With its snowy mountains, ancient ruins, thriving Andean communities and one of the world's great hiking routes, Peru is a perfect place for such a family adventure.

But what makes our trips different? For starters, we are unique in how we time your Inca Trail. By setting off half a day behind everyone else, you camp in quiet spots, with time to soak in the views as you walk. Rather than jostling for a spot to watch a sunrise that often doesn't come, you arrive for your first glimpse of Machu Picchu in the blissful afternoon calm. It's a simple, but astonishingly effective solution.

We take the most pride in connecting you with the people of Peru. That might be tasting juicy papayas with community farmers in the Amazon, or a simple chat with natives about growing up in the jungle. In meeting shepherds, farmers, weavers and more, you will be immersed in an Inca culture which still dictates the sights, sounds and tastes of the Andes, transforming the places you visit from open-air museums to the past into vibrant, thriving communities of the present.

Our trips have been created to share the wonderful places, people and experiences which we feel best represent the Peruvian Andes and Amazon. Though you might see some of the place names on other itineraries, you simply will not find trips with the same depth, texture and attention to detail.

Our ability to do so derives from the unique way we work, conceiving, testing out and delivering every aspect of your trip ourselves and working directly with all of the people you will meet, rather than passing it all on to a third-party agency in Peru. We are therefore always happy to discuss other trips and highlight the key differences, but we hope we have made them obvious in this proposal.

This is a place of vibrant culture which is very much alive, alongside rich and fascinating history. It deserves so much more attention than most operators give it. We sidestep the standard ways of doing things to share with you a Peru which is both old and new, expected and unexpected, running our own office and team on the ground, in the heart of the Sacred Valley.

This trip is designed to start in Lima and end in Cusco. From London, the best route is usually with Avianca via Bógota on both legs. You can fly direct to Lima from many major US cities, and you then go back via Lima on your return.

Peru’s size and highly diverse geography result in very variable weather patterns, on a typical trip you can expect to come across a wide range of conditions, so it depends on which areas you will be visiting.

Generally, there is a dry season and a wet season. The best time to visit Peru is during the dry season which is between May and October. You can expect warm sunny days and clear skies with chilly nights in the Andes (Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu) as well as Lake Titicaca and Colca. The Amazon is less humid during these months.

The wet season is between November and April, with the wettest months being January and February. The Inca Trail generally closes in February. You can still comfortably travel in November, December as well as late March to April as long as you are prepared for a bit of rain. It is quieter, the scenery is greener, and international flights will cost less.

June to September is the busier period but we always steer you away from crowds so the trip still works very well in this period.

The excursions in the Amazon are by boat or on short walks during the day or at night. They are not challenging but the hot and humid conditions can make it intense.

In the Sacred Valley, there are a couple of days spent on activities – paddleboarding on one day and mountain biking on the other. The paddleboarding is on a lake, so is generally in calm water. No experience is needed and you're provided with all the gear, including wetsuits.

The mountain biking is aimed at those of all abilities. The day is completely flexible, so you can cycle for as little as 45 minutes and still get the wonderful views, or you can extend it up to a whole day. There is a support vehicle with you throughout so you can jump in at any time. If cycling isn't your thing, there are plenty of other options on foot or in the car.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu covers 28 miles over four days so distances are not great. However, it is at very high altitude (highest altitude is 4,200m) with a number of steep ascents and descents as well as lots of narrow steps meaning that the going can be slow and fairly tough. We can also offer the one-day Inca Trail - you arrive at Sun Gate on foot but no need to camp.

What you get in return for these exertions are four days’ walking in the beautiful mountain surroundings of the Peruvian Andes finished off with the exhilaration of arriving at Machu Picchu on foot in the quiet afternoon. We pace our Inca Trail differently to most, timing it to be half a day behind the main daily intake onto the trail (limited by permit to 500 people in total). Where the majority of hikers are moving along together and sleeping at the same campsites, you walk in peace and sleep with few others in sight.

We also only offer private Inca Trail trips so it is your family, your guide and your porters. No one else. You can therefore set the pace you are most comfortable with.

