Day 1: Early morning transfer from the hotel to the airport for the 50-minute flight to Cusco (3,400 metres / 11,150 feet). Transfer from airport to hotel. Cusco was the spiritual and political heart of the Inca Empire and today it is a unique blend of pre-Hispanic and colonial architecture. After a morning free to acclimatise, you will be picked-up after lunch 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. From the cathedral we move on to Qoricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun, which boasts 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 Andean cuisine – based on traditional local ingredients and international gourmet techniques – and a show featuring Andean music or dance.

Day 2: Today we drive to Paucartambo, travelling through Andean landscapes of great beauty, with deep valleys, highlands and rural communities, a variety of bird life (including the Mountain Caracara, Puna Ibis and Andean Flicker) and the burial towers of the Lupacas pre-Inca culture. In Paucartambo we will stay at our charming house, a short walk from the main square of the village.
That evening a riotous firework display is held in the main square, during which dance groups perform wildly, leaping through the flames of the many bonfires set around the plaza, their masks lit like some medieval vision of hell. At around midnight, in an emotional gathering, the dancers meet again – this time without their elaborate costumes – to solemnly serenade the Virgin in front of the closed doors of the church.

Day 3: This is the central day of the festivities. The townspeople return to the plaza after attending mass to receive the gifts of fruit, handicrafts and toys rained down upon them by representatives of the dance groups. That afternoon, amid the air of excited expectation that runs through the waiting crowd, the Virgin, beautifully adorned and escorted by dancers, is finally taken from her resting place beside the main altar of the church to be carried through the teeming streets and squares of Paucartambo at the head of all the dance groups in their multi-coloured costumes, while each band plays the distinctive music exclusive to its group.

Day 4: We continue our journey to the Acjanacu Pass (3350-m/10,988 ft), which marks the official entrance to the Manu National Park. From here the road descends to the cloud forest, passing through Andean grasslands. We will have plenty of time to walk along the road and enjoy the area’s flora and fauna, which includes the Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicula peruviana), Golden-headed Quetzal, Blue-crowned motmots,  Mountain Toucans and many Tanagers, Flycatchers, jays and hummingbirds as well as the Spectacled Bear (South America's only bear), White-tailed deer, butterflies, ferns and orchids. We will spend the first night in our comfortable Paradise Lodge (1470 mt/4821ft).

Day 5: After our first night in the cloud forest, and before breakfast, we will take a walk to observe the cock-of-the-rock perform a daily ritual in which eight to ten males display at their lek to attract a female. Then we will return to the Lodge for a healthy breakfast and continue to the trailhead for our hike to the native community of Huacaria, the home of the Huachipaire ethnic group. This is an opportunity to study the culture and way of life of this people. We will visit their medicinal plant garden, walk their trails, enjoy a view of the waterfall and take a refreshing swim in the stream. Along the trail we’ll see many plantations of manioc, papaya, pineapple and coca, as well as some local fauna, such as spider monkeys, brown capuchin monkeys and birds such as spix guans, plumbeous kites and black vultures.

Day 6: Today we drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This rarely-travelled and picturesque road will take us to Pisac in the Sacred Valley. 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. We will spend the night in our valley hotel where typical colonial architecture and the quiet village atmosphere provide the perfect backdrop for all the comforts of the modern world.

Day 7: 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. 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. And on the plain above the valley floor the salt pans of Maras and the circular Inca terraces of Moray provide a perfect end to a full-day in the Sacred Valley.
 
Day 8: 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. We will spend the rest of the day visiting the picturesque Mandor Falls, beyond the village. The short hike to the waterfalls takes us through lush subtropical forest adorned with many species of orchids and inhabited by hummingbirds and other native fauna.

Day 9: 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 entire 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.