Mexico & Peru
The Inca, Aztec and Mayan Civilisations
Castillo Tour - 18 Night Itinerary
Discover the rich colonial history, massive pyramids and archeological treasures of the ancient Inca, Aztec and Mayan empires in one incredible journey.
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Travel Highlights
- Journey to discover the great empires of the Incas, Mayans and Aztecs
- Best sights and architecture in Lima with our expert guide
- Explore local life and handicrafts on the traditional islands of Lake Titicaca
- Tour the Sacred Valley of the Incas to villages and archaeological sites
- Enjoy time in the Inca capital Cusco including a guided tour of this colonial gem
- Take the train up the mountains to Machu Picchu, the lost citadel of the Incas.
- Fly to Mexico City and visit the Aztec ruins at Teotihuacan
- Explore the Mayan ruins at Uxmal, Kabah, Chichen Itza and Tulum
- Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the Yucatan with 4-nights on a Caribbean beach
Tour Route
- Lima - 2 Nights
- Lake Titicaca - 2 Nights
- Sacred Valley of the Incas - 3 Nights
- Machu Picchu - 1 Night
- Cusco - 2 Nights
- Mexico City - 2 Nights
- Merida - 2 Nights
- Tulum - 4 Nights
- Return to the UK
This itinerary can be tailored to your preferences by our specialist advisors, who can provide a guaranteed price based on your choice of departure date, route, duration, flights, cabin, hotels, transport and excursions.
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Tour Itinerary
Lima
2 NightsDay 1 - Fly from the UK to Lima
Day 2 - Guided tour of Lima
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Fly from the UK to Lima
Depart on a daytime flight to Lima. On arrival at Lima airport, you will be met by our representative who will take you to your hotel for two nights on a bed and breakfast basis.
Monday, 16 June 2025
Guided tour of Lima
Included today is a half day tour with your local guide to discover both colonial and modern districts of Lima. Following an earthquake in 1746, the city was elaborately rebuilt, and today wide streets, vast plazas and old houses with ornately carved balconies are a legacy of this period. Visit the Museo Arqueologico Rafael Larco Herrera in the suburb of Pueblo Libre. Founded in 1926 by the Peruvian archaeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle, the Larco Museum showcases remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 3,000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. Featuring the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru and to the famous erotic archaeological collection, this museum is one of the most visited Peruvian tourist attractions.
Ursula Leonardo
Allpa
This small contemporary hotel is located in the heart of Miraflores, with plenty of access to local conveniences such as restaurants and shops. The rooms are comfortable, spacious and modern although simple in character, and all with modern amenities such as WiFi, air conditioning and private facilities. The hotel has a bar and restaurant serving…
Casa Andina Private Collection
The stylish Casa Andina Private Collection is located in the heart of Miraflores, close to many excellent restaurants. The 148 rooms are furnished in the modern European style, with modern amenities and private facilities. There is a lounge, swimming pool, bar, restaurant, and adjoining sandwich cafe for light snacks.
Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast…
Belmond Miraflores Park
The Belmond Miraflores Park is a deluxe oceanfront boutique hotel surrounded by a lush gardens, located in Miraflores, one of Limas most exclusive residential districts.
A modern exterior hides a touch of finesse throughout the hotel, whose 81 rooms and suites are luxuriously decorated with marble and granite bathrooms and king size beds. The observatory Restaurant on…
Lake Titicaca
2 NightsDay 3 - Fly to Lake Titicaca
Day 4 - Uros & Taquile Island
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Fly to Lake Titicaca
Transfer to Lima airport for your morning flight to Juliaca, where you will be met by our local guide and taken to your hotel in Puno for a 2-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The rest of the day at leisure.
Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Uros & Taquile Island
An early morning start to Puno port where a speedboat takes you to the floating island of the Uros. The Uros are an ancestral society that populates a series of artificial islands built with totora plant, a reed that grows in Titicaca lake. There they build their houses from totora. We continue to the island of Taquile, once part of the Inca Empire - its inhabitants speak Quechua. It is famous for its beautiful textiles. Enjoy a briefing about the island, take a walk along the beach and enjoy an included lunch in a local restaurant.
