March 22:  Depart Chicago
The group departs Chicago and flies to Lima.  You will enjoy various meals and service while in flight arriving in Lima late this evening.

March 23:  Lima City Tour
After breakfast, enjoy a morning tour of Lima.  The tour will include the colonial zone, the main square, the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Church of San Francisco, the Catacombs and the modern districts of San Isidro.  Here you will visit Huaca Huallamarca, an impressive, restored pre- Inca pyramid in the middle of the city.  The afternoon will be free to visit the Miraflores area and view the beautiful Pacific Ocean.  The evening will feature a special folklore dinner show at a local restaurant.

March 24:  Fly to Cusco and Optional Tour of Cusco
The group will depart the hotel to catch a morning flight from Lima to Cusco.  Upon arrival in Cusco, you will check into the hotel and enjoy a few hours of free time to become acclimated to the altitude.  The afternoon will be free for your leisure or you can take part in an optional afternoon tour of Cusco.  The optional afternoon guided tour of the city of Cusco and nearby Inca ruins includes a visit to the Plaza de Armas (main square), the Cathedral, Koricancha (Inca Temple of the Sun) and nearby important Inca ruins at Sacsayhuaman, Q'enko, PucaPucara and Tambomachay.  Sacsayhuaman is an ancient military fortress which offers a superb example of Inca architectural skills since it was made of enormous carved limestone boulders (some weighing more than 300 tons each) that were fit together perfectly without the use of mortar.

March 25:  Free Day in Cusco- Optional Sacred Valley Tour
After breakfast the entire day will be free to shop and explore on your own or take an optional tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  The tour will visit the traditional Indian market of Pisac, Ollantaytambo village including the Inca ruins, Chinchero Plaza and church.  There will be a stop for lunch, on your own, in Urumbamba.

March 26:  Machu Picchu Tour
The group will depart from the hotel early in the morning and travel by Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes and take the bus to the ruins. Upon arrival in Machu Picchu, you will enjoy a guided tour through the Lost City of the Incas, visiting multiple sections: the guards tower, the three window temple, the round altar, the Intihuatana, the royal tomb, the jail, the cemetery, the terraces, etc., all which is surrounded by high mountains covered with tropical forest.  In late afternoon you will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes in time to catch the return Vistadome train to Cusco.

March 27:  Free Day in Cusco- Optional Maras & Moray Tour
After breakfast, the entire day will be free to shop and explore on your own or take an optional tour of Maras and Moray.  Maras and Moray are two still relatively unknown sites, but are highly recommended to visit during your stay in Cusco. The salt mines of Maras are an arrangement of terraces, where salt is gathered in small pools, which are filled by hot spring water containing an astonishing percentage of salt. These springs have been exploited since Inca times. It proves to be an unforgettable experience when you see the sun reflected on the hundreds of white salt pools. Moray is something very different. Four natural depressions in the landscape were used by the Incas to build terraces that served then as a botanical laboratory to improve their harvest. The circular-shaped terraces still remain intact.  Upon returning to Cusco, the group will enjoy a special folklore dinner and show at a local Cusco restaurant this evening.

March 28:  Fly to Lima- Free time for shopping or Optional Larco Herrera Museum
The group will depart Cusco early in the morning and fly to Lima.  Upon arrival in Lima, you will check into a day room where you can enjoy a free day to do some last minute souvenir shopping in the Miraflores shopping district or take part in an optional tour of Larco Herrera Museum.  The museum tour will include a visit to this unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century built over an archaeological pyramid from the 7th century. Its masterworks are the worldwide icons in Pre-Columbian art. This famous museum has the largest and finest gold, silver and jewelry collection of ancient Peru. The visit also includes the museum’s erotic art collection. The museum’s didactic galleries, full of highlights, make easier the comprehension of 3,000 years of the Peruvian history.  Early evening the group will transfer from the hotel to the Lima airport for the overnight flight back to Chicago.

March 29:  Return to Chicago
The group will arrive in Chicago late this morning.