Compare Essential Peru by Exodus Travels vs Great Ice Age Floods: Nature’s Power & Beauty in the Northwest by Road Scholar

Day 1 Start Lima

Welcome to Lima, the busy capital of Peru. There’s plenty of adventure on your trip, but today’s all about settling into the hotel.  You will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Miraflores district of Lima. There will be a notice board in the hotel reception with details of where and when the group welcome briefing will be held. Accommodation: Hotel El Tambo 1 (or similar)

Day 2 Drive south to Paracas and tour the Ballestas Islands; to Ica

Day 3 On to Nazca; see the Nazca Lines; optional scenic flight

We drive towards Nazca, stopping to visit the viewing platforms overlooking the Nazca Lines. These are one of the great archaeological mysteries, consisting of enormous drawings and patterns etched in the desert sand. In the afternoon, there is usually time to take a scenic flight over the Nazca Lines (additional cost), weather permitting. Due to the small planes used, this is not suitable for those with a fear of flying or who suffer from travel sickness. As an alternative, your leader can help arrange optional visits to the nearby burial grounds, Antonini Museum or the planetarium. Accommodation: Casa Andina Hotel/Alegria (or similar)

Day 4 Turn inland from coastal desert, climbing high into the Andes

We turn inland from the coastal desert today, climbing high into the Andes on a long (around 12 to 13 hours) but spectacular drive. We’ll pass through the largest vicuña reserve in the country, so look out for these smaller wild relatives of the llama. This region has only recently become easily accessible to tourists due to an upgrade of the Abancay/Chalhuanca road. The altitude here can make physical exertion difficult; the highest point we reach today is Negro Mayu, a pass at 15,092ft (4,600m) above sea level. We recommended that you rest in the evening. Tonight, we stay in Abancay on the road to Cuzco. Accommodation: Hotel de Turistas Abancay (or similar)

Day 5 Drive to Cuzco, visiting Inca sites on the way

We set off towards Cuzco this morning, stopping to visit the Inca Saywite stone and Tarawasi ruins. The glaciated summits of the Vilcabamba mountain range and the descent into the Apurimac River valley demonstrate the dramatic contrasts of the Andes; expect stunning scenery throughout today's roughly seven to eight-hour drive. It is recommended to take it easy upon arrival into Cuzco and to drink plenty of water to allow your body time to acclimatise to the altitude (11,155ft/3,400m). Accommodation: Hotel Casa Andina Koricancha (or similar)

Day 6 Free day to explore Cuzco

To help you acclimatise, we embark on a relaxed walking tour this morning, which takes in the historic buildings and winding streets of Cuzco. The rest of the day has been left free for exploring on your own. The Plaza de Armas is a fantastic spot for people watching, and the Koricancha Sun Temple in the Santo Domingo Church and monastery is worth a visit. The Mercado San Pedro is the place to try local produce and there are many handicraft markets to shop for souvenirs, such as alpaca jumpers and scarves. Outside the town are more Inca ruins, notably the fortress of Sacsayhuaman where the Inca armies made their last stand against the conquistadors. A combined entrance fee (tourist ticket) for these sites and many others is recommended – please see the Optional Excursions section below for prices. Sightseeing excursions to places outside Cuzco, including the Sacred Valley of the Incas, are also available. Please ask your tour leader. Accommodation: Hotel Casa Andina Koricancha (or similar)

Day 7 Train to Aguas Calientes; tour of Machu Picchu

For most people, the highlight of the trip is the visit by train to one of the greatest ruins in the world, the lost city of Machu Picchu. This is one of the architectural and engineering marvels of the ancient world, in a mountain setting of staggering immensity. The Spaniards never found it; the Incas left no records of it, so Machu Picchu remains a great enigma, a city lost for centuries in the jungle until it was rediscovered in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. We transfer (approximately two hours) to Ollantaytambo railway station to catch a train to Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu). The railway line follows a beautiful route through the Urubamba River valley. In the afternoon, we take a short bus ride up the winding road to Machu Picchu for a guided tour of the ruins.  Visiting in the afternoon tends to be quieter than the mornings and the mist that shrouds the ruins at dawn has usually dispersed. Please note that exploring the ruins involves a reasonable amount of walking, including up and down steep and uneven stone steps. Accommodation: Terraza de Luna (or similar)

Day 8 Free morning or optional second visit to Machu Picchu; afternoon return to Cuzco by train and by road.

