DAY 1: Depart home cities, arrive Lima, transfer to your hotel in the Lima suburb of Miraflores.

DAY 2: Morning flight to Cuzco, the "navel" of the Inca Empire at 11,200 ft above sea level. Afternoon free for relaxing or poking around. Overnight in the historic center of the city at a small hotel built on the ruins of an Inca Palace! (B)

DAY 3: This afternoon will feature a tour of the city of Cuzco including the Plaza de Armas, Cathedral, and Inca Coricancha palace as well as a visit to the Inca ruins near Cuzco, which include:

• Sacsahuaman was called by the Incas "The house of the Sun" and referred to by the Spaniards as a fortress because of its zigzag shape. This complex, together with the city of Cuzco, is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the New World. Its massive stone blocks, weighing up to 125 tons each, were perfectly fitted to each other without the use of mortar.
• Quenqo is a temple dedicated to the earth mother, Pachamama. Composed of a huge rock, it was carved in situ with ceremonial canals and animals decorating the recumbent top, while a natural chamber beneath may have been used in preparation of the mummified dead.
• Tambo Machay, now popularly known as "the Baths of the Inca" is believed to have been a ceremonial site for the worship of water. The complex, with its well-crafted windows, walls and canals, illustrates the Inca's extraordinary knowledge of architecture and hydraulics.
• Puca Pucara, located at a strategic point along the road to the jungle, served as a watchtower to warn against the jungle tribes that were never completely dominated by the Incas.

We progress from 11,200 ft to approximately 11,400 ft. There will be walking but no strenuous hiking today. We may decide to dine at The Inca Grill, which features the best Andean music in Cuzco. (B)

DAY 4: Today we visit the Huari (or Wari) ruins of "Piquillacta." A large adobe, partially excavated, archeological complex from a major pre-Inca civilization. You will be surprised at the height of the houses, given the era in which they were constructed. A high wall outside the city, running north and south was obviously built to protect it from enemies approaching from the Vilcanota Valley. In the other directions the slopes are so steep as to render a wall unnecessary.

We continue our excursion to the town of "Tipón", at 13,372 ft, surrounded with platforms and Inca walls. This picturesque set of terraces, long stairways and stone canals suggests that Tipon was part of a royal hacienda belonging to Inca Yahuar Huaca, as well as a place of worship and agricultural research. The sense of harmony in the channeling of water via stone structures including aqueducts (some of which are underground), waterfalls and gullies, indicates the Incas' outstanding knowledge of hydraulics.

Afterwards we head towards "Andahuaylillas", one of the most beautiful colonial towns in the region. There is a picturesque main square with leafy pisonay trees overhead, surrounded by old estates. Its main attraction is its distinctive church, San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, which was built in the seventeenth century and is considered to be a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Its elaborately decorated interior is breathtaking, housing paintings from the Cuzqueño School of Art and baroque altars carved of wood. It is called "The Sistine Chapel of Peru" as it contains some of the most beautiful examples of colonial art. We will also pay a visit to Oropesa, which is known as the "Land of Bread" for its numerous bakery ovens that have provided Cuzco with fresh bread since ancient times.

We could opt to dine tonight at a restaurant featuring traditional dances of the Andes performed by a local dance ensemble. (B,L)

DAY 5: We will be driven early in the morning across the "Pampas de Anta" to the small village of "Chincheros" (known prior to the conquest as "the town of the rainbow",) altitude 12,336 feet. Along the way, we will enjoy spectacular views of the Vilcabamba mountain range and Salkantay Mountain which stands at more than 20,240 feet above sea level. This quaint little village is home to the famous "tejedoras" -- Andean women who weave blankets, tapestries, and wool garments and still conserve the same techniques of spinning that were used over 500 years ago.

We continue to the town of "Maras", where the descendants of the same 34 families still work the old salt mines that were built in pre-Inca times and were used by the Incas to provide salt for the entire empire. Here we watch women and men skimming the salt from terraces of pools created by an underground saltwater spring.  The entire process is done by hand and the methods have not changed since pre-Colonial times.

