This morning we'll fly to the beautiful city of Arequipa. Set beside the Chile River and three snow-capped volcanoes, Arequipa is known as the 'White City' because of its buildings of pearly volcanic rock. After a guided tour of the city, with its elegant Plaza de Armas and great cathedral, we'll visit the nearby Monasterio Santa Catalina to discover the convent's fascinating hidden and timeless world of religious art and architecture.

Early this morning we'll journey through the startling, scenic landscape of the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, past herds of vicunas and alpaca, and the Inca farming terraces that are still worked today, to the giant chasm of the Colca Canyon, where you will stay overnight.

We'll have an early start today, as we drive to the viewpoint at Cruz del Condor. Here, with luck, you'll catch sight of the enormous, majestic condors that make the Colca Canyon's spectacular landscape their home gliding on the swirling winds and thermals that rebound from the Canyon walls. Leaving the Colca Canyon behind, we'll head through the altiplano landscape Andean highlands to the Peruvian border town of Puno, on the shore of Lake Titicaca, where you'll stay for the next two nights.

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, and the birthplace, in myth, of the Inca civilisation. Now a National Reserve, it's a refuge for many species of migratory and resident birds. It's also home to the Uros and Taquile tribes, whose traditional villages and man-made floating islands of tightly bound reeds you'll visit as you take a boat trip out onto the lake. We'll leave the boat on Taquile Island, where a fairly strenuous walk will be rewarded with time to explore some local craft shops, enjoy a traditional Taquile lunch and learn about the local cultures.

Re-board your coach, today, and relax as you take a scenic journey through the Andean highlands and across the altiplano plateau to Cuzco, for a two-night stay in the archaeological capital of South America.

This morning, we'll discover how the varied and fascinating activities of Guinea-pig breeding, beekeeping, ceramics, coffee-growing and handmade chocolate production have developed to support the local communities. Try your hand at the different activities with the guidance of local workers, before we return to Cuzco. The Incas called Cuzco the 'Navel of the World', and its citadel (reputedly shaped like a puma) was an intricate maze of palaces and gilded temples. The conquering Spanish built their colonial city upon its solid foundations - the skilled stonework of the Inca Temple of the Sun, for example, now underpins a Baroque church. An included guided tour will reveal Cuzco's fascinating history and landmarks - from the elegant Plaza de Armas to San Blas, the bohemian arts district, and colourful San Pedro market's stalls selling local produce, clothing and crafts.

No visit to Cuzco is complete without travelling, through the terraces and rocky gorges of the Sacred Valley, to Ollantaytambo. We'll visit the Awanacancha textile centre, which preserves Incan art and fabric dyeing techniques, and the village and Inca ruins at Pisac, before arriving at the incredible fortress at Ollantaytambo. Once a key Inca stronghold, Ollantaytambo's layout and remaining Inca walls give the best glimpse possible of what an Inca town looked like five centuries ago. You'll stay overnight in the valley, in preparation for tomorrow's extraordinary day.

Whatever has gone before, today is sure to be the pinnacle of your holiday as you travel by narrow-gauge railway to the spa town of Aguas Calientes, then on by bus to Machu Picchu. This extraordinary mountaintop citadel is an absolutely unforgettable place. During your visit, our guide will explain the citadel's layout and the supposed significance of buildings such as the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Sunken Plaza. Afterwards we'll head to Aguas Calientes, just a short distance from the ancient site, where we'll stay overnight.

This morning you'll have the chance to visit Machu Picchu a second time and explore the site before the bulk of visitors arrive, or to relax at the hotel before we return to Cuzco by train.

As some of your newfound friends return home, you'll head to Cuzco airport to board the flight to Puerto Maldonado, on the southeastern edge of the Amazon Basin, from where you'll head into the heart of the Tambopata National Reserve and the eco-friendly Refugio Amazonas.

Make the most of a unique experience surrounded by some of the world's most exciting flora and fauna. Every day you'll be able to join special activities and excursions led by the hotel's very own guides, who will share their exceptional local knowledge of the region with you.

Today you'll fly back to Lima where you'll check in for your international flight home.

You'll arrive back in the UK after an overnight flight, and at the end of an extraordinary South American holiday.