16 September 2026 - 11 days for £3,595 per person
September 2027 - Register for 2027 and we will contact when confirmed details including dates and prices are available
Immerse yourself in the Inca civilisation’s most important archaeological site, as you discover how the story of the Incas goes far beyond the appreciation of the one site of Machu Picchu. Discover Inca society, science and history while exploring the towns and landscapes of the Sacred valley and surrounding region.
Full of mystery and with ancient cultures dating back millennia, Peru is a stunning land of deserts etched with ancient geoglyphs, soaring peaks harbouring secret cities and awe-inspiring landscapes. The journey will take you from the verdant valley floor and wetlands, through cloud forests and onto the imposing mountains that overlook the Sacred Valley.
You will begin in Cusco, the historical heartland and former capital of the Inca Empire and spend time exploring the museums, archaeological remains and beautiful Spanish architecture. From here, you will travel through the spectacular landscapes of the Sacred Valley, with time spent exploring local communities and other ancient Inca sites. You will then have two full days to explore Machu Picchu, with plenty of time at leisure built in to allow you to immerse yourself in these remarkable ancient ruins. Your tour will conclude with a trek to the lesser-known but equally impressive ruins of Waqrapukara, with its spectacular monumental structures unhindered by staff, fencing or other visitors. You can literally explore the whole site unfettered.
Get to the heart of Hiram Bingham's role in unveiling to the world the ancient site of Machu Picchu and several other sites just over 100 years ago. Accompanied by Dr Jacques Decoster, Professor of Anthropology at San Antonio University of Cusco.
Before embarking on the main Inca tour, you can explore the Nazca lines and the Ballestas islands on our exciting pre-tour extension. The Nazca lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert floor, one of the most vexing archaeological mysteries of the world. Stretching over 50 miles, their enormous designs, which can only be fully appreciated from the air, include shapes resembling animals, plants, and geometric patterns. Following the Nasca Lines, you will also explore the Ballestas Islands, often referred to as the 'Galapagos of Peru', the islands are a sanctuary for diverse wildlife, including sea lions, penguins, and countless seabird species.
In partnership with Intrepid Travel.
Pace and Physicality
You will be at altitudes above 2000 metres for the vast majority of the tour, so the tour is paced to allow you to acclimatise to this. The first few days will deliberately be at a more relaxed pace because of this. On some of the other days you will be ascending and descending to different altitudes, sometimes gaining or losing as much as 300 and 1360 metres in altitude difference on any one day.
A lot of the time walking will be spent on uneven ground, stairs, dirt paths and trails at archaeological sites, so hiking boots are essential, as is the ability to hike for a few hours at a time.
Walking poles are highly recommended but metal-tipped poles are strictly forbidden at Machu Picchu. Rubber tips can be bought locally.
On day 6 you will have to trek some of the way to Pisac, at altitude and along steep uneven paths.
On day 10, after a 5:30am start and coach journey, you will be trekking for approximately 2-3 hours each way to Waqrapukara.
It is therefore essential that all participants possess the necessary level of fitness for these activities. If you have any doubt, consult with your GP before enrolling in the tour.
You should also bring a small backpack, breathable hiking clothes, sweaters, waterproof clothing and a hat to protect you from the sun. Plus two water bottles.
Day 1: Arrive in Lima
Welcome to Peru! Join the group transfer from the airport to Habitat Hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Lima, the vibrant capital of Peru, is a bustling coastal city where colonial history, modern innovation and world-renowned gastronomy converge, offering visitors a unique blend of cultural and culinary experiences.
Day 2: Lima to Cusco
Transfer to Lima airport for your short flight to Cusco. You will be met at the airport by your tour leader and transferred to the Turi Wasi Boutique House, your base for the next four nights, located just minutes away from Cusco’s historic main square. Cusco was the heartland and capital of the Inca Empire. It is one of South America's oldest continuously inhabited cities and was the home of the Incas for centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today, Cusco is a fascinating combination of both cultures.
