On this 15-night and 16-day tour we explore the best of Peru’s pre-Columbian archaeology and history. Starting in Lima, the country’s capital, we examine the background to the many ancient cultures of Peru by viewing a rich panoply of treasures and artifacts in the city’s museums. We then fly to Cuzco and explore the Inca heartlands with visits to such sites as Sacsayhuamán, Pisac and, of course, Machu Picchu. Moving on to the shores of Lake Titicaca we gain an insight into the indigenous culture of Peru when we enjoy a superb trip to the floating reed islands of Urcos. We fly back to Lima then on to the lovely city of Chiclayo where we explore the pre-Inca cultures of the Moche, Chimú and Lambeyeque. At the pyramids of Sipán we view the remarkable tomb of the Lord of Sipán whose precious ornaments – many of gold – we see in the nearby museum.

The Inca Empire (1438-1533 CE) was the largest and most successful South American civilization, rivaling many of the Old World’s great imperial cultures. Known as Tawantinsuyu (‘Land of the Four Quarters’), the empire stretched some 4,000 km, from Ecuador south through Peru to Chile, had 40,000 km of imperial roads, and a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual population of around 10 million inhabitants. Based at the imperial capital of Cuzco was the cosmic temple-home of the Sun God Inti and the royal family and imperial administration. In the valleys around were Inca towns, fortresses, and temples, including the lost citadel of Machu Picchu. All of this was achieved without the wheel or draft animals, with no writing system, no iron or steel, and no money or market system. While the Incas are the best-known Pre-Columbian civilization of South America, their success was in part built on the extraordinary cultures which preceded them. In the Andes, by Lake Titicaca, the Tiwanaku civilization flourished between c. 200–700 CE, and the imperial Wari between 500–1000 CE. In the river valleys of the coast, vast temple-pyramids of mudbrick were built by the Moche (100-750 CE), Sicán (800-1375 CE) and Chimú (1200-1476 CE) – civilizations which have yielded some of the world’s most spectacular golden treasures in recent years.