Welcome to Cusco! When you land in Cusco simply collect your luggage and make your way outside. Look for your driver, who'll be holding a sign with your name on it. They'll take you to your Cusco accommodation and you have the rest of the day to wander around and start to explore this incredible city - but please, take it easy if you've arrived from sea level today, as you need to acclimatize to Cusco's 3,000m (10,000ft) altitude.

Accommodation: 3* Cusco hotel

The sunny, incredibly scenic floodplain between Pisac and Ollantaytambo in the valley of the Urubamba River is known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Pisac is a tiny, cobbled Inca village which is home to the largest handicraft market in the region and a huge Inca fortress. We'll explore both, then set off into the Sacred Valley. We'll need frequent photo stops as we pass still-working Inca terracing, irrigation canals, and awesome mountain vistas. Our destination is Ollantaytambo, perhaps the most perfectly preserved of all Inca towns, a maze of cobbled alleyways and sun-drenched plazas presided over by a spectacular, llama-shaped ruin.

Accommodation: 3* Ollantaytambo hotel

Today starts with Chinchero, best known for its outdoor weaving studios and extensive Inca terracing with incredible views. Next we'll explore Moray - a mysterious complex of massive amphitheatres of incredible engineering precision and stern, magnificent beauty.

Then an easy stroll (or ride in the bus if you prefer), through rolling farmland and views of the high Andes, brings us to Salineras - a surreal and beautiful patchwork of pools and paths that still produces salt using Inca technology and is our favourite site in the Cusco region.

Accommodation: 3* Ollantaytambo hotel

An early start takes us to KM104 and the start of our trail. We start by visiting the Chachabamba archaeological complex, then hike three hours straight uphill to Wiñay Wayna, a beautiful archaeological complex which is also the last campsite on the four-day Inca Trail. We'll have lunch here before walking a further one to two hours to the Sun Gate and our first spectacular view of Machu Picchu. From here it is just 30 minutes more of hiking gently downhill until we are among the ruins of Machu Picchu, from where we'll ride the bus ride down to the town of Aguas Calientes where we'll stay the night

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: Basic, family-run hotel in Aguas Calientes

Minimum Altitude: 2,100m (6,888 feet)

Maximum Altitude: 2,700m (8,860 feet)

An early start rewards us with sunrise at Machu Picchu - a peak moment for anyone. A spectacular stone city
surrounded by incredibly steep, incredibly green mountains, Machu Picchu needs no introduction and is
deservedly one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. A guided tour is a necessary start to orient you in this
massive site, then you'll have time to explore the massive site and some of the surrounding peaks on your own before we catch the train back to Ollantaytambo.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 3* Ollantaytambo hotel

This morning an incredibly scenic drive takes us up to to the beginning of our favourite bike ride in the world. From remote Amparaes Pass down into the verdant Sacred Valley, you can choose to ride the whole trip on unpaved road, or you may like to sample some riverside single track - it's up to you! The ride ends in the outskirts of Calca, athe Sacred Valley's tourist-free local market town, and from here we'll head back to Cusco for the night.

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 3* Cusco hotel

Today a local friend who's a passionate cook and self-taught expert on regional dishes will accompany and teach us as we prepare an authentic Peruvian feast! We'll start at the Vinocanchón market in Cusco's suburban outskirts. This market, the biggest in the region and a hub for producers and wholesalers, is an experience in itself: one of the reasons Peruvian cuisine is so glorious is the diversity of Peru's produce - from ocean, coast, mountains and jungle - and it all comes together here!

Once we've selected our ingredients, we'll head to the kitchen, roll up our sleeves, and get down to the business of the day: preparing a three course Peruvian feast, with a Pisco Sour to wash it down!

Meals: All meals included

Accommodation: 3* Cusco hotel

There are things to do in Cusco to suit every mood and personality: churches, museums, and art galleries, rafting, horse riding, and cooking classes, just for starters. This is also the perfect day to just wander around and enjoy the spectacular mountain views, traditionally dressed locals, excellent cafes and charming architecture that make Cusco such a fascinating and beautiful place.

Meals: Breakfast included

Accommodation: 3* Cusco hotel

You can book your flight out for any time you like today, and your transfer to the airport is included in your trip, so please let us know your flight details so we get you there in time! If you're staying on in Peru, we're delighted to help out with suggestions and assistance for the rest of your time here.

Meals: Breakfast included