Day 1- USA to Lima
Depart from the U.S or your previous Gap Year trip in Costa Rica to Lima, Peru. Upon your arrival you will be met by Rustic Pathways staff and transported to a comfortable hotel in one of Lima’s nicest neighborhoods.

Day 2- Lima to Pisac
Wake up to your first day in Peru and prepare for your 1 hr. flight to the historic city of Cuzco. Arriving in the ancient Incan Capital, you will get to see some of the city as we transfer to the town of Pisac . The drive from Cuzco to Pisac will drop you about a thousand ft. and allow you to acclimate easier the thinner air of The Sacred Valley. The small colonial town of Pisac is shadowed by an impressive Incan fortress dramatically perched on the ridgeline above town. After checking in to the hotel, we will relax and allow ourselves time to acclimate to the altitude. While today will be fairly low key, your guide will assess the group’s energy and everyone may go for a walk through town or to explore the impressive Incan ruins above the city.

Day 3- Explore Pisac and travel to your village
After breakfast we will spend time exploring the town of Pisac before transferring to one of the small and off the beaten track villages of The Sacred Valley. These are very traditional villages and daily life has changed little here over the last hundred years. The village will become your home for the next five days as you perform community service and get to know the locals. After a delicious lunch prepared by our chef, we will visit the school and get an orientation to your new home. While the days are warm, the temperature drops rapidly at night so make sure to get your tent and sleeping bag in order during the afternoon. Not an avid camper? No worries, your tents have already been set up and are waiting for you. While the accommodations here are obviously basic, your staff and cooks will make sure that your stay here is comfortable. Waking up to hot tea being brought to your tent as you look across the valley at snow peaked mountains, surely isn’t the hard life! The villages we will be working in have just recently received electricity and things quickly quiet down as the sun goes down. After supper, we will have the chance to get to know each other better and get settled into a slower pace of life.

Day 4- Community Service in the Village
Welcome to life in a traditional Andean village! You’ll be up early as you wake to the sound of farm animals and villagers starting their daily chores. After a hearty breakfast it is off to begin your community service projects. Community Service Projects- During your stay, you will be participating in various service projects depending on the needs of the village. Much of our time will be spent working in the schools and with the local villagers. The schools in these villages have very little resources and appreciate any assistance we can give them. The activities in the schools may involve, playing educational games, teaching basic math and teaching environmental education. You may help to lay adobe bricks for the wall of a new home, or work in the local agricultural fields.

Day 5, 6 , 7, 8- Community Service in the Village
You will continue to participate in Community Service work in the village during the day. In addition to the service work you will also spend time on local hikes, exploring local ruins and learning about lives of the local villagers. Travelers Tip: Now that you are acclimated to the altitude make sure to join a rousing game of soccer that occurs each afternoon and often last until the sun has completely set.

Day 9- Whitewater Rafting and Mountain Biking
After your days of working it is time to spend time for some excitement on a couple of different activities in the Sacred Valley area. AM- The morning will be spent whitewater rafting through the high Andean Mountains. While not huge whitewater, this fun trip offers excitement for people of all abilities and winds through some spectacular scenery. PM- Lunch will be served riverside at the end of our rafting trip. You got the upper body workout in the morning so in the afternoon we’ll put the legs to work as we mountain bike around the Moray. Moray, is an impressive amphitheatre of Incan terracing that was believed to be used as a laboratory for crop research. Overnight- Having spent the previous nights in tents, we will move back to some more modern amenities and enjoy hot showers and a meal in the Incan city of Ollantaytambo.

Day 10- Train to Machu Picchu
This morning we will be up early to ride one of the most scenic train rides in the world, the famous PeruRail from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. As we pass raging rapids on the Urubamba river, you will start to notice the more stark Alpine environment slowly change to tropical cloud forest. PM- After checking into our hotel in Aguas Calientes, you will have to cruise through the town, hike to a spectacular peak overlooking Machu Picchu and soak in the local hot springs.

Day 11- Machu Picchu
We will rise early so that you can be on the first bus to view the morning sun hit one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The entire morning will be spent exploring Machu Picchu and, if time permits, Wayna Picchu. PM- If the afternoon it is off to Ollantaytambo on the train again. After a long day exploring one of the most impressive sights in South America, our hotel room in Ollantaytambo will be a very welcome sight!

