Arrive in Lima and head to your hotel, which located across the street from the airport.

Fly from Lima to Cusco. Quechua-speaking descendents of the Incas fill the streets and markets, colonial churches sit atop bases of smooth stonework laid centuries before the Conquistadors, and campesinos (Peru's rural farmers) in colorful dress move busily back and forth across the plazas. In the afternoon, you'll explore Cusco's largest open market and the adjacent witches' market. After tasting a few unique local foods, visit the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco, a local organization committed to preserving the region's weaving traditions (If visiting the Sacred Valley on Sunday, you will visit their center in Chinchero instead). Watch weavers demonstrate their craft and learn about the history and processes of Peru's most well-known art form.

Spend these three days completing your Advanced Wilderness Life Support certification. Approximately half of the curriculum is delivered in hands on teaching sessions in small groups. Students will learn practical techniques and practice them in mock scenarios. Topics covered include:

• Animal, Insect, Arthropod, Marine Bites and Stings • Avalanche • Head, Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat, Skin • High Altitude Related Problems • Hyperthermia • Hypothermia & Frostbite • Infectious Disease • Lightning • Medical Kits • Medical Problems • Moving an Injured Patient • Patient Assessment • Patient Packaging & Evacuation • Submersion Injuries • Water Disinfection and Purification • Wilderness Life Support Scenarios • Wound and Musculoskeletal Injuries Management

In the morning, journey into one of the most beautiful areas of Peru. The Sacred Valley often becomes one of the highlights of your trip and you will soon see why! You'll test your bargaining skills with the locals while visiting one of the great textile markets in the area. You may also hike to the inspiring ruins of Pisac or take a short walk through the countryside to the seldom-visited town of Maras, where pre-Columbian salt mines still operate today. Visit the Inca agricultural terraces of Moray, thought to have been a nursery to experiment with and modify different varieties of crops.

Board the train and follow the Urubamba River as it tumbles its way towards the Amazon and the sacred city of Machu Picchu, Peru. Tour ancient canals that still bring water from the high mountains to the baths used by Inca priests. As visitors, you are welcomed to respectfully dip your hands in the cool water. After your guided tour of Machu Picchu, you'll return to the village of Aguas Calientes (located at the base of Machu Picchu). Enjoy one of many excellent local restaurants or end your day soaking in the hot springs after exploring one of the most magical archaeological sites in the world.

Today is your chance to watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu and to listen to the spirits of the city's past inhabitants before the hikers from the Inca Trail arrive. Later, you can climb the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu, hike to the Sun Gate which overlooks the ruins or take a walk through the lush cloudforest to the Temple of the Moon. In the late afternoon, return by train to Cusco.

Return to Lima and transfer to the airport for your journey home. Or, extend your trip for a few days.