Essential Peru: Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley

Start your holiday in relaxed fashion with included VIP airport lounge access before your flight to Lima, arriving the same day. On arrival, you’ll be met for a private transfer to your city-centre hotel. Once you’ve settled in, perhaps take the chance to head out for dinner – for delicious seafood and a wonderful pier location in upmarket Miraflores, La Rosa Nautica comes highly recommended.

Stay: Atemporal Hotel Boutique 

This morning you'll enjoy a private city tour, exploring Lima’s rich array of Spanish-colonial architecture, from atmospheric convents to grand cathedrals and leafy squares. Then, in the afternoon, you’ll transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco and a transfer on to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. You’ll have a full day to take in the sights, and your included private tour will take in the best of it, from the Maras salt mines and the ancient sites of Ollantaytambo to spectacular viewpoints looking out across the verdant Urubamba Valley. Finally, check into your hotel – the delightful Sol y Luna – or perhaps splash out on an upgrade to the stunning Explora Valle Sagrado to mix in regional gourmet dining with spa treatments and stylish blonde-wood rooms.

Today is a real trip highlight, as you board the Vistadome Train at Olllantaytambo station for a scenic journey though the Andes to the village of Machu Picchu Pueblo – gateway to the ruins of Machu Picchu itself. In the company of an expert guide, you’ll take in the temples and chambers of this 15th-century Incan citadel, learning about its unique history, from its construction to its abandonment at the time of the Spanish Conquests and the ‘lost city’s’ eventual rediscovery by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Stay: El Mapi by Inkaterra 

With a free morning, and entry included, you’ll have the chance to return to Machu Picchu, perhaps trekking to the summit of Huayna Picchu for spectacular views over the ruins. Or, for an alternative viewpoint and to escape the crowds, take the bus and a short walk to Machu Picchu Mountain for equally impressive vistas. You’ll then return by Vistadome Train to Cusco for the final two nights of your holiday. And, with time on your side, you’ll have the chance to discover the city’s unique mix of Spanish and Incan architecture on an included private tour, and perhaps enjoy the sights by night as well, taking in the twinkling lights from the San Cristobal lookout before meeting local artisans in San Blas and tucking into a delicious dinner at a top restaurant. The evening tour is optional, so speak to our specialists for details and the latest price.

Stay: Quinta San Blas by Ananay Hotels (Superior)

Transfer to the airport for your flight home via Lima, arriving back in the UK the next day.