This unique visit to Cusco offers an insightful anthropological and archaeological experience. You will learn how the Incas developed a complex society and used their extensive grasp of science and technology to expand rapidly. They displayed a mastery of stone-cutting, astronomy and mathematics as they created buildings for living and worshipping, and their irrigation, aqueducts and precision control of water supported their high-altitude farming on steep slopes. In addition, explore how the Incas arranged their religious sites, called huacas, along a system of astronomically and calendrically informed lines, called ceques, with the city of Cusco as the centre of this massive “calendar on the ground”. In turn, this calendar affected the location of their towns, ceremonies, the social interactions of their elite groups, and their highly advanced architecture.
In the evening, you will meet your fellow guests and accompanying expert Jacques Decoster for a welcome meal at the hotel restaurant. To help you acclimatise to the altitude, there will be no talks until tomorrow.
Day 3: Exploring Cusco and the Qoricancha Temple
After breakfast, you will meet with the group in the hotel to make the short 10 minute walk to Casa Intrepid for a 60-minute talk with Jacques.
Afterwards, you will go on to explore the highlights of the city of Cusco, starting with the Qoricancha temple or Temple of the Sun. This temple was built on a pre-Ince site and dedicated to the worship of the Incas' major deity. The conquering Spaniards, in their intent to impose Catholicism to the indiegnous population, built the church of Santa Domingo on top of the Inca temple, concealing the Inca buildings until they were unveiled in an earthquake in the 20th century. Dominican friars can still sometimes be seen walking under the arcards of the colonial cloisters.
Following this you will take a short visit to the Museum of Religious Art in the Palace of the Archbishop. Today it houses a collection of colonial religious images of the baroque period renowned as the Cusco School of painting. The museum is in a narrow pedestrian walkway that features Inca stone walls. Here you’ll see the famous stone of the twelve angles on Hatun Rumiyoc.
Lunch will be included at Nuna Raymi, a sustainable restaurant whose philosophy is to support and work with local producers and organic products.
After lunch, continue towards the heart of the city, “the Plaza de Armas”, surrounded by colonial arcades and no less than four churches. Here you’ll visit the beautiful Cathedral of Cusco, whose construction was started in the 16th century and took over 100 years to complete. It contains nearly 400 colonial paintings, including many from the Cusco School, which was prominent at the time. The cathedral is a fine example of colonial baroque art.
The remainder of the day will be free to continue discovering this beautiful city.
Day 4: Tambomachay, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo and the Museum Machu Picchu Casa Concha
This morning, you will travel the short distance to Tambomachay, a beautiful archaeological site consisting of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls. The high quality of the stonework indicates that it was likely to have been an important Inca shrine, perhaps dedicated to religious functions involving water veneration, or else, according to other researchers, a hunting lodge for the Inca royalty.
Afterwards, you will visit the huge Inca ceremonial structure Sacsayhuaman that overlooks the city of Cusco. Its construction is complex and precise, with megalithic rocks perfectly fitted together without the aid of mortar. The site has the characteristics of a fortress, but also contains temple-like structures and may have served for astronomical observations, typical of Inca sites that tend to combine those functions.
You will then continue to the Inca site known as Qenqo, with its subterranean passages and carved stone channels in a zigzag pattern. In its inner section, there is a carved stone table, which may have been used for Inca rituals.
Lunch will be at a nearby traditional restaurant, which serves very simple dishes, the dare that the local population of the city tends to eat on Sunday family outings to Sacsathuaman.
After lunch, you will return to the city for a short visit to the Museum Machu Pichchu Casa Concha. The museum houses the collection of pieces excavated by Hiram Bingham during the archaeologival exploration of Machu Picchu in 1912 which were subsequently shipped to the Peabody Museum at Yale, kept there for 100 years. The collection was successfully returned to Cusco under the stewardship of the San Antonia university. Dr Jacques Decoster was the director of the museum and the curator who received the collection from Yale between 2012 and 2014. Acting as your guide on this visit, he will share his knowledge of the collection and events that led to its return.
