Your South America holiday begins in Peru. Set in high Andean mountains at 3320m, Cusco is an attractive town which draws people from all over the world. Built on the foundations of an Inca city, you can still see intricate Inca masonry and buildings as you walk through the town.
The Inca Trail is one of the most famous treks in the world, and follows an ancient Inca pathway that originally ran from Cusco to the ‘lost city’. Today’s trailhead is some distance from Cusco. The spectacular scenery is ever-changing as you move from the lower forests to high altitude grasslands and misty cloud forests. You pass several Inca fortresses along the way (Llactapata, Runkurakay, Sayamarca, Phuyupatamarca, and Winay Wayna), and there are often awe-inspiring views across the snow-capped peaks of nearby mountains. Walking the trail can make your arrival at Machu Picchu even more spectacular and gives you a great sense of achievement.
From Machu Picchu you head back to Cusco by train, before flying to Lima. From here you fly to Quito in Ecuador and then on to the Galapagos Islands. Your South America holiday finishes with a 7 night cruise around the Galapagos Islands, one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences. Your home for the next week is a prestige class yacht and you will have the opportunity to explore some of the islands on foot and also go swimming and snorkelling, perhaps even being joined by sea lions.
Included
All accommodation (in 3* hotels or camping on trek), excursions as shown, flights Lima-Cusco-Lima and Lima-Quito and Quito-Galapagos-Quito.
Is it for you?
The Inca Trail is a moderately challenging trek. You will need to carry a small backpack with your requirements for the day, but porters will carry the rest of your gear. You need to be relatively fit to cope with the trek bearing in mind the altitude you will be at (as high as about 4200m). We strongly recommend that you spend 2 days in Cusco before the trek to acclimatise.
Best time
The Inca trail is best between April and October (dry season). The Galapagos Islands are a year round destination.
Getting there
From the UK, flights to Lima cost from £700.
