We take a seat in one of the gold-trimmed carriages of the Inca Rail and are greeted with lively music, setting the scene for dancing a little later to the sound of charangos (a small stringed instrument). The train creaks out of the station and heaves over narrow tracks. Cutlery clangs, glasses tinkle and horns blow; we are on our way to Machu Picchu.

In Peru you can immerse yourself in incredible history and colourful culture while enjoying all the comforts of the 21st century. Well known for its ancient ruins, the country has more recently had a bit of an ‘ah-ha’ moment in the culinary world. Peruvians celebrate their pre-Incan roots through the food they eat every day. The abundance of produce is championed by restaurants and street vendors, and people around the globe are taking note.

Begin your journey through Peru in its capital, Lima. Explore the stalls of the Mercado de Surquillo to discover unique Peruvian fruits and marvel at the vast variety of potatoes. Try the fish soup and ceviche with a glass of chicha – a delicious sweetened-corn drink that will leave your grin purple. Then head to the Barranco district for quirky restaurants, cafes and bars – like Ayahuasca Resto Bar, with its outstanding pisco sours.

Take a guided tour of Callao for the alternative street art and emerging designers, while downtown’s San Isidro Street is great for local fashion. San Miguel is the university district and the best spot for a pan con chicharron (pork sandwich), which inspired the recipe below. But Miraflores is the true restaurant hub, playing host to the number five restaurant in the world, Central. The menu traverses Peru’s varied ecosystems, from the Andes to the Sacred Valley. Also great are Maido, number eight globally, for Nikkei cuisine, Amaz for its Amazonian-inspired menu and Matria for modern Peruvian comfort food.

Take the short flight to cobblestoned Cuzco and the culture continues in the old streets of the city, from luxury hotels with oxygenated air-con (the altitude!) to glaze-dripping picarones (doughnuts) at roadside carts. San Pedro Market overwhelms with piled-high cheeses, large bunches of fragrant herbs, colourful chillies, barrels of olives, mounds of spices, bags of quinoa and glittering fresh fish. Check out San Blas for handcrafted gifts and a streetful of massage and pedicure vendors. Need coffee? Jack’s Cafe was opened by an Australian and is one of the few places in Peru where you can get a flat white. Finish in and around the main square for a meal at one of the many pizza places (top pick, La Pizza Carlo), or for Peruvian fare, Pachapapa.

You can’t miss out on the Sacred Valley, with its huge mountains and valleys of corn, amaranth and quinoa. Maybe it’s the thin air, but the natural beauty is dizzying. Trek to Maras to see the spectacle of white pools of salt covering a mountain, and stop at the village of Ollantaytambo, set on the Urubamba River, to learn about Incan stone terraces and ancient ruins. In Pisac, you’ll be rewarded with markets hawking the best-value alpaca jumpers in Peru.

Finally, of course, the piece de resistance, Machu Picchu. The Inca Rail drops passengers in the town of Aguas Calientes to catch a bus for the final incline. Of course, for those game enough, there is the Inca Trail, where you can hike to what was once the main entrance to the site, the Sun Gate, and watch the sunrise. However you get there, it’s an awe-inspiring, pinch-yourself moment.

Need to know:

Money ATMs are in short supply in some parts of Peru, so take US dollars for easy transfers.

Places to stay Atemporal Hotel, Lima; Explora Valle Sagrado, Sacred Valley; Palacio del Inka, Cuzco.

Dodgy tummy? Ask for muna (pronounced ‘moonia’) to settle it.

To travel in luxury to Machu Picchu, choose the first-class train offered by Inca Rail.