Leaving from home, your overnight flight will arrive into Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) situated in Lima (the capital of Peru), bright and early the following morning.

On arrival from your spectacular flight over the Andes to Cusco, we transfer you to your hotel and start acclimatising to the rarefied air of this beautiful city (3,326m). In the afternoon, we take a short walking tour of the centre of Cusco to point out the main sights, stretch your legs and experience walking around town at 3,300m. At a convenient time your guide will arrange a full briefing for the days ahead.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 34 Metres Approx.

This lovely half day on the bike is a superb introduction to the Inca heritage of Peru, as well as being suitably flexible to suit everyone, from the beginner to the experienced rider. At 3,250 – 3,650m, this is also a perfect acclimatisation ride to prepare you for your onward travels at altitude.

Leaving Cusco early morning, we transfer by car to visit the Inca ruin of Tambo Machay. This is popularly called The Inca’s Bath due to its finely preserved waterfalls, carefully diverted through fine stone channels. We also visit Puca Pucara, a delightful ruin on a small prominence now believed to be a ‘tambo’, a rest house for travelling animals, goods and travellers, rather than the ‘red fort’ its name suggests. Here we start our mountain bike journey. All trails are largely downhill as we wind our way back towards Cusco, enjoying spectacular views of the valley and city itself. Your support vehicle is nearby for virtually the whole trip, and can be used to carry any weary riders and extra gear.

Our third ruin is a large outcrop of rock known as ‘the Temple of the Moon’. This ruin demonstrates the Inca’s impressive skill with stone. We then continue down the road to our final and most stunning ruin, the extensive Sacsayhuaman. Although the smaller stones of Sacsayhuaman were used to build modern day Cusco, the remaining stones are up to 8.5m high and weigh over 360 tons. A final downhill either by smooth road or “step jumping” down an old Inca trail brings us to San Cristobal church, built on top of Inca Manco Capac’s palace and allowing a fantastic view of Cusco. We pass through the Plaza de Armas and end the tour just outside town to avoid the traffic.

After lunch, you have the option to chill out and explore Cusco on your own or for those who want some more biking action, we will head back up out of town to the small village of Huayllacochca. We’ll pick one of the many different routes back to Cusco, ranging from gentle swooping dirt roads suitable for everyone, to more challenging courses for those with some experience. Having completed our first descent down to Cusco, we can enjoy a snack in the support vehicle whilst returning to the top for another go! Your guide will suggest a route depending on the group’s ability, encouraging you along so everyone has a great time. There are both gentler and more challenging routes and we can even do some uphill… (if we have to!)

Altitude Gain 34m / Altitude Loss 494m

Max Altitude 3780m / Min Altitude 3320m

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 80 Metres Approx.

Today our biking journey begins in earnest. Following a short bus ride to avoid Cusco’s traffic, we head to Huambutio on a good tarmac road. Here we turn off the main road and take a beautiful, rarely used road beside the Rio Urubamba.

With the support vehicle close at hand we can focus on taking in the great scenery. We can chose to stick on the tarmac or take off and explore lesser trodden dirt trails on this mainly flat ride.

We stop for a picnic near the river, before heading on to today’s goal, the town of Pisac. We look to arrive in time to explore its artisan market, perfect for picking up souvenirs or photographing a typical Andean market. Our overnight stay the is at a hotel in Pisac.

Altitude Gain 80m / Altitude Loss 190m

Max Altitude 3095m / Min Altitude 2985m

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 80 Metres Approx.

A short tarmac ride through Pisac village, across the Urubamba river brings us to Taray and the start of a lovely, rarely used trail along the far side of the Sacred Valley.

This lovely dirt track undulates between local villages and haciendas, where we can see traditional farming methods still in use against the beautiful backdrop of glaciated mountains and Inca ruins.

The support vehicle will be on hand for the final section, allowing us to carry on through the villages of Qoya, Lamay and Calca. En route we’ll enjoy a delicious picnic lunch. If you are feeling strong we can then continue to Urubamba and our hotel for the next two nights.

Altitude Gain 80m / Altitude Loss 205m

Max Altitude 2985m / Min Altitude 2860m

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 130 Metres Approx.

Fantastic views, fast descents and fascinating insights into local culture make this a day you will remember. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an ace racer to enjoy it. Your expert guide will show you all you need to know and with the help of the latest full suspension bikes you will be cruising the trails in no time.

A short drive takes us to the start point amongst the fields of the Chinchero plateau. Potatoes, beans, corn, kiwicha and quinoa combine their colours to lend a patchwork effect to this very traditional agricultural area. With a constant backdrop of the snow capped Urubamba range this is a photographer’s dream. The riding starts gently on mainly flat trails. Soon a few small uphills punctuate the route to Moray where you jump off the bikes and visit these unique Inca ruins. They are very different to anything else you will see, the concentric circle terracing is thought to have been used as an early agricultural laboratory. The different depths and aspects allowed by the circular terracing helped the Incas predict what crops might grow where. When you finish your tour of the site lunch will be set up and waiting for you.

After lunch, we take mule-trails on a few technical gullies and downhills. Whilst some parts are a bit tricky for beginners, with the help and encouragement of your guides you will arrive at the ancient town of Maras and on to the salt pans of Maras. Still mined by hand you could even buy some to take home as a great souvenir.

For the experienced bikers there is an option to enjoy an exciting zig-zagging downhill singletrack to the Rio Urubamba, and a short ride all the way to the hotel. For the less experienced it can be a lovely hike.

Altitude Gain 130m / Altitude Loss 956m

Max Altitude 3734m / Min Altitude 2855m

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 45 Metres Approx.

Just outside Urubamba we cycle to a local pottery where we can have a go at decorating our own pottery (which will then be fired and delivered to our hotel a few days later – a unique souvenir).

Afterwards we jump back on our bikes for a largely flat and gentle ride, following the Rio Urubamba, through small villages and onto the town of Ollantaytambo where we check into our charming hotel for the night before going out to explore this lovely Inca village.

Altitude Gain 45m / Altitude Loss 107m

Max Altitude 2869m / Min Altitude 2807m

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

In the morning, we can visit the impressive Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, or just relax in one of the many restaurants and bars around the square and watch the world go by. At lunchtime we catch the train from Ollantaytambo that follows the raging Urubamba River to Machu Picchu town. Here we walk up to our hotel in this colourful town and if time permits, explore its shops for souvenirs or visit the hot springs.

• Meals: Breakfast

First thing in the morning we head up the hill to the fabled Lost City of the Incas – Machu Picchu, for a fully guided walking tour of Machu Picchu’s residential, religious and agricultural sectors. Your guide will explain the fascinating history of the Incas.

In the afternoon, we board the train for a trip along the Sacred Valley of the Incas. From here our minibus takes us to our hotel in Cusco, before a celebratory dinner in one of Cusco’s excellent restaurants.

• Meals: Breakfast

After a fantastic trip, today it is time to head home. We transfer you back to Cusco airport for your return flights.

We always do our best to stick to this itinerary but please be aware that we can’t guarantee to follow this schedule exactly. The tour will be adapted for the family’s riding ability and interests. Very occasionally events that are out of our control mean we have to make some changes, but we’ll ensure you still have a great time!