Peru: Andean Service and Culture

Meet up with your group at a pre-selected location at your home airport. Once everyone has arrived, check your bags and go through security as a group. From here you will board your flight and depart for your international flight to Peru. This first day is counted as a full day of travel because the standard travel time to this destination exceeds 12 hours. This may change depending on your departure location.

Flight Details: Rustic Pathways will be happy to book your flight as an add-on service.

Arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima (LIM) and meet your program leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to the hotel and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion and an introduction to the local culture. Flights don’t cross the Andes after dark, so you’ll relax here overnight before your early morning flight to the Sacred Valley.

Overnight: Hotel, Lima

Wake up and take a bus back to the airport for your quick flight to the Sacred Valley and Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco (CUZ). This flight will only be about an hour. Make sure to look out the window as you descend into the ancient capital of the Inca Empire in the Andes Mountains! Leaving from the coast, the group will fly high into the Andes to the historical capital of the Inca empire. End your day in a comfortable hotel in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Hike into the mountains around the Sacred Valley to get a perspective on the landscape challenges that make access to education more difficult. Visit families in rural communities well off the “tourist” track, explore Inca ruins, and witness majestic mountainscapes. This activity mirrors what local students would have to do to attend school if residing at home with their families. It brings into focus the realities of students from remote communities and what they have to overcome just to continue their education.

Overnight: Hotel, Calca

Participate in service initiatives with the Sacred Valley Project, a local organization that supports the secondary education of girls from remote Andean communities. Depending on the school’s needs during your visit, this will likely focus on infrastructure improvements. You will also have time each day to interact with Sacred Valley Project team members at the dorm, as you discuss the role of this organization in supporting their students. When possible, get to know the local students during group activities and meals.

Optional activity for Day 5:  Ziplining 

This one-day activity is available for an extra per-person fee.

Scale 400 meters (1,312 feet) up the side of the Via Ferrata rock face in a climbing harness, using bolted holds and ropes to make your way up to the top. Once you arrive, it’s time to fly down! Zipline down 6 different platforms, flying over the Sacred Valley and enjoying the breathtaking scenery along the way.

Overnight: Hotel or homestay, Calca

Start your day with a picturesque train ride to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of the Machu Picchu ruins. Explore the town and shop, and gear up for the adventure ahead. Upon arrival, start the hike up to the ruins and then take a guided tour of the site’s history. Marvel at the intricate stonework and pause to take in the breathtaking views from the perched terraces. At the end of an epic day, take the train back to Ollantaytambo.

Optional Activity for Days 7-9: Community Expedition

This three-day activity is available for an extra per-person fee. 

This expedition will make you feel as though you have hiked through time and will show the group what it means to live truly off the map. Fully outfitted with camping supplies, we will hike deep into the Andean mountains to the communities where the families of Sacred Valley Project students live. With no road access, these communities will seem as though they were frozen in time and will open our eyes to the obstacles that many people have to access education and other basic services.

Overnight for optional expedition: Camping with full equipment and cook staff provided, Rural Cusco

After breakfast this morning, drive for approximately an hour and a half from Ollantaytambo to Cusco, taking in the breathtaking views of the Southern Peruvian Andes. 

Enjoy this mix of the past and present as you explore Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit 16th-century cathedrals, admire ancient Inca temples, and wander colonial streets. Visit the Chocolate Museum and make your own handmade chocolates from Peruvian cacao. Celebrate your last night with a big local dinner, Cusco-style.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences during a closing discussion and the traditional Rustic Ties ceremony. This unique and powerful activity allows students to capture their memories and contemplate ways to share what they’ve learned with their communities back home.

Overnight: Hotel, Cusco

Visit the local San Pedro market, taste the local fruits and vegetables, and bargain for any last-minute gifts for family and friends during your final morning in Peru. Your program leaders will take you to the airport for your departure to Lima as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure. This flight will likely be an overnight flight back to your home airport.

Flights: Rustic Pathways is happy to book your flights as an optional add-on service.

Arrive back at your home airport and reconnect with your friends and family. Thank you for joining us on this adventure!