Arrive To: Arrive in Lima. Proceed through Immigrations, Baggage Claim and Customs before exiting the secured area of the airport. The Road Scholar representative will be waiting outside the exit door with a Road Scholar sign (only applies to Road Scholar group flights).

Transfer to the hotel and check-in.

Please note that this is an international travel day; no meals or program activities are scheduled on this day. Hotel check-in usually begins at 3 p.m.

Lodging: Casa Andina Select

Breakfast: At hotel restaurant.

Morning: Program orientation session.

Lecture: Overview & Diversity of Peru.

Field trip to the Archaeological Museum.

This is Peru's oldest and largest state museum. It is housed in an old colonial mansion on Plaza Bolivar, in the Pueblo Libre District of Lima. The museum displays a large collection of ceramics, textiles, sculptures, and ancient Peruvian metals dating back to pre-Hispanic times. Some notable pieces in this collection are the Raimondi Stela and Tello Obelisk. Another portion of the exhibits focuses on the country's colonial and Republican periods.

Lunch: At local restaurant.

Afternoon: Walking orientation through Lima including the Cathedral.

The most important church in any town in Peru is usually called La Catedral (Cathedral). In the case of Lima, La Catedral is also the most important church in all of Peru. This beautiful colonial building in the Plaza de las Armas presumably houses the remains of Francisco Pizarro--whether the bones are authentic or not is a matter of conjecture.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Casa Andina Select

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Amazonia -
Flight to Iquitos/City Orientation/Boat Ride to Lodge/Rainforest Walk.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Transfer to the airport to board a flight to Iquitos.

Arrive in Iquitos. After a brief city orientation, transfer to the Explorama dock. Boat transfer to the lodge.


Lunch: Boxed lunch.


Afternoon: Arrive at the lodge and check-in.

Enjoy an introductory walk in the primary rainforest reserve surrounding the lodge. Look out for agile tamarins as they travel through the forest canopy and stop to admire the clusters of brightly colored epiphytes clinging to tree limbs.

Return to the lodge.


Dinner: At the lodge.


Evening: After dinner, enjoy music at the bar.

Lodging: Ceiba Tops Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Amazonia -
Visits to Local Communities and Market/Monkey Island Reserve/Nighttime Nature Walk.

Breakfast: At the lodge.


Morning: Boat and motorized rickshaw transfer to the Mazan Market. The river village of Mazan hosts a morning market that attracts locals from surrounding areas. The market supplies goods from the rainforest as well as from Iquitos. Local farmers get to sell their produce and purchase much needed supplies.

After leaving Mazan we will travel to the small town of Indiana, the political capital of the lower Amazon and upper Napo regions. Enjoy an orientation to the town. Indiana has grown over the years into a sizeable community. It has its own market, high school, and even a small hospital.


Lunch: Boxed lunch.


Afternoon: This afternoon, enjoy a boat ride to the Monkey Island private reserve. As the name of the site implies, it is a prime locale for spotting primates. Search for and learn about the more than five species of tropical primates that inhabit the reserve including saki, uakari, titi, large woolly monkeys, and small tamarins.

Return to the lodge.


Dinner: At the lodge.


Evening: Cap the day with a nighttime walk to a neighboring lake to search for nocturnal animal species and revel in the rhythmic music of the forest.


Lodging: Ceiba Tops Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Amazonia -
Canopy Walkway/Ethnobotanical Garden Visit/A Look at Local Medicinal Practices.

Breakfast: Early morning boat ride to ExplorNapo Lodge.

Breakfast at the ExplorNapo Lodge.


Morning: After breakfast, walk to the lodge's Canopy Walkway for scenic views of the rainforest canopy and its wildlife. The walkway spans more than a third of a mile and is connected by tree platforms. Get a bird's eye view of the rainforest from a platform raised more than 115 feet off the ground!

Walk back to the lodge in time for lunch.


Lunch: At the ExplorNapo Lodge.


Afternoon: Spend time with a local shaman during an exploratory walk through the lodge's Ethnobotanical Garden. Learn about indigenous healing traditions and the medicinal properties of plants found in the rainforest.

