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A Spiritual Journey and Shamanic Retreat at Machu Picchu, Cusco & The Sacred Valley of the Incas April 21 - May 2, 2024 Optional Post-Tour Extension to Lake Titicaca May 2 - 5, 2024 Home | About Us | Why Travel with Sacred Sites Journeys The Power of Travel to Transform Our Lives | When to Register Astrology | Books by Mark Amaru Pinkham The Order and Mystery School of the Seven Rays Custom Journeys Arranged For You by Sacred Sites Journeys Sign Up - Free Newsletter | Links | Contact Us
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TOUR DESCRIPTION
During this important transformative period on Earth certain areas on our planet Featured Speaker, Shamanic Teacher: Author Mark Amaru Pinkham ![]() Andean Ritual Specialist & Mesa Carrier in the Inca Spiritual Tradition Founder/Director of The Order and Mystery School of the Seven Rays Co-Founder of Sacred Sites Journeys Mark Amaru Pinkham is a trained Andean ritual specialist who has been traveling throughout the Andes since 1993 in order to unlock more and more of their enigmatic mysteries. Mark has been initiated into two Andean esoteric societies and apprenticed with an Andean ritual specialist/shaman for three years in order to acquire the secret and hidden information about Peru that has been passed down through the ages, and to directly experience its mysteries first-hand. Mark's desire is to share his accumulated wisdom with all sincere seekers of truth. Throughout our Andean pilgrimage Mark Amaru will lead the group in ancient Andean shamanic rites, as well as share his in-depth knowledge of Andean esoteric history of the Incas and the Viracochas. He will assist you to connect with the energies of the Three Worlds of the Incan Cosmology - the Lower (Ucu Pacha), Middle (Kay Pacha) & Upper (Hanan Pacha) World, and their Totem Animals - Serpent, Puma & Condor Mark Amaru is the Founder, Director and Teacher of The Order and Mystery School of the Seven Rays. Additionally he is the author of nine books about the secret mysteries of many ancient civilizations, including that of the Andes. His well-known popular classic The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom has recently been revised and expanded. It contains information about many of the ancient Andean wisdom teachings. For more information about Mark Amaru's books and research, visit Books by Mark Amaru Pinkham. Speaker & Tour Director: Andrea Mikana-Pinkham
Andean Ritual Specialist & Mesa Carrier in the Inca Spiritual Tradition in the Inca Spiritual Tradition, having received shamanic training from Elders in Peru since 1994. She has also been initiated into two Andean esoteric societies. In addition to her ongoing research in Peru and elsehwere, Andrea is a teacher in the The Seven Rays Order and Mystery School. A Message from Andrea: During the past 25+ years that I've been traveling and taking groups to Peru I've explored and studied the ancient sites with an eye to their megalithic construction. I've come to the conclusion that the sites in and around Cusco, in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu were not built by the Incas, but by an ancient worldwide pre-flood civilization that possessed an advanced stonework technology. We'll visit these sites and examine them regarding this theory. I'll also support you to take time there to explore on your own, as well as to reflect among these ancient ruins to connect with their powerful palpable energies. I've worked with quite a few different tour guides over the many years I've been working in Peru. For this journey I've chosen Oscar Atayupanqui Gaona as our guide. See below for more information about him. Also, during my time in Peru I've developed an extensive network of hotel and restaurant owners, artisans and craftspeople who will help me to make your journey one that you will treasure for the rest of your life! Here's a short article that I wrote about my first experience at Machu Picchu way back in 1993! I hope you enjoy it! Journey to Machu Picchu - A Transformational Adventure in Peru ![]() MA, Anthropology - National University of Villarreal, Lima BA, Anthropology - National University of San Antonio Abad, Cusco Oscar is pursuing his Doctorate Degree in Archaeology. Andean Ritual Specialist in the Inca Spiritual Tradition Initiate of The Order & Mystery School of the Seven Rays Oscar is the descendant of the INKA YAWAR HUACA, the 7th ruler of the Kingdom of Cuzco and the 2nd registered to bear the title of Sapa Inca, the monarch of the Inca Empire. He developed his mystical and energetic abilities through this ancient inheritance, living what it means to be a descendant of an Inka. He shares his sacred mystical knowledge about all the spiritual traditions of the Andean world and his knowledge as an Anthropologist and Archaeologist as well. He has studied and participated in the