Depart From: Depart from the US on overnight flight

Dinner: Welcome dinner at the hotel in Iguacu Falls.

Evening: Meet with your group leader for your Program Orientation. Agenda: Welcome, introduction, program overview, emergency procedures, amenities, currency review and language review.

Lodging: Slaviero Suites Foz do Iguacu

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Exploring the Argentine Side of the Falls". The experience of seeing the falls from the Argentine side is completely different than from the Brazilian side and is well worth the experience. Led by a local expert discover the top of the falls.

Lunch: Lunch in the park at one of the local restaurants

Afternoon: Field Trip Continues: The paths on the Argentine side are much longer than those on the Brazilian side as the Argentine falls represent 75% of the falls. Later we explore a local Indigenous community to learn about the original local inhabitants.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Slaviero Suites Foz do Iguacu

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Presentation "The Atlantic Rain Forest and the Iguacu Biosphere": Led by a local naturalist, learn about the biodiversity and complexity of the Atlantic Rainforest in the Iguacu Basin. Later we leave the hotel for a Morning visit to the Brazilian Falls. Led by a local expert, we walk the 1.5 mile paved path along the river bank to view the falls. The walk culminates with a spectacular 360 degree fall view. Be prepared to be wowed and to get wet, bring a plastic poncho.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel

Afternoon: Field Trip "Exploring the Bird Park": Featuring over 150 species of tropical Brazilian birds, the park is an ideal place to continue to learn about the biodervisty of the region. After our visit we transfer to the airport for our evening flight to Lima.

Dinner: Dinner on your own at the airport

Evening: Arrival in Lima and transfer to our hotel for an overnight prior to flying to Cuzco the next day.

Lodging: Ramada Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Introduction to Peru and Lima, Flight to Cuzco and transfer to the Sacred Valley

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: This morning is spent in a short transit from Lima to Urumbamba via Cuzco. Check out of the hotel for a mid morning transfer to the airport and a short flight to Cuzco. From the Cuzco airport take a scenic coach bus ride to the beautiful town of Pisac in Peru's Sacred Valley or Urumbamba. Pisac is known for it's Saturday market. Enjoy some time before or after lunch to explore the colorful Pisac Market.

Lunch: Lunch in the quaint Peruvian town of Pisac.

Afternoon: Check in to the hotel in Urumbamba and enjoy a presentation led by your study leader. Presentation "Introduction to Peru": this presentation will provide a foundation for your journey through the beautiful and culturally rich country of Peru - a land where ancient and modern cultures blend seamlessly together.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection Valle Sagrado

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Pesentation “The Rise and Fall of the Inca's ”: Your program lecturer, Jean Jacques Decoster, will detail the history of the Incan society.

Lunch: Lunch near Ollantaytambo

Afternoon: Field Trip "Ollantaytambo Ruins and Town": Led by your Peruvian Study Leader explore Ollantaytambo fortress and town. Ollantaytambo is an archaeological park to which different functions had been attributed. It is considered a military construction strategically located to protect Cuzco from possible invasions. The town of Ollantaytambo is one of the few cities that still maintain the Inca system of urban planning.

Dinner: Enjoy a dinner in a Private Hacienda (Private home restaurant)

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection Valle Sagrado

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Cuyuni Village Cultural Discovery": Arrive to Cuyuni and explore how local life unfolds in the peaceful Andean Highlands. Drink in the culture in a walk along the ancient farming paths that pass through this primarily agricultural community. At various stops throughout the day, learn about the local agriculture, religious ceremonies, and textile production in this region.

Lunch: Typical Andean lunch at the restaurant run by the local community

Afternoon: Presentation “The Rise and Fall of the Incas”: An expert lecturer will detail the history of the Incan society. Understand the cultural significance of the layout of Ollantaytambo - one of the few remaining towns that maintains the Incan style of urban planning.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection Valle Sagrado

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Train to Machu Picchu Peubla (Aguas Calientes) and Presentation on the History of Machu Picchu

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Sacred Valley Girls Dormatory Project": In Ollantaytambo, learn about this educational initiative to provide secondary schooling opportunities to girls from mountainous communities surrounding the Sacred Valley. Visit with the dorm mother and director of the project.

Lunch: Lunch at the Sacred Valley Project.

Afternoon: After lunch, take a train ride to Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu. "Presentation "Intro to Machu Picchu": Your Study Leader will detail the history of the community and ruins of Machu Picchu. Before the presentation, take a brief walking tour of the small community of Aguas Calientes which sits below Machu Picchu and is known for its picturesque countryside, birds and the Mandoor gardens.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: El Mapi Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: This morning we beat the crowds and visit Machu Picchu, the most iconic site of the Inca world, and a renowned UNESCO world heritage site. Explore the agricultural and urban sides of Machu Picchu and learn the history of the Incan abandonment of the city and its construction during Spanish conquest in the sixteenth centure.

Lunch: Lunch at Machu Picchu

Afternoon: We wrap up our visit of Machu Picchu and take an afternoon train from Machu Picchu to Cuzco. Upon arrival in Cuzco, we check in to our hotel.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Casa Andina Classic-Cusco Plaza

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "In Depth Discovery of Cuzco": Explore Cuzco with a local historian. An iconic structure in this timeless city is the Cuzco Cathedral. Its construction started in 1560 and finished in 1664. It contains the best manifestations of colonial goldsmith and wood carving, as well as a valuable collection of canvases from the Escuela Cusqueña (Academy of Cusco). Next, take a trip to the Korikancha Palace, which was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. The Korikancha Palace was dedicated to Inti, the Sun God. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold. The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century.

