excursions

Excursion included in:

Lima

Peru’s largest city, Lima, sits on the Pacific coast and has been home to numerous cultures and civilizations whose indigenous traditions and languages still thrive today. Now a modern capital, the city reveals its colonial past through its historic buildings and squares including the Plaza San Martin, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace and the San Francisco church and convent, which is considered to be the most important colonial monument of the Americas.

Excursion included in:

Machu Picchu

Referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas,” Machu Picchu is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World. The Incas started building the estate around 1400 AD but it was abandoned by the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. Stretching along the Urubamba River, the Inca's Sacred Valley holds numerous archaeological treasures, including the fortress of Ollantaytambo and the ruins of Pisac. Visitors also enjoy the valley's small towns and markets as well as a trip to a local llama and alpaca farm.

Excursion included in:

Chinchero, Maras & Moray

The village of Chinchero, “the town of the rainbow,” was built above Inca ruins and is surrounded by typical Incan stone walls. Locals still use the traditional dress and barter agricultural products at the colorful Sunday market. The nearby village of Maras is known for the salt mines that have been exploited since the Inca times, while the village of Moray is home to an impressive Incan agricultural laboratory used to cultivate various crops during the empire.

Excursion included in:

The Sacred Valley

Streching along the Urubamba River, the Inca's Sacred Valley holds numerous archeological treasures; here students will explore the fortress of Ollantaytambo and the ruins of Pisac. They will visit a llama and alpaca petting farm and wander through the impressive market where they can buy local goods, especially those made with the unique alpaca wool. This is an ideal pre-program excursion to get the students acclimated to the high altitudes of the Andes mountains.