Manuel Quispe
Tierra Viva
Located on Jirón Grau, in the historic centre of Puno, only one block away from the Cathedral and easy access to the main square. It is also close to Lima Street, which is the most commercial and cosmopolitan street in the city where you can enjoy the best restaurants, popular art shops, and artistic bars.
…
Casa Andina Private Collection
Located on the shores of Lake Titicaca, in the surroundings of Puno city, the Casa Andina Private Collection Puno sits at 3,800 meters above sea level. Each of the 46 rooms includes a cable TV, heating, telephone, safe deposit box and a large private bathroom with hairdryer. The hotel features an excellent restaurant with stunning…
Titilaka Lodge
Experience Lake Titicaca on a secluded private peninsula staying in a luxury lodge on the lake shore.
Titilaka Lodge features sumptuous lake view suites, intimate fireside dining, wraparound terraces, and a heated outdoor pool. A serene setting, surrounded by incomparably blue waters, graced with dramatic dawns and spectacular sunsets.
The lodge is all-inclusive, with 18…
Sacred Valley of the Incas
3 NightsDay 5 - Train to Cusco & the Sacred Valley
Day 6 - Guided tour of the Sacred Valley
Day 7 - Willoq and Patacancha
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Train to Cusco & the Sacred Valley
Crossing the Andes on the Puno – Cusco route is an unforgettable experience all on its own. But doing it aboard the PeruRail Titicaca Train will make this a truly once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The PeruRail Titicaca Train was created to provide passengers with all the luxuries they could want in a trip, while offering them a chance to forge a mystical connection with nature. There is an open-air observatory car, allowing you to take in the majestic views while enjoying the typical music and dances of the Peruvian highlands.
During your trip, you will have the chance to take panoramic pictures of some of the quintessential Andean landscapes. The route covered by the PeruRail Titicaca Train is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world, with a trip that lasts ten and a half hours. At the start of the journey, passengers are welcomed at Puno Station, where local musicians will provide background music as you board the train. Once aboard, you can enjoy the two dining cars decorated in the style of the Pullman cars of the 1920s. Also, during the trip, you will enjoy a personalised service and have the finest in gourmet food. When you arrive in Cusco, our guide will meet you and take you on a short connecting train to the Urubamba Valley, from where you transfer to your hotel for a 3-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. Lunch is included today.
We cross a small bridge and arrive at a beautiful Spanish Hacienda, overlooking the Urubamba River. We visit the huge fortress of Ollantaytambo, the archaeological complex believed to have been a gigantic agricultural, administrative, social, religious and military centre. The town itself is geometrically perfect; with straight streets, trapezoidal doors and Inca drainage systems. Restaurants are available but lunch is not included so you can choose the one you prefer.
We continue on to Pisac a small colonial village built by Viceroy Francisco de Toledo on the ruins of an Inca citadel, standing at the entrance to the immensely fertile Urubamba River valley which was called the "Sacred Valley of the Incas" for the agricultural produce and wealth it brought as the base of the Inca Empire. There is a tourist market with numerous shops full of handicrafts and weaving and also a food market for local people, particularly on Sunday when some women and children dress in their traditional costumes. We drive up the mountain above the town for a short visit to the Pisac ruins (time permitting), affording superb views of the surrounding countryside, before returning to your hotel.
Friday, 20 June 2025
Guided tour of the Sacred Valley
An early start for a full day guided tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our first stop is at Chinchero to visit the local colourful and authentic market where indigenous people from the surrounding communities congregate to trade their goods, not only trading in money, but in goods as well. Continue to the Moray ruins, used by the Incas as a type of open-air crop laboratory. We also visit Maras, pre-Inca salt mines located on a wide-open hill above the Urubamba Valley, from where we walk down to the Urubamba River and stop to admire the beautiful views of the valley.
We visit the huge fortress of Ollantaytambo, the archaeological complex believed to have been a gigantic agricultural, administrative, social, religious and military centre. The town itself is geometrically perfect; with straight streets, trapezoidal doors and Inca drainage systems. Our final stop is Pisac, a small colonial village built by Viceroy Francisco de Toledo on the ruins of an Inca citadel, standing at the entrance to the immensely fertile Urubamba River valley.
