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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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Real Latin american experts

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    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.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    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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