Day 12- Adventure Park and Cuzco
In the morning you will have the time to cruise through Ollantaytambo before heading back to Cuzco. Along the way, there will be the chance to literally throw yourself at the areas high adrenaline activities. Optional activities here include the America’s highest bungee jump, the slingshot, and the high speed swing! In the afternoon we will have the chance to catch up on emails, do laundry, and attend to other personal items in Cuzco, such as an Incan Massage.

Day 13- Tour of Cuzco
Today will be spent touring the historic city of Cuzco. Visit the main square, amazing Incan stonework and the ruins of Saqsaywamam.

Day 14- High Alpine to Heart of the Jungle!
Today you will experience some of the most extreme variations in climate that you have ever experienced. We will head to the airport for our return flight to Lima and then move onto the remote city of Iquitos in the heart of the Amazon Jungle. This city is so remote that it is actually the largest city in the world with no road access. After a day of travel we will settle into the Hotel Victoria Regia in Iquitos.

Day 15- On the River
In the morning we will make a visit to the bustling Belen market in Iquitos. It is similar to the ones you have seen in the Cuszo, but rather than descending from the hills with llamas, hundreds of locals arrive by boat to sell all types of produce and goods from the Amazon Jungle. After our morning tour, hop on the boat and head out on the mighty Amazon and head downstream to our first jungle camp, Explorama lodge. After getting settled in and eating lunch, we will have the opportunity to visit and learn about one of the local indigenous tribes. Learn about their traditional dances, weaving techniques and test your aim with surprisingly accurate blow guns.

Day 16- Piranhas, Bushmasters and Dr. Smith’s Clinic
In the morning you will have your work cut out for you as you try to catch Piranhas for lunch. A little meat and a little luck and you should have your plate full in no time. After a bit of fishing and exploring the black water, we will visit a local medical clinic to learn about the work they are doing in the region and the health needs of the area. In the afternoon, strap on the boots and embark on an interpretive hike through the rainforest around the camp.

Day 17- Service along the River
Along the banks of the Amazon are scattered small communities that eek a living off the river and surrounding forests. Today will be spent visiting one of these communities and participating in service while there. Common service projects include working in their schools and basic community development projects. After finishing our service, we will head further downstream and into the Rio Napo, arriving for dinner at Explornapo Lodge.

Day 18- Canopy Walkway and Botanical Gardens
AM- It is a short hike through the jungle from the lodge to longest canopy walkway in the Amazon. At 35 meters in height and 500 meters long, this is one of the best opportunities to view the canopy wildlife in the world. Remember this is not a zoo though, so bring a pair of keen eyes and some luck with you. PM- Visit with a medicine man and learn about the ways in which the local plants have been used by locals for centuries to cure all types of ailments. At night we will cruise through the waterways in search of Black Caimans and the creatures of the night.

Day 19- Giant Ceibas and Pink Dolphins
This morning will be spent transferring back up stream to a more luxurious lodge, Ceiba Tops. Upon arrival, hop in the pool for a quick swim and then walk to the short way to view a giant Ceiba tree. The true girth of this massive tree is truly spectacular. After lunch we hop in the boat to search for freshwater Pink Dolphins. They really are pink! After the search there may be even time to join a pick-up game of beach soccer with the local fisherman along the shore.

Day 20- Goodbye Amazon, Goodbye Peru
Our final morning in the Amazon and in Peru will be spent visiting Monkey Island, home to 5 types of primates including small tamarins, saki, titi, and large woolly monkeys. In the afternoon we will return to Iquitos to catch our afternoon flight to Lima. After a final dinner in Lima it is off to the US to return home or catch your flight to your next destination, Fiji. Happy Travels!

An Important Note about Schedule Changes: Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.

Peru Gap Year FAQs

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
Direct flight from Houston to Lima takes approximately 6 hours.

2 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
Students from the United States will be issued a tourist visa on entry into Peru. Students from other countries should check with their consulate. Please know that it is the student’s responsibility to obtain any appropriate before entering Peru.

3 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
See the CDC or WHO websites and visit your doctor to decide which immunization you will need. See the below provinces that we will be traveling in to help determine what immunizations and medications you may need.