Boat ride back to the lodge.

Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure to take a dip in the pool or lounge in the hammocks before dinner.


Dinner: At the lodge.

Lodging: Ceiba Tops Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Amazonia -
Early Morning Birding/Village Visit/Fishing for Piranhas/Fokloric Dance Presentation.

Breakfast: Optional early morning birding.

At the lodge.


Morning: After breakfast, take a boat ride to a local village. Learn about the uncluttered, simple way of life of the Amazonian people known locally as "ribereños" (river people).

If the local school is in session, we might be able to meet some of the local children and get a firsthand look at rural schools in the region.

Return to the lodge.


Lunch: At the lodge.


Afternoon: This afternoon you'll be able to practice your fishing skills with a simple cane fishing pole. Try your hand at catching piranhas and other Amazonian fish. Successful anglers will be able to try their fish at dinner!

While at the river's edge, we will also take the opportunity to look for sloths in the surrounding cecropia trees and hope to see some freshwater river dolphins (pink or grey) found in the region.

Enjoy a final sunset on the river before dinner.


Dinner: Dinner and folkloric dance presentation at the lodge.

Lodging: Ceiba Tops Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Amazonia -
Early Morning Bird Watching/Jungle Hike and Yagua Village Visit/Local Learning Center.

Breakfast: Optional early morning bird watching excursion.

Breakfast at the lodge.


Morning: Board a boat and navigate down the Amazon River to the Explorama Lodge. Hike the "Bushmaster Trail" to view the incredible diversity of tree species found in the area.

Visit a small community of Yagua Indians. Learn about their culture, traditions, and the effects of outside influences on their way of life. Watch a blowgun demonstration, still used by Yagua elders for hunting.


Lunch: Boxed lunch.


Afternoon: Enjoy a guided walk to a ribereño's house, corner store and sugar cane rum factory.

On the way back to the lodge, stop at a local learning center, the CONAPAC Amazon Library.


Dinner: At the lodge.

Lodging: Ceiba Tops Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Amazonia and Iquitos -
Forest Hike to the Giant Ceiba Tree/Transfer to Iquitos.

Breakfast: At the lodge.


Morning: Enjoy a guided forest walk through the lodge's reserve to view a giant ceiba or kapok tree which served as inspiration for the lodge's name.

Return to the lodge and free time to relax or finish packing before leaving for Iquitos.


Lunch: At the lodge.


Afternoon: Board a boat to Iquitos. Upon arrival, transfer by bus to the hotel.

The hotel is centrally located, near various town attractions. Participants will have some free time to explore the town before dinner if they wish.


Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Lodging: Hotel El Dorado Plaza

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Flight to Cusco/Scenic Drive to Sacred Valley
Pisac Market/Introduction to Machu Picchu

Breakfast: At the hotel.


Morning: Early morning transfer to the Iquitos airport.Morning flight to Cusco (via Lima).

Traditional Inca welcome with coca tea upon arrival at the Cusco airport.

Visit the Pisac Market and watch local artisans at work.

The Pisac Market dates back to the ancient Peruvian days when people in the highlands depended on trade. The traditional produce market is held on Sundays, when natives come to trade vegetables, herbs and potatoes for other goods like matches, oranges and medicines. During other days of the week, the town hosts a handicrafts market where all nature of locally made crafts can be seen on display.



Lunch: Box lunch en route.

Afternoon: Arrive at the hotel and check-in.

Lecture: Late afternoon tea with an expert on the Machu Picchu Ruins who will discuss the spiritual and mystical significance of the Inca sites.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Lodging: Posada del Inca

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sacred Valley of the Incas -
Chincheros Town/Andean Agriculture/ Ollantaytambo Ruins

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Morning visit to Chincheros town including a visit to a weaving cooperative, where you will meet with locals and learn about the weaving styles and techniques.

