Cultural Peru - Machu Picchu, Inca Villages & Lake Titicaca

Peru

Peru is full of ancient wonders, its most famous being the mysterious lost city of Machu Picchu. Laying eyes on it for the first time is a once in a lifetime feeling that can’t be described. Beyond this bucket-list wonder, Peru offers a hugely rich cultural experience, with many of its ancient Inca customs and beliefs still in evidence today. There’s another cultural high on the vast, ocean-like expanse of Lake Titicaca, visiting islands where life has remained unchanged for centuries.

What makes this experience awesome:

• Private holiday with personal guides and private transport included
• Travel by train to the unforgettable ruins of Machu Picchu
• Visit the most important temple of the Incan world, Cusco’s Temple of the Sun
• Visit authentic rural Peru, spending time with a locals who will give you a private workshop in Peruvian ceramics
• Step back in time in Ollantaytambo, the ‘Last Inca Village in Peru’, visiting a home that's been in the same family for generations
• Take in incredible views of the Peruvian Andes, from the panoramic windows of the Vistadome train
• Cruise across vast Lake Titicaca by boat, visiting the time-travel islands of Uros and Taquile

You’ll start your trip in cosmopolitan Cusco, taking in the spirit of this sacred city. With plenty to explore - from Inca temples to impressive cathedrals - you’ll have a sight-packed first day. After acclimatising to the altitude you’ll journey into the spectacular landscapes of the rural Sacred Valley, experiencing ancient and modern life existing side by side. You’ll learn the art of traditional Peruvian ceramic decoration before visiting a village house among the sleepy, cobbled streets of Ollantaytambo.

Then it’s time for the moment you’ve been waiting for: after the three-hour Inca Trail trek through waterfall-scattered forest towards the Inca Gate of the Sun, you’ll lay eyes on the mist-shrouded ruins of the enigmatic Machu Picchu for the first time. After spending the night in Aguas Calientes you’ll have a full day basking in the magic of this ancient wonderland. Next, you’ll move on to Lake Titicaca: this vast piece of water is the largest lake in South America and some of its islands rise as high as 4,050m, giving incredible views towards Bolivia. You’ll spend the day visiting the reed-woven Uros Islands, whose people have maintained their traditional ways of life for centuries, and Taquile, where the residents still speak the ancient Inca language of Quechua.

View Full Itinerary

To get our mini brochure for this holiday please click here, and we will email you a PDF copy.

For UK Government travel advice on this destination see: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Prices for departures to 30th October include a 20% Pioneers Club discount and are subject to Pioneers Club terms & conditions. Click here for more information about the Pioneers Club.