Early morning transfer from the hotel to the airport for the 50-minute flight to Cusco. Transfer from airport to hotel. After a morning free to acclimatise, you will be picked-up for a tour of the city. We begin with a visit to the cathedral, which was built between 1560 and 1654 on the site of the palace of the Inca Wiracocha. Its main altar is completely covered in silver, and the church contains many fine paintings from the Cusco School of religious art. From the cathedral we move on to Qoricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, where we see some of the finest remaining examples of Inca stonemasonry. From the city we will go on to explore the Inca remains in the hills around Cusco. The Sacsaywaman Archaeological Park is home to the great fortress temple of Sacsaywaman itself, as well as the ritual baths of Tambomachay, the temple site of Qenqo and the fortified construction known as Puka Pukara.  In the evening you will have the opportunity to enjoy Cusco’s fine Novo Andino cuisine – based on traditional local ingredients and international gourmet techniques – and perhaps even a show featuring Andean music or dance.

Today will be spent in the Urubamba Valley - also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Apart from the valley’s breathtaking scenery – with fertile slopes surrounded by towering peaks – the main attractions include ancient ruins, colonial villages and traditional markets. The quiet village of Pisac is home to a colourful market and high above the village stand the ruins of the Inca ceremonial and fortress site of the same name. At the far end of the valley, Ollantaytambo is the only remaining example of Inca urban architecture, where descendants of the Incas live beneath the imposing ruins of the temple built by their ancestors.  We will spend the night in a valley hotel where typical colonial architecture and the quiet village atmosphere provide the perfect backdrop for all the comforts of the modern world.

From the village of Ollantaytambo we take the train to Machu Picchu on what is widely considered one of the world’s most spectacular train rides, following the Urubamba River through the gorge it cuts down into the tropical forest. Machu Picchu is set amid forested hills, on a saddle between two peaks, where it remained undisturbed by the outside world until its discovery in 1911. We will have the rest of the day to explore Machu Picchu’s streets, temples, palaces and residential areas in the company of an expert guide, before returning to Cusco on the afternoon train, arriving early evening to be transferred to the hotel in time for a free evening in the city.

After breakfast in the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to Lima, for your home flight or transfer to the hotel of your choice and an optional city tour of Lima