Lunch: Lunch in Cuzco with our Historian

Afternoon: Free time: This afternoon you have a choice to enjoy some down time and relax in Cuzco on the square, do some shopping or some people watching, or make your own way back to the hotel. Alternatively, you can join your Study Leader to enjoy an OPTIONAL Continuation of the morning theme in more depth. This optional exploration will last about 2.5 hours and will involve further walking of up to 2 miles. Discover La Compañía church, a Baroque church built in the 17th century. The sacristy holds its most precious treasure: an impressive 50 pound, 3 foot high monstrance, encrusted with gold and jewels, and crowned with one large mermaid shaped pearl. This monstrance considered to be the second largest in the world. San Blas: During Inca times, San Blas was a settlement for “Mitimaes” (ancient craftsman of the Inca period) with a special command: yachay, Quechua for “teach and learn”. Master craftsmen from all around the Inca Empire shared their knowledge.

Dinner: Dinner on your own

Lodging: Casa Andina Classic-Cusco Plaza

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Cusco City Discovery": Led by your Local Peruvian Study Leader explore this historic city during a slow-paced walking city tour. We coach to La Almudena cemetery and from there walk downhill towards the main square, passing by the San Pedro market and the colonial houses (3.5 hours and walking about 2.5 miles)

Lunch: Typical Cuzqueño lunch at a restaurant frequented by locals

Afternoon: Field Trip "Discovering Sacsayhuaman": Led by your local Peruvian Study leader explore Sacsayhuaman a walled complex just above Cusco. Like all Inca stonework there is still mystery surrounding how it was constructed. Thanks to an as yet unexplained precision in stone-cutting, the structure is built in such a way that a single piece of paper will not fit between two stones. The Spanish harvested a large quantity of rock from the walls of the structure to build churches in Cuzco, which is why the walls are in perfect condition up to a certain height, and missing above that point.

Dinner: Dinner on your own in Cuzco

Lodging: Casa Andina Classic-Cusco Plaza

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Early morning breakfast at the hotel in Cuzco.

Morning: Take an early morning flight from Cuzco to Lima, and transfer for a midmorning flight from Lima to Santiago, Chile.

Lunch: Lunch on your own at the airport.

Afternoon: Arrive in the early evening to Santiago. Check in to the hotel in Santiago.

Dinner: Lecture over dinner with wine: Enjoy a lecture about the relationship between the cultures of mainland South America and the Pacific Islands.

Lodging: Atton Hotel Vitacura

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Morning lecture; arrival on Easter Island and an Introduction to Rapa Nui

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Transfer to the airport for flights to Easter Island.

Lunch: Lunch on Easter Island

Afternoon: Afternoon arrival in Easter Island. Presentation "Introduction to the Mystery of Rapa Nui": Enjoy an introductory presentation about Easter Island with your local guide. Get an overview of the Rapa Nui portion of your program. Take a walking tour with your local guide around downtown Hanga Roa. learn about the city layout and its inhabitants.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Hotel Tea Nui

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Boating to the Motus": This morning depart the hotel for Hanga Piko pier and enjoy a morning boat ride to the three southeastern islands or "motus" - motu' kao kao, motu nui, and motu iti. These islands were once the site of an annual competition of the "tangata manu" or Birdman Cult, where members from each clan swam to collect the first tern egg to secure their honored status for the year.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel

Afternoon: Field Trip "Orongo": Visit the well known ceremonial site of Orongo. Explore the caves where petroglyphs depict the past cult of the birdman, and an annual competition that was held prior to European contact. Explore the stone village and ceremonial grounds of this site, and stand over the 250 ft sea cliff of the Rano Kao crater overlooking the motus visited earlier by boat. Then head to nearby Ahu Vinapu- a site whose stonework has drawn comparisons to its similiarities with Andean sites.

Dinner: Dinner in Hanga Roa town

Lodging: Hotel Tea Nui

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Rano Raraku": Depart immediately after breakfast to arrive early at Rano Raraku. The volcanic crater here served as a quarry for nearly 500 years, serving as the source for most of the stone used throughout the island. Rano Raraku contains over 400 Moai in various states of completion. Explore the quarry and learn its history. Field Trip "Ahu Tongariki": Ahu are the stone platforms on which the Moai statues stood. Make your way to Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu on Easter Island. In 1960 the ahu was swept inland by a tsunami. It has since been restored and has fifteen moai including an 86 ton moai that was the heaviest ever erected on the island.

Lunch: Lunch at Ranu Raraku

Afternoon: This afternoon, head to Anakena beach to take in a unique view on this peaceful stretch. This is a wonderful swimming area, and it is possible to observe the timeless moai statues overlooking Hanga Roa and the ocean. Take the southern route back to Hanga Roa, visiting the sites of Aka Hanga with its mysterious laying moai, and Vaihu with a series of fallen statues, along with other enriching archological sites along the way.

Dinner: Say farewell to Easter Island as you enjoy a typical island send-off featuring the traditional Tunu Ahi dinner and a cultural show.

Lodging: Hotel Tea Nui

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Flight from Easter Island to Santiago; Free time in Santiago; Overnight departures to the US.

Breakfast: Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Free time in Rapa Nui. Pack your bags, or take a stroll through Hanga Roa to explore your favorite part of the small town.

Lunch: Lunch on your own at the airport.

Afternoon: Transfer to the airport for you flight home.

Dinner: Dinner on your flight.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Morning: Arrival in the US from overnight flight