Amazon

Student Fees

DAY ONE - International Flight to Peru
International flights arrive in the evening. Greeting by Interact’s Foreign Representative in the airport lobby. Transfer to your Lima hotel in the Miraflores neighborhood.

DAY TWO - Flight to Cusco/Homestay or Hotel
Morning flight to Cusco, the archaeological capital of South America. The Incas called this place "the Navel of the World." It's a picturesque location with all homes bearing red-tiled roofs by law. UNESCO has declared Cusco as a living monument to humanity. Later, explore the vibrant Plaza de Armas surrounded by historical landmarks, shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

CUSCO HOMESTAY: stay with host families who live in middle class residential neighborhoods. Homes are American-style and are more comfortable than most can imagine. Host families are interviewed, carefully selected and monitored by our resident director. Everyone speaks Spanish in the homes. Students normally share with one other group member of the same general language ability.

DAY THREE - Cusco City & Surroundings
Your Cusco City Tour visits the most important sites in and around Cusco. Explore Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun, the most important building in Cusco during Inca rule. Then, visit the Cathedral, home to over 300 paintings from the colonial era. Next, drive to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking the city. Here you have the opportunity to take some great pictures of the city and valley below. Continue to the smaller sites of Tambomachay, Qenq'o and Puka Pukara. Conclude with a visit to an artisans shop with artwork, handmade Alpaca sweaters, blankets and typical souvenirs.

DAY FOUR - Sacred Valley / Aguas Calientes Overnight
Take your carry-on and leave your large suitcase with your host family. Travel the scenic winding roads with astonishingly beautiful views on your way to the Sacred Valley. It's easy to see why the Incas considered the valley as a special place. In the upper sector, the stupendous ruins of Pisac dominate the broad alluvial valley floor. Stroll through its famous native market before continuing to Ollantaytambo, a magnificent little town overwhelmed by a great temple-fortress that clings to the sheer cliffs across the river valley. Board your train in late afternoon. Stay overnight in Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo.

DAY FIVE - Sunrise / Guided Machu Picchu Tour
Board one of the first tourist buses for a zig-zag ride up the mountain for an once-in-a-lifetime Machu Picchu sunrise experience. Consider an opportunity for a moderate hike to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, for an epic view of the ancient city. Then, enjoy a guided tour of this remote fortress city abandoned by the Inca, reclaimed by the jungle, and hidden from view until it was rediscovered in 1911. This is one of the world's most extraordinary sites. After lunch, board the afternoon train. Dinner tonight is with your host family.

DAY SIX - Cusco/
Today, your is a special full-day visit to a local orphanage or school, where you’ll help the children with their homework or play games. Please bring basic school supplies. Interact provides roundtrip transportation and makes a donation to the rural institution.

DAY SEVEN – Cusco / Options
Bargain for your favorite souvenirs and have fun with Interact's exclusive online Guided Adventures. Optional (additional cost) full group excursions include rafting or a ½ day visit to Choco Museo, where you’ll make your own chocolate!

DAY EIGHT - Flight to the Amazon
Morning flight to Puerto Maldonado. Discover the unique town of Puerto Maldonada in the Amazon basin, the biodiversity capital of the world. Next, travel by motorized canoe into the jungle as you search for local wildlife. After lunch, explore the entire western end of the lake by boat or catamaran. On clear nights, board a boat further out into the lake to get an unimpeded view of the vast southern sky, with its unfamiliar constellations and superb vistas of the Milky Way.

DAY NINE – Amazon Exploration
A pre-dawn wake-up call will allow you to be on the lake for what is often a spectacular sunrise, and hopefully an encounter with the Giant Otters. After returning for a late breakfast, hike through the cool understory of the mighty primary rainforest that surrounds the lake. After dinner, you’ll have another opportunity to spot caiman on the lake, or perhaps take a night trail walk in search of the numerous creatures, including frogs, toads, owls, nighthawks, spiders and night monkeys.

DAY TEN - Flight to Lima / Return to USA
Journey out of the jungle and fly to Lima. Visit the upscale Miraflores Larco Mar mall. Return to the airport and depart on your overnight flight to the USA, arriving on day eleven.

	DEPARTURES 10 days/9 nights
	NIGHTS Lima Cusco Hotel/Homestay Amazon Lodge	1 6 2
	MEALS Daily continental breakfast and lunch or dinner. Homestay families provide full board.