Culture and Community in Peru

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Lima

Depart from the USA. Upon arrival in Lima, you'll meet your ACIS Tour Manager and begin to explore Peru's culturally rich capital city.

Day 2: Lima

Begin the day with a guided sightseeing tour of Lima. Stops includes the impressive Plaza de Armas, the city's historic hub, surrounded by palaces and other historic buildings; entrance to the nearby San Francisco Church, completed in 1774 and an excellent example of Spanish Baroque architecture; and a visit to the fascinating Larco Museum, filled with precious pre-Columbian art. Later put on some comfortable shoes for a walking tour of the Miraflores neighborhood, an upscale district teeming with shops, restaurants and nightclubs.

Day 3: Sacred Valley

Say adios to Lima as you fly off to Cuzco, which centuries ago was the capital of the Incan empire. After a drive to the Sacred Valley in the Andean highlands, you'll visit the town of Pisac and browse its famed Indian Market, a boisterous and dazzlingly colorful open-air bazaar that showcases hand-crafted Peruvian goods. Later, you'll channel your inner pottery-maker at a pre-Columbian ceramics workshop at Ceramicas Seminario, where clay and culture collide. Well-known artist and researcher Pablo Seminario will teach you how to fashion your own traditional Peruvian pottery, using age-old techniques and tools based on his extensive study of the subject.

Day 4: Sacred Valley

Today you'll be immersed in ancient Andean customs, rituals and cuisine during a full-day cultural exchange with the Janaq Chuquibamba indigenous community. Following a welcoming ceremony featuring music and flowers, you'll learn about the food residents grow and the farming implements they use, then test your green thumb by actually planting crops. You'll also cook a traditional Andean dish, using savory local ingredients, and sample the results at a community lunch. The experience concludes with a tinka, or symbolic blessing, bestowed in appreciation of this unique sharing between different cultures.

Day 5: Aguas Calientes

In the morning, you'll head north to see the Maras Salt Mines, a marvel of rustic engineering and ingenuity that features terraced evaporation ponds where residents have been producing salt since the days of the Incas. More intriguing history awaits at the next stop, Ollantaytambo, home of the centuries-old ruins of an ancient Inca hillside fortress and village. Then board the train to Aguas Calientes. Known for its hot springs, this small town is the gateway to the fabled ruins of Machu Picchu.

Day 6: Cuzco

Take a guided sightseeing tour of iconic Machu Picchu, the mysterious mountainside city built by the Incas in the 15th century. Discovered in 1911, see first-hand why these ruins are considered one of the world's most important archaeological finds. Then enjoy a scenic train ride back to Cuzco.

Day 7: Cuzco

The day starts with a guided sightseeing tour of historic Cuzco, including entrance to Qorikancha, the ruins of an Inca temple that now form the foundation of a church and convent, and a stop at the bustling San Pedro Market. If you're equine-inclined, you may choose an optional afternoon horseback riding excursion through surrounding Andean fields and villages. Otherwise, use the time to practice your Spanish in the center of Cuzco, perhaps while ordering a picaron, a doughnut-like snack, or a bag of choclo, a tasty roasted-corn treat. The day concludes with dinner and entertainment at a local restaurant.

Day 8: Overnight Flight

After flying back to Lima, you'll have time to explore more of this magical city on your own before departing on an overnight flight home. Perhaps see the regal Presidential Palace, built by Spanish explorer Francisco Pizzaro, or browse through the art and artifacts on display at the Aliaga House, where 18 generations of the Aliaga family have resided since the 1500s.

Day 9: United States

Arrive in the USA.



Optional Extensions and Extra Nights:

Further immerse yourself in the history and culture of Peru with an extra night in Lima, including the services of your ACIS Tour Manager.