Overview

Lima - 2 nights
Sacred Valley - 2 nights
Machu Picchu - 1 night
Cuzco - 2 nights
Lake Titicaca - 2 nights
Lima - 1 night
Flight - 1 night

Spendology - Widgets

LOST WORLD OF THE INCAS - 2024

Intriguing, revealing, and ranging from haunting valleys to high-altitude Andean peaks, this is a journey by road, rail, and air, from the capital, Lima, to the cobbled streets of Cuzco, exploring Peru’s Inca heritage in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca

Hiram Bingham’s 1911 discovery of Machu Picchu must have been overwhelming, not least because there was no written record that the ‘lost city’ ever existed; and here it stood, in a spectacularly scenic but barely accessible setting, built in the 15th century, and abandoned after just 80 years. The Incan Empire was hugely extensive in its heyday, but short-lived; highly advanced in many ways, but with no written form of its Quechua language; which makes it all the more surprising that Quechua is still spoken in the Peruvian heartlands of the Inca civilisation, intermingled with Aymara-speaking descendants of the earlier Bolivian culture. This tour introduces both, visiting Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley; Machu Picchu, hidden in ferns and forestry for 500 years, and famously shrouded in mists and mystery; and Lake Titicaca, the birthplace of the Incan empire, and home to the floating Uros islands, ingeniously built and lived on by Aymaran Indians. Contemporary and colonial sites add an extra dimension to the tour; in Lima’s modern metropolitan skyline contrasting with the golden façades of its historic heart; the lavishly frescoed Andahuaylillas church; and Cuzco, intertwining past and present, with all its history on show.

Key Features

Cultural & Natural Wonders
Jules Verne Sightseeing
3 UNESCO Heritage Sites
Solo Group Departure
Local Expert Guides

Special Event

Maras Culture & Tradition

Immerse yourself in the Andean culture, visiting the typical and rural village of Maras in midst the Sacred Valley. You will be welcomed by a group of villagers, who will introduce you to their culture, customs and traditions. Learn how to dance ‘huanyo’, a few words of Quechua or how a traditional hat is made.

Day 1 Fly  to Lima, and transfer to the 4-star Casa Andina Select Miraflores for a two-night stay.

Day 2 Peru’s vast capital is, at once, sophisticated and chaotic, colonial and cosmopolitan, arid and oceanfront. A tour of the city shows you the stately buildings of the Plaza des Armas; the Larco Museum of pre-Columbian art, housed in a hacienda; and, in the UNESCO listed Historic Centre, the monumental 17th-century San Francisco Convent, the largest in South America. (B, L)

Day 3 Fly to Cuzco and journey to the Sacred Valley (at an altitude of 2,400m), visiting the Manos de la Comunidad, for an insight of Andean peoples’ customs and crafts; and touring to the town of Pisac, known for its Indian Market, and overlooked by the ruins of an ancient citadel. Continue to Urubamba for two nights at the 4-star Hotel Taypikala Sacred Valley. (B)

Day 4 Enjoy the different aspects of this special place, where picturesque colonial towns and little crafting villages enjoy a peaceful co-existence with significant Inca sites. We visit the archaeological site of Moray, on a high plateau; Ollantaytambo fortress, with views of its beautiful Inca village, the best surviving example of Inca town planning; and include a stop to view the UNESCO protected Salt Mines of Maras, where thousands of salt pools are stepped into pre-hispanic terraces; making a special visit to Maras village. (B)

Day 5 Travel on the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes and make the final ascent by road to Machu Picchu (at 2,500m), covering a spectacularly scenic saddle of land with some 200, dry-stone-walled, religious and residential buildings. Among the most recognised ancient sites on earth, its cosmic alignment is acknowledged, but the Inca’s reason for it remains an enigma. Spend the rest of the day exploring the site at leisure, before returning to Aguas Calientes for an overnight stay at the 3-star El Mapi by Inkaterra Hotel. (B, D)

