Travel-Learn Program
Peru - Lost Treasures of South America WAITLIST ONLY
When: April 11, 2011 - April 21, 2011 (iCal)
Description
Discover of Peru’s archeological, cultural and natural treasures in the land of the Incas. We will explore the capital city of Lima, founded by Francisco Pizzaro as the “City of Kings” and now a bustling international city. After acclimating to the high altitude, we will delve into the beautiful Sacred Valley, the Indian market at Pisac, and the extensive ruins at Ollantaytambo. After traveling the winding mountain trail, we will make our way to Machu Picchu—the stunning “Lost City of the Incas” and a once-in-a-lifetime destination. We will enjoy two guided visits to these enigmatic ruins, and by staying overnight we will be able to take in our mystical surroundings before the day tours arrive. Travel overland through Peru’s rugged altiplano with its snow-capped mountains and remote villages to Lake Titicaca, one of the world’s highest navigable lakes. Take a boat ride to the Floating Islands and Taquile Island, known for the superb locally crafted textiles. A 5-day/4-night post-tour option to the Amazon Rainforest is available.
Featuring Faculty Host
Professor Katrina Burgess
Cost
Waitlist only - For more information,contact Usha Nand Sellers Ed. D., Director Tufts Travel-Learn Program, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617-627-5323.
Itinerary
DAY 1: Depart the U.S. for Lima
We’ll depart Miami around midnight (11:55 p.m.) on our overnight Lan Peru flight to Lima.
DAY 2:Arrive Lima
After a pre-dawn arrival in Lima, we’ll meet our Odysseys Unlimited Peruvian tour director and transfer to the hotel, where our room will be ready for our early arrival. We’ll have breakfast together then time to rest before heading out to discover the treasures of this historic capital city. After lunch at a local restaurant we visit the Rafael Larco Herrera Museum housing a unique display of pre-Hispanic ceramics. Later we embark on a city tour and encounter the highlights of both colonial and modern Lima. Dinner tonight is on our own.
DAY 3:Lima/Cuzco/Sacred Valley
A morning flight brings us to Cuzco where we will enjoy lunch together before continuing north into the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the town of Pisac, the largest fortress-city complex of the Incas. We will stop at a colorful Quechua market set amid the mountains. We arrive at our hotel late-afternoon. This evening we will attend an “Offering to the Earth” ceremony, followed by dinner at our hotel.
DAY 4: Sacred Valley
This morning we embark on a full-day exploration of the Sacred Valley, a beautiful and historic region with agricultural terraces sculpted from the mountainsides. We begin with a visit to the farming village of Chincheros; then continue on to the colonial village of Maras, known for saltpans developed by the Inca and still in use today. We also view the circular terraces of Moray, large, natural depressions in the landscape that were sculpted into terraces long ago. After lunch at a local restaurant we will tour the massive ruins at Ollantaytambo, both a temple and a fortress. Late this afternoon we return to our hotel and dine there tonight.
DAY 5:Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu
Early this morning we will take the train ride to Aguas Calientes, then after lunch we board the bus for the ride to Machu Picchu, the fabled "Lost City of the Incas.” Perched in a high saddle surrounded by Andean peaks, it was virtually intact when discovered in 1911 by adventurer Hiram Bingham. Because the Inca did not have written language, there is only speculation about the origins of Machu Picchu. Some claim it wasn't a city at all, but rather a royal and religious retreat built in the mid-1400s and abandoned a century later because of war and smallpox. The precise masonry here is astounding. Our guided tour introduces us to the wonders of this UNESCO World Heritage site, which encompasses five square miles of terraced stonework linked by 3,000 steps. This afternoon we return to Aguas Calientes where we can spend our free afternoon relaxing or exploring. Dinner is at our hotel.
DAY 6:Machu Picchu/Cuzco
Before the tourist-filled buses arrive from Cuzco today, we take a second guided tour of the ruins, with time to admire the play of early morning shadows on the surrounding peaks. We return to Aguas Calientes for lunch then board our mid-afternoon train for Cuzco. Dinner is on our own this evening.
DAY 7:Cuzco
The Inca Empire’s former capital, Cuzco bears the marks of its mixed Spanish-Inca heritage. Mid-day we will embark on a city tour that introduces us to grand Plaza de Armas, the main square. Presiding over the plaza is the 16th-century Cathedral and its churches. We also visit the Church of Santo Domingo, built on the foundations of Qoricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun. Then we head to Sacsayhuamán, the Incan ruins near Cuzco, whose ramparts are made of massive, precisely fitted boulders. Later we will enjoy a tour highlight: lunch hosted by local Cuzco families in their homes. Tonight is free to dine where we wish and perhaps take in Cuzco’s nightlife.
DAY 8: Cuzco/Puno
This morning, depart for the day-long journey by coach to Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. As we travel through the rugged snow-capped Andes dotted with small villages and herds of llama and alpacas, we make several stops along the way including the ruins at Raqchi, once the holiest site in the Incan empire. We reach our hotel on the shores of Lake Titicaca late this afternoon.
DAY 9: Puno/Lake Titicaca
Spend the day exploring the fascinating life of Lake Titicaca, among the world’s highest navigable lakes. Up here the air is clearer, the colors sharper, and the horizon more distant. By boat we will visit the Floating Island of Los Uros, where the top-hatted Uros people live on “islands” made of the reeds that grow in the lake’s shallows. We also witness the breathtaking natural beauty surrounding us, with Bolivia’s snow-capped Cordillera range a striking backdrop to the deep blue of Lake Titicaca. We return to our hotel late this afternoon; tonight we will celebrate our Peruvian adventure at a farewell dinner at our hotel.
DAY 10:Puno/Lima/Depart for U.S.
This morning we will visit the mysterious stone burial towers (chullpas) at Sillustani, overlooking Lake Umayo. Following our visit we transfer to the airport for our late afternoon flight to Lima, arriving this evening. We will have the opportunity to relax in day-rooms at a Lima hotel before departing for home.
An Amazon Rainforest Post-tour Extension is also available for those looking to continue their South American adventure.
Price and Itinerary remain tentative and subject to change617-627-5323|usha.sellers@tufts.edu
