The Freedom Drive of Peru (4x4)

Thirteen nights in a loop from Arequipa to Machu Picchu and back, driven rather than ridden, which exists for non-riders and for riders’ companions. A Toyota HiLux is included, with a Land Cruiser upgrade, along with a GPS unit and a detailed road book.

Arequipa opens it, the White City, built in pale volcanic stone, then Puerto Inca, a former Inca harbour with ruins that can be walked for nothing, and Nazca with the Chauchilla cemetery and the lines from the air or the tower.

Chalhuanca follows on the climb to 4,200 metres, with llama, alpaca and vicuna on the roadside and a sequence of switchbacks the operator calls the Tail of the Dragon of South America, by way of the village of Puquio. Cusco comes next, where Norton Rat’s Tavern and its guest book are a fixture for anyone travelling overland.

Ollantaytambo follows in the Sacred Valley with its Inca fortress, then Machu Picchu by train and bus, with the option of climbing Wayna Picchu, the peak in every photograph of the site, which is limited to a few hundred permits a day. Puno and Titicaca are next over a 4,300 metre pass, with the Uros islands optional, then Colca Canyon and Chivay, the highest point of the trip at 4,910 metres, with hot springs, and the Cruz del Condor viewpoint on the way back to Arequipa. Prices are quoted in US dollars, and no wildlife sighting can be promised. Driving the route rather than riding it also means a family can do it together, with luggage space, air conditioning and somewhere dry to sit when the altiplano weather turns.