Saturday, 21 June 2025
Willoq and Patacancha
Today we visit the villages of Willoq and Patacancha, high in the Patacancha Valley. It is a journey into the past, a visit to the descendants of the Incas. According to historians, the people of Willoq with their traditional red ponchos and shawls are the direct descendants of the last rulers of imperial Cusco, and remain today one of the Andean communities least affected by Western influence.
The Willoq community is also well known for its weavers and the quality of the textiles is still a product of patience, knowledge and the skilled weaver. The primitive back strap loom, unaltered for centuries, is still used to weave even the finest textiles. Lunch is included today.
Fernando Chara
Pakaritampu
The Pakaritampu Hotel is located in Ollantaytambo in the heart of the Sacred Valley; ideally situated for exploring the Sacred Valley, starting the Inca Trail, and taking the train to Aguas Calientes. The hotel has large gardens hosting a variety of local plants and flowers and is a series of four separate buildings, built according…
Casa Andina Premium
Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley is located in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, just 10 km from Ollantaytambo train station. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens and offers an Andean spa and a Gym, restaurant, bar, room service, telescope to view the night sky and business centre with internet access. From…
Sol Y Luna
Located in Huicho in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Sol y Luna has a stunning setting between the snow-capped mountain ranges of the Cordillera del Vilcanota and the Cordillera del Vilcabamba.
The hotel is a series of adobe bungalows, each with private facilities and a terrace, decorated in a rustic style and set…
Machu Picchu
1 NightDay 8 - Machu Picchu
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Machu Picchu
You will start your train journey to Machu Picchu in Ollantaytambo where we board the train that runs from the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes located at the foot of Machu Picchu. A spectacular journey through a dramatic and changing landscape with breathtaking natural scenery at every turn.
On arrival in Aguas Calientes, your guide will take you by bus up a winding mountain road to the magical site of Machu Picchu, so perfectly hidden it is not surprising that it took so long to discover. The rest of the day is spent with your guide exploring Machu Picchu, this vast and extraordinary site over 2400 metres above sea level; the lost citadel of the Incas.
We spend the night in Aguas Calientes, on a bed and breakfast basis.
Casa Andina Classic
Located by train station, the hotel is modern, functional but bland, useful for an overnight stay. The standard rooms have no windows but others look out over the station or behind to the Urubamba river.
Sumaq Machu Picchu
The brand new Sumaq hotel is located in Aguas Calientes, owned by a Peruvian family that have made reality their dream of building a luxury hotel close to the most emblematic archaeological site in Peru: Machu Picchu. The hotel provides guests with the highest levels of comfort in an appropriatel magnificent setting, and the design…
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo
Conveniently located next to the train station in Aguas Calientes, all cabanas have spacious rooms with en-suete bathrooms and are set amongst dense vegetation with gardens spread through the grounds, linked by winding paths. there is a restaurant & bar, a spa, walks and an orchid trail, that combined with the lush vegetation of the…
Cusco
2 NightsDay 9 - By train to Cusco
Day 10 - Guided tour of Cusco
- Full Description
- Accommodation
By train to Cusco
This morning is free for you to further explore Machu Picchu and the surrounding sacred mountains. After lunch, we take the train to Poroy or Ollantaytambo Railway Station, from where you continue your journey back to your hotel in Cusco, where we stay for 2-nights on a bed and breakfast basis.
Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Guided tour of Cusco
Today enjoy a guided tour of Cusco and its nearby ruins. Visit the Cathedral, Koricancha, a Spanish church built on Inca stone foundations. Continue to the impressive archaeological sites of Sacsayhuaman and Kenko. We will also explore Tambomachay ruins, which may have served as a military outpost or a spa resort for the Incan political elite; as well as the Puca Pucara site, a red granite huge fortress. On the return we stop at a vantage point above Cusco for a superb view of the city and the surrounding mountains, before returning to your hotel.