sacred initiations in the Inca Spiritual Tradition for more than 20 years, working with the Q'ero brothers and sisters. As a a Licensed Tour Guide, he shares the original knowledge of the Andes, and offers initiations and energy work as well. Oscar has worked with Andrea and Mark Amaru on past Sacred Sites Journeys. Our group members have found him to not only be extremely knowledgeable about all the sites we'll visit, but also very warm-hearted and supportive of our unique approach to our research and spiritual approach to life. ![]() Maestro Matias Quispe Chura He was born in the community of Challmachimpana of Hatun Q'ero, the last Ayllu Inka in the Province of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco. Master Matias is a very sensitive person, with a big heart and a lot of wisdom. He shares his unique vision and culture when teaching others. He is one of the oldest people in his community and one of its last teachers. Master Matias is a traditional teacher who works with energy and both the physical and non-physical elements. ![]() Maestro Francisco Quispe Chura He was born in the Chaucha community of Hatun Q'ero, Ayllu Inka in the Province of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco. Master Francisco is a very simple person, but with strong energetic powers. He works with the bands of power, or the CHUMPI, of the head and waist. He uses a lot of energetic force, especially when working with the tissues in these areas. His work helps make a person's bands of power stronger, and to endow them with both balance and perserverence. The effort that he puts into his work, whether it's working with a thing, a place or a circumstance, is to help make positive changes in the associated person's life. This is part of Andean mythology/spiritual tradition which comes from his ancestors. It is related to the myth of the INKARI, which teaches the right way of putting forth effort and then receiving the fruit of what is asked for in a person's life. ![]() Maestro Juan Quispe Calcina He was born in the community of Cochamocco Hatun Q'ero, the last Ayllu Inka in the Province of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco. Master Juan is a person who has a special connection with the stars and those ancient tutelary Gods who oversee the telluric forces and cosmic energies that come from the Milky Way, the Stars of Abundance, the qolcas or the Pleiades. He is a chosen Master who shares the teachings of the Andean spiritual tradition. ![]() Maestro Cecilio Apaza Vargas He was born in the community of Collpacuchu Hatun Q'ero, Ayllu Inca in the Province of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco. Master Cecilio uses the energies of his hands to call forth the spirits that govern life on Earth. He is recognized in his community for delivering newborn children. As one of the last midwives, he treats and cares for the new child, while overseeing the entire process of welcoming it to its new life. For adults he births new processes and/or opportunities into their life. He is a teacher who will give you both his teachings and a lot of energy to produce a spiritual renewal in your life. ![]() Maestro Luis Quispe He was born in the community of Hatun Q'ero, Ayllu Inca in the Province of Paucartambo, Department of Cusco. Master Luis is a person who connects with the Apus and The Pachamama in rituals for health, work and love. His prayers and invocations call forth the energies of Mother Earth, including those of the Apus, the mountains, which provide much healing and empowering energy to our planet. He is a person prepared to teach the oldest traditions of the Andes and to share the wisdom of Earth's terrestrial powers. ![]() TOUR ITINERARY MAIN TOUR - A Spiritual Journey and Shamanic Retreat at Machu Picchu, Cusco & The Sacred Valley of the Incas April 21 - May 2, 2024 With Author Mark Amaru Pinkham, SSJ's Director Andrea Mikana-Pinkham and Tour Guide Oscar Atayupanqui Gaona Day 1. Sunday, April 21. Flight Lima/Cusco; Group Meeting and Welcome Dinner (D) ![]() Main Plaza in Cusco Please book your international flight to Lima to arrive by 7:00AM local time this morning, in order to connect with the later morning flight to Cusco booked by Sacred Sites Journeys. (NOTE: Once you register, Sacred Sites Journeys can refer you to the local family-owned airport hotel in Lima that we've used with our groups in Peru since 1994. You will be able to book pre-tour services with them directly (in English) in case you need to arrive before Sunday, April 21st. Services include: meeting at the airport by an English-speaking representative from the hotel, private transfer to the hotel for overnight (includes breakfast), and transfer back to the airport the next morning, with assistance checking in for the flight to Cusco. Time to be announced Depart Lima on your flight to Cusco. Time to be announced Arrive Cusco. Pick up your checked luggage. Exit the terminal. Andrea and Mark will meet you outside the terminal. Transfer to the hotel. Check in. You have free time to rest and relax to adjust to the change in altitude from sea level to over 11,000 ft. 6:00PM Group Welcome Meeting at the hotel with Mark Amaru, Andrea and Oscar. 