Peru holiday, Tambopata & Inca Trail

The Bahuaje-Sonene National Park and the adjacent Tambopata National Reserve protect habitats ranging from the Andean highlands around the rivers' head waters through some of the last remaining intact cloud forests to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin.

Over 1,300 bird species (including 32 parrot species - 10% of the world's total), 200 mammal species, 90 frog species, 1,200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of higher plants are protected within these reserved areas.

You will stay at Sandoval Lake Lodge which is located on the high bluffs overlooking Sandoval Lake within the protected Tambopata National Reserve.

Sandoval Lake is an oxbow lake formed generations ago by the shifting waters of the Madre de Dios River, and it has evolved into a mature lake environment attracting myriad species of wildlife and flora.

Set in high Andean mountains at 3320m, Cusco is an attractive town which draws people from all over the world. Built on the foundations of an Inca city, you can still see intricate Inca masonry and buildings as you walk through the town. The huge cathedral dominates the main square which is also flanked by many shops selling alpaca jumpers, jewellery and many other crafts, textiles and artworks It is the favourite city of most visitors to Peru, as the mixture of ancient history, traditional Andean culture and a relaxed atmosphere makes it a charming place to stay for a few days.

After two days acclimatising to the altitude and exploring Cusco and its surroundings, the Inca Trail beckons.

Your bilingual guide picks you up at your hotel in Cusco for the 2 hour ride by private bus to the small Andean town of Chilca and on to the trailhead at Piscacucho. Here we will meet our porters and camp staff. As our porters load the heavy gear, we head off down river alongside the rushing Vilcanota river, through pretty cactus gardens with magnificent views of the Wakaywilca snowpeak to our right. We arrive at the Inca town of Llactapata and spend some time exploring this site before continuing up the Cusichaca valley to the hamlet of Huallaybamba where we camp for the night within view of the river.

After breakfast, we continue up through remnant cloudforest, ascending steadily to the head of a valley below the high pass of Warmiwanusca. If the weather is clear we'll get spectacular views of the Huayanay snowpeaks as we climb steadily over the pass (4200m)and down to treeline in the Pacaymayo Valley.

Today a steady 1-2 hour climb takes us over the second pass where we pick up our first signs of paved Inca road, as we climb an impressive carved stairway to the minor ruins of Runkurakay. Continuing up the Inca stairs we cross the pass and descend to the spectacular ruins of Sayacmarca for lunch. After lunch there is a gentle climb over the third pass to the ruins of Phuyupatamarca. The trail then descends via some of the finest, intact paved Inca road known, passing through moss-laden cloud forest down steep Inca stairs to Wiñay Wayna. The site was discovered in the 1940's and rivals Machu Picchu in splendour.

From here it is 2 hours through tree-fern laden cloud forest to Inti Punku (the sun gate) where we get our first awe-inspiring view of Machu Picchu, hopefully coinciding with the rising sun. We linger here, then wander down to Machu Picchu itself.

Machu Picchu, the famous lost city of the Incas, is one of the most evocative places in Peru. It is perched on a mountain ridge 600m above the Urubamba River which winds spectacularly through the valley below. The mountainside is clad in thick jungle cloud forest, often covered in mists which are quickly burnt off by the powerful equatorial sun. Constructed from precisely sculpted granite blocks carefully joined with the projecting exposed stone of the surrounding mountain, the site may well be the finest architectural achievement of the new world. Your guide will tell you the story of the rise and fall of the ancient civilisations of the Andes, the tragic end of the Incas, and the unresolved mystery that this 'lost city' remains.