DESCRIPTION:

Fly from Santiago, Chile to Easter Island, called Te Pito O Te Henua, or “The Navel of the World” by early Polynesian settlers around 400 AD. This is one of the most isolated inhabited islands on the planet. It is starkly beautiful with volcanic craters, lava formations, beaches, brilliant blue water, rolling grassy hills, cattle farms, and myriad archaeological sites. Easter Island is covered with 887 giant monolithic stone statues called moai, the largest of which weighs about 84 tons-as much as a herd of 12 elephants. Dramatic and eerie, the moai gaze out at sea as if keepers of their own secrets. Why did the islanders create them? What was their function? How were they moved? Did their creation have anything to do with the mysterious disappearance of the islanders?

Next, travel to Peru’s main grape-growing region, ride on buggies through sand dunes up to 200 feet high, and cruise around the Ballestas Islands amid dramatic cliffs and seabirds. But the highlight is the sightseeing flight over the famous Nazca Lines, found in a desert south of Lima. Scraped into the earth between 500 BC and 500 AD, they are spread over 173 square miles and appear to depict more than 300 animal and plant figures, including a spider, monkey, killer whale, hummingbird, and pelican. The puzzle is that these lines and figures are of such a scale that they can only be recognized from a high altitude. So what is their significance? Did they have an astronomical purpose? A ceremonial purpose? Or, as a recent theory suggests, do the lines lead to sources of precious water? These have puzzled scientists since their discovery in the 1930’s and evoke such an enigma on “how, who, and why” that they keep theories of extraterrestrial existence alive.

Last, but not least, we fly to Cusco, Peru, gateway to iconic Machu Picchu. Ascend by train through the Urubamba Valley amid dramatic, verdant, jungle-clad peaks to 7,600 feet. Here in the Lost City of the Incas, we encounter a mystical, sacred place that will take your breath away. Touched by the clouds, these are perhaps the most enigmatic and beautiful ancient ruins in the world. Rediscovered in 1911 by Harvard-trained archaeologist Hiram Bingham, Machu Picchu was thought to be a sanctuary for the preparation of priestesses and brides for the Inca nobility. The dramatic setting enhances its shroud of mystery and status as a wonder of human heritage.

CONSIDER:

This is a moderately active program that is, at times, busy. Daily programs involve one to two miles of walking, often over uneven terrain, at a leisurely pace. There is some stair climbing, and at many ruins stairs do not have handrails. In the Andes, travelers spend several days at elevations from approximately 8,000 to 11,200 feet. The tour has been planned to allow for gradual acclimatization when traveling to the Andean highlands.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Please inquire.