Maytaq Wasin
Situated in the heart of the Incan empire, only a few steps away from the main plaza, the Maytaq Wasin Hotel is contemporary in design, boasts high ceiling and plenty of natural light. There is a shaded terrace with views of the hills and chic common areas with modern decor. The hotel is only 150…
Costa Del Sol Picoaga
The Costa Del Sol Picoaga Hotel occupies an original Colonial mansion built for a Spanish nobleman, shown in its stonework arches and large courtyard. Located just 2 minutes from the main square, the hotel is an ideal base from which to explore the city. The 70 rooms are well decorated, comfortable and modern, all with…
Belmond Monasterio de Cusco
Built 300 years ago atop Inca foundations, the building was originally the Seminary of San Antonio Abad. In 1995, the seminary was tastefully converted into a luxury hotel while still preserving its original architecture of arched galleries surrounding two elegant colonial style courtyards. The Belmond Monasterio de Cusco is Cuzco's premier hotel, providing its guests…
Mexico City
2 NightsDay 11 - Fly to Mexico City
Day 12 - City tour and Teotihuacan
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Fly to Mexico City
Transfer to Cusco airport and fly to Lima to connect with an international flight to Mexico City. On arrival in Mexico, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your chosen hotel for a 2-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
Thursday, 26 June 2025
City tour and Teotihuacan
This morning, your guide will take you on a tour of Mexico City visiting the Lava Gardens and residential area of El Pedregal. We visit the University City with an interesting library covered in mosaics and the Olympic Stadium. Continue to the Frida Kahlo Museum and take a stroll through the animated and picturesque Saturday Bazar (Handicraft Market) in the centre of the colonial San Angel Quarter.
In the afternoon, enjoy a half-day excursion to the extensive Aztec archaeological site of Teotihuacan, famous for the pyramid of the Sun, Moon and Quetzalcoati. Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the Avenue of the Dead, and numerous colourful, well-preserved murals.
The city was thought to have been established around 200 BC, lasting until its fall sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD. At its zenith in the first half of the 1st millennium AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. At this time it may have had more than 200,000 inhabitants, placing it among the largest cities of the world in this period. Teotihuacan was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Raul Gonzalez
Zocalo Central
This hotel offers good value and a very good location on a side street by the Plaza, Zacalo, Cathedral and Presidential Palace. The area is the centre of Mexican life in the city with numerous shops, bars, restaurants, and people.
The rooms are modern, well decorated, relatively small but with fresh warm colours, with private…
Condesa DF
The Condesa DF was built in 1928 in French neoclassic style and updated by its owners with a completely new interior. Located in a tree lined street in the trendy Condesa district, the hotel has a rooftop bar, terrace with sofas and treetops all around. The interior patio restaurant serves breakfast and Japanese/Mexican modern cuisine.…
Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City
The 5* Four Seasons Hotel is ideally situated on the Paseo de la Reforma (near Chapultepec Park and the museums), an ideal base to explore one of the world's largest and most dynamic capitals.
There are 240 guest rooms with modern amenities and some overlook the courtyard and fountains. The Reforma 500 restaurant offers a…
Merida
2 NightsDay 13 - Guided tour of Merida
Day 14 - Uxmal and Kabah
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Guided tour of Merida
Morning flight to Merida. On arrival, you will be met by our local guide and taken to your chosen hotel for a 2-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of Mérida, the "White City" and capital of Yucatán. An elegant mixture of colonial and neoclassical architecture characterise the city, which you will discover during a combination of walk and drive to see the main square with the Cathedral, Government Palace, Town Hall and House of Montejo, as well as the Paseo Montejo with the beautiful mansions which formerly were living residences of wealthy families. Take a view also on all day street and market scenes, which are typical here with their great influence of modern Maya culture of Mexico's southeast.
Saturday, 28 June 2025
Uxmal and Kabah
Today enjoy a full day guided excursion to Uxmal and Kabah. Although the name Uxmal means "thrice built" in the Mayan language, archaeologists have found five different construction periods represented at Uxmal. The buildings are in a Puuc style and building began in the Classic period. Kabah is an ancient Mayan town not far from Uxmal and its name means "the chiselling hand". The most impressive monument here is Codz Poop (literally "furled mat") a grandiose, multi-storey building dedicated to Chac, the Rain God, its façade adorned with many masks. Entrance fees included.