4 – What Peru province(s) does this program pass through?
Students traveling on the Peru Gap year program will be traveling in very diverse regions of Peru. After arriving in Lima, students will spend the remainder of their time in the Loreto Region in the Amazon River Basin and the province of Cuzco and Urubamba in the Cuzco Region.

5 - Is this a good program for students interested in practicing their Spanish?
Yes! Students will be living in traditional communities in the Andean Mountains and will have ample chances to practice their Spanish. Please know that a basic knowledge of Spanish is not required on this program, but students who take the time to at least learn some basic phases may find their time here more rewarding. A small Spanish- English dictionary is recommended.

6 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
Students will be eating mostly Peruvian food on their program, but will have a few chances to eat more international fare such as Italian, Chinese etc. Peru is actually well known for their cuisine, which varies from region to region. In fact, due to its Incan and pre-Incan heritage, followed by Spanish settlement and then African Sino-Cantonese and Japonese immigration, Peru boasts one of the most diverse cuisines in the Americas. Many of the meals will be centered around traditional Andean food, with a lot of potatoes and grains such as quinoa. In addition beans, meat such a chicken and salad are found in most meals. For those that choose, there will be the chance to eat Cuy or Guinea Pig, which remains a staple of rural Andean diets to this day. In the Amazon, sweet potatoes, fish, chicken as well as rice and beans are very common. There is even the chance to fish for piranha and then cook it for lunch. If you would like to know more about Peruvian diet Wikipedia actually has a nice summery at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_cuisine.

7 - Will travelers be drinking bottled water?
Yes, students will drink bottled or purified water while traveling in Peru. It is not recommended that travelers drink the tap water in any part of Peru.

8- Can Rustic Pathways cater to specific diets on this program?
Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs on this program and the chefs we work with are very accustomed to doing so. There will be ample access to fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and grains for those who are vegetarian. Vegan diets can be accommodated, but with a little more foresight and planning as this is not a diet commonly encountered in Peru. Please know that while we are happy to accommodate alternative diets, many of the special diets more common in the United States are not common in other parts of the world and travelers must be patient and understanding in having these needs be met. Please contact Gabriel Porter-Henry at gabe@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies.

9 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
Accommodation on this program ranges from camping to guesthouses to Amazon Jungle lodges. While in the performing community service projects in the Sacred Valley, students will be camping in rural villages.. While in Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu students will be staying in 2 and 3 star guesthouses. In the Amazon, we will be visiting a variety of a jungle lodges that are basic, but very clean and comfortable.

10- What is the climate like in Peru?
Peru has 3 very distinct climate regions; the desert coastal region, Andean Mountain regions and the Amazon Basin. Students will visit all three of these regions on their program, but time will be focused in the Andean Mountains and Amazon River Basin. These two climates contrast fairly drastically. During September the mountain region will be transforming from the dry winter months to the rainy summer months, but days will still be generally dry and partly cloudy during this time will occasional rains. The day time temperatures generally are between 45 and 60 degrees while nights can reach below freezing. Please make sure to refer to the packing list when preparing for this program. In the Amazon, it remains hot and humid throughout the year. Students should be prepared for some rain and have lightweight quick drying clothes for their time here. Bring your bug repellent!

11- What costs are not included on this trip?
Students are responsible for paying for half of their lunches and half of their dinners. This is to allow a flexibility of choice in meals and free time to enjoy with new friends. Other costs not included in the trip are Internet access, travel insurance, medical insurance, medical expenses, International Airfare, laundry, small donations to organizations, temples, charities, souvenirs and excessive snacks (like five Red Bulls a day). There will also be occasional optional activities which students can participate in such as bungee jumping. The costs for these are generally between $60 and $100 per activity.

12- How often can I do laundry?
Students will have the chance to do laundry about once a week while on their program. Please make sure to have enough clothes to last least a week.

13- How often will I have access to email and phones?
Phones and internet will be available occasionally throughout the trip. While in Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo and Aquas Calientes these services will be available on a almost daily basis. There will not be internet or phone access, while living in the villages of the Sacred Valley or in the Amazon.

For any additional questions about the Peru Gap Year Program please contact our Gap Year Divisional Director, Jamie Spates at jamie@rusticpathways.com.