Arrive To: Flights arrive in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Transfer to the hotel and check in (independent travelers may use the hotel shuttle). Upon arrivals you will be met by a local site coordinator who will assist with check-in. You will meet your group leader upon arrival in the Galapagos.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel at your leisure

Lodging: Hilton Colon Guayaquil

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: This morning meet back up with your group and transfer to the Guayaquil Airport for flights to the Galapagos Islands.

Lunch: A light lunch will be served in flight

Afternoon: Arrive to Baltra Island where you will meet your local naturalist. Transfer through the highlands of Santa Cruz Island to the town of Puerto Ayora. With just over 10,000 inhabitants, Puerto Ayora is the most populous settlement in the Galapagos and home to the Charles Darwin Research Center where Ecuadorian and foreign scientists work constantly on research and projects for conservation of the Galapagos terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Visit the Research Center to see their latest work.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant.

Lodging: Grand Hotel Lobo Del Mar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: Field Trip "North Seymour Island": Set out this morning on a full day yacht excursion to North Seymour Island where you will have the opportunity to observe the unique and fascinating wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.

Lunch: Lunch will be served on board the yacht.

Afternoon: Continue exploring the Galapagos Islands by yacht.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Grand Hotel Lobo Del Mar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Floreana Island": Set out this morning on a full day yacht excursion to Floreana Island where you will continue to see the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel or a local restaurant

Afternoon: Continue your exploration of Floreana Island.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Grand Hotel Lobo Del Mar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Galapagos Islands / Fly to Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador / Re-embark Ship

Breakfast: Breakfast onboard

Morning: Check out of the hotel this morning and transfer back to Baltra Island for flights returning to Guayaquil.

Lunch: Lunch served on board the flight

Afternoon: Take a drive through the city of Guayaquil before embarking the ship.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Lecture #1: Today's morning lecture will begin the second educational theme of this program: "Early Civilizations of Central and South America."

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Lecture # 2: "Early Civilizations- Common Features of their Search". Join your study leader for an afternoon lecture themed on early South and Central American civilizations.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Field Trip "Chan Chan & the Temples of the Sun and Moon": The Chimu, who preceded the Incas and were later conquered by them, built Chan Chan, their capital, about 1300 A.D. It is the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas and the largest mud city in the world. At one time, Chan Chan had over 60,000 inhabitants and was a very rich city with a vast wealth of gold, silver and ceremics. After the Incas conquered the Chimu, the city remained untouched until the spanish came. Within a few decades of the conquistadors, most of the treasures of Chan Chan were gone, either taken by the Spanish or by looters. The Temples of the Sun and Moon (Huacas del Sol y de la Luna) were built by the Mohicas during the Moche period, over 700 years before the Chimu civilization and Chan Chan. The Huaca de la Luna has over 50 million adobe bricks, and the Huaca del Sol is the largest mud structure on the continent. The desert climate has enabled these mud structures to last for hundreds of years.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Lecture # 3: "The Aztec- Quetzalcoatl". Join your study leader this afternoon for a lecture about the Aztec peoples.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: You will need to pack a small overnight bag for this extended field trip. Please note that porterage may not be available, and you will need to manage your own luggage.

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Disembark the ship and transfer to Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima Peru for flights to Cusco.

Lunch: Lunch will be on your own at the airport

Afternoon: Field Trip "Cusco": According to legend Cusco was built by Inca Pachacuti, who transformed it from a sleepy city-state into the vast empire. Spaniards arrived in 1533 and began construction of a new city on the foundations of the old Inca city, replacing temples with churches and palaces with mansions. Visit Korikancha, one of the most important temples in the Inca Empire, its walls served as the foundation for the construction of the Convent de Santo Domingo. Continue to Cusco Catherdral. The first Cathedral was built in 1539; in 1560, the construction of a new cathedral was ordered. The Cathedral was finished in 1664, a century later.

Dinner: Dinner at Incanto Restaurant.

