PERULima.Lake Titicaca.ArequipaJuliaca.Cusco..Machu PicchuBOLIVIA115Essentials Climate Varies according to elevation. The rainy season is from November to March. When the sun is out on the altiplano, moderate temperatures prevail but it can be very cold at night or when cloudy. Festivals Inti Raymi, 24 June 2011, Candelaria, February. Señor de los Milagros, October. Travelling from UK Time difference (GMT) -5hrs Travel time 19hrs Highlights of Peru 14 days, 12 nightsLima 1 night, Arequipa 2n, Puno 2n, Cusco 3n, Sacred Valley 1n, Machu Picchu 1n, Cusco 1n, Lima 1n.Day 1 Fly from the UK, arriving Lima the same evening. Day 2 Morning at leisure, afternoon flight south to Arequipa, Peru's picturesque colonial second city. Day 3 City tour and visit to the Santa Catalina convent?oasis of calm and a village in itself. Day 4 Fly to Juliaca and continue by road to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, via the ancient chullpas (burial tombs) of Sillustani. Day 5 Excursion to the floating reed islands of the Uros Indians. Day 6 Full-day bus journey to Cusco with guided tour of Pucará and stops at picturesque villages en route. Day 7 City tour and visit to the ruins surrounding Cusco, including the gigantic temple-fortress of Sacsayhuamán. Day 8 At leisure in Cusco. Day 9 Excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visits to Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Overnight in the Sacred Valley. Day 10 Train to Machu Picchu, guided tour of the ruins. Overnight. Day 11 Return to Cusco. Day 12 Fly to Lima. Half-day tour of the colonial heart of the city. Day 13 Fly to the UK arriving day 14.Prices from £1,441pp (standard); £1,989 (superior); £3,307 (deluxe) based on two sharing, excluding transatlantic flights. Daily departures from the UK 8AREQUIPA AND THE COLCA CANYONLocated at the foot of Misti Volcano, this sedate white stone city is the departure point for the drive to the Colca Canyon, the world's deepest.7LAKE TITICACA AND PUNOThe highest navigable lake in the world. Visit the peaceful islands and peninsulas. From lakeside Puno you can cross to Bolivia by catamaran.6CUSCO, MACHU PICCHU AND THE SACRED VALLEYCusco is a cultural treasure-trove, with a surprise around every corner. A 4hr train ride leads through the fertile Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu.5SOUTHERN AMAZONASPuerto Maldonado, a 30 minute flight from Cusco, is the touch-down point for jungle visits. Deeper into the jungle is the Manú National Park, where the abundant wildlife enjoys relative isolation and protected status.020 8747 8315 / journeylatinamerica.co.uk bookings, consultant advice and additional information how about?» Discovering the remote Colca Canyon from Arequipa for 2 or 3 days (p121). » Visiting the mysterious Nasca lines and the Ballestas Islands. (p120) » Cruising the Galápagos Islands?fly to Ecuador from Lima (pp102-111).100 Miles200 KMSACHA LODGEISTOCKPHOTO.COMISTOCKPHOTO.COMISABELLE MAZILLE

INKATERRAfabienNE fossezCusco ,the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu No visitor is disappointed by Cusco, former capital of the Inca Empire, centre of Spanish colonial riches and modern university city with cutting-edge hotels and restaurants. Baroque churches overlay Inca walling, museums are stuffed with gold, and markets burst with fruit and intricate woven textiles. It's the jumping off point for the leisurely journey by train?or an energetic trek?to Machu Picchu, the 'lost city' of the Incas.A short drive from Cusco lies the Sacred Valley of the Incas (below), its fertile patchwork of fields sheltered by mountains, their slopes crafted with ancient agricultural terraces and their peaks capped with the grandiose ruins of ancient cities. Traditional towns such as Pisac and Chinchero explode into colour and festivity on market days. The fortress at Ollantaytambo towers over the river where the cliffs close in to form a tight gorge, wide enough only for a railway: this is the route of the train to Machu Picchu, which heads down towards the jungles of Amazonia.Cusco itself has some lovely hotels occupying converted mansions in all categories, from the good-value Los Marqueses to the high quality Casa Andina Private Collection or the ex-convent, the Monasterio, and a new addition to the boutique scene, La Casona. But consider staying in the Sacred Valley, where the lower altitude promises a milder climate and you'll be centrally placed to visit all the highlights. Choose between long-standing favourites such as the Sol y Luna, the new Tambo del Inka, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa; boutique hotels?Hotel Rio Sagrado, Urubamba is a fine one?or even stay in your own serviced cottage: the Urubamba Villas has a delightful rural location.Spend at least one night in the vicinity of Machu Picchu to appreciate the ruins at leisure. The Sanctuary is the only hotel next to the mountain-top site but in the village of Machu Picchu (ex Aguas Calientes) below there's a good choice: the first class riverside Inkaterra Machu Picchu (above) where cottages are set in orchid-filled gardens, the extremely well-appointed Sumaq and several more modest places.116 PeruISTOCKPHOTO.COM