Science of the Incas: Peru

17 September 2023 - 10 days for £3,399

Immerse yourself in the Inca civilisation’s most important archaeological sites, science and history while exploring the beautiful Sacred Valley.

Of course, you will visit Machu Picchu but the story of the Incas is so much more than that. For example, how they arranged their religious sites, called Huacas, along a system of astronomically and calendrically informed lines, called Ceques, with the city of Cusco, as the sort of centre of this massive “calendar on the ground”. In turn, this “calendar on the ground” affected the location of their towns, ceremonies, the social interactions of their elite groups, and their highly advanced architecture.

Get to the heart of how Hiram Bingham "discovered" Machu Picchu and several other sites just over 100 years ago. Accompanied throughout by Peter Getzels - Emmy award-winning director, producer and cinematographer plus anthropologist, explorer and mountaineer. Plus, Dr Jean-Jacques Decoster, Professor of Anthropology at the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco.

On this unique expedition, you will learn how the Incas developed a complex society and used their extensive grasp of science and technology to expand rapidly. They displayed a mastery of stone-cutting, astronomy and mathematics as they created buildings for living and worshipping, and their irrigation, aqueducts and precision control of water supported their high-altitude farming on steep slopes.

Enjoy stunning landscapes from the fertile verdant valley floor and wetlands, through cloud forests and onto the imposing mountains that overlook the Sacred Valley. A unique anthropology archaeology experience. 

DAY 1: ARRIVE INTO CUSCO

You will be met at the airport by your tour leader and transferred to the Hotel San Agustin Internacional, just 10 minutes away from Cuzco’s historic main square. This will be your base for the next four nights.

Cusco is the historic heartland and former capital of the Inca Empire. The city itself is one of South America's oldest continuously inhabited cities and was the home of the Inca Empire for two centuries before the Spanish built their first capital here. Today, Cusco is a fascinating combination of both cultures. 

In the evening, you will meet your fellow guests and accompanying expert Peter Getzels for a welcome meal at the Calle Del Medio restaurant. We’re keeping the pace easy to help you acclimatise to the altitude, so we’re saving the talks until tomorrow.

DAY 2: EXPLORE CUSCO INCLUDING THE CASA CONCHA MUSEUM AND QORICANCHA TEMPLE

In the morning, Peter will give his welcome address, where he outlines the themes and sites you will be delving into over the coming days. You will also hear from locally based professor and anthropologist Dr Jean-Jacques Decoster, the first of three days he will be joining you.

Throughout the tour, Peter and Jean-Jacques will be giving informal talks and walking seminars to shed light on the many fascinating sites that the tour is visiting.

Later on, you will explore the key sites of Cusco on foot. Starting with a brief visit to the Museo de Arte Religioso (Palacio Arzobispal), a handsome palace built on the foundation of the Inca Roca Palace and formerly owned by the Archbishop of Cusco. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of “Cusco School” baroque paintings, the works of indigenous artists trained in Renaissance crafts, soon after the conquest.  Nearby you’ll see the famous stone of the twelve angles on Hatun Rumiyoq which will give you your first taste of the architectural feats that the Incas achieved without mortar.

You will then visit Qoricancha, the Sun Temple. As the centre of Inca state religion, Qoricancha is considered one of the most sacred of Inca buildings dedicated to the worship of the sun. Archaeological research suggests it had housed idols from all over the empire, and, on occasions, the mummies of Inca emperors and their wives, gold artefacts, as well living quarters for priests and attendants who minded a huge hoard of gold that was eventually taken by the Spanish invaders.

Afterwards, you will head to the heart of the city, the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by arcades, churches and administrative buildings from the early Spanish occupation. Nearby you will spend time at the Casa Concha Museum, home of one of the most complete collections of Machu Picchu artefacts in the world, which were returned by Yale University in 2011. Jean-Jacques was an early director of the museum and was instrumental in the curation of the artefacts held there. As such, he will be leading the group in a private tour of the Museum. 

Lunch will be at Nuna Raymi, a sustainable restaurant that focuses on local organic produce.

Later, explore the traditional and picturesque neighbourhood of San Blas. A short steep walk from the plaza, the area is home to art studios, artisan workshops, as well as many of the best bars and restaurants. It's a great area to wander around. The remainder of the day will be free for you to continue discovering this beautiful city or relax back at the hotel.

DAY 3: SACSAYHUAMAN, QENQO, TAMBOMACHAY AND THE PLANETARIUM OF CUSCO

This morning, you will visit the huge Inca ceremonial structure Sacsayhuaman that overlooks the city of Cusco. Its construction is complex and precise with megalithic rocks perfectly fitted together without the aid of mortar. The site has the characteristics of a fortress, but also contains temple-like structures, and may have served for astronomical observations, typical of Inca sites that tend to combine those functions. 

You will then continue to the Inca site known as Qenqo with its subterranean passages and carved stone channels in a zigzag pattern. In its inner section, there is a carved stone table, which may have been used for Inca rituals. 

Afterwards, you will travel the short distance to Tambomachay, a beautiful archaeological site, consisting of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls. The high quality of the stonework indicates that it was likely to have been an important Inca shrine, dedicated to religious functions involving water veneration.  Although its function is uncertain, it may also have been a military outpost or ancient spa, as indicated by findings that show a high degree of water control.

Lunch will be at Mama Seledonia, a restaurant that helps and supports young single mothers and teenagers in rural areas with talent and passion for cooking.

In the evening, you will head to the Planetarium of Cusco. Here you will explore Quechua and Inca astronomy and the relationship between Andean people and the universe. The Incas had a complex cosmological system, and along with that you will learn about Quechua cosmological ideas, about the dark areas of the Milky Way, (called the dark-cloud constellations) and how they are just as important as the bright constellations. Then you will be treated to a virtual projection of the southern hemisphere stars and constellations in the planetarium dome. The experience concludes outside, where (weather permitting) there will be guided stargazing using the centre's telescopes. 

DAY 4: TIPON AND PIKILLAQTA

Today, you will visit the valley to the south of Cusco, well away from the tourist haunts. Your first stop is the Inca complex of Tipon, a royal estate with an elaborate set of terraces, stone-lined canals and fountains. Its design makes it both an agricultural and hydrological masterpiece.

You will then drive through Oropesa (the bread capital of Peru), on to Pikillaqta, one of the few existing pre-Inca ruins in the Cusco area. This adobe complex was built around 700 to 900 years AD by the Wari Culture. Nearby, you will see Rumicolca. Current theory suggests that this huge structure was originally built as a Wari aqueduct to supply water to Pikillaqta, and was then reinforced with Inca stonework, because it is located on one of the main south-north Inca roads that crisscross the Andes.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you will return to Cusco for an afternoon of leisure time.

DAY 5: THE SACRED VALLEY INCLUDING MARAS SALT PONDS, MORAY AND CHINCHERO

After breakfast, you will travel up the Sacred Valley and visit some of its most scenic spots accompanied again by Dr Jean-Jacques Decoster. First, a private guided trip to the ancient Maras salt ponds, where salty springs emerge from the hillside and the Incas built pools to capture the flows and harvest salt. Those are still being used by inhabitants of the communities of Maras and Pichingoto.  As a heritage expert, Jean-Jacques has worked on the proposed nomination of the salt ponds as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and will be on hand to discuss the process.  

You will continue to Moray, where huge circular agricultural terraces were built by the Incas on limestone sinks that served to plant various crops. It is thought that the Incas used the terraces as an agricultural laboratory to determine the optimum conditions for each species, testing varying altitudes and soil conditions.

Then, you’ll head to the small rustic town of Chinchero, which is missed by many but has a great display of Inca architecture, ruins and megalithic art carved into rocks. Chinchero is home to Andean weaving and has a colourful market. You will visit its ruins, where it is thought that Inca Tupac Yupanqui, heir of Pachacutec, used Chinchero as a sort of country resort. He ordered the construction of many aqueducts and terraces, many of them still in use today. 

The cultural landscape and spectacular viewshed of Chinchero are being rapidly transformed by the ongoing construction of the future international airport for Cusco. Jean-Jacques is currently involved in a study of the impact on the cultural heritage of the new airport and will be able to reflect with you on this topic. 

Lunch will be at the Umasbamba community, where you’ll learn about local food, traditions and herbal medicine. 

In the late afternoon, you will check into the Inti Punku Sacred Valley Hotel, where you will enjoy an evening meal together.

DAY 6: THE SACRED VALLEY INCLUDING PISAC, THE INKARIY MUSEUM AND OLLANTAYTAMBO

After checking out of your hotel, you will travel further into the Sacred Valley. The valley was a key settlement area for the Incas, because its combination of agreeable climate and fertile plains was unusual for the high Andes. Here, the Incas sculpted the mountain flanks with vast contour terracing and irrigation channels, and there will be plenty of opportunities to stop and photograph these. Pisac, in particular, has great examples of these plus fine stone works allowing it to also act as a mountainside fortress defending the southern approach to Machu Picchu.

Afterwards, you’ll visit the recently opened Inkariy museum, which uses artistic representations to explain eight Peruvian civilisations, from the Caral to the Quechuas. Here you will discuss with Peter and Jean-Jacques questions of representation and folklore and how that impacts the understanding and contemporary use of ancient cultures, ethnography and archaeology.

After lunch at the Tunupa Sacred Valley Restaurant, you’ll drive along the Urubamba river towards the town of Ollantaytambo, which has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in Peru and was one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish. The ruins of Ollantaytambo include temples, terraces, storehouses and defences. There are also spectacular rock formations that have been the source of much poetic speculation in contemporary times regarding them representing the Inca god Wiracocha.

You will then check into El Albergue, a small but hugely atmospheric hotel inside the train station, where you will have dinner.

DAY 7: EXPLORE MACHU PICCHU

After breakfast, you will step out of the hotel restaurant straight onto the train platform thus avoiding the queuing lines outside the station. You will board the “360° Machu Picchu” train towards Aguas Calientes, a modern little town close to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The train ride is a beautiful journey. After passing the Sacred Valley, the train starts to descend gradually along the edge of the Urubamba River, until it finally reaches the cloud forest. After approximately 1 hour 45 minutes you will have arrived in Aguas Calientes town, where you will be taken to the Machu Picchu ruins starting with a short bus ride up the steep, zigzagging road to the impressive Lost City of the Incas. 

This is one of those genuinely magical places, and your first glimpse of these ruins in the mist is something to remember. The site is perched high in the Andes, surrounded by verdant cloud forest, with the river Urubamba running through the gorge far below. Hidden away on a ridge, Machu Picchu is invisible from below, so it's no surprise it remained a secret for so many years (until 1911). 

In the late 1970s, Peter would hike up to Machu Picchu and camp in the grounds. Nowadays access to and around the site is carefully managed to ensure the condition of the site is protected for generations to come. Your ticket grants access to the site for 4 hours and the predetermined routes through the site are carefully planned, so take your time and enjoy it. A local guide plus Jean-Jacques and Peter will take you exploring first the upper terrace, then across the ruins, learning more about the 200 or so structures, houses, warehouses and temples. It's fascinating to be able to gaze down on the city from above and imagine how it would have looked during the height of the Inca empire. 

Then, enjoy lunch at Sanctuary Lodge hotel, located just outside the site and then catch the shuttle bus into Aguas Calientes town and check into the El Mapi by Inkaterra Hotel. The rest of the day free to explore this beautiful town and visit the open-air market, filled with displays of local Andean curios and clothing. Dinner will be at the hotel.

DAY 8: A SECOND VISIT MACHU PICCHU AT DAWN

After an early breakfast, you will take a private shuttle 20 minutes up the mountain to be one of the first to enter Machu Picchu just after 7am. You will be able to explore the site unguided taking one of the defined circuits. These are in place to allow guests to enjoy the site whilst still protecting it for generations to come.

After returning to Aguas Calientes for lunch, you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo and make the rest of the journey to Cusco by coach where you will return to the San Agustin Internacional Hotel.

DAY 9: DISCOVER WAQRAPUKARA

Today, you are completing the tour with a visit to the lesser-known ruins of Waqrapukara. These spectacular monumental structures are perched high in the mountain peaks above the Apurimac River.

The day begins with a pre-dawn pick-up from the hotel at 5am. After stopping for breakfast, you will be transported close to Waqrapukara by vehicle, thus requiring just a short return walk of about 2 hours to this remote site.

During the trek, as you ascend to 4300 metres high, you will be able to appreciate how the flora and fauna differ from those you saw on the other days. At Waqrapukara, you will enjoy a relaxed guided tour visiting the main square, towers, terraces, enclosures and cave paintings, including representations of llamas. The name Waqrapukara translates roughly as "horn-shaped fortress" in Quechua, as the peak of the mountain looks like two horns (or upright Llama ears). 

The site is surrounded by Andean mountain ranges as far as the eye can see and, due to the small number of visitors, it is a place of rare tranquillity. In some parts, it is hard to tell what features are human-made and which are geological, due to the skill of Inca builders in integrating structures to the landscape. There are still many aspects to the site yet to be deciphered by archaeologists, which is why the site is so intriguing.

The trek will take about 5 hours and as with the previous trek, you will be fully accompanied by the tour 

Afterwards, you will descend by coach back to Cusco. Then in the evening, there will be a farewell dinner at the Pachapapa restaurant.

DAY 10: FAREWELL TO CUSCO

Your tour comes to an end today and there are no activities planned. At the appropriate time, you’ll be transferred to the airport to take the flight back to Lima, followed by the international flight home.

If you would like to stay on for a few extra days to make the most of your visit here, we will be happy to assist in booking accommodation and extra activities.