Inca Trail, Titicaca & Nazca

Welcome to Lima, the busy capital of Peru. There’s plenty of adventure on your trip, but today’s all about settling into the hotel. You will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Miraflores district of Lima. Around 6pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Peruvian welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want more time in Lima? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

We set off around 5.30am and drive south (four to five hours) to the port of Paracas. Here, we take a boat to the Ballestas Islands, a national park with one of the highest concentrations of marine birds in the world. There are also sea lions here and the Paracas Candelabra, a curious pre-Inca design on the hillside, only recognisable from the sea. The boat trip lasts around two hours, and once we’re back on dry land we drive for around an hour to Ica, in the heart of Peru’s wine-growing region. At the Huacachina oasis, just outside Ica, there are high dunes where we may have time to try sand surfing (optional). Upgrade to a deluxe room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

We arrive at Nazca in the afternoon with time to marvel at the Nazca Lines from viewing platforms. These are one of the world’s great archaeological mysteries, consisting of enormous drawings and patterns etched in the desert sand. Afterwards, for those who wish, there is the chance to take a scenic flight over the Nazca Lines (optional). Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

We turn inland from the coastal desert, climbing high into the Andes on a long (11 to 12 hours) but spectacular drive. This region has only recently become easily accessible due to an upgrade of the Abancay-Chalhuanca road. We may see vicuñas (a smaller wild relative of the llama), as this area is the largest vicuña reserve in Peru, while flamingos are also usually sighted at high Andean lakes near the road. The altitude here can make physical exertion difficult (the highest point we reach today is Negro Mayu at approximately 15,090ft/4,600m). We stay in Abancay tonight and we recommend resting after the long drive.

We set off towards Cuzco this morning, stopping en route to visit the unique Inca Saywite stone and Tarawasi ruins. The glaciated summits of the Vilcabamba mountain range and the descent into the Apurimac River valley demonstrate the dramatic contrasts of the Andes, and we should expect stunning scenery throughout today’s five to six-hour drive.

Cuzco has a multitude of attractions in and around the city, both active and historical, and today is free to explore. An optional visit to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the Pisac ruins is available, as is the option to try paddleboarding on a high-altitude lake on the plateau just outside the city.

Early this morning, we transfer (1hr 30min) from Cuzco into the Sacred Valley. Reaching the town of Ollantaytambo, we drive for one hour along the final stretch of road to the start of the Inca Trail at Piscacucho, recognized among adventurers as Km82. After greeting our trekking crew, we show our passports at the checkpoint and begin the fabled Inca Trail trek. Our route today runs alongside the Vilcanota River, beneath the snow-capped peak of Nevado Veronica, passing through cactus gardens and settlements, until we reach the terraced Inca ruins of Llactapata, where we continue up the Cusichaca Valley to camp near the village of Huayllabamba (9,186ft/2,800m).