Trip Region: South America
Country(ies): Peru
Partners Trek? No
Cost: $2774
Airfare Estimate: $900
Structure: 3   •   Lodging: 3   •   Nightlife: 3   •   Activity: 3

After braving the glaciers of Norway as doe-eyed MBA1s, the No Prob-llamas team is excited about taking their trek experience to the Southern Hemisphere for nine amazing days in Peru. Our goal is to perfectly balance our pisco sour intake with our caloric burn in the Sacred Valley so that you can stave off those sexy new b-school curves, while still having a great time getting to know your new classmates. Not well-versed in the great outdoors? Don’t worry about it, neither were we last year—so join us on your first “stretch experience” in Machu Picchu.

Day 1 — Sunday, Aug 21

Impact Challenge and Orientation are over, and MTrek begins! Meet your fellow trekkers and future Peruvian compadres in Ann Arbor and fly down to Lima.

Day 2 — Monday, Aug 22

Welcome to Peru! We’re kicking off our first day with a visit to Lima’s public markets and a private cooking class. What’s for lunch? Some of Peru’s most famous dishes: ceviche and lomo saltado, topped off with pisco sours. After we eat (and drink) our way through the morning, we’ll work it off with a bike tour through historic Lima (think of this as preseason training for THE BUS/tailgating). Our guide will take us through architectural and artistic highlights of the city as we bike along the (GO) BLUE Pacific Coast. We’ll check out incredible views of the city from Solar Hill, bike through historical landmarks, and see world famous street art and murals. After the tour, we’ll head back to the hotel and recharge for dinner and a Peru-sal of Lima’s nightlife.

Day 3 — Tuesday, Aug 23

Today we’ll journey to the Palomino Islands, aka the “Little Galapagos of Lima,” which is home to dolphins, boobie birds (lol), and…sea lions! We’ll spend the morning swimming with the sea lions of the Palominos, which are home to thousands of these cuties and incredible views of the Peruvian coast. After communing with nature for the day, we’ll head back and explore Lima for the a few hours before catching an evening flight to Cusco.

Day 4 — Wednesday, Aug 24

Another day, another adventure. After a breakfast smorgasbord, we’ll take a tour through Cusco’s UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites like Qurikancha Temple, also known as The Court of MAIZE! ... er... Gold. We’ll trek through the Church of Santo Domingo and the 1,000 year old Sacsayhuaman Fortress, then treat ourselves to a local picnic lunch on top of a hill overlooking the city of Cuzco. Choose your Instagram filter wisely. After stopping back at the hotel, we’ll cap the night by with a Pisco Sour tasting. Vamos azul!

Day 5 — Thursday, Aug 25

After recovering from a night of pisco sours and karaoke, we’ll grab breakfast at the hotel before our guide takes us to Sacred Valley, the Gateway to Machu Picchu. We’ll head to the Urumamba River in the heart of the Sacred Valley and raft through the Chuquicahuana route to our riverside picnic lunch. From there, we’ll hike up Via Ferrata and spend the afternoon ziplining over the Valley’s plains. Last one down takes Fireball shots? After ziplining, we’ll stop back at the hotel and head out to explore Cusco’s nightlife and teach our new local friends how to sing the Fight Song.

Day 6 — Friday, Aug 26

Machu Picchu bound! After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll pack up our backpacks and take the famous Vistadome train from the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, the town that serves as “base camp” for Machu Picchu. After the train ride, we’ll have lunch in Aguas Clientes, spending the rest of the day exploring the city and preparing for tomorrow’s adventure. At night, we’ll tell each other our deepest, darkest secrets in order to bind our friendships permanently. Just kidding, but your Trek leaders do have a few ideas in store to keep things interesting...

Day 7 — Saturday, Aug 27

Game day. Bright and early, we will take a bus to the top of the mountain and citadel of Machu Picchu: the seminal example of Incan architecture. After a guided tour of the ruins and plenty of time to explore on our own, we’ll have an authentic Peruvian lunch and hike down the ruins with our guide. Back at the hotel, we’ll compare photos and grab some local dinner and drinks before heading back to Cusco.

Day 8 — Sunday, Aug 28

For our last full day in Peru, we’re getting in one last hike through Huana Picchu, the mountain that rises over the Machu Picchu ruins. Our hike ends with a visit to the Temple of the Moon, which overlooks the citadel of Machu Picchu. After taking full advantage of this photo op, we’ll go back to the hotel and ride back to Cusco for our final night. The celebration begins with dinner at Mutu, a local favorite for traditional Peruvian food and drinks. After dinner, we’ll hit the town for our last night out in Peru.

Day 9 — Monday, Aug 29

Like the final round of karaoke at Circus (this will make so much sense come August!), all good things must come to an end. Today we head home to Ann Arbaugh, put away our copper mugs and get out our khaki pants for football season. Get ready for weekends at Skeeps, NYPD, and the Big House with your llam-igos over the next two years.