Dates
January 2014*
Application Fee
$100
Program Fee
$TBD
Program Fee includes tuition and program expenses. Click on Program Fee for details.
Application Deadline
October 4, 2013
Eligibility
This program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students with a cumulative GPA of 2.25, including students who do not attend George Mason University.
Credits
Undergraduate: HIST 398, ANTH 398, HNRS 240, NCLC 399, GLOA 480
Graduate
HIST 598, ANTH 635
Housing
Hotels
Excursions
Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titicaca
Contact
Denise Elles-Mdahuar via email or by calling 703.993.2155 or toll free at 866.468.1243. The toll free number does not accept calls from the 703 or 571 area code.
Downloadable Documents
NPR in Photos:
Syllabus available upon request
Faculty Info
This Winter Break, study abroad on a tour of the Inca and earlier empires in Peru. Travel with a group of other students to explore the marvelous Machu Picchu, the mystical Lake Titicaca, historic Cusco, and bustling Lima.

2012 Program Participants in Downtown Lima
2013 PROGRAM ITINERARY:
January 5 – Arrive in Lima
Meet up with Dr. Alex Benitez and the rest of the travel group upon arrival. Check in to the hotel, and relax with your fellow travel mates. Hotel El Tambo Perú. www.eltamboperu.com
January 6 – Private Lima city and Archaeological Museum tour (B).
You will have a tour of Lima accompanied by an English-speaking guide. You will visit the Plaza San Martin and the Plaza de Armas, which includes the Presidential Palace and the beautiful colonial Cathedral among other colonial structures.
The Cathedral was commenced in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro. He is said to have laid the first stone used in its construction and carried the first timbers also used. Pizarro personally inaugurated the Cathedral in 1640, although it has been extensively enlarged and improved since this date.
Francisco Pizarro (c. 1475 – June 26, 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Inca Empire, and founder of Lima, La Ciudad de los Reyes, capital of Peru.
Church and Convent of San Francisco - Lima
The Church and Convent of San Francisco were constructed in the seventeenth century and are made up of the church and the convent of San Francisco, as well as of the chapels of the Solitude and the Miracle. The building is noted for its 17th century architecture, a fine example of Spanish Neoclassicism. Catacombs are built under the monastery and are said to connect to other catacombs beneath the cathedral and other churches in the area. The convent's library is world-renowned. It is also the headquarters of the Museum of Religious Art.
In addition to your tour of the colonial center, you will also visit the modern district of San Isidro. In Miraflores, you will have a view of the pre-Colombian Huaca Pucllana and visit the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Following your tour of central Lima, there will be a visit to the National Museum of the Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru, the largest museum in Peru. This museum houses over 100,000 artifacts spanning the entire history of human occupation in what is now Peru.

Cusco
January 7 – Fly to Cusco
This morning you will fly to Cusco, which will take approximately one hour by plane. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. www.inkarrihostal.com
FREE DAY
January 8 – Buffet breakfast. CITY TOUR + RUINS
The tour will show you the amazing colonial city built on the foundations of the Inca palaces. You will visit the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun, where you can appreciate the incredible masonry of the Incas, the Plaza de Armas, and the Cathedral with its carved woodworks, altars, and paintings. Then you will be driven to the Inca fortress of Sacsahuamán, to the underground cave and temple of Kenko, and to Tambomachay, also known as the Baths of the Inca. Finally, we will visit the workshop "Inka's Expression." The workshop will allow passengers to admire how the local artisans create wonderful silver pieces, paintings, and wood carvings.
Overnight – Inkarri Hostal. www.inkarrihostal.com
January 9 – Buffet breakfast. TIPON / PIKILLACTA / + BOX LUNCH
Start the excursion visiting Tipon, an archaeological complex where water flows along Incan original extensive carved stone channels. However, Tipon is not just a sample of the hydraulic engineering the Incas had. It is also a charming place that has an amazing system of andenes, where the land keeps on bearing prodigal fruits. Then proceed to Pikillacta, which prides itself on having one of the finest agricultural terraces built in the Cusco region. Picnic-style lunch.
Overnight – Inkarri Hostal. www.inkarrihostal.com

January 10 – American breakfast.
CHINCHERO MORAY AND MARAS + LUNCH
You will have a whole day visiting the village of Chinchero, located 35 kilometers (22 miles) Northwest of Cusco, which was built on the foundations of an important Incan center. People congregate in the main square, which is surrounded by an amazingly beautiful landscape, to exchange food and to offer the visitors a series of regional handicrafts. Visit the huge circular and semicircular agricultural terraces near Moray (pictured above), which were built on a limestone plateau facing the Urubamba Valley and used as botanical labs by the Incas. Closeby, below the colonial town of Maras, there are salt ponds (mines). These ponds form old terraces and lagoons, a must see for amazing photos. The salt ponds produce a variety of colors of salt, depending on the skill of an individual "farmer" - the Peruvian Pink Salt of Maras is one of the world's finest salts. Lunch is included. Transfer from Cusco to Yucay.
Overnight - San Agustin Urubamba. www.hotelessanagustin.com

