Peru: Machu Picchu by Train

With 80 miles of coastline and virtually no rain, Lima’s unique position on Peru’s Costa Verde means the capital is spritzed in salt and soaked in sunshine. The 18th-century haciendas, baroque stonework and colonial architecture are upstaged by the country’s pre-Columbian history on display at museums like Pueblo Libre’s Larco. Surfboards are strapped to mopeds that dip between the mansions of Miraflores, whilst pisco sours are shaken to the beat of peñas in Barranco. Lima's much-starred restaurant scene is so effervescent that the city is widely acknowledged as the culinary capital of Latin America, and shows no signs of dimming; the city has more than 16,000 cevicherias (UNESCO has declared Peru's staple dish one of Intangible Cultural Heritage), while chefs like Virgilio Martínez and Pedro Schiaffino are innovating with indigenous ingredients from Andean tomatoes to Amazonian river snails. 

The Sacred Valley of the Incas carves through the green peaks of the Peruvian Andes near Cusco, where salt mines and snow-capped peaks make for a dramatic backdrop. Deemed a spiritual epicenter by the Inca people due to the way it aligns with the solar system and its exceptionally fertile land, the valley is also home to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, pockets of terraced topography and remote villages of Quechua-speaking communities whose deeply traditional way of life endures. 

No amount of visitors can detract from the mystery and magic of the Incas' great 15th-century citadel in the mountains – particularly when the terraced plateau and the peaks at either end are wreathed in cloud from the surrounding rainforest. Getting to Machu Picchu involves the four-day, 27-mile Inca Trail hike at around 13,830 feet above sea level, followed by a tough 90-minute climb up a 2,00ft-high mountain; or the somewhat easier option: in five-star luxury aboard Belmond's Hiram Bingham train from Cusco. Either way is worth it to marvel at Incan engineering and the view from the Sun Gate, which aligns with the sunrise at the summer solstice. 

Built in the shape of a puma by the Incas, Cusco stretches like a slumbering feline along the Huatanay valley. Far from sleepy, spirited cevicherias in San Blas, a UNESCO-protected historical quarter and steep cobbled streets make the gateway to Machu Pichu a worthy warm-up to the main event. Perched in the Andes at 11,200ft above sea level, you’ll find remnants of Inca temples dedicated to the worship of the sun and 16th-century Spanish colonial churches, plus locals adorned in traditional attire that showcase the craftsmanship of Andean culture.