DETAILED PROGRAM (PDF)
Cuzco, Peru

DAY 0: Flight from home country to Cuzco (note: you may have to go through Lima).

DAY 1 (Aug 06):As the group begins to arrive at Cuzco airport during the morning, Evaristo, Ricardo and our travel agency crew will meet the group and transport everyone to our first-base hotel in Cuzco. Cuzco is 11,600 feet above sea level. It's important to give our bodies time to get used to the change before starting our adventure. In the afternoon, Ricardo and Evaristo provide an introduction to the program, giving us background information and a foundation for embarking upon our upcoming experience. Later, we celebrate our arrival in Cuzco with traditional food, music and dancing at one of the city's finest restaurants.

DAY 2 (Aug 07): We start our journey with brunch, some coca tea and a little relaxation to allow for our acclimatization to the altitude change. We will remain in Cuzco visiting Qorikancha (Golden Sanctuary), the most important Inkan sanctuary in the city, and two museums filled with amazing Inkan work. These visits will not only "set the tone" culturally for the upcoming days but also will awaken our curiosity about the WHY the Inkas viewed life from their peculiar perspective.

DAY 3 (Aug 08):We begin our journey by visiting Raqchi, a major political center and home to the Inka Wiraqocha temple, where male and female energies were balanced. Raqchi is located 2 hours away from Cuzco city. After lunch, we will visit Tipon, a magnificent agronomic-aqueduct-ceremonial master piece the Inkas left for the world to wonder.

DAY 4 (Aug 09): Back at the center of the world, Cuzco, we visit the strategic military fortress and ceremonial grounds of Sacsaywaman,. Our awareness of place and time is real, and we can almost visualize the many processions that took place there in ages past.

DAY 5 (Aug 10): We travel into the Sacred Valley, one of the Inkas mythical "birthplaces" before their arrival to Cuzco to create the greatest commonwealth of the Americas know as Tawantinsuyo (The four quarters of the world) in the XII century A.D. In our way to the Sacred Valley we will visit Q'enko and Tambomachay. Two important Inkan sanctuaries, the first one dedicated to the connection and "zig-zag" ascension process, and the second one dedicated to honoring our connection with the element of water. At the valley, we establish our second-base hotel in an area surrounded by the beauty of the majestic Andes mountains, the life-giving, rushing Urubamba river, and the lush, green landscape.

DAY 6 (Aug 11): First, we visit the botanical garden of Moray, also known as the Sanctuary of Life. This is the site where the Inkas created ingenious mini-climates to adapt plants to growth at many altitudes. It is also known to be a place of healing, with the power to change lives.

Across the Urubamba river we arrive in Pisaq, which doubles as a mighty fortress for strategic defense and a temple for nurturing one's soul. Music-playing guides walk the paths, and the mountain air resonates in sound as you hike and explore this giant natural playground for body, mind and spirit. Nature has never been closer and more peaceful than in Pisaq.

We return to the town of Pisaq in time to explore the huge outdoor marketplace and find a few choice treasures to take home to our loved ones, and maybe even one to cherish for ourselves. At the hotel, you may choose to indulge in an Inka massage, relax in the swimming pool, enjoy live music as you sample the local beer, or all the above!

DAY 7 (Aug 12): Deeper into the Valley, we continue our journey as we come to the crossroads of the Sacred Valley, the commercial center of Ollantaytambo. There, hold onto your hat as we witness the stunning view at the Temple of the Wind, nestled between several magnificent mountain peaks! At the base of the Temple, we view the spring-fed streams and lush, plant-filled landscape, which deepens our understanding of the Inka's appreciation of the four elements of nature: Air, Water, Earth and Fire.

DAY 8 (Aug 13): We continue on our journey by train, heading towards the town of Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs), located at the base of Machu Pijchu. After lunch, we visit the entrance to Machu Pijchu, making our formal entrance at Inti Punko, or the Gateway of the Sun. Upon our return to Aguas Calientes, we head to the hot springs for a cleansing swim and a relaxation ritual in preparation for our entrance into the sanctuary of Machu Pijchu the following day.

DAY 9 (Aug 14): We head to the sanctuary of Machu Pijchu and hike up the beautiful Inkan staircase to the top of the mountain of Wayna Pijchu early in the morning. It looks impossible, but with their typical architectural genius, the Inkan stairway makes it much easier than it looks. Here we take time to cleanse our lungs with the fresh mountain air and enjoy the breathtaking view and purifying energy of the entire condor-shaped sanctuary. After our hike, which at a slow, leisurely pace, takes 2-3 hours, we return to the sanctuary of Machu Pijchu for a full tour before taking the train back to Cuzco.

DAY 10 (Aug 15): Our final stop is to visit the Temple of the Moon, led by the Q'eros elders, who are among the very few remaining direct Inka descendents and who are known locally and abroad as the keepers of the ancient knowledge. After this crowning event, we celebrate with a farewell dinner and a live music, dance and folklore show in one of Cuzco's finest restaurants.

DAY 11 (Aug 16): We share breakfast and our experiences, and have a closing session that allows us to ask any remaining questions and helps us say farewell to Cuzco. It is the beginning of our transition back to our own world, but with our new insights and a higher understanding of our own path and purpose. We ride back to the Cuzco Airport in the afternoon, depart from Cuzco to Lima, and travel from Lima to our final destination.

DAY 21 (Aug 17): Arrival to home country.

Make your reservation online or by downloading a PDF file.