Peru In Depth and the Inca Trail

This 18-night escorted tour with Explore Worldwide sets off from Lima, where colonial architecture meets a burgeoning food scene. After visiting the pre-Inca adobe temples at Pachacamac, the route heads south along the desert coast to see the vast Nazca Lines from a viewing platform.

The journey continues inland to Arequipa, known for its white volcanic stone architecture, and then climbs into the Altiplano with its herds of llamas and alpacas. From the Colca Canyon, twice the depth of the Grand Canyon, a walk passes Inca terraces and villages before the group reaches Lake Titicaca to spend a night in a village house on Taquile Island.

The final section follows the Sacred Valley to Cusco, the former Inca capital. Here the group tackles the classic Inca Trail or the alternative Quarry Trek, with campsites near original ruins and climbs to high passes before arriving at Machu Picchu’s Sun Gate. The last days include a guided tour of Machu Picchu and Cusco’s archaeological sites, winding down in the city’s quiet artisan quarter.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.