We have a free morning to sleep in, relax and enjoy the buzz of this little town in the jungle below the ruins. Should you wish to visit Machu Picchu again this morning, you need to purchase a second entrance ticket in advance.  This will allow you further time to explore the Lost City on your own – for the second visit it is not mandatory to have a guide. Please contact your sales representative for details. In the afternoon, we board the train back to Ollantaytambo and then continue by minibus to Cuzco, arriving in the late evening. Accommodation: Hotel Casa Andina Koricancha (or similar)

Day 9 Free day for optional excursions

Day 10 Drive to Lake Titicaca, with stops en route; boat to Amantani Island for homestay

Today we travel for eight to 10 hours along the Vilcanota River and onto the altiplano, the high plains separating the Andes from the jungle. Although it is quite a long drive, the views are often spectacular. There are scheduled stops at interesting sites to help break up the day and we will get to appreciate the immensity of the Andean landscapes. This afternoon, we arrive at the shores of Lake Titicaca (12,467ft/3,800m above sea level) and board a boat for our trip to Amantani Island. A hike around the island offers great views across the lake, while the night spent with a local family is a fantastic cultural insight into lives very different to our own. A packed lunch is included today. Accommodation: Amantani Island homestay (basic)

Day 11 Explore the island; afternoon boat to Puno visiting the floating reed islands

We explore the island in the morning before boarding our boat for the three-hour journey to Puno on the lakeshore. On the way, we visit Uros Island. The Uros have been living on reed rafts for centuries, and although many have now moved to the mainland there are still a couple of thousand who remain on the islands. A reasonable amount of their income is now provided by strictly regulated tourism, but they also still fish the lake and barter with mainland communities for daily essentials. Accommodation: Casona Plaza Hotel (or similar)

Day 12 Drive across the altiplano to Colca Canyon

Today we head across the altiplano again. This time we cross to the southwest, heading back towards the coast to the high Colca Canyon (a five to six-hour drive). En route, we see vicuñas and possibly flamingos, crossing the Patapampa Pass (15,781ft/4,810m) before descending into what is considered the second-deepest canyon in the Americas (the deepest, the Cotahuasi Canyon, is also in Peru). There is time in the evening for an optional visit to the hot springs near the main town of Chivay (11,926ft/3,635m) – a warming pleasure after the chill of Lake Titicaca. Accommodation: Hotel Pozo del Cielo (or similar)

Day 13 Morning condor viewing; afternoon drive past huge volcanoes to the White City of Arequipa

Rise early to view condors soaring on the morning drafts rising out of the canyon. We then ascend out of the canyon and cross Patapampa Pass on our way to Arequipa, which is known as the White City due to the pale volcanic stone used to construct many of its colonial buildings. The picturesque city has a year-round pleasant climate and is surrounded by towering volcanoes, including the near-perfect cone of El Misti. Accommodation: Su Majestad Hotel (or similar)

Day 14 Morning visit Santa Catalina Convent; afternoon fly to Lima

In the morning we visit the huge, serene convent of Santa Catalina. Built in 1580 and only opened to the outside world in the 1970s, it offers a rare insight into the lives led by the nuns and has changed little through the centuries. There are still around 20 nuns living in the northern corner of the complex. In the afternoon or evening we fly to Lima where we will transfer to our hotel in Miraflores. Accommodation: Hotel El Tambo 1 (or similar)

Day 15 End Lima

Today we start our return journey home, although there may be time for optional tours of Lima, including visits to the Gold Museum and tours of the historic downtown. You could also join our optional trip extension to the Amazon rainforest, where you explore lakes, rivers and jungle trails in search of incredible wildlife.

Day 1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Spokane, WA D Red Lion River Inn
Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Hotel check in begins at 3:00 PM. After you have your room assignment, come over to the Shoreline B room, just around the corner from the front desk, for the Program Registration. The Road Scholar desk is available from 4:00 - 5:00 PM. Meet program staff and pick up your arrival packet that includes your schedule and other important information.

Dinner: At the hotel's Shoreline B room.

Evening: Orientation and Introductions: We will gather in our meeting room (Shoreline B) after dinner to introduce everyone and review the daily itinerary. We will go over any schedule changes at this time. We will also discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures and answer any questions you may have. Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Day 2
Large Potholes, Coulees, Lava Flows Galore!
Spokane, WA B,L,D Red Lion River Inn
Activity note: Drive is about 220 miles over the course of the day, up to 90 minutes. Getting on/off motorcoach. Opportunity for a mile-long evening walk; generally smooth paths with periodic stops for commentary.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room, our daily breakfast buffet includes hot egg items, breakfast meats, breads & pastries, whole fruits, yogurts and cereals.

Morning: We begin our exploration shortly after breakfast studying the channeled scablands, coulees and potholes of the Spokane area. The unflattering term ‘scabland’ sometimes is applied to rough or barren regions with little or no economic potential. J Harlen Bretz established the term ‘channeled scablands’ during his studies that led to his theory that these unusual landscapes had been created by massive, powerful floods that had swept through the Columbia Basin during the Ice Age. The scablands in this area have gouged channels, which distinguishes the Columbia Basin from tracts of scablands found elsewhere. Scablands topography normally results from the effects of massive long-term erosion. This area is different in that there is evidence that other forces were involved. These floods gouged the scablands, creating the coulees, channels and potholes which add interest and unusual beauty to the landscape.

Lunch: Picnic-style box lunches en-route.

Afternoon: On our way back to Spokane, your Study Leader will help you identify within the landscape the remains of massive lava flows, potholes, pillow basalt and spectacular coulees carved by Ice Age rivers – truly wonderful terrain created 18,000 to 15,000 years ago by Glacial Lake Missoula.

Dinner: In the Shoreline B room, the catered buffet dinner is an entrée plus soup or salad, a dessert, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Recommended optional walking tour along the Spokane River. Join your Study Leader on a causal walk along the beautiful Spokane River and learn some of the history of Spokane, including the geology, people, events and what many of the historic buildings represent. We'll see the spectacular Spokane Falls and the skyline of downtown Spokane as we work our way to the city park (the site of Expo '74, the first environmentally themed world's fair). This is a casual 2 hour walk (round trip) with several stops along the way to rest and learn about this city's fabulous history.

Day 3
Grand Coulee Dam, Dry Falls, Moses Lake
Moses Lake, WA B,L,D Comfort Suites WA
Activity note: Drive is about 360 miles throughout the day, up to 90 minutes. Getting on/off motorcoach. Walking up to half a mile on a paved trail.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Explore a part of the 'scablands' west of Spokane - giant raw scars that speak of a massive ripping away of the earth's surface - as we travel to the Grand Coulee Dam, through the Upper Grand Coulee, Steamboat Rock and Dry Falls. During the Floods, Dry Falls was a waterfall ten times the size of Niagara Falls, the largest waterfall that ever existed on earth. Now, this stark 400'-high, 3.5 mile-wide dry cliff overlooks a desert oasis filled with lakes and abundant wildlife.

Lunch: Picnic-style box lunches in the falls area.

Afternoon: Travel through the Lower Grand Coulee and learn about the glaciation activity that formed the ancient riverbed. Afterwards, we will transfer to the hotel to check in prior to dinner.

