Peru and Bolivia Classic Adventure

On arrival, you are met and transferred to Hotel El Tambo I. Dinner at Café de La Paz (within walking distance) or in the hotel restaurant (set menu).

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Juliaca.

Full-day tour of the Uros and Taquile islands, including lunch. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Drive to La Paz via Desaguadero, with a short stop at Tiahuanaco.

After breakfast, continue to La Paz airport for the flight to Uyuni. You are met on arrival. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Luna Salada.

We continue to the indigenous community of Colchani to see iodised salt being produced by traditional methods, then enter the salt flat to see its typical features, including salt mounds, the 'eyes' of the salt flat and the first salt hotel, now a local museum. We visit Sajchilla Island, with its ancient cacti, and take a 20-minute walk. We continue towards Coquesa and explore the surrounding area, where you can see pink flamingos. Lunch is on the salt flat. In the afternoon we visit the Chiquini caves and Incahuasi Island, which has giant cacti growing among volcanic rock. On the edge of the salt flat, we watch the sunset with a coca cocktail. We then return to Colchani, stopping on the way to photograph the Great Salt Flat. Dinner in Uyuni, followed by a transfer to the airport for the flight to La Paz. You are met on arrival. Overnight at Hotel Rosario.

Transfer to the airport. On arrival in Cusco, you are met and transferred to Hotel Muñaywasi. Lunch and dinner at local restaurants (set menu). Overnight at Hotel Muñaywasi.

You are collected from your hotel at the scheduled time and driven to Km 82. The route passes through the Sacred Valley of the Incas. After about an hour and a half, we pass through the small town of Ollantaytambo, where we stop briefly to photograph the fortress and rest. We continue along a rural road parallel to the railway to Km 82, where we unload and prepare for the walk with our trekking team (cooks, assistants and porters). Here, everyone must show their passport to the Sanctuary staff. Once the passports have been checked, you cross a bridge to the other side of the river and begin climbing parallel to the Urubamba River, which runs from north to west through the Sacred Valley. On this first section of the Inca Trail, we visit the community of Miskay (2,800 metres), where we stop to meet local people and try chicha, a traditional drink offered by the women of the village. We then climb onto a small plateau with views of the Andean landscape and, at the foot of the mountains, the Inca site of Patallacta, at 2,750 metres above sea level. Here our local guide explains the history of the site. We then walk for two hours along the Cusichaca River, climbing gradually to a spot where we stop for lunch and a short rest. Afterwards, we continue through an area of dense vegetation, where you are likely to see the giant hummingbird, native to this region. After a two-hour walk we reach our first camp at Wayllabamba, at 3,000 metres, with views of the Andean landscape and Veronica Mountain (5,832 metres above sea level). Campsites are allocated according to Inca Trail entry availability and the season. (L, D) Note: the first day can be hot during the dry season (May to September). We recommend light, cool clothing, a good sunscreen and a hat to protect your face. Maximum altitude: 3,000 m. Minimum altitude: 2,650 m. Distance: 12 km. Approximate walking time: 5 to 6 hours.

On the second day of the Inca Trail we wake early, at around 06:00, to get ready and have breakfast before setting off. We walk along a narrow path lined with plants and cross a small bridge into a cloud forest. This section has many steps, so we recommend taking your time and resting whenever you need to. We continue to Llulluchapampa, where we stop briefly to rest and prepare for the climb to the highest point of the trek, the Warmiwañusca pass at 4,200 metres above sea level. This section covers about 2 kilometres and is fairly steep, so we recommend walking slowly and resting when needed. It is the most difficult part of the trek, at over 4,200 metres, but also one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. From the top of the pass there are views of the Andes. For this day, we recommend bringing some chocolate, lemon sweets, plenty of water and some coca leaves. At the top you can take the classic Inca Trail photographs. We then descend through a winding valley to our lunch stop. On this last section you may see various species of wild birds. We finish at the Pacaymayo camp (3,600 metres above sea level). (B, L, D) Maximum altitude: 4,200 m. Minimum altitude: 3,000 m. Distance: 13 km. Approximate walking time: 6 to 7 hours.