Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: The main Road Scholar program (#3280 Majesty and Mystery: Ancient Civilizations of Peru) comes to an end. Participants taking this extension will have a free morning to explore Cusco.

Lunch: Lunch will be on your own, to explore local fare.

Afternoon: Transfer to the Cusco airport to connect with a flight to Arequipa.

Arrive in Arequipa and transfer to the hotel.

The beautiful southern city of Arequipa is affectionately called the “White City.” It earned the nickname because most of the colonial buildings were constructed with sillar, a white volcanic rock found in the region. Bathed in sunlight, the city sparkles and stands out against the dark tones of the surrounding landscape. Downtown Arequipa was nominated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2000, a tribute to the unique blend of European and indigenous building techniques and architectural styles found in the city's historic center.

Dinner: Dinner on your own, to explore local fare.

Lodging: Posada del Inka Arequipa

Meals Included: Breakfast

Colca Canyon -
Explore the Santa Catalina Convent/Juanita Inca Mummy/Driving through Peru's Altiplano

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy a visit to the 400-year-old Santa Catalina Convent, one of the most fascinating colonial religious buildings in the country.

Continue your exploration of Arequipa with a stop at the Museo Santuarios Andinos to view the famous "Juanita" Inca mummy (also known as "the Ice Maiden"), as well as displays of religious offerings and other mummies found at the same sacrificial site. A site lecture will help to explain the Incan ritual practices that surround this mummy of a girl who died over five hundred years ago.

Begin transfer to the Colca Canyon via the village of Chivay.

Lunch: Picnic lunch en route.

Afternoon: Arrive at the hotel and check-in.

Free time to relax in the hotel's hot springs.

Dinner: Enjoy dinner and a musical presentation at the hotel.

Lodging: Colca Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Colca Canyon -
Yanque Town/Cruz del Condor/Maca and Pinchollo Towns/Chivay Market and Local Crafts

Breakfast: Early breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Early this morning, we will travel to the town of Yanque to visit the church and see local children performing at the square before they go to school.

Continue to the lookout point at Cruz del Condor, to get close-up views of condors soaring through the spectacular gorges. A naturalist-led discussion will examine the importance of the condor to both canyon ecology and Inca culture.

Return to your hotel via the towns of Maca, famous for its church, and Pinchollo.

Lunch: At a local restaurant in Chivay.

Afternoon: Explore Chivay and its market, where you will meet a local craftswoman and gain insight into Colca embroidery traditions, which often feature the native Colibri, the largest hummingbird in the world.

Return to the hotel.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Lodging: Colca Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Early departure for Puno.

Drive through the Reserva Nacional Salinas and Aguada Blanca, known for its snow-capped mountains, volcanoes and beautiful lagoons.

Lunch: Picnic lunch at the lagoon.

Afternoon: Continue to Sillustani Tombs, an ancient pre-Inca burial ground with unique, aboveground tombs called "chullpas."

Arrive in Puno, located on the western banks of Lake Titicaca--the world's highest navigable lake (approximately 12,500 ft above sea level). Arrive at the hotel and check-in.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own, for a chance to explore local fare.

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection – Puno

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Lake Titicaca, Suasi Island -
The Uros Floating Reed Islands and their People/Sunset on Lake Titicaca

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Early this morning, you will board a boat to Suasi Island via Lake Titicaca's famous, manmade floating reed islands. Meet the Uros people and learn about their culture and life on the lake. Experience riding in a reed boat and discuss the foundation of the Inca Empire and Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Expedition.

The Uros people have lived in the Lake Titicaca region since pre-Inca times. Through great ingenuity, they used totora reeds to create floating islands on which they built their homes. The Uros people originally constructed the islands as a means to protect their community from potential attacks. Isolated from outside influences, they were able to hold strong to their cultural traditions. Surviving descendents continue to inhabit the islands, living in much the same way as their ancestors did hundreds of years ago.

Arrive at Suasi Island, a private island near the northern shores of Lake Titicaca.

Lunch: Late lunch at lodge.

Afternoon: Time at leisure to explore the island on your own.

Guided walk to enjoy views of the lake at sunset.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection – Suasi Island

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Lake Titicaca, Suasi Island -
Andean Farming on Suasi Island/Stargazing Excursion

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Walking field trip around the island, visiting Andean farming plots and cultivated parcels featuring aromatic and medicinal herbs.

Return to the hotel.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: Time at leisure to enjoy the activities that the island offers. (All activities are included as part of program cost – except for any spa services.)

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: After dinner, enjoy a stargazing excursion.

Lodging: Casa Andina Private Collection – Suasi Island

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arrive To: At the hotel.

Morning: Free time to explore the area, finish packing or relax at the hotel.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: Board the boat back to Puno and then transfer to Juliaca for an afternoon flight to Lima.

Arrive in Lima and connect with international flight to the U.S.

Meals Included: Lunch

Arrive To: International flight arrivals to the U.S.