MACHU PICCHU AND PERU - Yale University

WHAT TO EXPECT
This exclusive expedition is designed for Yale alumni and friends who are interested in
archaeology, history, and Peru’s cultural heritage and rich natural environment. Travel is
during the dry season – the best time of year for visiting the Andes – though one should
always be prepared for rain. Throughout the Andean cities, temperatures range from 30°-
40° F at night to 60°-75° F during the day. Travel is by motor coach, regularly scheduled
jet planes, train and boat (on the optional extension only). 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
of approximately 8,000 to 11,200 feet. The tour has been planned to allow for gradual
acclimatization when traveling to the Andean highlands. The group initially stays in the
Valley at approximately 8,000 feet; then continues to Machu Picchu at 7,600 feet, leaving
the higher elevation of Cuzco for the end after acclimatization. Lima, the capital of Peru,
is at sea level.
NAZCA LINES & PARACAS
Optional Pre-Tour Extension
J U L Y 18 – 20, 2 0 1 2
One of the greatest mysteries of the New World, the Nazca Lines are geometric
drawings and outlines of animals that are etched onto the arid crust
of the desert in southern Peru. These ancient geoglyphs are so large that
their forms can only be fully discerned from high in the air. Arrive in Lima
on July 16 and overnight at J.W. Marriott Lima Hotel. The following day,
travel south to Paracas for a flight over the Nazca lines. Visit Huacachina
Lagoon, an oasis in the dunes, and the Ica Regional Museum with its fascinating
collection of mummies, pottery, and textiles. Spend the night in
Paracas at the Paracas Luxury Collection Hotel. The next morning, board
a boat for an outing to the famed Ballestas Islands, known as the “small
Galápagos” for their profusion of wildlife. On the way to the islands, view
the gigantic Paracas Candelabra, a prehistoric geoglyph nearly 600 feet tall
on the face of the peninsula ridge. Later that day, return to Lima and join
the passengers arriving for the main program. This extension includes transportation,
accommodations for two nights, flight over the Nazca lines, four
meals, taxes, gratuities, and an English-speaking tour guide throughout.
The extension is based on a minimum of 8 passengers.
Reserve today. Call (203) 432-1952 or visit www.yaleedtravel.org/peru12.