January 11 - Buffet breakfast.
PISAC MARKET, PISAC RUINS, AND OLLANTAYTAMBO + LUNCH
Excursion along the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to visit the archaeological remains on the village of Pisac, 31 kilometers (19 miles) from Cusco, with a view to the Vilcanota River. The well-preserved fortresses, urban complexes, temples, and Andean terraces built by the Incas create an imposing and unforgettable view. You will visit the colorful market of Pisac, where you can appreciate a blend of color, tradition, and local people showing handicrafts and local products. You will have lunch at a local restaurant and then proceed to Ollantaytambo, the most ancient and continuously occupied village of the American continent. You will then visit the namesake fortress.
Overnight - San Agustin Urubamba. www.hotelessanagustin.com
January 12 – Buffet breakfast.
Transfer to the train station.
F/D MACHU PICCHU – EXPEDITION TRAIN
You will visit one of the seven new wonders of the world and an important source of energy: Machu Picchu. The excursion is made by train, and on the way, you will be able to enjoy an impressive view of Urubamba's Sacred Valley. Once you arrive at Aguas Calientes, collaborators will provide assistance in boarding the bus that will take you to the citadel. It will be an unforgettable experience. A professional guide will walk you through the marvelous story that enwraps this charming place. After your guided visit, there will be free time to explore the place at leisure or to simply relax and meditate.
Overnight - Inti Inn Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes. www.grupointi.com
January 13 – Buffet breakfast.
HUAYNA PICCHU + MACHU PICCHU
As an option, you can make a second visit to Machu Picchu and get to know more hidden places, such as Intipunku or Gate of the Sun. Those more adventurous may enjoy an adrenaline-full ascent to Huayna Picchu or Young Mountain and visit the Temple of the Moon and have a photograph-worthy oversight of the citadel. At afternoon, you will take the train back to the station. Upon arrival, you will be taken back to your hotel.
Overnight - Inkarri Hostal. www.inkarrihostal.com
January 14 - American breakfast.
Free day in Cusco.
Overnight - Inkarri Hostal. www.inkarrihostal.com

January 15 - American breakfast.
PRIVATE TRANSFER TO PUNO (straight)
Early morning you will be picked up in your hotel for the day- long bus journey to Puno, located on the shores of Lake Titicaca (pictured above), the highest navigable lake in the world. Enjoy the incredible view of the herds of alpaca and llamas grazing on these highland pampas, interspersed with small villages, and the majestic backdrop of the Andes. You will be served lunch at a local restaurant.
Overnight - Casa AndinaTikarani - Puno. www.casa-andina.com
Lake Titicaca is a sacred place among indigenous Andean peoples. In touch with the spirit of Mama Qota, or Sacred Mother, they believe that powerful spirits live in the lake's depths. According to Andean legend, Lake Titicaca was the birthplace of civilization. Viracocha, the creator deity, lightened a dark world by having the sun, moon, and stars rise from the lake to occupy their places in the sky.

Worthy of such mystical associations, Lake Titicaca is a dazzling sight. Its deep azure waters seemingly extend forever across the highlands, under the monstrously wide sky at an elevation of more than 3,820 meters (12,532 feet). The lake covers more than 8,500 square kilometers (3,281 square miles); it is 176 kilometers (109 miles) long and 50 kilometers (31 miles) wide.
You will have lunch on Taquile, one of the three main islands on the Lake. Around 1500 Quechua-speaking Indians continue to live in this remote community. The island, seven kilometers long, is devoid of roads and vehicles, and its terraced hills are scattered with pre-Inca ruins. The island itself is almost a living museum where the inhabitants wear traditional dress and are famed for their weaving and knitwear. Knitting on the island is primarily a man's job!
Taquile, whose Quechua name some believe was Intika, was part of the Inca Empire and has a number of Inca ruins. The island was one of the last locations in Peru to capitulate to Spanish domination during the Spanish conquest of Peru. It was captured for Carlo V and eventually passed to Count Rodrigo of Taquila, who inspired the island's current name. The Spanish forbade traditional dress, and the islanders adopted the Spanish peasant dress that they are still known for using today, which they combine with extraordinarily finely-made Andean-style garments (ponchos, belts, mantles, coca-leaf purses, and others).

January 16 - Buffet breakfast.
TAQUILE & UROS ISLAND
In the morning, you will make a one-day tour to Lake Titicaca and, as the first stop, you will visit the floating islands of the Uros, also known as People of the Lake. These islands are built out of layers of totora and are used as housing and trade centers for the native Uros, who travel on handcrafted rafts. You will continue on with your tour to Taquile Island, where the community members, who keep their old-style traditions, customs, and colorful clothing, greet tourists very kindly. The islanders are skilled craftspeople and express in each piece astonishing techniques developed by their ancestors over the centuries. Lunch is included.
Overnight - Casa Andina Tikarani - Puno. www.casa-andina.com

After your tour, continue on to Juliaca airport from where you will fly to Lima (2.5hrs). Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
January 17 – Buffet breakfast.
Transfer to the airport.
Meet and transfer to your hotel in Lima.
Overnight - El Tambo Perú. www.eltamboperu.com
January 18 – Buffet breakfast.
Free day in Lima. Explore the city or hang out at the beach!
Overnight - El Tambo Perú. www.eltamboperu.com

January 19 - Buffet breakfast.
Transfer out to Lima Airport.
Today you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your international flight.
Dates: January 2014*
You should plan to leave the United States on January 5th the program start date to arrive in Lima for the first day of the program. You can schedule your return to the United States from Lima for the last day of the program or choose to travel independently.
Do not purchase airfare until you are advised by your Program Officer.
Program Fee: $TBD
International airfare and personal expenses are not included in the Program Fee and are the responsibility of the participant.
The Center for Global Education Program Fee includes:
Tuition
Housing
In-country travel, including domestic flights
Train through mountains to Machu Picchu
Most meals
Pre-departure orientation
Emergency medical insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to George Mason students. George Mason students can click here to download the CGE Global Perspectives scholarship application. Mason students may also use financial aid to cover a program's cost. If you are not a George Mason university student check with your study abroad office or office of financial aid to learn more about how to cover the cost of your study abroad.
How to Apply
Consult the How to Apply section for detailed instructions. Start by completing the online application. Pay the $100 application fee.
Note that all supplemental documents are required by the application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Contact the Program Officer for further application forms and instructions specific to your program.
