Day 1: Arrive in Lima, Peru!

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: None

Welcome to Peru! You will arrive in Lima today and will meet your guide at the airport after clearing customs. Your guide will bring you to your hotel in the Miraflores district, which is a popular, upscale tourist area of town. You will have time to rest, relax, and explore at your leisure.

Day 2: Lima to Arequipa

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

Take an early flight to the city of Arequipa. After arriving at the hotel, you will take a tour of Peru's "white city." Stops on the itinerary include a visit to Santa Catalina Monestary (a monestary for Dominican nuns built in 1579). This prestigious monestary was established for nuns from wealthy families. Each family whose daughter was accepted had to pay a large dowry at the time. This practice was ended roughly 300 years later. The Compañia Church will also be visited, as well as the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries. This museum contains the frozen remains of a 13 year-old girl called "Juanita" who was an Inca human sacrifice. She had remained frozen for over 550 years when she was discovered. She is still preserved in a frozen state.

Day 3: Arequipa to Colca Canyon

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

Venture to the Colca Canyon today for a guided tour of the Colca valley. The drive will take us through a volcanic region, reaching 16,400 feet above sea level! Prepare for some beautiful views along the way. After all of the sightseeing, we will relax at the hot springs in Chivay.

Day 4: Colca Canyon

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

You will have an opportunity to see the famous condors od Colca Canyon in flight. The day will also incorporate visits to traditional villages where you will learn more about the inhabitants and culture of the region. You will also enjoy some wonderfully scenic vistas during the journey.

Day 5: Colca Canyon to Puno / Lake Titicaca

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Take an early morning drive through Colca Canyon to see the condors one more time, then have lunch at Chivay. After lunch, we will journey to Puno. From Puno, enjoy an amazing experience as we take a motor boat far out into the gorgeous expanse of Lake Titicaca. About 30 minutes from Puno, we will arrive at the floating islands of Uros. The people of Uros construct their own family islands out of the tortora reeds that grow in abundance in the area. Learn how to construct your own floating island, and about this fascinating culture that is hundreds of years old. After we depart from Uros, we will journey for a couple more hours to the island of Amantani which will also be our home for the night. There are no cars on the island. We will stay with a Quechua family and learn about their unique traditions and culture.

Day 6: Lake Titicaca to Puno

Accommodations: Home stay with local family

Meals: Breakfast

After enjoying breakfast with our host family, we will depart from Amantani Island to Taquile, less than an hour's boat ride away. This little island also has no cars. We will walk from the port to the center of town, enjoying the beautiful vistas along the way. Learn about the traditions that make this island unique, including how family histories are woven into belts and other clothing worn by the local people. After enjoying the island, we will take a boat ride back to Puno.

Day 7: Puno to Cusco

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

From Puno, we will catch a bus to Cusco and enjoy traveling through more of the gorgeous Andes Mountains. The bus makes several stops along the way, including the cities of Pukara, Raqchi, and Andahuaylilllas to see more Inca and Spanish architecture. There will be a stop for a buffet lunch along the way. We will stay in Cusco for the night.

Day 8: Cusco

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy learning about the pre-Inca city of Cusco. Start with a tour of the San Blas artist's quarter. After this, we will visit the Inca Museum where you can learn more about this incredible culture. Next, we will tour the Inca temple of Koricancha which is in the heart of Cusco. Koricancha was the temple to the sun, and the most important temple in the Inca empire. After conquering the Incas, the Spaniards ruined a lot of the temple and on top of it built the Church of Santo Domingo. Finally we will finish the day in a lovely handicraft market.

Day 9: Sacred Valley Tour

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, we will depart for a tour of the Sacred Valley area. We will enjoy a stop at the city of Pisac (which is famous for it's Sunday market), and then visit the Inca terraces at Maras - Moray. It was believed that these terraces were used by the Incas for agricultural experiments. The day will include a stop at a cultural center in Chinchero where you will learn how alpaca wool goes from being just a heap of wool, through the process of cleaning, dying it with natural ingredients, and using traditional techniques to weave it into beautiful garments.

Day 10: Cusco to Machu Picchu

Accommodations: TBD

Meals: Breakfast

This will be a long, early day! We will have breakfast around 4AM, then depart for the train station to ride the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes, from where we will take the half hour bus ride to Machu Picchu. There will be a three hour tour of this amazing citadel, constructed in the 1400s. You will also have time to explore on your own and optionally hike Wayna Picchu. Lunch will be at Machu Picchu. We will take the evening train back to Cusco for the night.

Day 11: Cusco to Lima to home

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport at Cusco, where you will then fly to Lima, and then home (or wherever your journey takes you next). Thank you for traveling with us!