Lodging: Casa Andina Classic-Cusco Plaza

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Machu Picchu": The ruins of Machu Picchu are amongst the most beautiful and enigmatic sites in the world. While the Inca people certainly used the Andean mountain top, legends and myths indicate that Machu Picchu was revered as a sacred place from a far earlier time. Whatever its origins, the Inca turned the site into a small but extraordinary city. Invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs, Machu Picchu seems to have been utilized by the Inca as a secret ceremonial city. The cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation. These structures, carved from the gray granite of the mountain top are wonders of both architectural and aesthetic genius. Many of the stone blocks weigh 50 tons or more, yet are so precisely sculpted and fitted together with such exactitude that the mortar-less joints will not permit the insertion of even a thin knife blade. Little is known of the social or religious use of the site during Inca times.

Lunch: Lunch at Sanctuary Lodge

Afternoon: Continue exploring Machu Picchu

Dinner: Dinner on own

Lodging: Casa Andina Classic-Cusco Plaza

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Lima Overview": Check out of your hotel in Cusco and transfer to the airport for flights back to Lima. Before returning to the ship, see some of the highlights of the capital and largest city in Peru, including a visit to the Larco Herrera Museum. Founded in 1926, the Larco Museum showcases remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 3000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. It features the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru and the famous erotic archaeological collection.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: The afternoon is free to unpack and relax on board the ship.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast onboard

Morning: Field Trip "Tambo Colorado Ancient Fortress and Peruvian Hacienda": Tambo Colorado is strategically located where the narrow Pisco Valley starts to open up and emerges onto the coastal plains. It lies on the important Inca road that connected Chincha on the coast with the highlands and Cusco, the capital. The well-preserved adobe and stone structure was in all likelihood built atop an ancient fortress of the pre-Inca culture of Chincha. it was adapted into a grain depository administrative and military center by the Inca Pachacutec in the 15th century. Even weather conditions such as the Corrientes del Nino have not adversely affected this ancient complex, whose name is derived from the abundant colors that once vividly adorned its outer walls. Those colors are faded by still visible and Tambo Colorado is the most itneresting testimonial to the Inca culture on the Peruvian coast. As you explore you'll discover evidence that suggests the site was used to worship the sun, as well as study astronomy and everything related to agriculture.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Return to the ship

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Lecture # 4: "The Mayan Calendars". Join your study leader for a morning lecture about the mysterious Mayan Calendar.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Afternoon free to relax and enjoy the ship's amenities

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Field Trip "Man and the Desert": For almost 10,000 years man has inhabited this land, framed by the driest desert in the world, the Atacama desert. See San Marcos Church. Erected in 1876 and made at the Gustave Eiffel workshops, this church replaced the old one that was swept away by a tidal wave in 1869. In Azapa Valley, visit San Miguel Archaeological Museum with its collection of pre-Columbian artifacts and mummies preserved in sand. Dating back to 5,000 BC, these mummies are the oldest in the world. See one of the most amazing and enigmatic works of these Andean peoples: the geoglyphs. The geoglyphs are drawings made on the hill slopes either by piling up stones or scratching the surface of the hillside. The size, beauty and simplicity of these works of art is sure to astound. Next, head into the real desert. Silence, and solitude your only companions. In Pampa Chaca, see the Tutelar Figures, sculpted by one of Chile's best sculptors. The statues are composed of two groups: The Ancestors, and The Origin of the Ancestry. The statues are an homage to the people who crossed the Andes and the perilous desert and created a long-lasting culture. According to the Andean tradition those people have a divine origin, descending from the Sun and the Moon.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Afternoon at leisure to explore on your own

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Lecture # 5: "The Inca Amawtakuna". Enjoy a morning lecture about the Inca that will give more background information on the culture surrounding the Incan sites you've visited.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Afternoon is free to enjoy the ship's amenities and activities

Dinner: Dinner on board

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Lecture # 6: "Those Early Civilizations Today - Legacies and Challenges". Join your study leader this morning for the next-to-last lecture in this series.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Lecture # 7: "Concluding Remarks- Resources - Final Questions/Comments". This afternoon, take the time with your study leader to conclude this set of lectures.