7:00PM Welcome Dinner with the group at the hotel. Overnight Cusco. Hotel Ruinas. www.hotelruinas.com/ Day 2. Monday, April 22. Group Meeting; Coricancha; Arte Mercedes; Sacsayhuaman (B/L) ![]() ![]() Temple of the Sun, Replica of the Solar Disc ![]() ![]() Ancient precision-engineered pre-Inca stonework at the Coricancha! ![]() ![]() Sacsayhuaman Breakfast at your leisure; begins at 6:00AM 9:00AM Group Meeting Presentation by Mark Amaru: Ancient Mysteries of the Andes - Part 1 10:30AM Visit the Coricancha ("corral of gold), the Inca Temple of the Sun. Though it was primarily dedicated to the Inca Creator God Viracocha and their Sun God Inti, the Coricancha also had other shrines to the Moon, Venus, the Pleiades, and various weather deities such as lightning and the rainbow. 12:30PM Lunch at Inka Mixtura restaurant, in the hills overlooking Cusco! Excellent food and views! 1:30PM Visit Arte Mercedes, the next-door shop/gallery of Mercedes and Luis, Andrea and Mark's longtime family; we're godparents to their daughter Emeralda. Here you'll be able to choose your power animal amulet. There are also offerings of amazing visionary art, as well as shamanic power tools and many crystals and other gemstones...and much, much more! 3:00PM Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sacsayhuaman Here we'll see some of the most amazing megalithic architecture - walls made of giant stones, fitted together perfectly without any mortar! Some researchers believe that Cusco was originally laid out in the shape of a puma, the totem animal of the Kay Pacha, the middle world in the Incan cosmology. The hill of Sacsayhuaman was the head. The zigzag walls here represent the teeth, as well as the path of the lightning, Illapa, a revered earth elemental for the Incas. There are three parallel walls built in different levels. The limestone boulders used for the lower levels are the largest, with one about 28 ft. tall, weighing ) and weighing over 150 tons. They are megalithic architecture supreme! Many researchers believe they were built long before the Incas, during the time of a world-wide civilization that was highly-advanced technologically. Includes a Meditation with Andrea and Mark Amaru to assist you to connect with Taytay Inti, Father Sun, as well as to claim your birthright as a Son or Daughter of the Sun! 5:30PM Return to hotel. You have free time. Dinner is on your own. Overnight Cusco. Hotel Ruinas. Day 3. Tuesday, April 23. Tambo Machay; To Sacred Valley: Moray; Group Meeting; Ritual with the Q'eros (B/Box Lunch/D) ![]() Tambo Machay Breakfast at your leisure; begins at 6:00AM 8:30AM Check out of the hotel and depart to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. 9:00AM Visit Tambo Machay as we leave Cusco. This site was reported by the Incas to the Spanish chroniclers to have been used by the nobles and priests as their private fountains and baths. The spring that supplies the water has flowed here for hundreds of years, from a source deep inside the Pachamama that has never been identified. Here we'll see more pre-Inca megalithic construction, as well as evidence of Inca occupation and use. Includes a Meditation with Andrea and Mark Amaru to honor Unu, the Water Element. Continue to the Sacred Valley and the ancient Inca site of Moray. Noon Box Lunch at Moray 1:00PM Visit Moray The site is a series of concentric circles on plateaus 11,000 ft and more above the valley floor. The site was designed by the Incas to take advantage of natural depressions below the level plain and model Andean, jungle and semi-tropical environments for the growth of different plant varieties. Includes a Meditation with Andrea and Mark Amaru to connect with the Pachamama. 3:00PM Continue through the Sacred Valley to our Retreat Center, located on sacred land near Urubamba, our home for four nights. Check in. You have free time to rest, relax and integrate. 5:15PM Group Meeting Presentation by Mark Amaru: Ancient Mysteries of the Andes - Part 2 6:30PM Ritual with the Q'eros: HAMPI KARPAY Healer's Ritual The Q'ero Master will offer original teachings of the Andean Spiritual Tradition in a ritual of passage or initiation. During this session he will teach you how to use the healing powers of herbs, tones, incense, white corn and condor feathers. He will demonstrate how to use the right and left hands for healing. Also he will show you how to make an offering, and to call the nature spirits and elements. Being connected to this ancient authentic lineage of healers will enhance your own ability to heal, both yourself and others as well. This ritual will be done in a place of energy and connection with The Pachamama - Mother Earth. 