There's nothing quite like hearing about a destination from someone who has actually been there, and this year one of our own has done exactly that. Travel Consultant Jane Hanson recently spent 14 days travelling through Peru and Bolivia on Intrepid's Sacred Land of the Incas tour, and she's come home with the kind of first-hand knowledge that only comes from walking the trail yourself.

From Lima to the Amazon

Jane's journey began in Lima, where she spent her first three days settling in at the coastal suburb of Miraflores. From there, the adventure properly began with a full day trip to Paracas and a boat trip out to the Ballestra Islands, often described as Peru's own Galapagos. A drive to the Huacachina Oasis brought sandboarding and dune buggy driving among towering desert dunes, along with a glimpse of the mysterious Nazca Lines from above.

A short flight took Jane on to Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon basin, where she stayed in a jungle lodge complete with a night walk through the rainforest. A full day at the Inkaterra Rainforest followed, with an early morning walk and an afternoon lake cruise that turned into a proper reminder of just how much rain a rainforest gets.

Into the Sacred Valley and onto the Inca Trail

From the Amazon, the group flew to Cusco, where the altitude made itself known almost immediately. After a walking tour of the old town and the San Pedro market, Jane headed into the Sacred Valley, stopping to learn about local textiles and crafts and visiting a community café that supports disabled residents and single mothers.

Then came the part many travellers dream about: four days and three nights on the Inca Trail itself. Day two brought the hardest climb of the trek, a 1,200 metre ascent to Dead Woman's Pass at 4,200 metres above sea level, which puts into perspective just how much acclimatisation the earlier week in Lima and the Sacred Valley had been building towards. Jane's trek even included a birthday spent on the trail, which she says only added to the sense of achievement.

Lake Titicaca and journey's end in La Paz

After returning to Cusco, an eight-hour bus ride brought the group to Puno and the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, followed by an overnight stay with a host family on the Llachon Peninsula and a visit to Taquile Island, known for its traditional knitting and textiles. The tour's final stop was La Paz, a city of two million people that Jane describes as brought together beautifully by its gondola system, twelve lines gliding quietly above the traffic below. A half day trip to the Luna Valley and the Valley of the Souls, with its striking rock formations, brought the tour to a close.

Ask Jane, first-hand

If Peru or Bolivia have been on your mind, Jane's recent experience means she can now offer genuine, first-hand recommendations for building your own itinerary, whether that includes an Intrepid tour or something tailored entirely around how you like to travel. Let's meet and start planning your next holiday or cruise together.