A Hiking, Touring, and Historical Adventure
Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu
Friday, July 8 - Saturday, July 16, 2022

This tour is full and we are no longer accepting reservations.

Jane Hildebrand '74, former Luther basketball coach, and Sherry Alcock '82, executive director of alumni relations, are excited about gathering former Luther women’s basketball players to share in an adventurous travel opportunity exploring the Peruvian people, culture, history, and natural beauty of the Inca Trail.

The trip will be centered around the following three areas:

Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes, was once capital of the Inca Empire, and is now known for its archaeological remains and Spanish colonial architecture. Plaza de Armas is the central square in the old city, with arcades, carved wooden balconies, and Incan wall ruins. The baroque Santo Domingo Convent was built on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun (Coricancha), and has archaeological remains of Inca stonework.

The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru's Andean highlands. Along with the nearby town of Cusco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu, it formed the heart of the Inca Empire. Stretching roughly 60 kilometers, it’s an area of fertile farmland and Spanish colonial villages like Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Pisac is known for its Sunday handicraft market and hilltop Incan citadel.

Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, above the Urubamba River valley. Built in the 15th century and later abandoned, it’s renowned for its sophisticated dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar, intriguing buildings that play on astronomical alignments, and panoramic views. Its exact former use remains a mystery.

We assure it will be safe to travel, culturally fascinating, and historically relevant. There will be plenty of opportunities for stunning photos of this beautiful area of Peru.  We have the privilege to work with South Adventure Tours to offer this opportunity to hardy souls who want a unique adventure along the Inca Trail. We have collaborated with native Peruvians, Rubin and Tatiana, to assist us with tour details. They live in Cusco and have organized many wonderful tours in the past. 

There will be a focus on learning on this tour, with local guest speakers and knowledgeable English-speaking guides who will share their knowledge about each of the three areas we will be visiting. The tour includes hiking in remarkable areas, observing various Inca ruins to learn about their customs and cultures, staying in hotels and lodges in small villages/towns, and experiencing the country more fully than is possible on other organized tours. It is important to note that each day, activities will include several hours of walking on uneven and hilly terrain in towns and villages. Most of the hiking experiences will also involve trails with challenging terrain, as well as long uphill climbs on one or two of the hikes. Altitude is also a factor, although the highest areas we would visit are in the range of 6,000-8,000 feet. Due to the unique nature of this tour, we’d like to share with you the physical demands and answer any of your questions.

We have worked to make this affordable, as well as memorable, and hope you will consider joining us! Because it is our desire to provide an optimal travel experience, we are only taking 18 people in addition to our guide along the two of us. To register for this tour, please print the registration form and send in to the college with your deposit. South Adventure Peru Tours is managing this tour for the college.

For questions, please contact:

Jane Hildebrand, 563-380-9680 or [email protected] 

Sherry Alcock, Executive Director of Alumni Relations, (800) 225-8664 or [email protected]

Cost: $3,300, does not include the flight to Lima ($500 - $800 depending on airport departure city).