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Real World Peru

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Our final schedule could be altered due to weather, transportation difficulties or other reasons beyond our control. If you are registered for the workshop, we will notify you when we have reached the minimum number of participants so you can make your flight arrangements. Travel insurance is a good idea, too!

Day 1: Friday, April 20, 2018            USA to Lima, Peru

• Arrive at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) from the USA. Flight arrangements made independently.
• Upon arrival in Lima, airport reception outside the customs / immigration area.
• Check in for an overnight stay at Wyndham Costa del Sol, located across the street from the arrivals terminal 
• Evening at leisure.

Day 2: Saturday, April 21            Lima to the Sacred Valley

• Breakfast at Costa del Sol
• Cross the street and check in for your domestic flight to Cusco (CUZ). Flight arrangements made independently.
• Upon arrival in Cusco, airport reception outside the luggage claim area.
• Private transportation to the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba. Transportation time is approximately 90 minutes, if driven directly. The Sacred Valley of the Incas lies approximately 20 miles north of Cusco. The Urubamba—or Vilcanota—River passes through this valley, moderating the climate and supporting some of the most fertile farmlands in the region. The area also served as a trading route to the tropical lowlands and a buffer zone against raiding jungle tribes.
• En route, stop for a privately guided tour of the temple complex located in the mountains above the town of Pisac. The site contains several baths and temples, including a Temple of the Sun. The ancient agricultural terraces are arrayed in the shape of a partridge (pisaca) wing, from which the area takes its name.
• Check in for a three-night stay at Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado.
• Afternoon and evening at leisure to relax and acclimatize. To limit the effects of altitude, avoid alcohol and heavy food, and allow for a good night’s rest.  

Day 3: Sunday, April 22            Sacred Valley

• Breakfast at Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado
• Morning departure for a privately guided tour of Chinchero, where you have the chance to attend the traditional Sunday agricultural market
• Afterward, visit the home of artist and master weaver Nilda Callañuapa. Peruvian textiles, recently believed to be a generation away from extinction, are making a surprising comeback. The revival of the country's 2,000-year-old weaving techniques is largely due to Nilda Callañaupa, who is working with six mountain villages to resurrect symbolic patterns and avoid the use of garish chemical dyes and synthetic yarns. Observe weaving; learn about wool spinning, natural dyes, traditional patterns and weaving techniques used in this region of the Andes.
• Return to Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado by private transportation for an evening at leisure.

Day 4: Monday, April 23            Sacred Valley

• Breakfast at Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado
• Morning departure for a privately guided tour of Sacred Valley sites, including the Inca gardens of Moray, the terraced saltpans of Maras, and the fortress town of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo’s hillside citadel was a key stronghold during Manco Inca’s resistance against Hernando Pizarro in 1536. Here you can climb the massive steps of the fortress, see examples of Incan civil engineering, view the hillside granaries of Pinkuyuna and observe a sacred fountain fed by a centuries-old aqueduct.

Day 5: Tuesday, April 24            Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu

• • Breakfast at Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado
  • Private transfer to the train station in Ollantaytambo. This transfer usually takes about 30 minutes.
• At the train station, board the Vistadome train with your guide for the journey to the base of Machu Picchu. Although unlikely, the train company may operate this trip as a bi-modal combination of train and bus service due to soil saturation. Passports are required for train boarding and for entry to Machu Picchu National Park. Luggage on the train is limited; overnight luggage will be checked on the train, while any other luggage will be delivered to your hotel in Cusco—ready for your arrival tomorrow. Train time is subject to change until booked.
• Upon arrival in the town of Aguas Calientes, board the shared bus service for the 30-minute switchback ascent of Machu Picchu. Only small (purse sized) bags and daypacks are allowed within Machu Picchu. Sun protection, rain jackets, and insect repellent are essential at Machu Picchu.  
• Begin your privately guided tour of Machu Picchu. This historic sanctuary is an engineering marvel—a city in the clouds surrounded by sheer precipices. The site contains 140 known structures, including temples, palaces, ritual baths, and dwellings. The city also includes agricultural terraces and over 100 flights of stone stairs. Much of the stonework is so fine that it seems to spring organically from the living rock.  Your guide will be with you until you choose to leave the national park, which could be as late as 5:30PM when the gate closes—well after most visitors have left the site.
• Lunch at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge is included in your vacation package. You can exit and re-enter the national park for lunch. Reentry requires passport and stamped ticket.

          After visiting Machu Picchu, return to Aguas Calientes aboard the shared bus service.

• Check in for an overnight stay at Casa del Sol.
• Dinner at Casa del Sol

Day 6: Wednesday, April 25            Machu Picchu to Cusco

• Breakfast at Casa del Sol
• Return to Machu Picchu with your guide for a second day of privately guided touring. 
• Today you can learn more about the site’s construction and history, or hike the trail to the Inca Drawbridge (one hour, easy) or the Sun Gate (one hour, challenging).
• Lunch at Sanctuary Lodge is included.
• After visiting Machu Picchu, take the shared bus service down the mountain to the town of Aguas Calientes. 
• Board the Vistadome train for the return rail journey to Ollantaytambo. The train company may operate this trip as a bi-modal combination of train and bus service due to soil saturation.
• Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, train station reception and private transfer to Novotel Cusco. This transfer takes approximately 90 minutes.
• Check in for a three-night stay (single and double Colonial Rooms).
• Evening at leisure

Day 7: Thursday, April 26            Cusco

• Breakfast at Novotel Cusco
• Morning of privately guided touring with your guide. The ancient center of Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire of Tawantinsuyu until the Spanish Conquest in 1533. The ancient portion of the city is laid out in the shape of a crouching puma, with the fortress of Sacsayhuamán at its head. The finest examples of Inca architecture and stonework can be seen in the Cusco area, evidenced in monumental temples and fortresses as well as in the careful details of walled streets and stairways. Highlights include the cathedral, the Temple of the Sun, the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, the cult center of Qenko, the fountains of Tambomachay, and the fortress of Puka Pucara.
• Evening at leisure to explore the city independently. 

Day 8: Friday, April 27            Cusco

• Breakfast at Novotel Cusco
• Day at leisure

Day 9: Saturday, April 28            Cusco to the USA

• Breakfast at Novotel Cusco and morning at leisure.
• In the afternoon, private transfer to the Cusco airport (CUZ) for your flight to Lima (LIM). Flight arrangements made independently. 
• Upon arrival in Lima, connect with your return flight to the USA. Flight arrangements made independently.​

Making Fotos, Friends and Memories....

Real World Peru Workshop, April 20-28, 2018

$1,000.00

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A nine day photographic trip to South America including the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the markets, villages and people of Peru - Photography Group Leaders are Dan and Jill Burkholder. Deposit is $1000 (total price is $4600).

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