Dinner: Dinner on board the ship

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Field Trip "Elqui Valley and La Serena": Depart from Coquimbo pier towards Elqui Valley, which has a geographic configuration unique in the world. The valley holds a narrow but fertile strip of land in the the midst of a harsh Andean mountainous desert. The valley is irrigated by the Elqui river, whose water comes down from the high reaches of the mountains to nourish the land. This place has the clearest atmosphere in the world, especially for astronomical purposes as there is so little light pollution. Driving along the valley, pass by typical villages such as Algarrobito, El Molle and El Tambo. You will visit a national drink distillery factory where you will learn about the making of Pisco, which is produced and bottled in this region. Pisco is achieved through the distillation of wine produced from different grape varieties. Visit the cellars and exhibition room of Pisco, followed by a tasting of the traditional drink. Then continue to the picturesque town Vicuna located 60 kilometers from La Serena, where Gabriela Mistral (literature Nobel Prize winner) was born. You will have some time to visit the main square, Bauer Tower (old city hall), and Vicuna's church.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Continue your field trip: Return to La Serena where you will visit La Recova handicraft market. Here you will find papaya products, handicrafts of Combarbalita and lapis lazuli, pottery and ceremics with Diaguita motifs, and alpaca wool articles. Then enjoy a panoramic view of the city as you make your way back to the pier.

Dinner: Dinner onboard

Lodging: MV Voyager

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship

Morning: Spend a leisurely morning on board the ship, and pack for a 2 night field trip to Santiago, Chile.

Lunch: Lunch on board the ship

Afternoon: Field Trip "Cosmopolitan Chile": Having spent most of your time in South America in fairly remote areas, you now experience the opposite end of the scale- cosmopolitan city life. Start in the old district of Valparaiso at the Plaza Sotomayor, the naval heart of the city. Drive up the hillside to Los Cerros and experience contrasting views of mansions, tattered houses and shacks in utter confusion spread along the narrow streets. Via funicular continue to "La Sabastiana", the house of Pablo Neruda, winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize for literature, astonishing in its construction, and also for the enormous variety of objects found here. Then head to the fashionable seaside resort of Vina del Mar. Pass the resort's famous landmark, the floral clock, en route to the steep bluff of Cerro Castillo, location of teh summer palace of the Presidents of the Republic. Drive across the central valley and through the coastal range to reach Santiago (approximately 2 hours). Upon arrival in the city take a panoramic drive to see the most important highlights of historic and modern Santiago.

Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant

Evening: Check into your hotel in Santiago. Evening at leisure.

Lodging: Intercontinental Hotel Santiago

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Wines of Chile": Start at the famed Santa Rita Winery in the Maipo Valley. A visit to the Santa Rita installations in Alto Jahuel constitutes a fascinating trip through Chilean history and viticulture. Santa Rita was founded in 1880, and was owned for many years by one of the country's most famous poets. They pioneered the planting of Bordeaux varietals and now are considered one of the best wineries of the country. In the May 2007 issue of Wine Spectator their 2002 flagship Cabernet was rated 92 points. (Tastings will be done during lunch.) Next you will visit the Museum of the Andes; the museum houses a stunning private collection of indigenous art and culture of Chile.

Lunch: Lunch at La Casa de Dona Paula Restaurant, currently a National Monument named after Ms. Paula Jaraquemada, the former manor owner of Santa Rita estate over 200 years ago. She sheltered 120 of General Bernardo O'Higgins soldiers in the manor cellar after a fierce fight against Spanish Crown soldiers. The well-known 120 brand was created in the honor of those 120 patriots.

Afternoon: Continue your field trip: Visit one of the most important and productive wineries in Chile, Concha y Toro Vineyard. Founded in 1883 near the picturesque little town of Pirque, it still maintains all the traditions of Chilean wines. The Wine Advocate awarded their icon Carmenere wine, Carmin de Peumo 2005, 97 points.

Dinner: Dinner on your own to explore the cuisine of Santiago

Lodging: Intercontinental Hotel Santiago

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Field Trip "Fiesta Linda (The Beautiful Festival)": Gain insight into Chilean culture, customs, traditions and the celebratory side of Chilean country life as you join a ‘fiesta linda’ – a beautiful party in the countryside. See Chile’s national dance, the cueca, performed and try it out yourself. ‘Huasos’ (Chilean cowboys) dressed in traditional costume demonstrate their art on horseback. Enjoy an assorted selection of traditional Chilean snacks (Empanadas, choripan, sopaipillas with pebre, tortilla de rescoldo with Chancho en Piedra) while listening to Chilean music performed by a folkloric group.

Lunch: Typical Chilean lunch at Fiesta Linda

Afternoon: Depart the ranch and coach to the airport. Flights depart Santiago in the evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch