Peru

A half-day local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Lima, will accompany you today.

Visit the Larco Herrera Museum, a former hacienda mansion which now houses the best collection of pre-Columbian art in Peru, with an outstanding silver and gold section. There are also fine examples of textile work on display (one of which has a world-record 398 threads per inch!), as well as tools that ancient Peruvians used to produce metalware, ceramics and huaco pots.

Board a flight to the 11,444-foot-high city of Cuzco, which was once the capital of the Inca Empire.

Stop at the Seminario Ceramics Studio in the town of Urubamba to see how the artists, Pablo Seminario and his wife Marilú, create modern clay pieces while using ancient pre-Columbian techniques. You may also see Peruvian animals that the couple have rescued, such as llamas, turtles, monkeys and macaws.

Discover the Ollantaytambo archaeological site, a huge complex constructed of rose-colored granite. This was the former royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, conqueror of this region.

Stop in this small Andean, where Inca ruins include agricultural terraces, some still in use, believed to date back to the reign of Tupac Yupanqui in the late 15th century. The parish church, built on top of a ruined temple, is adorned with amazing paintings by the indigenous artist Chiwantito. If you happen to visit on a Sunday, you will experience the colorful open-air market held in the main square.

Make your way up the hill opposite the ruins for an overview of the town and a visit to El Balcón del Inka, a co-op where weavers sell their work and demonstrate their skills at spinning, dyeing with plants, and weaving the silky fleece of their alpaca herds.

Enjoy a visit to Maras, famous for the terraced salinas that have been exploited since Inca times. You'll see a huge network of man-made pools carved into the slopes to collect subterranean streams rich in salt. The ponds are still used to evaporate the water and collect salt crystals, a precious commodity.

Transfer to the Ollantaytambo train station this morning for a spectacular journey to Machu Picchu. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views!

Visit the awe-inspiring citadel of Machu Picchu, a pre-Columbian site built at an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet in a mountainous rainforest so remote it remained unknown to the Spanish Conquistadors. It was discovered in 1911 by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham, author of a bestseller, The Lost City of the Incas, which has inspired generations of archaeologists ever since. Now it's your turn to feel the magic and the power of this place, masterfully constructed for Inca emperors.

Get transported back in time as you climb in their footsteps to spell-binding sites such as Intipunku (Sun Gate), and the Sacred Rock.

Sit down in splendid scenery for a buffet lunch with a choice of international and Peruvian dishes.

Board the train to Ollantaytambo

Enjoy some free time in Cuzco today.

Travel to the small town of Andahuaylillas, located 25 miles east of Cuzco, at an altitude of 10,170 feet.

On your visit to this Baroque sanctuary, you will discover a wealth of frescoes, paintings and gilding which adorn walls, altar and ceiling in an ensemble so stunning that the church has been called the Sistine Chapel of the Andes.

This visit will lead you to the remains of the largest temple complex ever constructed by the Incas, which included a temple 80 feet wide, 60 feet high and 300 feet long (length of a U.S. football field).

Travel to a city that was founded in 1668 on the Peruvian shores of Lake Titicaca.

Visit the stunning pre-Incan burial site of Sillustani, which overlooks Lake Umayo, a gem of a lake that, according to modern lore, lies close to alien landing strips. See tower-like family graves called chullpas, which are all facing east, the place where the ancient peoples of Peru believed the Sun God was reborn each morning from Mother Earth.

Please note that there may be an overnight flight on this itinerary, with arrival at your destination city on the day after your flight departs.