Day 5: Tipon, Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas
Today, you will visit the valley to the south of Cusco, well away from the tourist haunts. Your first stop is the Inca complex of Tipon, a royal estate with an elaborate set of terraces, stone-lined canals and fountains. Its design makes it both an agricultural and hydrological masterpiece.
You will then drive through Oropesa (the bread capital of Peru) on to Pikillaqta, one of the few existing pre-Inca ruins in the Cusco area. This adobe complex was built around 700 to 900 AD by the Wari culture. Nearby, you will see Rumicolca. Current theory suggests that this huge structure was originally built as a Wari aqueduct to supply water to Pikillaqta, and it was then reinforced with Inca stonework because it is located on one of the main south-north Inca roads that crisscross the Andes.
You will then continue to the town of Andahuaylillas where you will have a box lunch provided. The town is home to a baroque church often referred to as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, for its visually stimulating ornamentation.
Return to Cusco for an afternoon of leisure time.
Day 6: The Sacred Valley including Maras Salt Ponds, Moray and Chinchero
After breakfast, you will travel up the Sacred Valley and visit some of its most scenic spots. First, you will travel to the ancient Maras salt ponds, where salty springs emerge from the hillside and where the Inca built pools to capture the flows and harvest salt. Those are still being used by an association formed by inhabitants of the communities of Maras and Pichingoto. As a heritage expert, Jacques has worked on the proposed nomination of the salt ponds as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and will be on hand to discuss the process.
You will continue to Moray, where huge circular agricultural terraces were built by the Inca on limestone sinks that served to plant crops. It is thought that the Incas used the terraces as an agricultural laboratory to determine the optimum conditions for each species, testing varying altitudes and soil conditions.
Lunch will be at the Umasbamba community, where you will learn about local food, weaving traditions and herbal medicine.
After lunch, you will head to the small rustic town of Chinchero, which is missed by many but has a great display of Inca architecture, ruins and megalithic art carved into rocks. Chinchero is home to Andean weaving and has a colourful market. You will visit its ruins, where it is thought that Inca Tupac Yupanqui, heir of Pachacutec, used Chinchero as a sort of country resort. He ordered the construction of many aqueducts and terraces, many of them still in use today.
The cultural landscape and spectacular views of Chinchero are being rapidly transformed by the ongoing construction of the future international airport for Cusco. Jacques is currently involved in a study of the impact on the cultural heritage of the new airport and will be able to reflect with you on this topic.
Then check into the Inti Punku Sacred Valley Hotel, where you will enjoy an evening meal together.
Day 7: The Sacred Valley including Pisac, the Inkariy Museum and Ollantaytambo
After checking out of your hotel, you will travel further into the Sacred Valley. The valley was a key settlement area for the Inca, because its combination of agreeable climate and fertile plains was unusual for the high Andes. Here, the Inca sculpted the mountain flanks with vast contoured terracing and irrigation channels, and there will be plenty of opportunities to stop and photograph these. Pisac in particular has great examples of these plus fine stone works, allowing it to also act as a mountainside fortress defending the southern approach to the Sacred Valley and the Inca heartland.
Afterwards, you will visit the Inkariy Museum, which uses artistic representations to explain eight Peruvian civilisations, from the Caral to the Quechuas. Here you might discuss with Jacques questions of representation and folklore and how that impacts the understanding and contemporary use of ancient cultures, through the use of ethnography and archaeology.
After lunch at the Tunupa Sacred Valley Restaurant, you will continue your drive along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo, which has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in Peru and was one of the few places where the Inca defeated the Spanish. The ruins of Ollantaytambo include temples, terraces, storehouses and defences. You will explore some of the lesser-known parts of the site with built-up structures and water canals.
You will then check into your hotel in Ollantaytambo where you will have dinner.
Day 8: Explore Machu Picchu
After breakfast, you will step out of the hotel restaurant straight onto the train platform, thus avoiding the queuing lines outside the station. You will board the “360° Machu Picchu” train towards Aguas Calientes, a modern town close to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The train ride is a beautiful journey. After passing the Sacred Valley, the train starts to descend gradually along the edge of the Urubamba River, until it finally reaches the cloud forest. After approximately 1 hour 45 minutes you will have arrived in Aguas Calientes, where you will be taken to the Machu Picchu archaeologica lsite, by way of a short bus ride up the steep, zigzagging road to the impressive Lost City of the Inca.
