Inca Treasures in the High Andes

It is a high-altitude adventure tour: 13 days with 8 days of riding, on a loop from Arequipa through the Colca Canyon, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, down towards the Amazon and then on to Lake Titicaca, mostly between 3,500 and 4,900 metres. A Journey Across Worlds in Ecuador and The Coffee Route through the Andes in Colombia stay lower. The Transcontinental also starts in Arequipa and runs to Ushuaia.

The tour is rated Sustained: it is for experienced riders in good physical shape. About 20% of the route is on easy-rolling tracks, gravel and muddy after rain, and the rest on roads that are often rough, with some fine tarmac passes. You ride about 1,240 miles (2,000 km) over 8 days, 59 to 217 miles (95 to 350 km) a stage; the first three days, at high altitude, are the hardest. Some stages are far from medical help: the support vehicle follows the group.

Arequipa sits at 2,300 metres, but on day 2 the road crosses the Abra Patapampa at 4,910 metres, the highest pass of the tour, and the following nights are spent between 3,400 and 4,300 metres. We advise you to arrive in Arequipa at least one day early to acclimatise: ask your travel advisor about the extra night. Drink plenty and talk to your doctor about altitude before you go (our health tips for Peru); an oxygen bottle travels in the support vehicle.

The season runs from April to October; the next published departures are in late April and May, then in September and October, and other dates are possible on request through your travel advisor. You go from 400 metres on the edge of the Amazon to almost 4,900 metres, so it can be hot, cold and wet on the same day. Bring summer, mid-season and winter gloves, and several warm layers to take off and put back on through the day.

A Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, fitted with a side bag and serviced by our mechanic, who follows the group with the spare parts. If your height makes you hesitate, talk to your travel advisor before booking: the bike can be lowered by adjusting the suspension.

Yes, if the rider has already ridden two-up in the mountains and on tracks: the pace is demanding and the altitude tires the pillion too. The tour costs £4,290 (€4,790) per rider and £3,590 (€3,990) per pillion. Talk to your travel advisor before booking.

An English-speaking motorcycle tour leader, a mechanic and the driver of the support vehicle, which carries your luggage, the spare parts and the oxygen bottle. The group is limited to 10 motorcycles (12 participants with pillions).

£4,290 (€4,790) per rider and £3,590 (€3,990) per pillion. The price includes the motorcycle, fuel, the team, accommodation, full board on riding days, the day at Machu Picchu (transfers, entry and guided visit), entry to the Colca Canyon and the planned Inca sites, and transfers from Arequipa airport. On the rest days (days 5, 7 and 11), only breakfast is included. You pay for your flights, drinks, tips and a €600 deposit per motorcycle.

The tour starts and ends in Arequipa, and you book your own flights. Most go via Lima, where you collect your luggage, so allow at least 3 to 4 hours for the connection. Our team meets you at the airport on day 1, before the 5 pm briefing. UK and EU passport holders need no visa for a tourist stay, but a passport valid for at least 6 months after arrival. Bring an International Driving Permit together with your licence (documents for Peru).

In standard to comfort hotels, with one night in a hacienda on the edge of the Amazon. At altitude, rooms are not always heated, but beds have several duvets: a hot-water bottle can help. The support vehicle carries your luggage.