Peru and Bolivia Enigmas: Machu Picchu, Titicaca & Uyuni

Breakfast at the hotel.

Half-day city tour

At the arranged time, we collect you from your hotel for a panoramic tour of the city, taking in the Colonial Centre, the Main Square, the Government Palace, the Cathedral Basilica, the Archbishop's Palace and Lima's Municipal building. We also step inside the San Francisco complex, a convent whose cloisters and catacombs date from the colonial period. The tour opens with a panoramic look at Huaca Pucllana and at Lima's traditional residential and commercial districts, before moving on to the historic centre. It closes with a sweeping view over the Pacific and the beaches of Miraflores, seen from the Parque del Amor. Overnight in Lima.

Meals: Breakfast

You'll be driven to the airport in good time for your flight to Cusco. Our team will be waiting on arrival to take you to your hotel.

Half-day city tour with visits to archaeological sites

We collect you from your hotel at the appointed time to explore this colonial city, raised on the foundations of Inca palaces. The route takes in the Plaza de Armas, the Temple of the Sun — known as Qoricancha — and Cusco Cathedral, where fine paintings and sculptures await. From there we continue to the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, a place of many uses where the Sun, the Moon and the Earth were all worshipped, and which also served as a military stronghold and a site for observing the stars. Next comes Q'enqo, a place of worship associated with fire, followed by Puca Pucara, which functioned as a supply depot and an Inca checkpoint and where ceremonies honouring the wind were held. The tour ends at Tambomachay, dedicated to the worship of water and fertility. Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel.

Full-day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas

The morning brings us to the lovely town of Pisac, with its craft market, its lively fair and its narrow lanes. We then travel on through the Sacred Valley of Urubamba, where a generous buffet lunch is served. Afterwards we visit Ollantaytambo, an Inca settlement still lived in today, which preserves an intricate network of irrigation channels and foundations from that era — much of the present town stands directly on top of them. The archaeological site at Ollantaytambo is remarkable for its terraces, fortifications, plazas and canals, and for the Royal House of the Sun, a megalithic temple of profound spiritual importance. Overnight in the Sacred Valley.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast at the hotel.

Full-day excursion to the Sacred City of Machu Picchu

At the appointed time, we transfer you to the railway station to begin the journey to the Sacred City of Machu Picchu, celebrated as one of the wonders of the world and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The train carries us to the town of Aguas Calientes, from where a bus climbs to the archaeological centre and the guided visit begins, lasting roughly two hours. Throughout the visit you'll take in temples, plazas, terraces, dwellings and storehouses, along with the rich biodiversity of the surrounding area. Machu Picchu's beauty owes much to its extraordinary setting: a National Reserve of 32,500 hectares has been created around the citadel, taking in a cluster of archaeological monuments which we believe were built as part of the wider Machu Picchu complex rather than standing alone. At the scheduled hour, we make our way back down to Aguas Calientes, where lunch is included, before returning to Cusco. Overnight in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the bus terminal to board the tourist coach heading for Puno.

The Sun Route by tourist bus

Along the way, we stop at the church of Andahuaylillas, often called the Sistine Chapel of South America; at the archaeological site of Raqchi, one of the foremost temples raised to the god Wiracocha; at the La Raya pass, the highest point on the route at 4,335 metres above sea level; and at the site museum in Pucará. On reaching Puno, our team will be there to take you to the hotel you've selected. Overnight in Puno.

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel.

Copacabana and the Island of the Sun by tourist bus

We set off early for Copacabana, following a road that traces the shore of Lake Titicaca with magnificent views of the Cordillera Real along the way. On arrival, we visit the Sanctuary of the Dark Virgin, and lunch is provided. In the afternoon we board a boat for a crossing of around an hour and a half to the southern end of the Island of the Sun. Coming ashore, we visit the remains of Pilkakaina, the Inca temple, then make a short climb up the Yumani steps to the Fountain of Youth, where you can drink the sacred water to purify yourself, and admire the beauty of the Inca garden. Finally, we transfer to Huatajata, where a coach is waiting to carry us on to La Paz. Overnight in La Paz.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast at the hotel.

Half-day city tour

In the afternoon, at the arranged hour, we collect you from your hotel to discover La Paz's traditional markets. We begin with a panoramic look at San Pedro Prison, well known for a layout and internal structure quite unlike any other prison. Next comes the experience of riding the longest cable-car network in the world. We then head for the celebrated Valley of the Moon, 10 km from the centre of La Paz, named by the astronaut Neil Armstrong for the curious clay formations sculpted by wind erosion and heavy rainfall. Crossing La Paz's residential districts, we continue to the Killi Killi viewpoint for a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the city. The historic centre follows, where you'll see Murillo Square, the Legislative Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Church of San Francisco. The tour closes at the Witches' Market, where your guide explains the mystical side of Andean ritual and belief. Overnight in La Paz.

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel.

Half-day excursion to the archaeological centre

At the appointed time, we collect you from your hotel and leave La Paz for the pre-Inca site of the Tiahuanaco culture (1500 B.C.), where you'll see the renowned Gate of the Sun, an array of monoliths, the Akapana pyramid, the Kalasasaya temple and the semi-subterranean temple with its tenon heads. Once the excursion is complete, we cross the border back into Peru and continue to Puno. Transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Puno.

Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast at the hotel.

Pre-Inca archaeological centre "Sillustani"

At the arranged time, we transfer you to Juliaca airport so you can continue your journey. En route, we pause briefly at the pre-Inca site of Sillustani, 16 km from Puno on a small peninsular plateau, home to the highlands' finest funerary towers — the chullpas — which date from 600–800 A.D. Sillustani's setting is simply magnificent, ringed by the Umayo lagoon. We then arrive at the airport for your departing flight from Juliaca. Our services conclude here.

Meals: Breakfast