This is one of those genuinely magical places, and your first glimpse of these ruins in the mist is something to remember. The site is perched high in the Andes, surrounded by verdant cloud forest, with the river Urubamba running through the gorge far below. Hidden away on a ridge, Machu Picchu is invisible from below, so it's no surprise it remained a secret for so many years until the beginning of the 20th century.
You first stop here is for lunch at Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, located just outside the site.
Your ticket grants access to the site for 4 hours, and the predetermined routes through the site are carefully planned, so take your time and enjoy it. Jacques and your tour leader will take you exploring first on the upper terrace, then across the ruins, learning more about the 200 or so structures, houses, warehouses and temples. It's fascinating to be able to gaze down on the city from above and imagine how it would have looked during the height of the Inca Empire.
Afterwards, catch the shuttle bus into Aguas Calientes, where you will check into the El Mapi by Inkaterra Hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore this beautiful town and visit the craft market, filled with displays of local Andean curios and clothing. Dinner will be at the hotel.
Day 9: Second visit to Machu Picchu at dawn
After an early breakfast, you will take a private shuttle 20 minutes up the mountain to be some of the first to enter Machu Picchu just after 7am. You will be able to explore the site unguided taking one of the defined circuits. These are in place to allow guests to enjoy the site while still protecting it for generations to come.
After returning to Aguas Calientes for lunch, you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo and make the rest of the journey to Cusco by coach, where you will return to the Turi Wasi hotel.
Day 10: Discover Waqrapukara
Today, you are completing the tour with a visit to the lesser-known ruins of Waqrapukara. These spectacular monumental structures are perched high in the mountain peaks above the Apurimac River, but they aren't yet on the tourist trail and you have complete freedom to roam the site.
The day begins with a pre-dawn pick-up from the hotel at 5am. After stopping for breakfast, you will be transported close to Waqrapukara by vehicle and proceed on foot to these fascinating and remote ruins. The walking time to/from the site is 2 hours in each direction, so be sure to bring hiking shoes and plenty of water!
During the trek, as you ascend to 4300 metres, you will be able to appreciate how the flora and fauna differ from those you saw on the other days. At Waqrapukara, you will enjoy a relaxed tour, visiting the main square, towers, terraces, enclosures and cave paintings, including representations of llamas. The name Waqrapukara translates roughly as "horn-shaped fortress" in Quechua, as the peak of the mountain looks like two horns (or upright llama ears).
The site is surrounded by Andean mountain ranges as far as the eye can see and, due to the small number of visitors, it is a place of rare tranquility. In some parts, it is hard to tell what features are human-made and which are geological, due to the skill of Inca builders at integrating structures to the landscape. There are still many aspects of the site yet to be deciphered by archaeologists, which is why it is so intriguing.
The trek will be fully accompanied by the tour leader.
Afterwards, you will descend by coach back to Cusco. Then in the evening, there will be a farewell dinner at the Pachapapa restaurant.
Day 11: Farewell to Cusco
Your tour comes to an end today and there are no activities planned. At the appropriate time, you’ll be transferred to the airport to take the flight back to Lima, followed by the international flight home.
Nazca Lines pre-tour extension
13 September 2026 - 3 days for £799 per person
The Nazca lines are known as geoglyphs which depict a collection of giant trapezoids, and figures of humans, plants and animals in a desert 400 kilometres south of Lima, Peru. They were created between 400 BC and AD 650 by the removal of reddish oxidised stones from the desert pavement to reveal the lighter sand beneath. These ancient, intricate geometric patterns are stamped on the surface have long been thought of as messages to the gods, or as markers that tracked celestial objects. This tour offers a unique chance to view the lines from above. Take to the skies on a scenic flight over the lines, allowing you to fully appreciate their true wonder and vastness from above. Afterwards, travel to the Ballestas islands, home to spectacular bird and marine life that rival that of the Galapagos in number.
