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View over the city of Cusco, Peru

My recommendation would be to start the holiday in Cusco, Peru – you will need to fly into Lima and then take a flight to Cusco, most likely the following day if you are arriving from the UK. Because Cusco stands at roughly 3,200m above sea level you do need to acclimatise to the altitude by relaxing, eating lightly and doing little for your first couple of days, but luckily Cusco is a fantastic city, and just enjoying the place and its beautiful surroundings will be a great start to the trip.

Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu and is also where you’ll embark on the Inca Trail trek, which usually takes 3 nights. We always recommend a night in the village below Machu Picchu at the end, too – you’ve just spent the best part of 4 days getting there so why rush back to Cusco that afternoon on a 4-hour train ride? The train no longer terminates in Cusco so anyone returning from Machu Picchu must jump off in the Sacred Valley, which is roughly a 2-hour drive from Cusco. The valley itself is stunning and it is certainly worth stopping there for a couple of nights before you return to Cusco. It is slightly lower than Cusco and the climate is much warmer too.

Once back in Cusco, you could fly to the Amazon to stay a few nights in a jungle lodge, as it is only an hour away by air. I would also suggest you take the train across Peru’s scenic high-altitude plains from Cusco to Lake Titicaca, a serene and beautiful place with an incredibly rich cultural heart.

From there I’d take a combination of boat and bus across the lake to La Paz (Bolivia) a really interesting city where it is well worth spending a couple of nights. If you have time you should definitely also try to visit the Uyuni Salt Flats, one of the most surreal and beautiful places on Earth.

To end your trip I’d fly to Rio – South America’s most iconic city, where you can soak up the sunshine and Brazil’s national cocktail, the caipirinha as you enjoy the beach life and atmospheric bars. There are a number of heavenly beaches you can visit within striking distance of Rio, my favourite though is Ilha Grande, a subtropical island with no cars – only miles of pristine beaches, coves and rainforest just waiting to be explored.

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    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

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    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

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    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

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