Andes and Altiplano: Cusco, Lake Titicaca and La Paz

It is said that Cusco was designed in the shape of a puma, with Sacsayhuamán as its head. The symbolism would be apt, since archaeologists believe this imposing fortress doubled as a ceremonial centre of supreme importance to the ancient Incas. Proving that it continues to be at the centre of Cusco’s traditions and heritage, modern-day Peruvians celebrate the Inca festival of Inti Raymi here in the shadow of its solid stone walls.

A visit to the impressive ruin is often combined with the nearby temple of Q’enqo, the ancient military complex of Puca Pucara and the ‘Inca Baths’ at Tambomachay.

The Sacred valley of the Incas, just an hour's drive out of Cusco following the river Urubamba towards the Amazon, is a fertile plain once known as the breadbasket of the Incas. Highly populated at the apogée of the Inca Empire, it is now a bucolic paradise of fields bulging with cereals and vegetables, dotted with colonial towns and villages, as well as the ruins of imposing Inca temples and fortresses  

The pretty village of Pisaq in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas hosts a colourful market 3 times a week, where you can haggle for handcrafted souvenirs and textiles alongside locals bartering for fresh produce. It's also home to an impressive Inca site set high on a hillside spur overlooking the town. Jutting out between two gorges, the large complex consists of temples, observatories and grain stores. Ollantaytambo sits at a strategic point where the river begins its descent to the Amazon jungle. The village has squat colonial houses with Inca foundations and quaint lanes and squares.  Most tours visit both.

Given that the popular image of Peru is so closely tied to the Incas, the modernity and chaos of present-day Lima can come as a bit of a shock. Yet look beyond the surface and this lively and dynamic metropolis is full of intriguing scenes of everyday life as well as a unique and vibrant cultural scene  ̶  ample reward for those who venture beyond the tourist trail of colonial cathedrals and catacombs.

This is the moment almost all visitors to Peru have come for: the chance to finally see the legendary Lost City of the Incas for yourself.

Perched on a remote mountain pedestal and shrouded by neighbouring Andean peaks, the secluded citadel of Machu Picchu was never found by the Spanish invaders and escaped plundering, making it the most complete and intact Inca site in existence.

The unusual floating existence of the Uros Indians began several centuries ago, when they chose to isolate themselves from the other peoples of the lakeshore and constructed island homes from the reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake.

With Peru’s Incas and Machu Picchu stealing the limelight, the most intriguing and impressive ruins in Bolivia don't enjoy mainstream fame and attention, but they delight those who come to visit them. The well-preserved archaeological site features impressive stone gateways, statues and walls evocatively adorned with faces.

This ancient city, founded over 2,000 years ago, was the capital of a sprawling empire that very much laid the foundations for the better-known Inca civilisation that came after. Tiwanaku flourished for some 500 years as a ceremonial complex of pyramids and opulent palaces, with a distinct social hierarchy and a mastery of mathematics, art and astronomy that is now thought to have been more advanced than that of the Incas.

Feel Tiwanaku's history come to life and imagine how it must have looked and felt in its heyday. You can also visit the new museum on the site, housing artifacts uncovered during excavation.

Bolivia's administrative capital is a beguiling place, a modern-day Andean city with an abiding sense of the mysticism of the ancients. This ramshackle city of steep sloping streets bustles with activity, and the streets are lined with traders in traditional Aymara costume offering their goods. A highlight in the heart of the city is the famous Witches' Market, brimming with potions, amulets and ritual offerings including gruesome dried llama fetuses.

Discover the historic centre with its quaint Spanish colonial buildings, from the Governmental Palace to the cathedral. Picturesque Jaen Street is a typical colonial alley which has been restored to its former glory.

La Paz is built in a mountain bowl: there are  several viewpoints where you can have a panoramic view over the city straddling the steep slopes and following its modest river down a narrowing valley

Some excursions offer a trip out of the city to visit the nearby Valley of the Moon, an aptly named landscape of otherworldly rock formations.

Even if Machu Picchu was not lying at the end of the tracks, resplendent on its mountain pedestal, this train journey would doubtless still be an attraction in its own right. It traverses one of the continent’s most scenic sections of rail, where each of the panoramas that glide past your window seems even more spectacular than the last.

At first you’ll look out over a serene rural tableau, passing a patchwork of fields studded by whitewashed adobe villages. Soon however the valley narrows into a dramatic gorge, carved by the tumultuous Urubamba river that gushes alongside the railway track. Bottle-green mountains and cliffs clad in dense vegetation accompany the final stretch to Machu Picchu village (formerly Aguas Calientes), where a zigzagging bus journey transports you up to the mountaintop Inca citadel.

For a real treat, upgrade to the luxurious Hiram Bingham train to arrive at Machu Picchu in ultimate style and comfort. Harking back to the golden age of rail travel, the carriages are sumptuously kitted out and two dining cars serve up an outstanding gastronomic experience.