The trip opens in Cusco, where you settle into a three-star hotel within walking distance of the historic centre and meet the group for an optional dinner. The next morning the guides brief everyone and drive you to the Sacred Valley, to a private lodge that becomes your base for six nights. Bikes get built, then you head out for a warm-up ride on the rocky trails around the Lamay valley.

From there the days get bigger. One ride follows an ancient Inca trail into the green Lares Valley, with a second lap starting higher up and finishing in Calca, 27km and just over 2,000m of descent. Another day is more cultural: trails past fields to the Inca site of Moray, then a technical, exposed section with seashell fossils in the rock, finishing above the Maras salt mines, which have been worked since before the Inca. You switchback down, buy salt from the locals, and eat lunch outdoors before heading back to the lodge.

The Patacancha Valley day starts at a 4,350m pass and has the most pedalling of the week, contouring between potato patches and alpaca pastures before a family-made lunch in Huilloc and a final descent into Ollantaytambo. That night you transfer to Aguas Calientes so the next morning is free for Machu Picchu: a bus up, a private guided tour of the site, lunch in town, then the scenic train back and a shuttle to the lodge.

The last two riding days cover The Other Side, with flowy sections and some short steep loose pitches, plus an enduro trail with a waterfall view that tends to produce the photo everyone takes home, and then the Lamay trails again, through creek crossings and rocky switchbacks, before packing bikes and transferring to Cusco airport. Flights out should not leave before 19:00.

The altitude is the thing that surprises people. Riding sits between 3,500m and 4,500m, so effort feels far harder than it would at home, which is exactly why the shuttles do the climbing. The itinerary can change with weather or rider ability, and there are no refunds for changes.

What's included

- Sweet Skills coaching and expert local guiding (Spanish and English speaking) - Three-star hotel accommodation in Cusco and a deluxe private lodge in the Sacred Valley with a private chef - One night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu day: return scenic train, return bus transfer and private guided tour - All breakfasts, all lunches and five dinners - Snacks and filtered water in the shuttle van - Cusco airport transfers on scheduled days - Private transportation and all shuttles during the trip - Detailed pre-departure information and trip extension assistance from Big Mountain Bike Adventures

What's not included

- Two dinners - Alcoholic beverages and laundry service at the lodge - Ride snacks and supplements - International airfare to and from Cusco - Personal travel and medical insurance - Airport taxes and excess baggage charges - Your bike and related riding equipment - Rental bikes (available by advance booking for an additional fee) - Tipping to guides, coaches and shuttle drivers - Accommodation before Day 1