Perfect Peru

DAY 1 Lima Like a Local

After an early breakfast this morning it's time to shake of any lingering jet lag with a walking tour of Lima. Peru's capital is a rich kaleidoscope of colonial architectural jewels, revered pre-Columbian sites, charming residential areas and vibrant shopping districts perched beside the shimmering Pacific. Your expert private guide will meet you at your hotel before taking you to the 16th century Plaza Mayor (Main Square) - still graced by the Government Palace and the City Hall, as well as the 17th century San Francisco Convent, and its underground catacombs. Afterwards, you will be taken to the fabulous Rafael Larco Herrera Museum containing the exquisite collection of pre-colonial Peruvian gold and silver, and the largest private collection of pre-Colombian Peruvian art in the world.

This afternoon, we recommend consulting your handy Dossier for our favourite places to explore in the city.

DAY 2 The Amazon

This morning you will be met at your hotel for a private transfer to the airport, where you will check in for your flight to the Peruvian Amazon. After a one and three-quarter hours flight, you will collect your luggage and be met by our representative for a private transfer to Puerto Maldonando. Here you re-pack, taking with you only what is necessary for the next few days (we find it's helpful to do this at your hotel in Lima!), leaving the rest of your luggage in safe hands. From here you will be taken to a wharf for the 45-minute boat trip along the Madre de Dios River that will take you to the lodge. After a short briefing you will have time to settle into your room before meeting your guide for the next two days at the eco-lodge.

DAY 3 Internal Flight

After a later breakfast this morning you will embark on the 45-minute return trip to Puerto Maldonaldo and collect the rest of your bags before your one-hour flight to Cusco. After you have picked up your bags you will be met by a member of our team for a private transfer to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. After you have checked in, you will have the rest of the afternoon to explore and relax before a private candlelit dinner in the gardens later this evening.

DAY 4 Machu Picchu

This morning you will check out of your hotel and be met by your guide and privately transferred to Ollantaytambo train station, where you will board the Vistadome train for your one-and-a-half-hour journey up to Machu Picchu Pueblo.

The train has panoramic windows, giving you unsurpassed scenic views and photo opportunities galore as you travel up to Machu Picchu (we recommend sitting on the left-hand side for the best views). After a quick bus transfer from the train station to the ruins, you will have a private tour of one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Your guide will tell you just how the Incas managed to build the site with such precision and such beauty, and talk you through the altars used for human sacrifices, the temples carved in the shape of condors and the stones used to harness the sun. Once you've had your fill of temples and ruins, you'll board the train back to Ollantaytambo before being privately transferred to your hotel for the night.

DAY 5 Lake Titicaca

This morning you will check out of your hotel and take a private transfer to the airport. From here you will take an hour-long flight to Juliaca where, having collected your luggage, you will take a group transfer to your sumptuous hotel on Lake Titicaca. The journey will take a little over two hours, and after checking in you will have the rest of the day to relax or go for a wander along the beautiful lake shoreline.

DAY 6 International Flight

Today it is sadly time to bid adios to Peru as you check out of your hotel in the early morning for a three-hour private transfer to Arequipa. From here you will take an hour and a half flight to Lima, which will land late in the afternoon. Your overnight flight back to London leaves in the evening, again with a quick transfer in a European city, and takes around 14 hours.