Lost Peru

The Moche, the Chimú, the Lambayeque and the Chachapoyas all pre-dated the Incas and each had their own rich cultures in Peru's Highlands and Pacific coastal plain. As archaeologists explore Moche, Chimú and Lambayeque adobe cities and the Chachapoyan stone fortress Kuélap, more and more is being learned about these civilisations. This trip takes you to key archaeological sites and purpose-built museums, and also includes private tours of some of the major sites in Lima.

As well as the remarkable archaeological and historical delights you'll visit the ocean-front town of Huanchaco. This is renowned for fishing and surfing and for the way the local fishermen combine the two, riding the waves on traditional reed boats called caballitos ('little horses'). Not surprisingly, there are some great seafood restaurants here!

You'll travel by road from the Pacific coast to the valley of the River Marañón and on to cloud-topped Andean peaks and the 771m tall two-drop Gocta Falls. More than twice the height of the Eiffel Tower, Gocta only became known to the western world in 2005. This is a stunning region, with some 23 waterfalls in total and an incredible richness of wildlife, birdlife, butterflies and flora.

Throughout the trip you'll stay in great hotels, including a trendy luxury boutique hotel in a 1920s mansion in Lima's chic Barranco district, an elegant hotel in a colonial mansion on the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo and a spectacularly-located countryside lodge with amazing views of the Gocta Falls.