8:00PM Dinner with the group at retreat center. Overnight Urubamba/Yanahuara. Intiterra Apartment Hotel Villas. https://intiterra-boutique.cuzco-hotels.com/ Day 4. Wednesday, April 24. Sacred Valley: Group Meeting; Visit the ancient site of the Inca Misana; Ritual with the Q'eros (B/BoxL/D) ![]() The Inca Misana 7:00AM Optional Morning Stretching and Meditation Class with Mark Amaru 8:00AM Breakfast 9:00AM Group Meeting Presentation by Mark Amaru - Andean Shamanism - Part 1 10:30AM Visit the ancient site of the Inca Misana or "Inca Altar" (Includes Box Lunch) It's most likely that the Incas found this ancient site hidden away in the mountains and adapted it for their use. There is an an aqueduct carved in the mountain rock face, small stairways and double jamb niches or false openings. The top of the main stonework used to have a carved conical bulge that could have been an Intihuatana (Hitching Post of the Sun), possibly making its later use by the Incas a complex solar observatory used to measure the sun variations during the year as well as for fixing solstices and equinoxes. Or was this the purpose for which the original builders constructed it, and the Incas just inherited it? Includes a Meditation/Ritual with Mark Amaru, Andrea and Oscar to connect with the amazing energies of this ancient sacred site. 2:00PM Return to the retreat center. 5:00PM Ritual with the Q'eros: CHUMPI KARPAY Ritual of the Bands of Power The Q'ero master will offer you an initiation, a transfer of energy from his authentic lineage, sharing with you the powers with the CHUMPI or the etheric ceremonial belt, similar to the aura. This activates the three bands of power to make you stronger energetically, and to enhance your protection as well. You will be given teachings and practices of how use the powers and the meaning of carrying the chumpi. He will share with you the knowledge of the three levels of the power: upper or patakijllu, middle or chaupikijllu and lower or uraykijllu. This ritual will be done in a place of energy and connection with The Pachamama - Mother Earth. 7:30PM Dinner with the group at retreat center. Overnight Urubamba/Yanahuara. Intiterra Apartment Hotel Villas. Day 5. Thursday, April 25. Sacred Valley: Olantaytambo; Group Meeting; Ritual with the Q'eros (B/L/D) ![]() 8:00AM Breakfast 9:00AM Visit to Ollantaytambo Also known as the Sanctuary of the Wind, the site was found by the Incas and used as a fortress/temple. It's one of the most impressive in Peru, both for its unique history as one of the only places where the Incas defeated the Spanish, but also as for the great mysteries of its pre-Inca megalithic construction! Includes Condor Meditation/Initiation with Andrea & Mark Amaru We'll walk beside the gurgling stream to a peaceful out-of-the-way area of the site - the Temple of the Condor, where we have time to connect with the Condor, the powerful Totem of the Hanan Pacha, the Upper World, which symbolizes our own Higher Wisdom. Noon Return to the retreat center. Lunch with the group. Free time to rest, relax and integrate the energies. 3:30PM Group Meeting Presentation by Mark Amaru - Andean Shamanism - Part 2 Free time to rest, relax and integrate the energies. 6:30PM Dinner with the group at retreat center. Evening - Time to be announced Ritual with the Q'eros: CHASKA KARPAY Ritual to the Guardian of the Stars The Q'ero Master will offer this ancient ritual of passage to the group at night. He will call the spirits of the stars, to give assist him with his teachings. He will share his lineage teachings about the stars and planets - qoyllurs and chaskas - that assist you by lighting your way on your spiritual path or nuna nan. Overnight Urubamba/Yanahuara. Intiterra Apartment Hotel Villas. Rituals with the Q'eros (B/L/D) ![]() 7:00AM Optional Morning Stretching and Meditation Class with Mark Amaru 8:00AM Breakfast 9:00AM Optional Seminar & Initiation into The Order and Mystery School of the Seven Rays with Mark Amaru, Andrea and Oscar (Pricing not included in the tour package; additional $25.00) 11:30AM Ritual with the Q'eros: HAMPUY KARPAY Ritual of Return The Q'ero Master will offer you a ritual of passage, calling the spirits and energies of all of Nature to bring you balance and harmony for prosperity in life, as well as to be fully accepted by The Pachamama. As he makes symbolic offerings, he will also ask for their blessings, so that you can attract the best for your spiritual life: HAMPUY the coming of health, HAMPUY the coming of the abundance, HAMPUY the coming of love. Lunch with the group. Free time to rest, relax and integrate the energies. 