Day one of our trail is very short, only around two hours of walking. Over the course of a moderate second day, you regain altitude gradually to reach a level similar to Cusco. The third day of our trail is the hardest, pushing over Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point on the trail (4,200m), before going down into a valley and back up over a second high pass at 3,900m to finish on a high plateau at 3,600m. During the day you will be walking up and down long stretches of steps as well as uphill and downhill slopes.

The fourth and final day is also quite long and can be particularly hard on the knees as you walk down a lot of narrow steps on the way to Machu Picchu at 2,400m.

Where most people hiking the Inca Trail cross the high pass on day two, our pace gives you extra time to acclimatise.

Unlike many tour operators, we have complete independence to work with whichever hotels we wish to in Peru. We spend a great deal of time getting to know the best options and returning to make sure they still meet our exacting standards. They're not just places for you to nod off each night. They need to be memorable and enjoyable places to spend time. A great view or particularly good food always goes down well.

The hotels we choose to work with in Peru are very comfortable with welcoming hosts, a great location and often lots of local charm. We tend not to go in for the flashy 5* chain hotels as they rarely deliver the experience we want for you. We prefer a bit of heart and soul, not luxury for the sake of it, but nice 3-4* standard.

The Inca Trail camp is set up by the porters. You sleep two people to a tent. Tents are generally three-person size so fairly spacious and comfortable for two people.

We're happy to share full details of the places we suggest for your trip, so please get in touch for full details.

In Lima and Cusco, you have a great deal of choice on your doorstep and frankly, we wouldn't want to rob you of the chance to decide for yourself. As part of our service to you, we provide our own personal recommendations in your Travel Guide app to supplement your own research.

In the Sacred Valley, we usually include dinner on the first night and a special dinner with a local family as part of the 'day in the life of' experience. For the other nights, you can of course continue to dine in at your hotel's restaurant. There are a few other restaurants in the village, including (somewhat surprisingly), a vegan restaurant a 10-minute walk away.

Absolutely, yes. We want you to leave Peru feeling like you know the country and more than anything, that means its people. We take you off the beaten track where nothing is contrived. On your walks in the Andes you will meet locals usually on their way to the village to buy supplies. You’ll see that colourful woven fabrics really are worn by shepherds in the high mountains. You will meet landowners who lost all their land in the 1960s and had to start again. You will meet villagers who never had anything to lose. You will help out in the kitchen of a local family and eat dinner together.

The weavers you visit are not some random ethno-Disney plants at the back of a gift shop, far from it. The history of this co-operative, run by women for women, is remarkable and fascinating. Suffice to say that these weavers were showcased in the 2022 British Museum Peru exhibition and the powerhouse behind it all, Nilda, was quoted on the walls.

Starting in Lima allows your body to recover from your journey to Peru before you get to altitude.

We pace your time in the Andes to allow for acclimatisation and with your own private guide, the pace is entirely flexible to suit you. It is completely normal to feel a little short of breath and nauseous when you first arrive, as well as a loss of appetite, as your body adapts to the thinner air. This is regardless of age, health and fitness levels and usually passes in 24 hours. Drink lots of water both before and during your time at altitude. Arriving well-hydrated does help.

We use the Sacred Valley as your first base, which is at 2,800m and 600m lower than Cusco. This really make a difference and makes your first few days that much easier. Arrival day and the first full day are both very gentle with the focus on local life and cultural interaction. We then pace the hikes building up along the Inca Trail. Machu Picchu is at 2,430 so you shouldn’t feel any effects at all by the time you arrive.

The amazing alarm clock in the Amazon. Waking up to the sounds of the jungle is often an unexpected highlight that you will recall long after you have left. The cacophony of sound is exhilarating and is a wonderful way to start the day. You are immersed in nature and the forest.

Absolutely. We can tailor your trip in any number of ways, from tweaking the activities, extending your time in any destination, adding other destinations or combining with other countries such as Ecuador and Galapagos. Just drop us a line to start the conversation.