Weaving is a way of life in Chincheros, as important for preserving ancient traditions as it is for earning a livelihood. Located in the Peruvian Andes on the Inca road between Cusco and Machu Picchu, Chincheros was an early Inca center built by emperor Tupa Inca as his country estate. During Inca reign, textiles were woven and offered to mark special occasions, from peace treaties and sacrifices to marriage ceremonies and puberty rites. In Chincheros, children grow up playing with their mother's spindle and loom. By age six or seven, most children learn to weave by watching their elders. They begin by weaving jakimas, or narrow ribbons, before moving on to more complicated pieces.

Learn about Andean agricultural techniques during visits to local farms.

Lecture: The Agriculture of the Incas.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: Field trip to Ollantaytambo Ruins with a local guide who will highlight the engineering genius of the Inca.

The Ollantaytambo Ruins are not ruins in the traditional sense. Ollantaytambo is a town with original buildings of Inca construction where the Inca retreated to make their last stand in the highlands against the Spanish. Running water still flows through the town in aqueducts. The terraces above the town still are farmed. The pinnacle above the town is a small burial ground.



Dinner: At the hotel.

Lodging: Posada del Inca

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Train to Machu Picchu following the Urubamba River with spectacular views of the Andes.

Upon arrival, continue with a bus transfer to the Machu Picchu Ruins

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant near the ruins.

Afternoon: Full afternoon guided field trip in and around Machu Picchu Ruins, including site lecture.

This ancient Inca city was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a Yale graduate and U.S. senator fascinated with Inca archaeology. Bingham found Machu Picchu, with the help of a local farmer who knew about the ruins, while searching for Vilcabamba and Vitcos. He hypothesized that the site was a "citadel," existing for strategic and defense purposes. He also speculated that the site was a refuge for Cusco's Virgins of the Sun, based upon the finding of skulls there, although not scientifically classified as female. Breakthroughs in archaeology since 1985 have, taken as a whole, supported the emerging view of Machu Picchu as a ceremonial and administrative center for a very populous region. Machu Picchu was built, flourished, and fell into demise within a period of 100 years.



Dinner: At the hotel.

Lodging: El Mapi Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Guided excursion around the town of Aguas Calientes with a visit to the local market.



Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: Transfer to train station

Early afternoon train to Ollantaytambo station and bus transfer to Cusco

Arrive at hotel and check-in.

Time at leisure.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection – Cusco

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Feld trip to the Sacsayhuaman Ruins

The fortress of Sacsayhuaman forms the head of the Puma design of old Cusco. It is a wonder of technical achievement and a testament to human will. It is a mystery how it was constructed, since the stones are not found in the region, and most of the blocks weigh more than a ton. The largest rock weighs more than 300 tons. Sacsayhuaman is constructed of huge polygonal blocks which interlock with one another. The stones are so precisely placed that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them.

Excursion through the city of Cusco.

The center of Cusco is a history lesson. Modern and colonial buildings are built on top of Inca foundations, and colonial churches dominate the central square.

Lunch: Lunch at a café in the main plaza where you can enjoy the colonial architecture of the city.

Afternoon: Afternoon at leisure

Pre dinner presentation by expert on the history of Inca and Andean musical instruments.

Dinner: Enjoy traditional Andean cuisine at a local restaurant.

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection – Cusco

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Transfer to the airport.

Mid-morning flight to Lima.

Arrive in Lima and transfer to the hotel.



Lunch: Enjoy a presentation on Peruvian cuisine at a local restaurant, followed by a farewell lunch.

Afternoon: Afternoon at leisure to explore Lima, finish packing, or rest at your hotel.

Dinner: Light dinner at the hotel.

Evening: Depending on the flight schedules, some participants might need to leave for the international airport this night. These participants will not miss any program activities.



Lodging: Casa Andina Select

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Transfer to the Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima for flight back to the U.S.

Note: Participants with independent travel arrangements and/or scheduled on later flights can keep their hotel rooms until check-out time on this day. Except for breakfast, all other meals are on your own on this day.

Breakfast: Breakfast (dependent on flight times) at the hotel.

Meals Included: Breakfast