5:00PM Ritual with the Q'eros: PAMPA MISAYOQ - The Guardian of The Earth You will have the auspicious opportunity to become a Yachaqcuna, one who has learned to make your own offerings. You will have the support of all the Q'ero masters for this final rite. They will perform the WESKA OFFERING (CLOSING OFFERING), the most important of all these rituals. Likewise they will consecrate their altars of power, quartz and energetic stones (like the jiwayas, or female and male meteorites)and various different amulets. Throughout this final process they will use coca leaf incense, natural perfumes and will close with ancient sacred words. 7:30PM Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Urubamba/Yanahuara. Intiterra Apartment Hotel Villas. Day 7. Saturday, April 27. To Machu Picchu; 1st Entrance (B/L) ![]() ![]() 6:00AM Breakfast 7:00AM Depart to the train station in nearby Ollantaytambo 8:00AM Depart on the Vista Dome train to Machu Picchu 10:00AM Arrive at Aguas Calientes, the small village at the base of Machu Picchu. 11:00 Check in at the hotel. 12:00 Board the bus up to Machu Picchu 12:45PM Lunch at the onsite Sanctuary Lodge 2:00PM Entrance into Machu Picchu! You've finally arrived at this ancient place of your dreams! At 8,000 ft. you're at one of the most mysterious ancient places on our planet! During our guided tour with Oscar we'll visit the Temples of the Sun & Moon, the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows, the world-famous center of the site - the Intihuatana, or the Hitching Post of the Sun, and the Pachamama Rock. Includes a Puma Meditation/Initiation with Andrea & Mark Amaru At an out of the way place Andrea & Mark Amaru will facilitate a short optional ritual to assist you to connect with the energies of the Puma, the totem animal of the Third World in the Inca Spiritual Tradition. This powerful animal teaches us how to live in the physical plane, our 3-D world. 5:00PM Return on the bus to Aguas Calientes. Return to the hotel. 6:30PM Channeling with The Kumaras through Andrea Mikana-Pinkham: The Ancient and Present-Day Extraterristrial Influence on The Andes The Kumaras are "Masters of Love" from the Pleiades, who anciently led the first major wave of Star People to colonize Earth and have a very special relationship with the people and land of Peru. They are returning now to guide Humanity as we begin a new cycle of time and move into the 5th World, the World of Reunion. Free time. Dinner is on your own. Overnight Aguas Calientes. Hotel Terazza de Luna. https://hotelterrazadeluna.wixsite.com/machupicchu Day 8. Sunday, April 28. Machu Picchu: AM - Free Time; PM - 2nd Entrance (B/D) ![]() Breakfast at your leisure; begins at 6:00AM You have free time this morning. Enjoy a massage. Visit the local hot springs for a good long soak. Shop in the tourist market. OR, just chill! Lunch is on your own 12:00PM Board the bus to return to Machu Picchu 1:00PM We enter the ancient sanctuary of Machu Picchu for a second time. Includes an Amaru/Serpent Meditation/Initiation with Andrea and Mark Amaru. Away from the crowds of tourists, they will facilitate an optional short ritual to connect with the energies of the Amaru or Serpent, the Totem of the Uku Pacha, the Lower World. In our own consciousness this energy represents our unconscious, our dreams, our meditative states. Open yourself to receive the gifts of this powerful energy! 5:00PM Return on bus to Aguas Calientes and our hotel. 7:30PM Group "Farewell to Machu Picchu" dinner with the group tonight at one of the most popular local restaurants - a perennial favorite of our groups! Overnight Aguas Calientes. Hotel Terazza de Luna. Day 9. Monday, April 29. Depart Machu Picchu; Visit Chinchero; Return to Cusco (B/L) ![]() Breakfast at your leisure; begins at 6:00AM 9:00AM Check out of hotel. 9:30AM Depart walking to the train station 10:55AM Board the Vista Dome train to return to Ollantaytambo 12:30PM Arrive Ollantaytambo. Transfer to our bus and drive to Urubamba. 1:00PM Buffet Lunch in Urubamba 2:30PM Visit Chinchero This small village is renowne for its weavers and for its impressive pre-Incan and Incan architectural complex, located along the ceques, or ley lines that radiate from the Coricancha in Cusco. One of the local myths says that Chinchero is the birthplace of Kuichy, the rainbow. Includes a Meditation with Andrea and Mark Amaru. 4:30PM Continue to Cusco. 5:30PM Arrive Cusco. Check into the hotel. Free time. Dinner is on your own. Overnight Cusco. Hotel Ruinas. Day 10. Tuesday, April 30. Cusco: Quillarumiyoc (B/BoxL) ![]() Moon Stone at Quillarumiyoc Breakfast at your leisure; begins at 6:00AM 9:00AM Depart to Quillarumiyoc 11:00AM Arrive and visit Quillarumiyoc We visit this little-known ancient site that contains walls, buildings, fountains, a cave and its centerpiece, the Moonstone. This is a large limestone boulder bearing a half moon carving with seven indentations. Some local researchers believe these were carved to show the phases of the moon, thus the Quechua name Quillarumiyoc, "moon stone". Others say that it was an Inca ceremonial site dedicated to the worship of water and, more importantly, to the moon goddess Quilla. The Moonstone is still used by the local ritual specialists in the Inca Spiritual Tradition to honor the moon. Nothing like this, carved with such an amazing degree of precision, is found anywhere else in Peru! It's possible that it's from pre-Inca times. This is considered by some researchers to be a molded stone formation which is estrmated to be over 100,000 years old! Includes a Meditation/Ritual with Mark Amaru, Andrea & Oscar. Afterwards we depart to Cusco. Arrive back at our hotel later afternoon. Free time. Dinner is on your own. Overnight Cusco. Hotel Ruinas. Day 11. Wednesday, May 1. Cusco: Free Day; Farewell Dinner (B/D) ![]() Breakfast at your leisure; begins at 6:00AM You have free time today to explore Cusco on your own. Lunch is on your own. 5:00PM Group Meeting at the hotel with Mark Amaru and Andrea for those who will be continuing on to Lake Titicaca 7:00PM Farewell Dinner with the group at the hotel. Overnight Cusco. Hotel Ruinas. Day 12. Thursday, May 2. Depart Cusco; Return Flight to Lima (B) Time to be announced Depart from the hotel to the airport. Time to be announced Arrive at the airport; assistance checking in for your return flight to Lima. Time to be announced Depart to Lima. Time to be announced Arrive Lima. Sacred Sites Journeys service ends on arrival in Lima. This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control. ![]() Optional Post-Tour Extension to LAKE TITICACA: May 2 - 5, 2024 Escorted by our Cusco Guide Oscar Andy Atayupanqui Gaona and local Puno Tour Guides Andrea and Mark will not be on this optional post-tour Extension.
![]() ![]() ![]() L to R: Reed boat at Uros Islands, Handmade tapestry on Uros Islands, Megalithic Tower at Cotimbo 7:30AM Breakfast 8:30AM Depart to the Uros Islands. The Uros Floating Islands are made entirely of the totora reed that grows in the Lake and named after the Uros people who inhabit them. You'll receive a warm welcome from these friendly island dwellers. After a short demonstration about how their islands are built and about their local economy and culture, you have an opportunity to visit their homes and get to know the people a bit. You can support their meager existence by purchasing some of their richly colored hand embroidered tapestries, pillow covers, and other handicrafts. And you'll be able to take a short optional reed boat ride out on the Lake, a peaceful time to relax an>and take in the powerful energies of the MamaCocha, the Mother Lake. (Small additional donation to the islanders.) Return to the hotel. Lunch on your own. 2:00PM Depart to Cotimbo. This ancient site is dramatically situated atop a table-topped volcanic hill surrounded by a fertile plain. The main attraction is the well-preserved circular and square burial towers or chullpas, some of the most ancient architecture in all of the Andes. There are carvings on the chullpas of serpents and pumas, guardians of the lower and middle worlds that were worshipped by the Inca and pre-Inca inhabitants. Take some time for individual meditation among the ancient energies! Return to the hotel. Free time. 7:30PM Group dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Puno/Lake Titicaca. Hotel Casona Plaza. Day 14. Saturday, May 4. Aramu Muru's Doorway; Free Time; Farewell Dinner (B/Box L/Dinner) ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() L to R: Aramu Muru's Doorway, Meditation at Aramu Muru's Doorway, Aramu Muru & Arama Mara, the Solar Disc Disc 7:30AM Breakfast 8:30AM Depart to Aramu Muru's Doorway, with Box Lunch Aramu Muru's Doorway is one of the most rarely-visited mysterious destinations in the world! Ancient Andean legend says that it was here that the Lemurian sage Aramu Muru, who brought the ancient teachings from the island homeland to the Andes, left the third dimension as he walked through the Doorway, never to return in physical body. His consort Arama Mara, carved in stone over the Doorway, lies forever guarding this sacred site and inviting seekers to come and experience the palpable energies. Who Built the Doorway? This approximately 22 ft. "gate" is literally carved into the solid rock, cutting through peculiar diagonal lines. The sheer size of it is mind-boggling for most researchers, as is the origins of its construction. Who built it? And for what purpose? That's the mystery! The construction is older than what is found from the Inca civilization. It could have been constructed by a pre-Inca civilization which is very ancient and of uncertain origin. The Incas themselves were evidently aware of the carving, but they didn't claim that they built it. For your individual meditation time, first stand in the "tubes" on either side of the Doorway, energy vortexes with one spinning clockwise and the other counterclockwise, to balance your male and female energies. Then enter the main portal where there is a a small, round indentation resembling a key hole, where you can place your forehead / Third Eye to absorb the psychic energies that are very palpable here. Perhaps this could have been the place where Aramu Muru placed the Solar Disc to “open” the door, allowing him to pass through? Return to Puno and the hotel. You have free time to rest, relax and integrate the energies. 