Day 6 Enjoy a morning in Aguas Calientes (‘warm waters’), perhaps to relax in the thermal baths and browse in the artisan shops; or return to the magical ‘old mountain’, Machu Picchu, for independent exploration (second entry to the site £80, pre-bookable only). This afternoon, return by road and rail (4hrs) to Cuzco, for two nights at the 4-star Hilton Garden Inn. (B)

Day 7 Once the Inca capital, awash with royal and religious buildings; then a 16th century Spanish colonial town, when monasteries and manor houses were built on the archaeological Incan remains, Cuzco and its surrounds offer revealing glimpses of centuries past. A tour today shows you the city’s cathedral and colonial buildings; the nearby Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman fortress and the baths of Tambo Machay; the Cultural Heritage archaeological complex of Kenko’s temple; and the Puca Pucara ‘red fort’ relics. (B)

Day 8 Journey by road across the Andean high plain (at 4,300m), visiting the town of Andahuaylillas and its Church of St. Peter, its incredibly ornate interior earning it the epithet of ‘America’s Sistine Chapel’; and continue to the temple ruins of Racchi, enroute to Lake Titicaca. At 3,800m, it is the world’s highest navigable waterway, mirror-still, mountain edged, dotted with islands, and steeped in legends. Divided between Peru (to the north and west) and Bolivia (south and east), this unique place is a world apart in more ways than just geographical. The 17th century Peruvian port of Puno is the lake’s main city; where we stay two nights at the 4-star Casa Andina Premium Puno. (B, L)

Day 9 Sail to the floating islets of Uros, still inhabited by Aymara-speaking Indians, the islands’ bases, houses, and whimsical boats all built with buoyant totora reeds indigenous to the lake; and continue to Isla Tequile, about 45km offshore and a couple of centuries back in time, a culturally colourful, community governed island, renowned for its textile art, where we enjoy a home-cooked lunch. (B, L)

Day 10 Transfer from Puno to Juliaca airport for the flight back to Lima, returning to the Casa Andina Select Miraflores for an overnight stay. (B)

Day 11 Enjoy time at leisure, perhaps to stroll through the lively, shop-lined, Piura Passage; or join an optional activity, which includes a visit to one of the markets in this gastronomic city, and a cookery class (£155, pre-bookable). Transfer to the airport for the overnight return flight. (B)

Day 12 Arrival at London Heathrow.

  • Key
  • B - Breakfast
  • L - Lunch
  • D - Dinner

Notes

This is a full itinerary with many visits on foot including some uneven surfaces and inclines. 

Entry to Machu Picchu is restricted and early booking is recommended.

On Day 5, your main luggage is transported to Cuzco so an overnight bag is needed for the Machu Picchu stay (max. 5kgs).

Day 8 includes a long transfer with sightseeing en route.

Altitude
Part of your itinerary will be travelling at altitude. We therefore strongly recommend that anyone, regardless of age, should consult their doctor to ensure that they are fully fit and understand the effects of travelling at altitude. This is absolutely essential if you have any pre-existing heart conditions, anaemia or lung problems.

2024

Sundays
per person in a twin/double room
Air France from Heathrow

Date Price
February 25 £3785
April 14 £4025
September 1 £4045
October 13 £4025

Supplements per person

Single Supplement

Single supplement £605

Flight Options

Air France from Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle – On request
Air France Business Class - On request
KLM from Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton – On request
KLM Business Class - On request

Optional Excursions

Machu Picchu 2nd day ticket £80
Market and cookery class £155

Extension Options

Extension - Nazca Lines
4 nights £1195
Single supplement £595

Extension - Amazon
4 nights £1355
Single supplement £325

Extension - Arequipa & Colca Canyon
4 nights £1425
Single supplement £1165

Extra Nights - Lima
Casa Andina Miraflores
(per night) £70
Single supplement £65
Arrival or departure transfer £55

Privately Guided

Add £1495 per person

Tour Only

Save £650 
Arrival or departure transfer add £55

Price Includes
Air travel and taxes, transfers, 10 nights’ accommodation, breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 1 dinner, itinerary as described, services of guides and local representatives. If our specially negotiated airfares are unavailable at the time of booking, a supplement may apply.

Not Included
Travel insurance, optional excursions, tipping, any government taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.

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Lost World of the Incas - 2024

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