Peru Educational Tour

Lima

Breakfast at the hotel Our excursion offers the best combination of the different attractions in Lima and its three historical periods: pre-Hispanic, colonial and contemporary. Lima has been developed with diverse pre-Columbian cultures dating back thousands of years old. It was part of the Inca Empire until was founded by the Spanish Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535 as capital of the Viceroyalty of New Castilla of the Spanish Empire. During our guided tour, we will travel through its ancient history.
ANCESTRAL LIMA. In the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site built in the fourth century A.D. We will have a panoramic view of this magnificent ceremonial and administrative center considered by the Incas a holy village.
COLONIAL LIMA. The Viceroyalty of Peru was the most important of the Spanish Empire and Lima was its capital. In its historic center highlights the architecture and urban design of that period, old streets with colonial mansions Moorish balconies. In the historic center we appreciate: Court, Plaza San Martin, Plaza Mayor, panoramic view of the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Municipal Palace; We enter to the monumental Convento de San Francisco, which is the largest exhibition of religious art in America. You can appreciate the Coral room and the monk’s library, the Sacristy, with its collection of Zurbaran and Rivera. The Big Patio of the Main Cloister, decorated with Seville tiles of XVI century, its beautiful Moorish arches and its subterranean crypts known as The Catacombs, where you feel the presence of the colonial past.
CONTEMPORARY LIMA. Visit to the most traditional residential areas of the capital: San Isidro: Olivar Park, financial and residential area. Miraflores: Miraflores Central Park, Love Park where we will appreciate a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. Lunch included in local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit to Archaeology, Anthropology and History National Museum, founded in April 1826. On display is a wide range of perfectly preserved pre-Hispanic ceramics, textiles, metals, organic materials and lithic's. Furthermore objects of historic-artistic value are exhibited. The documentary, photographic and bibliographic collections tell the story of Peru in the Colonial and Republican time. The museum is housed in an old colonial mansion. The historic architecture offers an ideal place where everyone can discover, relive and question the life experiences of our ancestors. Check out the interactive model of Macchu Picchu, which explains the various sectors of the mysterious city. Return to hotel.
Overnight: Lima
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Cusco / Urubamba

Breakfast at the hotel Full-day excursion to the "Sacred Valley of the Incas", by the Vilcanota River. Our first visit will be Chincheros, a beautiful Andean village famous for its spectacular mountain views, colourful marketplace, traditional textile weaving centre and an ancient church with unique floral and religious interior motifs. At this point we will have the opportunity to witness live an ancient technique, the Andean weaving or pallay, which has preserved its originality and craft quality, made entirely with natural materials that supply clothing for the high-Andean. Accompanied by a local weaver, we will learn the Andean technique following all the stages step by step, from the washing process with the root of the saqtana (traditional plant), spinning with the pushca (textile tool of the Incas) getting threads of different thicknesses depending on the use of each one, the dying of the threads with natural dyes such as the cochinilla, molle, chillcka, the kolle flower, aguay pilly, papel papelilla, kakasenka, eucaliptus and finally the weaving demonstration. At the end of the demonstration we will taste local products: corn and cheese provided by locals and also, we could buy textiles in their local market. From this place we will have a panoramic view of Chincheros ruins, our guide will explain us about it. We will continue our tour to the local restaurant for lunch with a spectacular view of Urubamba River. In the afternoon, passing through the Towns of Calca and Urubamba, we visit the Inca Fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo, built to guard the entrance to this part of the Valley, and protect it from possible invasion from the tribes in the Lower jungle. The Fortress consists of a series of stepped carved stone terraces accessed by long staircases. Later you can walk through the quaint streets of the nearby Town, and get a good idea of what this Strategic Military, Religious, and Agricultural Centre was like during the era of the Inca Empire. Transfer to the select hotel.
Overnight: Urubamba
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Aguas Calientes / Cusco

Breakfast at the hotel 09:00hrs Check out in the morning we will pick up you from your hotel to start our visit to the Mandor Waterfalls. This is a beautiful trail that exhibits a wide variety of local flora and fauna, such as orchids and bromelia. The hike follows the railway tracks for 4 km, parallel to the course of the rushing river Vilcanota. The trail then passes through an old coffee plantation before entering the cloud forest, following the river for about thirty minutes before arriving at the falls. Along the route we will pass through plantations of coffee, bananas, avocado and medicinal plants, until the surroundings become wilder and we are able to observe many species of butterflies. The waterfall itself is about 12 meters high; the water arrives here from the sacred peak of Yanantin. Further along the trail, deep in the forest, it is possible to spot spectacled bears, coatis, and river otters, as well as hundreds of bird species. Return to Aguas Calientes town and departure to Cusco by train. Arrival to the train Station and transfer to select hotel.
Overnight: Aguas Calientes
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner