Depart from your home for Lima, Peru. Plan your flight to arrive in Lima, Peru by 3:00 p.m. or after. Upon arrival at Lima Airport, you will go across the street (literally) to Costa del Sol Hotel (which must have amazing insulation, because you won’t hear the planes!). We will gather the next morning after breakfast for our flight to Cusco. Overnight in Lima - Hotel Costa Del Sol

After breakfast, we will walk across the street to the Lima airport to catch a morning flight to Cusco. We will then drive to the Sacred Valley. We'll be in the Sacred Valley for the next two days so that we have time to acclimate to the altitude. On the way, we'll visit Chinchero, the center of weaving in Peru. We will watch women in traditional costume spinning and weaving the beautiful Peruvian wool and alpaca. And then it's on to our beautiful 5 star hotel in Urubamba. Taypikala Valle Sagrado Hotel (Breakfast and Dinner included)

Today, we will have a beautiful bus ride through the Sacred Valley to visit Pisac. This important Incan road once snaked its way up the canyon that enters the Urubamba Valley at Pisac. Set high above a valley floor, the stonework and panoramas at Pisac are magnificent. Terraces, aqueducts and steps have been cut from solid rock in the upper sector of the ruins. In Urco, the place of the snake, we will participate in a Chicha Ceremony. This is a place of power where Coca leaves are used to send love and thanks to the Apus (spirits of the mountain) and to Pachamama (Mother Earth). In the afternoon we will go to the village for lunch and shopping at the festive village market. Taypikala Valle Sagrado Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

This is what we’ve been waiting for. After breakfast, we will board the train for Machu Picchu and travel a beautiful and scenic route to Aguas Calientes, the town which lies at the foot of the sacred city of Machu Picchu. We will then gather to go to the site. For centuries Machu Picchu was forgotten by the outside world, and it was thought by some to have never existed, like a sort of “Shangri La”. Machu Picchu was brought back to international attention by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham who rediscovered it in 1911. Fantastic green peaks loom up and around the ancient city above the Urubamba river below. Around 200 buildings, palaces and temples built from large and small perfectly fitted stone blocks surround the central court. The entire stone complex is considered a high voltage and magnetic focal point; every invocation made at Machu Picchu is amplified to incalculable proportions. Today we’ll spend our time connecting to the site itself. Jorge will give us an introduction you will never forget. Starting in July, 2017, the Peruvian government which regulates Machu Picchu has changed the visitation times, so that you can visit from 6 am – noon or noon – 5:30 pm. On this day, we will be visiting in the afternoon after our train arrives. Taypikala Machu Picchu (Breakfast and dinner included)

Today we’ll get up early and be in Machu Picchu 6 am – noon. Jorge will lead us in ceremony for the Solstice. The intent of our journey at this time will be to connect with the incredible energies of Machu Picchu, the Puma, the Condor and the Light Spirits that reside here. After that, you are free to connect with Machu Picchu in whatever way will be most significant for you. You can meditate on your own and connect with the essence of the cosmic force of this place. We will return to Aguas Calientas and you’ll have the afternoon to explore Aguas Calientas. It feels great to relax in the famous Hot Springs (“Aguas Calientas” means “hot water”) and they are just next to our hotel. By this time, a massage would be very soothing, and there are lots of places to do that. Also, there is lots of interesting shopping, especially for crystals and other sacred objects. It will also be a perfect time to simply rest and rejuvenate after all that has happened so far. Tonight we will dine together at one of my favorite restaurants in the world, Indio Feliz, which is a French and Peruvian restaurant. The chef is French; he came to Peru and met and married his wife – they are both friends of Jorge and the food is fantastic. What a way to end this amazing day! Taypikala Machu Picchu (Breakfast and dinner included)

After an early breakfast, we will return again for our third and final day in Machu Picchu, from 6 am-noon, having time to truly deepen our experience. Is there a part of Machu Picchu that is calling to you? Would you like to return there and do some meditating or journalling or connecting with the energy? We’ll have time to explore together or on our own. In the afternoon, we will take the train back to Ollantaytambo Station, happy and satisfied and amazed that we have actually fulfilled our dream to experience Machu Picchu and that we have experienced it in such an incredible and cosmic way. We return to the beautiful Taypikala Valle Sagrado, Jorge’s 5 star incredibly beautiful hotel which is right on the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley. Taypikala Valle Sagrado Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

Sacsayhuaman is one of the most amazing of Inca constructions. The Quechua name means “satisfied falcon.” The rock formation is the falcon that guarded the capital of the Empire, since it was possible to overlook Cusco from the hill on which it was erected. Sacsayhuamán is usually described as a fortress because it is practically enclosed by three slopes. However, the fact that the Incas constructed a fortress in that place is considered unusual, since at the time of its construction, there were no major threats to the Empire. Anthropologists suggest the shape and location could have corresponded with other principles, such as the harmony between architecture and landscape. Current investigations are suggesting that it must have been a temple devoted to the worship of the Sun, for which both the construction and the surrounding landscape were important. Taypikala Valle Sagrado Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

Although it is not as well-known as Machu Picchu, many people feel that the energy of Ollantaytambo is as wonderful and sacred and as important as Machu Picchu. And after we go there, I think you will agree. Nestled at the foot of an ancient Inca site, Ollantaytambo is the most beautiful town in the Sacred Valley. The cobble stone streets and main plaza give the place an ancient feeling. The town is set higher up from the main highway, and built on uneven ground. Stone arches beautifully frame stone stairways. When we reach Ollantaytambo, we will visit the Megalithic Temple, a place of power of the Llama and Puma; and the Pyramid of Pakaritampu. The water temples are amazing and beautiful and a perfect place for a silent meditation. Taypikala Valle Sagrado Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

After breakfast, we fly from Cusco to Lake Titicaca, one of the most sacred places on earth. At 12,500 feet, Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake. It covers over 3,200 square miles and extends for a distance of 120 miles. It is 50 miles across at its widest point. In other words, it’s huge. And beautiful. There is a legend that says at the time Lemuria was sinking, one of the seven Great Masters of Lemuria, Lord Aramu Muru, was given the mission to bring the sacred Golden Solar Disc from the Temple of Illumination to Lake Titicaca for safe keeping. During the time of the Incas, the Solar Disc was transferred to Cusco, and placed in the Qorikancha, the main Temple of the Sun, where it stayed until the coming of the Spanish. At that time, it was returned to Lake Titicaca and placed in the Eternal Etheric City inside the Lake. In the legend of their origin, this is the place from where the first Incas, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, entered the Earth. During our visit, we will participate in this legend through a ceremonial practice. Our destination is Chucuito, which is about 20 minutes from Puno. We will be staying in Chucuito for the next few days at a beautiful hotel which is right on the lake and even has a labyrinth. Taypikala Lago Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

We will depart the hotel after breakfast and board our boat in Puno. We have a beautiful boat ride on the Lake, as we head to the island of Amantani. Our first stop is the Uros islands and they are incredible. The Uru are an ancient people and they have “made” their islands from dried totora, a reed-like papyrus that grows in the marshy shallows of the lake. Their homes and boats and virtually everything they have are made from these reeds. We will see their famed balsas, boats formed from bundles of dried reeds lashed together and resembling the crescent-shaped papyrus craft pictured on ancient Egyptian monuments. They will show us their homes and we will be able to purchase handicrafts from the islanders. We will also do a beautiful meditation, connecting with Mamacocha, the Spirit of the Lake. Later, when we arrive in Amantani you will be struck by the beauty and peacefulness of this place and its people. There is very little electricity, no running water, no television, no room service, although the hospitality is incomparable. The people are some of the most open-hearted and contented people you will ever meet. Hopefully, Debra’s godson, Anthony, will be there (he is now attending school on the mainland). He is so sweet! On Amantani, we will have the rare opportunity to participate directly in a traditional healing ceremony. This magical experience is one of the most important reasons to come to Peru. At night, it almost feels like you can reach out and touch the stars. Dinner will be prepared by the Islanders, which will give us an opportunity to better experience and understand the Andean way of life. We will overnight on the Island of Amantani as guests of one of the island families. It is very rustic, but very beautiful, an experience of a lifetime. Overnight on Amantani as guests in the homes of local families. (Breakfast in Chucuito, lunch and dinner on Amantini included)

After breakfast we will say goodbye to our hosts. We will go to a special place on the island that is believed to be a portal through Lake Titicaca. We will then go to the beach and connect with the energy of the water. We then board our boat for the ride back to Puno. On our return, there will be free time to spend in Puno or to return to the hotel. Taypikala Lago Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

Today we travel to the Temple of Sillustani, a place of remarkable telluric force, located on a small plateau where it is possible to see Umayo Lake and the mountains. The Altiplano is our altar for practicing mantras, energizing chants and mandalas. In Sillustani we will work at the Temple of Fire, connecting with the Cosmic Spiral. There we will visit the Chullpas (Burial Towers) which hold the secret of reincarnation. Taypikala Lago Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

After breakfast we will visit the famous Interdimensional Gateway of Lord Aramu Muru, walking by the Snake and the Puma and then to the Condor. This will be one of the most important ceremonies we will do — a special ceremony to connect with other dimensions and other worlds. This gateway was not known for many years until Jorge Luis Delgado, our Shaman and guide, saw it in a dream. He went to his elders who told him he had a sacred responsibility to find this place. You can read more about this in Jorge’s book entitled "Andean Awakening: An Inca Guide to Mystical Peru". Taypikala Lago Hotel (Breakfast and dinner included)

Today we say goodbye to Peru and our new friends. After breakfast, we go to the airport for our flight to Lima and connection to our return flights home (We will not arrive back in Lima until after 4:00 pm, so be sure that your flight is not scheduled to depart Lima until 7:00 pm or after – please contact our office so that we can coordinate schedules with you). As we bid goodbye to our friends, we know that the effects of this trip will be with us for years to come.