Special Interest Tours That Can Be Tailored To Your Requirements and Itinerary
An itinerary is tailored to your groups interests, budget, time and dates available. Or, trip extensions can be included in your scheduled group expedition. An expedition can be designed to include educational interests (pre-Columbian pottery, textiles, cultural history, early Spanish Colonial arts, weaving, ancient and contemporary horticulture, ancient mining techniques, Andean cuisine, pre-Columbian and Colonial architecture and archaeology, Peruvian horses) with specialists providing educational experiences in your area of interest. Other activities such as trekking, horseback riding, rafting, spiritual experiences, homestays, preservation or social projects can also be included. We can also tailor your trip with various unique intercultural events and hands-on cultural encounters.
We specialize in customized luxury experiences tailored to your groups interests and are committed to providing in-depth interdisciplinary expeditions that experience Peru's Spanish and Andean history, archaeology, arts and culture. We organize an expedition for any sized group of close friends or family members, university students or alumni, members of museums, clubs or other organizations, a business associates group, high school expeditions, senior center groups or travel clubs.
Personalized attention to your particular needs is our specialty. We work with renowned, top-of-the line tour operators, guides and specialists in each area of interest.
Private expeditions are priced individually according to the length of the expedition, what activities and extensions are included, the number of participants, the category level of the accommodations, special lecturers and guides presenting educational material, meals and extra services that are included. What makes the difference is the richness and caliber of your experience. Contact us for detailed information and pricing.
Peruvian Cuisine Expedition
Cultural Expeditions Peru offers exclusive cookery expeditions to Peru's unique cuisine that incorporated influences from different times and cultures. This culinary history dates back to the Incas and pre-Incan cultures. Our expeditions allow clients to indulge their passion for food, cooking and culture. We experience guided tours to wine vineyards, colorful food markets along with the famous local sights of Peru. Dine in elegant top-rated Peruvian restaurants and authentic ethnic local food establishments. The exact week's schedule will depend on the week of your travel and your chosen venue and we also make the most of the seasonal highlights and fiestas. You learn from professional tutors who have a passion for Peruvian cuisine.
Weaving Techniques and Ancient Textiles Expeditions
Weaving was a fundamental activity for all Andean pre-Columbian civilizations, because clothes and textiles had a value in the eyes of Andean peoples that was not much less than that of jewels and precious metals. The art of weaving vegetal fibers was also the first means of artistic expression in pre-Columbian Peru (history of textiles in Peru) and predated pottery making and metalworking.
We experience first hand weavers, spinners, dyers, and learn about the the unique weaving systems that are still in use today, including the tabular weaves, threading of tricolor complementary weaves, and the heddles of dual-lease weaves. We meet an Andean woman that worked with researchers on preserving themes and techniques of weaving in the Andean community. She traveled extensively to the U.S. to organize weaving exhibits with several universities and the Textile Museum of Washington D.C. She has organized courses where we can weave with the various local artesians in their unique local traditions.
While in Lima, we explore the superb museums and private collections of pre-Columbian textiles (timeline of cultures and arts) with a Peruvian specialist in the textile area, and participate in ancient pre-loom techniques and basketry using reeds and grasses. The expedition members experience the techniques of the ancient traditions that identified the residents with their particular locality, and also meet with present day weavers. We also see folk art in various media such as clay and silver, as well as observe their unique and famous retablos. Plus, explore early Spanish colonial art which blended the Spanish and indigenous arts into new art forms. It will be delightful to hear the music of the panpipes, harp and charangos, and be captivated by the local dances of the festivals. The mystery of the ancient archaeological sites will amaze you, while the colorful outdoor markets, charm of the villages and tastes of the savory ethnic food will create treasured memories for years to come. An added extension to the Nazca or Lake Titicaca areas will add additional textile experiences to the itinerary.
Expedition on Ancient Peruvian Pottery Techniques
Ancient Peruvian peoples have left us remarkable and varied examples of their pottery production. Peruvian pottery was produced by two fundamental techniques: one was the coil method , and the other, particularly widespread along the northern coast, used molds. Vessels have also been found that were produced using both techniques. There were also various methods of decoration: painting, which could be applied before or after firing; incision; modeling in relief; and three-dimensional decoration. Peruvian potters had the choice of a wide range of colors. A fabulous collection of these beautiful pieces of pre-Columbian pottery can be visited in the Museums of Lima and Cusco along with a specialist guide in the area of Pre-Columbian pottery. In this trip we experience three different areas with three different ceramists and their techniques.
Orchids Expedition
Peru is the home of 3,000 orchid species, found from Tumbes in the north and Puno in the South, and more species are being discovered. In Lima species like the Chloraea undulata, Aa mathewsii and Porphyrostachys pilifer (the Little Peruvian) have been catalogued. The estimates for diversity within the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary reach 200. New species are discovered every once in a while like the Ponthieva sp. nov. (Bennett and Christenson), discovered in May 1998. One fascinating area is the section from Phuyupatamarca-Intipunku on the Ollantaytambo-Machu Picchu Inca Trail, which is a region of cloud forests from 3,600 to 2,500 m.a.s.1. The explorer will encounter virgin forests with abundant epiphytes and bushes. The most frequent genera are: Aa, Epidendrum, Lycaste, Masdevallia, Maxillaria, Oncidium, Odontoglosum, Phragmipedium and the Sobralia, the most spectacular being the Masdevallia veitchiana (waqanki, in Quechua). In Lima we can visit the collectors greenhouses, and then explore the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu and its orchid collection with biologist guides or orchid collectors.
Learn Spanish in Cusco
Spanish Immersion in Peru
Learning Spanish in Cusco Peru is one of the programs offered by Cultural Expeditions Peru. Peru is renowned as the land of the Incas but many great pre-Columbian civilizations flourished in the past. Visitors can see the ancient ruins of the Inca capital of Cusco, and explore the lost city of Machu Picchu as well as ruins from a variety of other cultures including the Nazca, Chimu, Wari and Moche.
Surrounded by Inca history and offering the comforts of an internationally known town, Cusco truly is an exciting place to learn Spanish. Once the capital of the great Inca civilization, Cusco is also home to magnificent examples of colonial architecture. The stone foundations of Inca temples are still visible in the colonial buildings around the city. Another fun activity is to seek out the many Indian markets selling the beautiful wool sweaters and textiles of Peru.
Early Spanish Colonial Arts Expedition
The Spaniards introduced a new religion, new forms and styles of European art to the peoples of the Andes after the conquest in 1532 by Pizzaro. In the beginning these changes were imposed but in time they were accepted and assimilated and eventually were integrated in the fabric of colonial life. Two different worlds met and produced something new. In the history of art this transformation is revealed through the innovative changes in style, iconography, and through the emergence of local artists and themes. Spain's Moorish influence is also seen along with the presence of the defeated Inca empire particularly in Cusco. The mestizo emerged and ethnic groups and their flora and fauna of South America were introduced. All these subtle changes developed into Spanish colonial architecture and art as seen in painting, sculpture and the decorative arts which reveals the emergence of Peru's national identity.
The artistic heritage of the Americas stands as a unique contribution to the history of art and architecture and we experience its richness and uniqueness. We explore and learn first hand with the help of art historical specialists two categories that developed differently because of the context in which they were located. One was the metropolitan centers, where new ideas and forms were generated with the influence of European art, and another the rural areas where these new ideas and forms were integrated into yet earlier pre-Columbian expressions.
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