Vilcanota. During this 389km, 10 hour highly scenic journey, a three course lunch is served on board and a stop at La Raya provides an opportunity to take in the local vendors selling an array of locally made rugs and clothes at the highest point on the line (4,321 mt). On arrival in Cusco, transfer to the Libertador Palacio del Inka Cusco for two nights (superior room).

Day 9- Tour of the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Full day circular tour of the beautiful Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting the towns of Chinchero and Urubamba and the ruins at Ollantaytambo. This mighty fortress 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.

Day 10- Guided tour of the fabled "Lost City of the Incas" - Machu Pichu.

This morning we travel by Vistadome train from Poroy train station to Machu Picchu (168km, 3½ hours), the famous ‘Lost City’ of the Incas. 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. Overnight at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel (superior room). For those who would like to stay at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge next to the ruins we can book this – subject to availability – for a supplement starting from £215 per person twin share (classic room). Please enquire at time of booking.

Day 11- Morning at leisure before taking the train back to Cusco.

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 (168km, 3½ hours), for two nights at the Libertador Palacio del Inka Cusco (superior room).

Day 12- Tour of Cusco including the Convent of Santo Domingo and the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman.

Our morning tour of Cusco takes in the impressive Plaza de Armas, with its cathedral, the Convent of Santo Domingo and the 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.

Day 13- Return flight to Madrid via Lima.

Afternoon flight to Lima (1 hour), where you connect onwards by the evening LAN Airlines overnight flight to Madrid (11 hours 40 minutes).

Day 14- Connect in Madrid with the flight to London.

Arrive in Madrid and continue by LAN / Iberia codeshare flight back to London Heathrow, arriving late afternoon (2 hours 20 minutes).

Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores

The Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores opened in early 2008. The hotel, situated two blocks from Miraflores Central Park, has 148 comfortably furnished air-conditioned rooms. All rooms have flat-screen TV and safety deposit box. Other facilities at the hotel include 2 restaurants, a bar, a spa, gym and heated swimming pool.

Libertador Arequipa

The Libertador Arequipa has 88 rooms and 4 suites, and is just outside the city centre in Selva Alegre. The property was built in colonial style in 1940. The hotel has pleasant grounds and a swimming pool.

Casa Andina Colca

The Casa Andina Colca is situated 5 minutes' walk from the main square in the town of Chivay - the starting point for visits to the Colca Canyon. The 51 rooms are set out in single cottages in the grounds with heater, telephone and safety deposit box. The hotel has a restaurant and bar and an additional feature of the hotel is its planetarium and observatory.

The Libertador Lake Titicaca Hotel

The Libertador Lake Titicaca is set on a headland out into Lake Titicaca. The hotel has 123 rooms and suites all of which offer wonderful lake views. Los Uros Restaurant also has a beautiful view of the lake and serves a combination of High Andean, national and international food. The hotel has its own jetty and is an excellent place from which to explore the lake.

Libertador Cusco

The Libertador Cusco was built by Francisco Pizarro, the first Spanish Governor of Peru. He built the 254 room Casa de los Cuatro Bustos as his own palace. In 1976 this building was transformed into the Libertador Hotel. The hotel is centrally located opposite the city's famous Temple of the Sun and close to the Plaza de Armas. There is a restaurant, a coffee shop and a bar.

Casa Andina Private Collection Sacred Valley

The Casa Andina Private Collection Sacred Valley has 85 rooms all with views of the mountains (weather permitting). All rooms are decorated with Andean features of the Urubamba Valley. The hotel has the only gourmet restaurant in the valley, specialising in Andean Nouveau cuisine. A number of activities, for instance, horse riding, mountain biking, rafting etc can be arranged through the hotel.

Inkaterra Machu Picchu

The Inkaterra Machu Picchu (formerly the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel) is a comfortable hotel located just outside the town of Machu Picchu. The hotel has 85 casitas (rooms) in one or two-storey cottages linked by stone pathways and set in 12 acres of gardens. Rooms are furnished with regional timber and styled with local handicrafts such as hand woven alpaca bedspreads. All rooms have heaters and private bathrooms. The main building has a spacious lounge and open fire, and is a short walk from the village with its busy market and excellent local restaurants. In addition to the restaurant, reading room and library, facilities include the UNU Spa using 100% natural products and offering massages, foot treatments and its unique Andean Sauna. The hotel’s grounds are also home to the world's largest collection of native orchids observable in their natural habitat.

Casa Andina Private Collection Cusco

The Casa Andina Private Collection Cusco has been built in a colonial house dating from the 16th century and is located a few blocks from the main square. It has 100 rooms and suites, all with private facilities, cable television and digital safety deposit box. Additional facilities include a restaurant and bar, laundry service and a foreign currency exchange facility (US dollars and Nuevos Soles only).

Amazon Extension - Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica - 3 nights

Extra Days:0Cost:from £ 670

Just a short flight from Cusco lies Puerto Maldonado and the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. Travel by canoe and you will find yourself at the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica on the banks of the Madre de Dios river. Situated inside a 40 square mile private ecological reserve and research centre, the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica consists of 34 thatched cottages on stilts constructed entirely from local materials. The cabanas have 3 distinct areas – an open plan bathroom with hot water shower; a bedroom with twin, queen or king sized beds canopied with mosquito netting; and a siesta area with hammocks, chairs and a side table. Each cabana is equipped with umbrellas, flashlights, kerosene lamps for lighting, a central ceiling ventilator and an electric outing. Two full days of activities and excursions are offered on an a la carte basis allowing you to choose according to your particular interest, whether it be a visit to a local community, bird watching, photography, wildlife observation or even astronomy.

Lan Airlines - Premium Business

Cost: from £ 1615

LAN's Premium Business Class is billed by the airline as "The best of First class and Business service." It is available on all 25 of LAN's B767-300 aircraft, with a sleeper seat with 180-degree full-flat recline, seat pitch of 74 inches, dividing panels between seats, four pre-programmed seating positions, arm rests that lower when changing seat position to horizontal bed, giving a five-inch greater width, down comforters and soft pillows, new spaces for personal carry-on items and a backshell that surrounds the passenger, giving maximum privacy and quietness at resting time. The IFE is AVOD delivered via individual monitors of 15.4 inches - with high resolution, offering audio and video on demand. Updated content with 32 movies -8 blockbusters and 24 favorite feature films-, 53 short programs, 14 video games and 400 music CDs. Noise canceling headsets that reduce the external noises of the cabin, producing a pleasant private experience.