2024 Peru

After visiting celebrated Inca wonders, colonial cities, and a rich cultural heritage on an expedition to Machu Picchu and beyond, you’ll have a better understanding of Peru, past and present.

Journey by rail through the Urubamba Valley. Stay at the only accommodations located just steps from Machu Picchu—the historic Belmond Sanctuary. Overlook the ancient city from the Sun Gate and then wander along the agricultural terraces, waterworks, sacred sites, and archaeological remains with local guides. Stay and linger long after most people leave to experience its rarefied atmosphere.

Over a perfectly paced week you’ll get to know a little more about Cusco, capital of the Inca empire, with colonial monuments built atop ancient foundations. Visit the Sacred Valley of the Inca with a National Geographic expert, see a traditional weaving demonstration from a talented National Geographic grantee working to keep her craft alive, enjoy a private musical performance at one of Lima’s oldest homes, and so much more.

highlights

• Stay at the historic 31-room Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, just steps from Machu Picchu, to explore the site over two days
• Linger in Machu Picchu long after day-trippers have left as the sun begins to set
• Enjoy Cusco’s array of cultural influences and visit the Sacred Valley of the Inca with a National Geographic expert
• Tour the massive Inca stone fortress of Ollantaytambo
• In Lima enjoy a private lunch and musical performance with insights from an ethnomusicologist on the stories and history of the songs

See more details below and on the 2024 Peru Flyer, including Registration Form.

Peru is a multicultural destination, rich in history and stunning geographically.

This is your chance to

• visit ancient ruins and learn more Inca culture
• meet locals who nurture a direct link to their Inca ancestors
• support and enjoy artisanal crafts
• indulge in the cuisine, perhaps one of the best in the world but least known

and so much more!

Kris Cropsey has taught in the Departments of Romance Languages, Education, and Linguistic Studies at St. Olaf College for the past 20 years, having taught Spanish language and culture, literature, and linguistics for forty years. Her areas of interest and research lie in the Acquisition of Second Languages, Sociolinguistics and innovation in pedagogy. Kris has 4 grown children and lives in Farmington, MN. She has traveled extensively in Latin America and Spain and has led groups of St. Olaf students multiple times to Ecuador, including to the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands, as well as to Costa Rica; and on one occasion she led a semester in Central America for Whitworth College. In 2018 she led the Alumni & Family Travel trip to Chile, Easter Island, & Argentina’s Wine Country. She is passionate about language, culture and travel.

The itinerary starts and ends in Lima, visiting Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu in between.

See the 2024 Peru Flyer for more details.

You’ll get the most out of study travel if you research what to do during your free time. This allows you to reap the benefits of group travel, while also customizing the tour to your interests and activity level. Read more about How to Be an Independent Group Traveler.

Get to know a little bit about Peru, past and present, on a perfectly paced expedition that begins at lower altitudes and culminates with visits around Cusco once you’ve acclimated. Go with the top team in the region, each of the guides with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic knows  these sites intimately, focusing on the history and far-reaching cultural influence to add to your understanding and appreciation. In addition, a National Geographic writer and historian will spend time with you in the Sacred Valley of the Inca to add extra layers of insight.

To fully participate in this program, you should be able to walk up to five miles per day over possibly uneven terrain (e.g. cobblestones or aged sidewalks), climb stairs that may not have handrails, keep pace with an active group of travelers, deal with the emotional highs and lows that can occur when experiencing a different culture, and be a considerate member of the group (prompt, courteous and flexible).

Some trip cancellation and overseas medical coverage, with limitations, is included with your program fee. You can see quite a lot of detail, including the full FAQ and a Summary document, on our Travel Insurance page.

Lindblad Expeditions Pre-Departure Requirements

Prior to arriving, you will receive the most up-to-date guidelines specific to your destination. All of our procedures meet or exceed local laws as well as all WHO & CDC guidelines. To best ensure a successful journey, we highly recommend that all guests take a pre-departure COVID-19 test within five days of the start of your expedition. We also continue to recommend that you follow all CDC travel guidelines, including masking and social distancing, prior to joining the group and exercise extra caution leading up to your voyage. For voyages departing on or after May 11th, 2023: Lindblad Expeditions will no longer require guests (regardless of age) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of their trip. (Some destinations may require testing for entry and some programming may require vaccination, boosters, and/or testing for entry. Please visit the Protocols by Destination page for more information.) Lindblad Expeditions highly recommends that all guests be fully vaccinated before they travel.

Please see the 2024 Peru Flyer for the trip price, inclusions, exclusions, and payment and refund schedule.

Note that some trip cancellation and overseas medical coverage is included with your program fee, with limitations. You can read many details on this, including the full FAQ and a Summary document, on our Travel Insurance page.

Read the Go Message and book your flights.

Agree to the Terms & Conditions and Release & Waiver.

Peruse our Resource List and read through the Expedition Guide which is found in your Lindblad-Nat Geo online portal. It has a lot of the information you need, including required travel documents, health and medical material, money matters, country description, a few Spanish words, appropriate attire, food and drink, binocular and photography tips, and more.

Look at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Travelers’ Health information.

Check your passport: ensure that it has at least 6 months’ validity past the program return date. Should you need to renew, visit the U.S. Department of State for instructions.

Browse the International Travel section of the U.S. State Department, including Before You Go, Country Information, While Abroad, and Emergencies.

Take time to Prepare for Your Adventure through such topics as How to Be an Independent Traveler, safety overview, included travel insurance, general health information, and more.