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Upon arrival into Lima airport, you will be transferred to your hotel.
While Peru's capital officially began life in 1535, when Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro founded the city on the Day of the Magi, 6 January, hence the name Los Reyes given to the city in colonial times. We know that indigenous settlements had been scattered throughout the valley since before the Incas. The city was built on top of an existing palace and temples that belonged to the local chief who had little choice but to move on. Lima was in its prime during the Spanish colonial days and much of the city's attraction now lies in its well-preserved historical centre.
The remainder of your first day will be free to explore this city at leisure.
No meals are included today.
Day 2: Travel from Lima to Paracas National Reserve, visit Nazca observation towers
After breakfast, depart your hotel and travel south to Paracas National Reserve accompanied by a local guide from the region. The name of this beautiful place is derived from a Quechua word meaning “sand rain” probably due to the strong winds that hit the evenings here. The Paracas National Reserve is also very important since its waters contain abundant quantities of zooplankton and phytoplankton, which support a diverse range of fish and artisanal fisheries. This is a very important industry in the town. The Paracas National Reserve is in an area of 335,000 hectares and is considered one of the most important ecosystems on the planet. During your visit, you will see the beautiful cliffs and beaches.
From here, travel to the Nazca lines observation tower, offering your first opportunity to get a glimpse of these incredible geoglyphs. The tower gets you 13 metres off the ground which is enough for you to see the basic outline of three of the Nazca figures. Your photos won’t be as impressive as when you get on the plane, but this is a much more up-close-and-personal way to see the lines.
Afterwards, you will be transferred to your hotel in Nazca.
Day 3: Flight over Nazca Lines and Antonini Museum
In the morning, you will be transferred to the aerodrome in Maria Reiche to board your small light aircraft which will take you over the Nazca lines. The flight will last around 30 minutes. The Nazca lines are an enigma. Since their discovery, they have inspired fantastic explanations including: depictions of ancient gods; a landing strip for returning aliens; a celestial calendar created by an ancient civilisation; use in rituals related to astronomy; a ritual by indigenous clans to decide their economic functions, held up by reciprocity and redistribution; or a map of underground water supplies. Flying over the area you can marvel looking at the perfect shape of animals, flowers, plants, objects, and anthropomorphic figures of colossal proportions made with well-defined lines.
Afterwards, you will visit the Antonini Museum where you can learn more about Nazca culture and its importance in the history of the Americas. The museum houses a large quantity and diversity of Nazca archaeological materials.
You will then be transferred back to Paracas for your final night in this region.
Day 4: Paracas to Ballestas Islands and on to Lima
In the morning, you will be transferred to the local harbour. We would suggest that you wear a good jacket or windbreaker as it gets very windy once the boat embarks. You will head towards the Ballestas Islands. Along the way you will see the famous figure known as The Candelabro, an enigmatic design etched on the desert floor hundreds of years ago.
The Ballestas Islands are a collection of rocky islets, just a few kilometres off the western coast of Peru. These islands are inhabited by amazing marine life, with over 200 types of migratory and resident birds, including Peruvian pelicans, Belcher’s gulls, guanay cormorants, red-legged cormorants, Inca terns, Peruvian boobies, turkey vultures, among others. In addition, you will also see around the islands' hundreds of sea lions resting at the beaches, sleeping on the rocks or swimming nearby. The islands also provide shelter to the shy Humboldt penguins which are usually seen at the entrances of small caves near the cliffs. These islands are known as 'Peru's Galapagos'.
After touring around the islands for about 1 hour you will return to the harbour followed by a private transfer back to Lima airport.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Arrival transfer from Lima airport to hotel
- Accompanied by English-speaking local guide throughout
- Entry into all sites and museums
- Nazca lines flight and observation tower visit
- Ballestas Islands excursion
- Accommodation in three-star hotels
- All road and boat transport
- Breakfast every day
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
- Travel insurance
- Meals not mentioned
- International flights to Lima
- Single supplement - £110