Casa del Balam
El Hotel Casa del Balam is one of the oldest and most distinguished hotels in Merida and the Yucatan Peninsula, but also one of the few original Mexican Art Deco houses left in the colonial city. Newly renovated, this historic mansion has been carefully outfitted with today's modern comforts and conveniences. The Casa del Balam…
Chable Yucatan
Chable Yucatan is a small luxury hotel set in the jungle about 40 minutes drive from Merida, close the the village of Chochola where the jungle shelters the largest group of white tail, gray tail and red deer in the Yucatan. The location is also ideal for exploring the beautiful landscapes of the Celestun River,…
Tulum
4 NightsDays 15 - Chichen Itza and Tulum
Day 16 - Explore Tulum
Day 17 - At leisure
Day 18 - At leisure
- Full Description
- Accommodation
Chichen Itza and Tulum
Today we travel by car to the world-renowned Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, one of the very best archaeological sites in the world. We arrive by mid-morning and spend a half-day exploring the park spreads out around the immense El Castillo pyramid, the most recognisable structure in the ancient city that was once the centre of the Mayan empire. It features 365 steps, one for each day of the year. Other highlights include the Temple of the Warriors, the Caracol staircase and the observatory, as well as the beautiful Sacred Cenote.
We then continue to Tulum to your chosen beachside hotel for a 4-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis.
Monday, 30 June 2025
Explore Tulum
Today is a chance to visit the ruins of Tulum, a unique location for a Mayan archaeological site overlooking the Caribbean sea and its white sandy beaches. The most famous structure is El Castillo, perched above the turquoise waters below in a perfect postcard setting. But it is also noted for a pair of impressive temples; the Temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the Descending God.
Tuesday, 01 July 2025
At leisure
Relax at your hotel or on the white sandy beaches - bliss.
Wednesday, 02 July 2025
At leisure
Your final day in Mexico; a chance to do some last minute souvenir shopping and relax in the Caribbean sunshine.
Frances Monarca
Cabanas Los Lirios
Los Lirios is a secluded hotel in Tulum located in the heart of Mayan Riviera and a short drive from the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve. Offering unusual comfort and lovely spacious rooms to its guests. Surrounded by relatively undistributed tropical forest and set upon a beautiful beach, the hotel is the perfect combination between forest…
Dreams Tulum
Located on one of the most beautiful beaches, surrounded by lush tropical trees & fine white sand. The 458 luxury suites and guest rooms are elegantly decorated in a colonial style, have their own patio or balcony, with air-conditioning, TV, CD/DVD player. Ideal for families with a variety of activities including cycling, water sports, tennis,…
La Valise
Unpack your suitcases at La Valise, where Robinson Crusoe meets authentic beachside villas in the heart of the Mayan jungle in Tulum. Known for its serene white-sand beaches, lush natural preserves, and a je ne sais quoi vibe of magic in the air, Tulum invites you to experience its most private enclave.
The two-wing property offers…
Return to the UK
Day 19 - Return overnight flight to the UK
Day 20 - Arrive in the UK
- Full Description
Return overnight flight to the UK
Transfer to Cancun Airport for your return overnight flight back to the UK.
Friday, 04 July 2025
Arrive in the UK
Arrive in the UK in the morning.
Price Guidelines
| Season | Low Season | |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Dates | Year round | |
| Room Arrangement | Tourist | First |
| Multiple Travellers - Twin Rooms | £6,343 | £6,820 |
Prices are a guideline per person, for travel within the next year and booking early and are subject to availability. Please see below what is included and request a detailed quotation with a guaranteed price for your specific departure date and for Special Events, Summer, Christmas, New Year's Eve & Easter.
What's Included
- 20 Days / 18 Nights
- International flights (1 overnight)
- Internal flights
- Accommodation and meals as shown on the itinerary
- Transfers to and from airports
- Transport throughout the itinerary
- Excursions listed, all with expert, English-speaking guides
- Entrance fees
- Prices are per person
- Prices for Special Events, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Easter on request
Complete a form or call our specialist advisors to start planning your trip. Please provide as much information as possible, and we will aim to respond to your enquiry the same or next working day.
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