7:30PM Group Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Puno/Lake Titicaca. Hotel Casona Plaza. Day 15. Sunday, May 5. To Lima (B) 5:30AM Breakfast Time To Be Announced Check out of hotel and transfer to the airport in Juliaca. Time To Be Announced Arrive and check for your return flight to Lima. Time To Be Announced Depart Juliaca Time To Be Announced Arrive Lima. Sacred Sites Journeys service ends on arrival in Lima This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control. ![]() A Few Words from Sacred Sites Journeys Travelers to PERU
![]() TOUR INCLUSIONS Your Sacred Sites Journey to PERU (Main Tour) Includes: - Two domestic flights: 1) Lima/Cusco/Lima OR 2) Cusco/Lima/ and Juliaca/Lima if you take the Lake Titicaca extension) - Other tour-related transportation in Peru, including bus and rail - Roundtrip airport/hotel/airport transfers - Luggage handling at hotels - All site entrance fees - First-class hotels, including taxes, service charges & daily buffet breakfast - Other meals: 5 lunches; 3 box lunches; 7 dinners - Pre-paid Gratuities - Free Peruvian Tourist Visa upon your arrival in Lima - Fully escorted from Cusco by SSJ's Tour Director Andrea Mikana-Pinkham - Featured Speaker author Mark Amaru Pinkham - Excellent bilingual Tour Guide Oscar Atayupanqui Gaona Special Highlights (Main Tour): - Travel with other like-minded people - Presentations on the Ancient Mysteries of Peru and Andean Shamanism by Featured Speaker author Mark Amaru Pinkham - Traditional Andean rituals with the Q'ero Elders, Mark Amaru Pinkham, Andrea Mikana-Pinkham and Oscar Atayupanqui Gaona - Cusco Area: Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Coricancha, Tambo Machay - Anta Province, near Cusco: Quillarumiyoc - Sacred Valley of the Incas: Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu: 2 days, with rituals and some time to explore on your own! - Special Welcome and Farewell Dinners NOT INCLUDED - Main Tour: - Roundtrip international air to Lima, Peru - Pre and post tour services in Lima - Meals not included, as indicated in the itinerary - Cost to obtain valid passport - Any items of a personal nature such as CoVid-19 testing (and transportation to and from the test site), laundry, drinks, internet service, telephone calls. - Any item that is not specifically detailed on the SSJ website or final trip itinerary as being part of the Land Package. Your Sacred Sites Journeys Extension to Lake Titicaca Includes: - Travel with other like-minded people - Fully escorted by local excellent bilingual Tour Guides - Transportation by First Class Tourist bus to Puno; other tour-related transportation by private vehicle and boat - Transfers: Bus station in Puno to hotel/ Hotel to airport in Juliaca - Luggage handling at hotel - All site entrance fees - First-class hotel, including taxes, service charges & daily buffet breakfast - Other meals: 1 buffet lunch, 1 box lunch, 3 dinners - Pre-paid Gratuities ![]() IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Our Sacred Sites Journeys are smoke-free sacred travel experiences. All forms of tobacco, as well as e-cigarettes are not allowed at any time. Thanks for your cooperation. ![]() TOUR PRICING All pricing listed is in U.S. Dollars. ![]() While it might seem like a long time until next April, we highly encourage those of you who are planning to join us to begin your registration process as soon as possible. Why? Once we reach our minimum of 10 people needed to operate this spiritual journey, we'll call the trip a "go" and we'll book your airline tickets for the two flights in Peru (included in your land package). And you'll then be able to book your international flights to and from Lima, Peru. Since we all know that airline ticket prices can be volatile and increase at the drop of a hat, the sooner we can do this, the better! Thanks! This Sacred Sites Journey to PERU is a LAND ONLY Sacred Travel Package. You are responsible to book your international flights to and from Lima, Peru. Please make your airline arrangements according to the information in the itinerary posted above here on this webpage. NOTE: 1) After you register, we will be happy to refer you to our business associates who can assist you to book your airline ticket. 