Online Program

Adventures Online: Discover Peru, Machu Picchu & the Inca Empire

Program No. 24203RJ
If you’ve dreamed of exploring Peru and Machu Picchu, join us for a live, online learning adventure that brings you into the heart of Incan culture — all without leaving your home!

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3 days
1
Peru Natural History, Lima, Meet a Limeño
From the comfort of your own home.
3
Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu
From the comfort of your own home.
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At a Glance

Experience the wonders of Machu Picchu and trace more than 500 years of history without leaving home! On this cutting-edge, online learning adventure, join our experts live from Peru for a first-hand look into ancient sites and ruins to learn how the Incas were the biggest and most important empire of South America. Embark on online field trips to learn about ancient Inca cities and civilization while exploring the modern cities of Lima and Cuzco. Thrill in online field trips to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, sites that were sacred to the ancient Inca. During expert-led lectures and discussions, learn about Inca engineering, architecture and agriculture, religion and economy. Throughout your online learning adventure in Peru, enjoy opportunities to get to know and bond with your fellow Road Scholars.

What You'll Learn

  • Thrill in the vast beauty and history of Machu Picchu, as you join your experts for an online field trip to the last Inca City.
  • Embark on online field trips to Cuzco and Lima to learn about Inca history and experience Peru today.
  • Meet local residents in Lima and Cuzco to learn about contemporary life in both cities.

General Notes

You’ll enjoy 2-3 hours of daily instruction, discussion and/or field trips, which includes sufficient breaks throughout the program. This online program is through Zoom, an easy-to-use web video service that includes closed captioning. All you need is an Internet connection and your computer. We’ll provide a how-to guide to make sure you’ll have a hassle-free experience. In keeping with our Traditional On-Site programs, ALL ADVENTURES ONLINE MULTI-DAY PROGRAMS (INCLUDING THIS PROGRAM) ARE PRESENTED LIVE; THESE PROGRAMS ARE NOT RECORDED. Please review the daily itinerary for start and end times to ensure you won’t miss a minute of this live experience. All times are listed in the EASTERN time zone. If you live in a different time zone, please adjust your schedule accordingly.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Oscar Oviedo Velasco
Oscar Oviedo Velasco has over 15 years of experience as a local expert and Group Leader. He specializes in archeology, history, and art of Peru, and has conducted studies on pre-Hispanic textile and pottery techniques and Viceregal history of Lima. Oscar has a degree in museology and has participated in installations for the Amano Museum of Pre-Columbian Textiles. Oscar has participated in excavation projects related to pre-Inca civilizations and battlefields in Lima. Oscar is currently studying conservation and restoration of antiques at San Marcos University.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Oscar Oviedo Velasco
Oscar Oviedo Velasco View biography
Oscar Oviedo Velasco has over 15 years of experience as a local expert and Group Leader. He specializes in archeology, history, and art of Peru, and has conducted studies on pre-Hispanic textile and pottery techniques and Viceregal history of Lima. Oscar has a degree in museology and has participated in installations for the Amano Museum of Pre-Columbian Textiles. Oscar has participated in excavation projects related to pre-Inca civilizations and battlefields in Lima. Oscar is currently studying conservation and restoration of antiques at San Marcos University.
Profile Image of Dario Jaremczuk
Dario Jaremczuk View biography
Dario is a local expert in Buenos Aires and a group leader all around South America. His areas of expertise include Eva Perón – the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952 – and the tango. He studied sign language for three years and is a certified Argentinean sign language interpreter. Dario is also an actor, which serves him well as a vivid storyteller and narrator. He holds a bachelor's degree in tourism. He calls Buenos Aires his favorite place on earth.
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3 days
2 nights
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DAY
1
Peru Natural History, Lima, Meet a Limeño
From the comfort of your own home.

Activity note: Today’s session will begin at 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time and end at 5:00 p.m. Several days before the program, the Group Leader will email handouts to supplement the lectures and field trips and will also recommend any additional reading or background research to complement the day’s themes.

