Andean High Plains Grand Tour

Enjoy an evening in Peru’s capital, taking advantage of its world-class restaurants, enjoying a pisco sour and getting a good night’s sleep before your adventure in the Sacred Valley.

Northwest of Cusco, the Sacred Valley is one of the most beautiful and historically important parts of Peru. The Valley was one of the bases of Inca civilisation, the river that winds its way through believed to be aligned with the cosmos. The valley is also home to many indigenous people living the same way they have been for centuries and it’s possible to visit local markets and communities.

Your private guide will take you on a comprehensive tour of the Machu Picchu citadel, really bringing it to life by detailing the history, significance and myths surrounding it as well as taking you to the hidden corners and best viewpoints. After your tour, you’ll descend to Aguas Calientes for a delicious lunch at the rustically elegant Inkaterra hotel, before an afternoon at leisure. You can explore the areas around Machu Picchu or carry on exploring the ruins.

Enjoy this beautiful city and UNESCO World Heritage site. Capital of the Incan Empire from the early 14th century until its Spanish conquest, Cusco is a beautiful city where you can find Incan ruins next to (or underneath) but Spanish colonial architecture.

Set high up at an altitude of 3,860 metres (12,660 feet) the deep blue waters of Lake Titicaca form the world’s highest navigable lake. The lake is set so close to the heavens that it’s a deeply spiritual place for the indigenous population of Peru and the founders of the Inca civilisation are believed to have risen from the waters of the lake. Spend your time exploring the lake and its surroundings – which are excellent for hiking – visiting the reed islands and their communities, and taking in life on the water.

In the shadow of the immense triple snow-capped peaks of Mount Illimani and at altitudes reaching 4,000m, Bolivia’s cultural capital, La Paz has earned itself the moniker of the ‘Tibet of the Americas’ and life at these lofty heights is admirable if not spectacular. The city’s indigenous, colonial, and modern influences might be as jumbled together as the electrical lines between the houses, yet a majestic Hispanic church and a modern high-rise bookending a street illustrates how it all sits captivatingly and stoically side by side.

Arguably Bolivia’s most breath-taking experience, the shimmering Salar de Uyuni are the world’s largest salt flats. Formed from the drying up vast prehistoric lakes, the salt flats stretch as far as the eye can see. When they flood each rainy season (November-March) the flats transform into a vast mirror which reflects the sky and seems to defy reality. During the dry season (April – October) the salt glistens until the horizon creating a surreal and magical atmosphere.