We descend to the archaeological center of "Moray", an impressive Inca site once used for agricultural experimentation, there we will see the magnificent andenerías (cultivating terraces) in circular form with different levels and climates. The Andean terraces, built on retaining walls filled with fertile soil and watered via a complex irrigation system, offer more than 250 different types of vegetables and cereals, such as corn, quinoa and kiwicha.

Ultimately, we will make our descent into the Sacred Valley of the Incas ending our day in the village of Tarabamba from which we drive back to Cuzco. (B,L)

DAY 6: This morning the non-hikers will depart for Rainforest or Lake Titicaca (see Sandoval Lake Lodge Tour or Titicaca Tour description) and the hikers will do a bit of altitude climbing in the Inca ruins of Pisac (elevation 11,300'), high above the Colonial market town. There will be a buffet luncheon in the Sacred Valley, as well as an afternoon tour of Ollantaytambo, where Manco Inca claimed one of the few victories over the Spanish Conquistadors. Back to Cuzco for the evening.(B,L)

DAY 7: An early morning departure by train for the first day of the Inca Trail Hike. (See details in Inca Trail Trek). (all meals while hiking)

DAY 8: Hiking

DAY 9: Our non-hiking group will return from Sandoval Lake Lodge by canoe, boat and plane, welcomed in Cuzco by your escort in the afternoon. Hikers continue on the Trail.(B)

DAY 10: Board the Vistadome train early in the morning for the dramatic ride to Machu Picchu (6180 feet), the great mountaintop city abandoned by the Inca, reclaimed by the jungle and lost to humanity until its rediscovery in 1911. Our guide will remain with us through the early afternoon to show us some of the marvels of this city. Plenty of time to stroll through the terraced gardens, staircases, temples, baths and tombs built at the height of the Empire. We will meet the hikers here and retire to our hotel in Aguas Calientes for the evening.(B,L)

DAY 11: Arise in the cradle of the most advanced pre-Columbian civilization! Pay an early visit to the solitary ruins. See the sunlight cut through the morning mist to illumine the citadel, listen for the hummingbirds and note the brilliant wildflowers along the paths. You may discover the Inca drawbridge, walk a little way back toward Cuzco on the Inca trail, perhaps even climb the sister peak, Huayna Picchu, before the train of tourists arrives. You'll find the resident llamas graceful and your ears will catch the melody of an Andean "huayno" sometime during your day. This is the best time to visit Machu Picchu as the rainy season has ended and the flowers are still in bloom. You can hear the roaring of the turgid Urubamba River as boulders are forced downstream by rainwater. In the afternoon and early morning wisps of clouds may drift through the ruins, making your experience there unforgettable! Catch the afternoon train back to Cuzco.(B)

DAY 12: Morning flight to Lima, where you settle in your Miraflores hotel. Perhaps in the afternoon you'd like to visit the Indian market nearby to pick up those last minute gifts.(B)

DAY 13: Morning tour of Lima's colonial attractions. Lunch on our own at a "chifa" in Chinatown. Chinese people came to Peru to work on the railroads and have since developed a cuisine blending the best Peruvian foods with Chinese expertise. In the afternoon we visit the Museum of Anthropology and Archeology which contains an important collection of ceramics, gold and silversmithing, and textiles of the ancient cultures of Chavin, Moche, Chimu, Tiahuanaco, Pucara, Paracas, Nazca and Ica. These well-designed exhibits will allow you to put the various Inca and Pre-Inca cultures of Peru into perspective. (B)

DAY 14: Morning flight back to your home city.

A minimum of 8 and maximum of 14 hikers will be accommodated on the hiking portion of the trip. A minimum of 15 and maximum of 21 guests can be accepted on the combined tour.

Optional extensions to the main tour:
Caral
Chiclayo-Trujillo
Overflight of the Nazca Lines