For some of us, the Incas are rather hazily
lumped in there with, let’s see, the Aztecs
—no, they were up north—the Incas, yes . . .
Conquistadors. Pizarro, wasn’t it? (Or was it
Cortés?) Turns out we should have been more
alert; these were absolutely fascinating folks,
world-class builders and thinkers. And the
story of their downfall is heartrending.
After flying to Lima and on to the old Incan capital of Cusco, we explore the fabled Urubamba Valley ruins of Pisac, Moray, and Ollantaytambo, gazing up at the Andean snow giants that rise above the sacred valley. Now by train up to Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of Incan civilization. “This is the most stupendous approach there has ever been,” Sacheverell Sitwell wrote, “to something which in its own right is perhaps the most startlingly dramatic archaeological site in either the New or Old World.” And after our dalliance with Machu Picchu we’re off to Cusco, “a little city of such supreme interest and historical symbolism, of such variety and punch,” Jan Morris has written, “that it combines the compulsions of Stonehenge, a small Barcelona, and a Kathmandu.” We’ll tour its ruins and wander its charmingly narrow streets, many of which are walled with the Incas’ exquisite, inexplicably exact rock-work (this is a good place to send you on a rewarding book search for Charles C. Mann’s 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, a masterpiece of good reporting and mind expansion). We return to Lima for an afternoon of sightseeing, taking in the capital’s outstanding archaeological museum, which tells the stories of the many civilizations that preceded the Incas and the story of their sudden, grotesque demise.
(Note that we have at hand an easily arranged extension on the magnificent Amazon cruiser Aqua, out of Iquitos, a brilliant way to experience this river of all rivers.)
After flying to Lima and on to the old Incan capital of Cusco, we explore the fabled Urubamba Valley ruins of Pisac, Moray, and Ollantaytambo, gazing up at the Andean snow giants that rise above the sacred valley. Now by train up to Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of Incan civilization. “This is the most stupendous approach there has ever been,” Sacheverell Sitwell wrote, “to something which in its own right is perhaps the most startlingly dramatic archaeological site in either the New or Old World.” And after our dalliance with Machu Picchu we’re off to Cusco, “a little city of such supreme interest and historical symbolism, of such variety and punch,” Jan Morris has written, “that it combines the compulsions of Stonehenge, a small Barcelona, and a Kathmandu.” We’ll tour its ruins and wander its charmingly narrow streets, many of which are walled with the Incas’ exquisite, inexplicably exact rock-work (this is a good place to send you on a rewarding book search for Charles C. Mann’s 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, a masterpiece of good reporting and mind expansion). We return to Lima for an afternoon of sightseeing, taking in the capital’s outstanding archaeological museum, which tells the stories of the many civilizations that preceded the Incas and the story of their sudden, grotesque demise.
(Note that we have at hand an easily arranged extension on the magnificent Amazon cruiser Aqua, out of Iquitos, a brilliant way to experience this river of all rivers.)
Day 1: USA to Lima, Peru • Days 2 & 3: fly to Cusco and on to the Urubamba Valley; visit Pisac, Maras, Moray, and Ollantaytambo • Day 4: train to Machu Picchu, optional day hike on the Inca Trail • Day 5: Machu Picchu, afternoon
return to Cusco • Day 6: explore Cusco and nearby ruins • Day 7: fly to Lima, sightseeing •
Day 8: return to USA.
Machu Picchu and the Urubamba
Trip Details
Departures:
8 days
Activity Type:
Touring
,
Walking
Trip Price:
2008: From $3475
2009: From $4440
- Daily Departures
8 daysActivity Type:
Touring
,
Walking
Trip Price:
2008: From $3475
2009: From $4440
- General Description
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- Reading List
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