Arrive in Lima. You will be met at the airport and transferred to the Hotel Ariosto, which is centrally located in the Miraflores District. If time allows you can visit museums, shop in Miraflores or visit Barranco, a romantic and Bohemian district in Lima with a variety of nightclubs.

After breakfast return to Lima airport for a 1 hour and 20-minutes flight to Arequipa. Arequipa has been awarded UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage of Mankind classification. It is located at 2,325 m in the Desert Mountains of the Andes. The weather in Arequipa is dry and sunny all year long. Day temperatures reach between 20 and 25 ºC (about 70-75 Fahrenheit). The wet season (December to March) is characterized by the presence of clouds in the afternoon and some scarce precipitation. In winter (June, July), temperatures are somewhat lower and can go down to 5ºC (40 ºF) at night. With about 4,000 hours per year of sun exposure, Arequipa truly deserves its title of “city of the eternal spring”.

After you have settled in your hotel, you have time to explore some of the highlights of Arequipa: the famous convent of Santa Catalina and the Museum Santuarios Andinos UCSM to see the mummy of Juanita, a 500 year old Inca mummy of a 12 to 14 year old girl. Juanita, the Ice Maiden was discovered in 1995 by anthropologist Johan Reinhard and his Peruvian climbing partner Miguel Zarate. She was remarkably preserved throughout the five centuries. According to Reinhard, the mummy weighed approximately 80lbs when found, and they came to the realisation that due to the heavy body mass, the flesh must have been frozen. This is an extraordinary discovery because it allows biological tests to be run on the lung, liver, and muscle tissue, revealing new insights on Inca health and nutrition. It is believed that the Ice Maiden was in fact a sacrifice to the mountain gods, and was then buried by the Inca priests atop Mount Ampato (20,700 feet). Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant; overnight in a comfortable hotel in Arequipa.

Depart from the hotel at around 8:30am for a 1¼ hour’s drive to the stables in La Joya. On arrival at the ranch see a display of Peruvian equitation by your host Eduard, and also by his Peruvian Chalan (horseman). There are around 120 horses at the stables in La Joya. The herd is comprised of Peruvian Pasos, Arabs, Quarter horses, Andalucians and Pintos, but the horses used on this ride will usually be the Peruvian Paso.

After the demonstration you have the opportunity to have a go yourself - and it’s only natural to feel a little nervous prior to mounting these magnificent and highly responsive horses!! We will take our time to teach you the basics of the Peruvian Equitation: the handling of rains, the deep seat, the aids, etc. We have a barbeque-lunch at the ranch. Once you have been matched with your mount we set off at around 13:00pm for a ride in La Joya and arrive around 17:00/17:30pm at the Hacienda Sambambaia. Riding time: approx 4 hours.

Dinner and overnight at the Hacienda Sambambaia in La Joya.

After breakfast mount your horse for another day of riding through the unforgiving terrain of the desert. The scenery will change from wide-open desert plains to high dune ranges and sandy pass ways. Although most of the ride is over flat surfaces, some dunes with very loose sand must be climbed. As a safety measure it is important to carry as much water as possible, so there is limited space in the saddlebags. Please understand that lunch will therefore be fairly simple. The horses cover an impressive amount of ground when ridden at the Paso Llano gait, and you cannot fail to be amazed by their stamina and above all, the comfortable ride they offer. At midday when the sun is at its most fierce, there will be a break for lunch.

At around 5pm you arrive at the campsite, which offers basic accommodation and facilities due to its isolated location. The back-up 4x4 vehicles will carry plenty of water for the horses and for personal consumption for the evening, but there will be no showers.

Today, ride 5 to 6 hours and cover about 40 km before arriving at our campsite.

After dinner you should sleep well, exhausted but content with the knowledge that you have been crossing one of Peru’s most isolated deserts, surrounded by a lunar landscape that few have set eyes on.

Today’s ride starts early at about 8.00am, to take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures. Cross the last of the ever-rising sand dunes ahead, riding for around 5-6 hours (distance 40km) through the Quebrada San Jose, a narrow gorge, until reaching the pacific coast. There will be a few challenging obstacles and in some instances you may have to lead the horses for a short distance. Some parts of the sandy trail is covered with some very soft white volcanic ash and you will need a bandana or mask to cover your nose and face, as there will be times that we will ride in a cloud of silver dust.

