School expeditions to Peru
| country: | Peru |
| departures: | This school trip can be tailor made to your specifications with departures throughout the year except February. |
| price: | From £2295 (16 days) including flights from the UK. Teachers go free - 1 place per 8 students. Price includes fundraising pack and support, all food, accommodation, transport, guides, activities and in-country support |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Our combination of challenging expeditions and aid work gives students the complete travel experience.
An expedition to the magical lost Inca city of Machu Picchu along the original Inca Trail together with a volunteer project in the Andes Mountains allows us to dig deeper to reveal the hidden treasures of Peru. Starting in the ancient capital of Cusco we explore the cobbled back streets and remarkable Inca ruins before heading into the mountains for a week assisting the local community on a volunteer project.
Be prepared to get your hands dirty as tasks will include reforestation work of Polylepis trees, conducting bird and mammal surveys with local zoologists and constructing community centres, built from locally gathered materials. No specific skills are required as you will be assisted by local craftsmen. The most important asset to have is enthusiasm and a will to join in. The weekend is time to explore the surrounding area with horse riding, mountain biking and white-water rafting opportunities which will be fully organised and accompanied.
The next phase of your experience is a trek to the infamous Machu Picchu. We follow the extraordinary Inca Trail for 4 days along a seemingly impossible route; in places the path has been carved into cliff faces and tunnels have been cut through the rock. You will finally reach Machu Picchu early in the morning on the fourth day to watch an incredible sunrise over this magical place. It is clear to see why Machu Picchu has recently been voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
An expedition to the magical lost Inca city of Machu Picchu along the original Inca Trail together with a volunteer project in the Andes Mountains allows us to dig deeper to reveal the hidden treasures of Peru. Starting in the ancient capital of Cusco we explore the cobbled back streets and remarkable Inca ruins before heading into the mountains for a week assisting the local community on a volunteer project.
Be prepared to get your hands dirty as tasks will include reforestation work of Polylepis trees, conducting bird and mammal surveys with local zoologists and constructing community centres, built from locally gathered materials. No specific skills are required as you will be assisted by local craftsmen. The most important asset to have is enthusiasm and a will to join in. The weekend is time to explore the surrounding area with horse riding, mountain biking and white-water rafting opportunities which will be fully organised and accompanied.
The next phase of your experience is a trek to the infamous Machu Picchu. We follow the extraordinary Inca Trail for 4 days along a seemingly impossible route; in places the path has been carved into cliff faces and tunnels have been cut through the rock. You will finally reach Machu Picchu early in the morning on the fourth day to watch an incredible sunrise over this magical place. It is clear to see why Machu Picchu has recently been voted one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly from the UK to Lima. |
| Day 2: | Explore Lima, the Peruvian Capital with a guided tour of its historical centre and coastal suburbs. |
| Day 3: | Fly to Cusco. We catch an early morning flight over the spectacular Andes Mountains to Cusco. Arriving around lunch time we check into our centrally located hotel. The afternoon is free to explore and acclimatise to the altitude. Cusco is located at a height of 3,310m. |
| Day 4: | Explore ancient Cusco. We spend the day exploring this dramatic city learning about its architecture, history and culture on a relaxed city tour. The afternoon is spent visiting a few of the surrounding ruins such as Sacsayhuaman, a huge Inca ruin constructed with rocks as heavy as 70 tons. All our itineraries are entirely flexible, contact us to discuss your options. |
| Day 5-8: | Volunteer Project. We transfer from Cusco to our project site high in the Andes Mountains and spend the day setting up camp and settling in. The site is remote but it’s amazing how quickly the camp becomes home. The work you will be doing is very varied and no day is the same. The project is operated by ECOAN a local NGO whose aim is to promote the importance of reforestation through a replanting scheme, education and hard work. |
| Day 9: | Sacred Valley. We say goodbye to our new friends and leave the project for Ollantaytambo, a terrific Inca village in the Sacred Valley. You will have the opportunity to partake in some activities such as mountain biking, horse riding or white-water rafting. |
| Day 10-13: | Inca Trail. Today we begin the 4 day Inca Trail. We follow the Urubamba River for the morning along a relatively gentle path. After stopping for a spot of lunch we continue along an undulating path with splendid views of 6,000m peaks. The second day is generally said to be the toughest day as we rise up and over Dead Woman’s pass at 4,200m. The climb can at times be relentless but the views make it all worthwhile and the sense of achievement is only surpassed by reaching Machu Picchu itself. After photos and refreshment we head down a steep series of steps to our campsite for the night at Pacamayo. Day 3 is where the real Inca Trail begins with lots of steps ascending and descending until we reach the second pass at a touch over 4,000m. There are ruins along the way and your guide will explain their historical importance and connection to Machu Picchu. This section is particularly beautiful as the trail crosses high stone embankments and skirts deep precipices. We pass through magnificent cloud forest full of wild orchids, hanging mosses and humming birds. Our base for the night is Winay Wayna where we may have the opportunity for a hot shower. We wake very early on our final day on the trail to catch the sun rising over Machu Picchu, viewed from the appropriately named “Sun Gate”. An unforgettable sight. After thoroughly exploring the ruins we take a bus down to the train station at Aguas Calientes to catch our train back to Cusco. |
| Day 14: | Cusco. The day is free in Cusco to relax and recuperate. Email your family and friends and share your achievement. Explore some of Cusco’s many markets. Sample some Peruvian cuisine and enjoy the celebratory supper. |
| Day 15: | Fly to Lima. |
| Day 16: | Arrive UK. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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During the volunteer project we work alongside ECOAN, a Peruvian NGO that conducts research, conservation and community development activities in the high Andean region. By assisting in the construction of community halls and on the reforestation program you will have a direct positive impact on the local community. They will have somewhere to meet to discuss conservation issues and the impact it can have on the future productivity of their land. Your involvement in the replanting program will help to provide firewood, construction materials and medicinal plants for future generations.
The project will also help the local community to develop an alternative source of income enabling them to remain in their villages rather than drifting to the city in search of work. Birdwatchers will travel far to see such endangered species such as the royal cinclodes, the ash-breasted tit tyrant or the tit-spinetail. If these birds are provided with the necessary habitat and active measures are taken to ensure their survival, villagers may eventually be able to host visitors, taking them to see the fruits of their conservation labours and gaining some income at the same time. During the project we also conduct a conservation lesson with the local children. Caring for the environment is best taught to youngsters, so that as they grow up, living responsibly and sustainably become second nature. We travel in small groups (maximum 16) to ensure minimal impact on the environment, the habitats and the communities we visit. Funding for our development projects comes directly from our registered charity. For each person that joins a project, we as a company, donate approximately US$250 per project week. 100% of the money the charity receives is spent on projects. To date, we have funded over 70 development projects around the world. Throughout your adventure we only use locally owned accommodation and local guides and staff wherever feasible. We ensure that rather than taking jobs from local people, equal input comes from our hosts, while we buy in skilled technicians where needed, creating jobs that work in harmony with existing social structures. We work to preserve both indigenous heritage and the survival of fragile communities. Before departing the UK you will be invited to join us on a Travel Safety weekend. Here you will be informed about travelling responsibly, appropriate behaviour and what you can do to minimise your impact. This is also reiterated in our field manual which you will receive as soon as your booking is confirmed. We are a carbon-neutral company using the futureforests calculation. This means we plant sufficient trees every year to cancel the CO2 emissions we create by flying groups around the globe. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation. We have various measures in place to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. We walk and ride to work and we recycle everything from paper to plastic to printers to coffee (makes great fertilizer). |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |