Peru Photography 2-Week

We fly together into Lima, transfer to Cusco, and take a bus to Urubamba. We settle into our B&B for introductory activities, including a team scavenger hunt that gets the group speaking Spanish and working together.

The group stays together at a centrally located lodge while we get to know the locals through service projects and adventure activities.  The group gathers each morning to learn photography tips and photograph the colorful scenes unfolding in the Saced Valley. We collaborate with our host community and local schools on projects.  Previous projects have included constructing playgrounds, building a community center, painting a school classroom, and working with local youth on educational activities. We spend our afternoons exploring the region, hiking, learning local arts and crafts, and engaging in cultural activities.  There will be excursions to a nearby traditional indigenous community with new local friends, and opportunities to visit colorful markets.

We arrive by train to the small scenic town of Aguas Calientes. Accompanied by a local guide, we rise early to behold the majestic lost city of the Incas. Nestled high in the mysterious Andes, Machu Picchu is a phenomenal and dramatic way to highlight this adventure of a lifetime in Peru!

We lend our skills and provide photo journalism service work for a local nonprofit.  There is also time for exploration of Cusco’s local culture, and souvenir shopping.

The group departs by bus for the 8 hour journey to Puno and Lake Titicaca. Along the way we will pass through archeological zones including Pikillaqta, Pucara, and Sicuani . On the second day we board a boat to the floating islands of the Uros people. We will have the chance to experience and photograph indigenous settlements of the Uros who have constructed their own islands, homes and boats out of Totora (dried reeds). Just when we think we cannot take another photograph we will complete a one night family homestay on the beautiful Island of Taquile, inhabited by Quechua people who have developed a unique social structure system and a technique style of weaving.

We back to the cultural hub of Lima and connect there for our flight home. Our friends and family greet us when we arrive to share our new experiences. It is the end of a trip, but a beginning to a new awareness about yourself and other cultures.

Note: Students will have a wide variety of cameras, from point-and shoot to SLR cameras. You will get great photos no matter what you bring!