In the afternoon arrive at your final destination: Caleta San José, a small, privately owned cove at the shores of the Pacific. No land vehicle is able to reach this secluded beach and all essentials are transferred by boat. Tonight you will be guests of Don Gonzalo, who has constructed very picturesque cabaña-style accommodation, in the style of Robinson Crusoe (very basic shared accommodation). The cool ocean will beckon you for an invigorating swim to celebrate your arrival, and afterwards you can relax in a gently swaying hammock while dinner is prepared for you.

In the evening experience a roaring campfire as you recount the stories of your adventure across the desert.

Today the horses will need to rest, and so will you! For those who still have the energy, the morning is easily filled with activities such as snorkeling, fishing, canoeing or hiking. Others might opt for a few hours of relaxation on the beach.

After lunch we embark for a 2/3-hour boat trip along the Pacific Ocean. We will visit the Caleta Honorado and other coves along the coast to explore the amazing landscapes of the Peruvian coast with its massive cliffs and unpopulated desert beaches. You will encounter a fascinating richness and diversity of marine wildlife like sea lions, dolphins, penguins and other marine birds. Late in the afternoon we return to the Caleta San Jose and have dinner around a campfire. Overnight at the Caleta San Jose

After breakfast we mount our horses and ride along trails parallel to the coastline to the Valley of Victor. Here we will have to cross the River of Victor on horseback before we arrive at the Caleta de Quilca, our final destination. There are no long beaches along this part of the route so we will have to ride across some small trails high up on the coastal plateaus and cross several sandy gorges along the way. The ocean sounds will be heard the whole day and sometimes you have some incredible views of the ocean from high above the plateaus. Picnic-lunch along the route. Riding time: approx. 5-6 hours.

At the Caleta de Quilca we will camp on the beach. Our cook will make a delicious dinner. After a great deal of food, merriment and stories shared around the campfire, nothing beats falling asleep to the sounds of horses and the waves of the ocean.

After breakfast and a refreshing jump in the Ocean we saddle up our horses and ride along the wide and open beach to the village of Camana. Here we have lunch and leave the horses to be trucked home. A private car will transfer you to Arequipa (1,5 hour drive) where you arrive around 15:30/16:00pm. Total riding hours today: approx 4 hours. We have dinner in one of Arequipa’s famous restaurants and you will spend the night in a comfortable hotel in Arequipa.

If you still have energy you can explore Arequipa’s exciting night live.

Transfer to Arequipa airport after breakfast for the spectacular one hour flight over the Andes which arrives mid-morning in the ancient Inca capital of Cusco (altitude 3,338 m/10,952 ft.).

For the rest of the day you have the opportunity to explore this historical town on your own. Visit Cusco’s Cathedral or some of its churches; go shopping or visit some museums.

There are many places to have lunch or a coffee. In the late afternoon we will pick you up and leave Cusco for a one-hour drive arriving to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. Dinner is at the Perol Chico ranch or at a local restaurant.

Your day starts early, as you catch the 7:00am train from Ollantaytambo to the ruins of Machu Picchu. The experience of visiting Machu Picchu is not limited to the ruins themselves; the train journey is one of the most spectacular in the world. The Ollantaytambo train brings us to Machu Picchu an hour before the main tourist train arrives from Cusco.

Since its discovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu has captivated the hearts and minds of the modern world. Take plenty of film, as this is every bit as magnificent as you have imagined.

In the afternoon take the train back to Ollantaytambo, arriving at about 6:30pm. Dinner is at the ranch or at a local restaurant and you have a last chance to sample Pisco Sours. Overnight in a comfortable hotel in the Sacred Valley.

After breakfast transfer to the Cusco airport for the 1-hour flight to Lima. The driving time is one hour, followed by a one-hour flight. The earliest possible departure time from Lima is 17:00pm.

The itinerary is flexible. Changes may occur due to weather and other unforeseeable circumstances.

Click here to see our photo gallery of the Peruvian Odyssey