Then there’s the geography. From the Amazon rainforest to the sprawling coastal desert, which gives way to the plains, glaciers and volcanoes of the Andes, Peru’s natural beauty will stun you so frequently that extraordinary sights seem commonplace. Add the diverse Peruvian people and the peerless food (there’s a reason Lima is home to the world’s best restaurant), and you end up with one of the best dilemmas a traveller can have: how to fit in all in?

Spoiler alert: you can’t. Not in one trip. But when Broadsheet set off with Intrepid Travel on a nine-day adventure, taking in some of Peru’s most iconic sites, we came about as close as you can get on your first try. Guided by an expert local leader, our small group went from eating ceviche in Lima to exploring Machu Picchu and back, and were spellbound the whole way through. In partnership with Intrepid, here’s how Peru can blow you away too.