Dinner: At a family-owned restaurant a short ride from the hotel, enjoy a meal which you pre-selected on the first day, rolls, and soft drinks.

Evening: Following dinner we'll transit back to the hotel to rest and relax for tomorrow's travels.

Day 4
Basalt Cliffs, Quincy Basin, Walla Walla
Walla Walla, WA B,L Best Western Walla Walla Suites Inn
Activity note: Drive is about 290 miles throughout the day, up to 90 minutes. Getting on/off motorcoach. Walking up to half a mile on a paved trail.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room, our daily breakfast buffet includes scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs along with either bacon, sausage links or ham steaks, a variety of yogurt and fresh fruit, single serve Quakers oatmeal.

Morning: During today's rolling lecture and field trip, learn about the giant ripple marks left by the flood; they are plainly visible on aerial photographs. The marks went unnoticed for many years simply because their immense size makes their pattern and symmetry almost indistinguishable from the ground. Visit a Pothole Reservoir whose ‘Potholes’ were created by the flood waters and the subsequent addition of O'Sullivan Dam by the Columbia Basin Project. It raised the water table high enough to allow these topographical depressions to become lakes.

Lunch: Picnic-style box lunches at historic wayside.

Afternoon: Travel through the Quincy Basin, where the flood waters carried huge basalt and granite boulders from the bedrock along the flood's course and scattered them across the basin as the waters slowed. Fields are now filled with thousands of boulders, some the size of a small houses.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 5
Wallula Gap, Palouse Falls, Farewell Dinner
Spokane, WA B,L,D Red Lion River Inn
Activity note: Drive is about 290 miles throughout the day, up to 90 minutes. Getting on/off motorcoach. Walking up to half a mile on varied surfaces including a hike at Wallula Gap for scenic views/vistas. Participants who do not wish to hike can stay on the ground level or rest on the motor coach.

Breakfast: In the hotel breakfast room, our daily breakfast buffet includes eggs, omelets, ham, sausage, cereals, yogurt, juice, coffee and tea.

Morning: Travel to Twin Sisters at Wallula Gap. Twin Sisters are two pillars of basalt that jut from the cliffs along Wallula Gap overlooking the Columbia River. Geologists say the rock formation is the result of erosion from the great flood. A Cayuse legend states that the natural monument was formed when Coyote, an animal spirit, fell in love with three sisters, then became jealous and turned two of them into stone. The third was turned into a cave, says the legend. The trail here is short and provides some amazing views of the Wallula Gap on the Columbia River. Wallula Gap restricted the outflow from the floods, creating massive Lake Lewis. This area covered the entire Pasco Basin, most of the Quincy Basin, Yakima Valley, much of the Ahtanum Valley and the valley of the Walla Walla River (with its main tributaries). Floodwaters also backed up the Snake River well beyond present-day Lewiston, Idaho. An estimated 3,000 square miles of land were under water.

Lunch: At a local's favorite restaurant in Dayton, WA, we’ll have our pre-ordered entrée, soft drinks, cookie/brownie.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will continue to Palouse Falls for a dramatic view of one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the state of Washington. Palouse Falls drops from a height of 198 feet. After these amazing falls, travel through Snake River/Palouse country, where you'll see farmland that thrives from rich soils deposited by the Floods.

Dinner: In the Shoreline B room, the catered buffet dinner is an entrée plus soup or salad, a dessert, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Celebrate the amazing terrain we have traversed, the powerful forces of nature and the people of the Northwest who have adapted to this, including our own group of intrepid explorers! Share stories of your travels as you say goodbye to new Road Scholar friends.

Day 6
Program Concludes
Spokane, WA B
Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: At hotel. Departures after breakfast. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoyed your Road Scholar learning adventure and we look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please be in touch via the Road Scholar Social Network, where you can share memories, pictures, and comments. Best wishes for all your journeys.