2) Once you register, we can refer you to the local family-owned airport hotel in Lima that we've used with our groups in Peru since 1994. You will be able to book pre-tour services with them directly (in English) in case you need to arrive in Lima before Sunday, April 21st. Services include: meeting on arrival at the airport by an English-speaking representative from the hotel, private transfer to the hotel for overnight (includes breakfast), and transfer back to the airport on Sunday, April 21st, to check in for your flight to Cusco. MAIN TOUR: April 21 - May 2, 2024 $3,979.00 Per Person, double occupancy, land only (includes two domestic flights in Peru; see below **) - via check, bank wire or Zelle (US residents only can use Zelle) NOTE: This is the price for a group of 15 people. We must have a minimum of 10 people in order to operate this spiritual journey. If the final number is less than 15, there will be a surcharge, depending on the number of people in the group. The price for a group of 10 will be $4,399.00, double occupancy. For those who live outside the USA, you also have the option to send the funds from your bank account or using a credit card via websites such as www.TransferWise or www.xe.com or others you may choose. Any fees that are applied for using these websites are your responsibility. ** NOTE: A price of $250.00 per person for the two domestic flights in Peru: LIM/CUS and CUS/LIM has been used to calculate the pricing posted here for the Main Tour. An additional amount of $140.00 per person for the return flight from Juliaca to Lima for those who take the optional excursion to Lake Titicaca has been used to calculate the pricing posted here. Should the price for the flight tickets increase, that additional amount will be passed on to the passenger. Once we reach our minimum of 10 people needed to operate this journey, we'll book the tickets for these flights. Please register as soon as possible in order to help the group reach the mimimum, and keep the current price for the tickets Single Room Supplement: $225.00 - via check, bank wire or Zelle (US residents only can use Zelle) NOTE: The Single Room Supplement applies ONLY for those who would like to secure a private room throughout the tour. ROOMMATES: We will be happy to try to find a suitable roommate for those who are traveling alone and would like to share a twin-bedded room. Per our Terms and Conditions provided with our Registration Form, registration for the tour will be held open until approximately 30 days before the departure date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If by that date we have not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate the possibility of your being matched with a roommate. LAKE TITICACA: May 2 - 5, 2024 $929.00 Person, double occupancy, land only - via check, bank wire or Zelle (US residents only can use Zelle) Single Room Supplement: $159.00 - via check, bank wire or Zelle (US residents only can use Zelle) NOTE: The pricing is current and correct at the time of postings here on our website. Should any increases occur due to suppliers and/or airlines in Peru increasing their prices, the amount of the increase will be passed on to the client, with no added commission added for Sacred Sites Journeys. ![]() TOUR REGISTRATION We're NOW taking Registrations! The group is filling! While it might seem like a long time until next April, we highly encourage those of you who are planning to join us to begin your registration process as soon as possible. Why? Once we reach our minimum of 10 people needed to operate this spiritual journey, we'll call the trip a "go" and we'll book your airline tickets for the two flights in Peru (included in your land package). And you'll then be able to book your international flights to and from Lima, Peru. Since we all know that airline ticket prices can be volatile and increase at the drop of a hat, the sooner we can do this, the better! Thanks! If you haven't traveled with us, or haven't done so within the last 5 years, please request a Pre-Trip Questionnaire. OR if you have traveled with us during the last 5 years, please request a Registration Form. Please email Andrea Mikana-Pinkham at sacredsitesjourneys@gmail.com OR call our office at 928 284-1429 and leave a message with your email address so we can get back to you. Thank you! ![]() If you'd like to receive our Monthly Sacred Sites Journeys E-Newsletters, please Sign Up Here! Newsletters are sent out once a month. We will not sell or share your information with any other company or individuals. You can easily un-subscribe at any time. ![]() NOTE: All photos and text on this webpage are the Copyright of Sacred Sites Journeys. Sacred Sites Journeys is NOT affiliated with any other sacred travel company. Other sacred travel companies offering spiritual pilgrimages similar to ours are using our text, photos and some of our testimonials. We did not give them permission to do so. We believe that karma is very efficient, and that those who are not in integrity will swiftly reap the negative benefits of such actions. |