Day One - Arrive Lima
Most flights arrive in the evening so your Peru holiday will begin when we will pick you up from the airport and take you to your hotel in the cosmopolitan Miraflores area of Lima. You should be in time to have a walk around the elegant Parque Central and perhaps take in an evening meal overlooking the Pacific?
Day Two - Fly to Cusco
Transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Cusco - the ancient Inca capital. You may find the altitude a little hard to handle at first so we will leave the afternoon free for you to just sit and sip a coca tea in one of the cafes overlooking the Plaza de Armas.
Day Three - Free day in Cusco
We've given you a free day in Cusco here. You will probably still be getting used to the altitude so this is a day for some gentle sightseeing and perhaps doing a little shopping, writing postcards, etc. Alternatively, we can organise a city tour of Cusco for you, taking in the Cathedral, Sacsayhuaman and some other nearby Inca sites.
Day Four - The Sacred Valley
Today you will go on a full day tour of the Sacred Valley. You'll get the chance to see some of the important Inca sites in the area, such as the fortress of Ollantaytambo and the Inca ruins at Pisac. At Pisac you can also visit the massive local market - a brilliant place to pick up bargains!
Days Five, Six, Seven and Eight - Trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
There will be an early-morning start today as you begin your trek along the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This will be a 4-day/3-night trek and you will be accompanied by expert guides and porters. It can be hard work at times but we can guarantee that it's worth it: all along the trail, the scenery is breathtaking and on the final morning when you arrive at dawn at the Sun-gate above the lost Inca city you'll know it has all been worthwhile. So you don't have to rush back to Cusco in the afternoon we will arrange for you to stay overnight at Aguas Calientes - a small town in the valley below Machu Picchu.
Day Nine - An extra day at Machu Picchu
After a well-earned lie-in to recover from the Inca Trail, today you will have the opportunity to revisit Machu Picchu and to make sure you explored every corner of this unique site. You might like to visit the watch-tower on Wayna Picchu from where you will get an unparalleled view of the site, or you might like to just relax in the hot springs that give Aguas Calientes its name! Either way, you will return by train to Cusco in the evening for your last night high up in the Andes.
Day Ten - Last Day on holiday in Peru!
Sadly, today will be your last day in Peru! You will catch a lunchtime flight from Cusco back to Lima so you will have a full afternoon to explore the capital and enjoy its superb colonial architecture (or its shops!) before being picked up from your hotel and taken to the airport for your international flight back to the UK.
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