Afternoon: 1:45 p.m. Welcome and Orientation. Our Group Leader will greet us and provide a brief overview of the program and today’s schedule including Zoom protocol. 2:00 p.m. Introductions. We will say hello to one another, share our expectations, and meet our resident expert who will give lectures and lead virtual field trips. 2:25 p.m. Lecture. We will learn about a little-known side of Peru and its different natural regions. From the dramatic coastal desert to the exuberant rain forest on the other side of the mountain range of the Andes, Peru is an exceptionally rich country. 2:55 p.m. Break. 3:05 p.m. Virtual field trip. We will “visit” Lima, capital of Peru. Founded in 1535 as the Spanish capital of the newly conquered lands, almost a decade later it was designated as the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Among the highlights we will see are the Main Square, Presidential Palace, Basilica Cathedral, and other important buildings in the downtown area where this clash of civilizations left its marks. We will also learn from our local experts that Spaniards were not the first inhabitants in this beautiful city located by the Pacific Ocean. 3:45 p.m. Q&A Session. 4:00 p.m. Break. 4:10 p.m. Lecture. We will learn about “actual” Lima and its people. Meet a Limeño — a local resident — and learn about some places that are only for locals. You will be able to ask what you like. 4:50 p.m. Wrap-up and notes for tomorrow. 5:00 p.m. Today’s session will end.

DAY
2
Cuzco, Rise and Fall of the Inca Empire, Inca Religion
From the comfort of your own home.

Activity note: Today’s session will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and end at 5:00 p.m.

Afternoon: 2:00 p.m. Review of the day. 2:05 p.m. Virtual field trip. We will take a virtual walk along the cobblestone streets of Cuzco, capital of the Inca Empire, known as “the navel of the world” and a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. We will be able to admire highly crafted early stone architecture preserved in the foundations and lower stories of Spanish colonial structures in their historical context.The Inca civilization flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1534 CE. Pachacutec, the ninth Inca ruler, was one of the most successful. The empire eventually extended across western South America from Quito in the north to Santiago in the south, making it the largest empire ever seen in the Americas. 2:45 p.m. Interactive Q&A session. 2:55 p.m. Break. 3:05 p.m. Lecture. We will learn about Inca religion and, more specifically, about the “cosmovision” of Andean civilizations which the Incas also observed. As was the case with many of these ancient cultures, religion was indivisible from history, politics, and indeed all facets of community life. We will also learn about the Qorikancha (Coricancha) archaeological site, once the sacred Temple of the Sun complex. We will also learn about Sacsayhuaman, the last Inca fortress, as well as why and when the Empire fell. 3:45 p.m. Interactive Q&A. 4:00 p.m. Break. 4:10 p.m. Lecture. We will learn about influences of the imperial past on the present day, how the educational and health systems work, and everyday Cusqueño life as we “meet” a local resident. We will be able to chat and ask question. 4:50 p.m. Wrap-up and notes for tomorrow. 5:00 p.m. Today’s session will end.

DAY
3
Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu
From the comfort of your own home.

Activity note: Today’s session will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and end at 5:00 p.m.

Afternoon: 2:00 p.m. Review of the day. 2:05 p.m. Virtual field trip. Our resident expert will take us on a virtual journey to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, now known as the Urubamba Valley. This area is the perfect example of how the Inca administration worked on a daily basis. We will “visit” Morai, where we will learn how the agricultural and terrace system worked and still works. Textiles and pottery are a very important part of the Andean life then and now, and so we will visit Chincheros to learn about the process of dying fabrics and producing magical colors from the nature. We’ll also see how past and present coexist harmoniously in Ollataytambo, the only living Inca city that has survived 500 years and preserves Quechua traditions. 2:45 p.m. Interactive Q & A session. 2:55 p.m. Break. 3:05 p.m. Lecture. Our expert will explain the great network of communication that connected the Inca Empire which, at its peak, comprised 12 million people and covered what is now Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and Argentina, and part of Colombia and Ecuador. We will learn how they built the Inca Trail: the road system that allowed their “chasquis” — runners — to deliver messages throughout the empire. How did they collect taxes and tributes and keep track of them? Did they have a currency? Did they have a writing system? We’ll find the answers to these questions and more. 3:40 p.m. Interactive Q & A session. 3:50 p.m. Break. 4:00 p.m. Virtual field trip. Machu Picchu is deservedly a wonder of the world and the most famous Inca wonder. We will see the most important spots within the archeological ruin and learn about the importance of each structure. 4:40 p.m. Interactive Q&A. 4:50 p.m. Wrap-up and farewells. We’ll recall what we’ve learned during our virtual adventure and say farewell to new Road Scholar friends. 5:00 p.m. This concludes our program.






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