ARTravel Peru: Ancient Cultures, Natural Wonders

BMAC is pleased to present an exciting new adventure focused on the ancient history, archaeology, contemporary indigenous life, and breathtaking natural wonders of Peru.

Novelist and long-time travel guide Tim Weed and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Amy Bucher are teaming up to host the trip of a lifetime for those who wish to experience Peru in a uniquely curated, small-group educational travel program. Join Tim, Amy, an array of fascinating Peruvian contacts, and a group of adventurous fellow-travelers on a twelve-day journey back in time to the Inca and pre-Inca past, together with an off-the-beaten-path exploration of Peru’s stunning natural and cultural landscapes.

After a quick flight from Lima, the group’s adventure begins high in the cloud forests of the northern Andes, where you will spend your first night in an elegant mountain lodge overlooking Gocta Falls, the third highest waterfall in the world. You will hike to the base of the falls, where a bracing dip awaits! Wildlife abounds here, from unique species of hummingbirds to mountain sloths and yellow-tailed monkeys. The next day you will begin to explore ancient ruins left by the Chachapoya, a thriving culture of warriors that pre-date the Inca by more than six hundred years. Overlooking the Utcubamba river at 9,000 feet, a short climb will take you into the enormous fortress of Kuelap. Dating back to 800 AD, Kuelap is a walled city filled with circular houses known as the Machu Pichu of the North. A stunning hike will give you a bird’s-eye view of stone tombs clinging to towering cliff walls—constructed at dizzying heights by the Chachapoya to protect the mummified remains of their ancestors. In the town of Leymebamba, world-renowned bio-archaeologist Dr. Sonia Guillen will lead a private tour of a collection of two hundred well-preserved mummies, textiles, and ceramics that she helped rescue from looters in 2005.

The group will catch a flight back to Lima and from there up to the ancient seat of the Inca empire, Cusco, and the Valle Sagrado, or Sacred Valley, heart of one of the most fascinating and creatively innovative civilizations in the history of humanity. You will visit several off-the-beaten-track archaeological sites and have lunch in the small community of Chinchero, enjoying traditional Andean hospitality and delicious local food surrounded by the spectacular mountain peaks. From there, the group will enjoy a scenic train ride bound for Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the must-see Wonders of the World. In order to appreciate this special place while avoiding the intense crush of tourist crowds, the group will approach it in two different ways: first by hiking up to an uncrowded viewpoint, and then with a sunrise visit to the site to capture it at its most magical time, before the crowds arrive.

Back in Cusco, you will begin with a rare experience—a sunrise ceremony of gratitude conducted by a local shaman oriented to Pachamama, Mother Earth—and spend the rest of the day visiting the former Inca capital’s important historical and architectural sites. Among them, you will visit the ruined ceremonial center of Sacsayhuaman; the main square and central market; the cathedral; the Inca Museum; and the Koricancha sun temple. The group will make a special excursion, including a high-altitude hike, to sublime Vinicunca, also known as Rainbow Mountain, and on your final day the group will fly back to Lima to catch flights home or to further destinations in Peru or other parts of South America.

Click here for a printable PDF with this trip information and more photos.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Dates: April 8-19, 2026

Price per person: $6,550 for double occupancy (single supplement: $1,000), includes all accommodations, ground transportation, two round-trip in-country flights, most meals, expert local guides, museum and heritage site access, and a tax-deductible donation to the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. Does not include round-trip airfare to Peru, tips, gifts, drinks, nights out, personal expenses, and a few independent meals to give participants the chance to get a break from the group and sample Peru’s excellent cuisine on their own.

To register: To secure your spot on ARTravel Peru 2026, complete the online registration form and pay a deposit of $1,200 by November 7, 2025. BMAC members and anyone who registers by October 15, 2025, will receive a discount of $150. The balance of the program fee is due January 7, 2026.

Getting there: Arrive in Lima, Peru the evening of April 8 or before, and plan to depart from Lima the afternoon of April 19 or later. An ARTravel representative will meet you at the airport in Lima and take you to your hotel. If you arrive earlier, you can meet the group at the hotel on April 8.

Hotels: Accommodations have been carefully selected with an eye to comfort, charm, location, and—wherever possible—local ownership. In Chachapoyas you will stay in simple, beautifully situated cloud forest lodges and bungalows. In Cusco and the Sacred Valley you will stay in charming, well-located, locally-run boutique hotels. In Lima you will stay in a comfortable boutique hotel with easy access to the airport.

Trip Leaders: Author Tim Weed serves on the core faculty of Salve University’s Newport MFA in Creative Writing program and is the co-founder of the Cuba Writers Program. A former featured expert for National Geographic Expeditions, Tim has directed international educational programs in Peru and throughout Latin America as well as in many other locations around the globe. He holds a BA in Spanish from Middlebury College, a master’s in international affairs from the University of California, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College. His latest novel, The Afterlife Project, finalist for the Prism Prize in Climate Fiction, was a New Scientist best new science fiction book of the month.

Filmmaker Amy Bucher graduated from Middlebury College with a BA in Environmental Economics and began her career at National Geographic, where her obsession with archaeology led to numerous films about ancient Peru, Egypt, Sudan, and Russia. Her award-winning documentaries, Lost Warriors of the Clouds, Massacre at Punta Lobos, and Desert Mummies of Peru, have helped shed light on pre-Incan civilizations like the Chachapoya, the Chimu, and the Chiribaya. More recently, she has focused her attention on social concerns affecting communities around the globe. She has filmed in more than 30 countries and raised awareness about issues of like gun violence, addiction, child marriage, and maternal health.

Questions? Contact Sarah Weiler at 802-257-0124 x101 or office@brattleboromuseum.org.