Peru
Our exciting, newly revised tour studies the vast Inca Empire, which once reached from Chile to Colombia, as well as the fascinating Lambayeque, Mochica and Chimú peoples. Touring begins with Lima’s museums and includes visits to the Moche tombs of Sipán, Trujillo, the adobe city of Chan Chan and other coastal sites. The tour continues with a four-day visit to Cuzco and the sacred Urubamba Valley and two days at Machu Picchu. Tour highlights include Cerro Sechín, renowned for its unique stone carvings, the early temple-fortress of Chankillo and Caral, a recently excavated city believed to be 5,000 years old.

Northern Chile & Easter Island
with an Optional 5-day Extension to Patagonia
The enigmatic giant statues on Easter Island and the mysterious geoglyphs of northern Chile will be the highlights of this unusual tour. In northern Chile visits include pre-Inca fortresses, the archaeological remains of the Atacameño culture, enormous areas of perfectly preserved geoglyphs, fine museums, lovely old colonial churches and Santiago. Lastly, we study the fascinating prehistoric Rapa Nui culture during our seven-day stay on remote Easter Island.

Lords of the River and the Plains:
The Northern Maya Kingdoms
This exciting tour takes us into Mexico's Yucatán and Chiapas states, where we will visit some of the finest cities of the classical period. Touring begins in colonial Mérida, our introduction to the Spanish invasion and the vibrant modern Maya culture. We then visit Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and several smaller Maya sites to see some of the finest architecture and sculpture of the classic Maya world. Highlights of this tour include the seldom-visited Toniná, plus the renowned cities of Palenque, Calakmul, Yaxchilán and Bonampak plus two days in the highlands around San Cristóbal de las Casas.