Freddy Silva is one of the world's leading researchers of ancient civilizations, sacred sites and their interaction with consciousness. He is the best-selling author of The Divine Blueprint.
MOREJoin best-selling author & ancient mysteries researcher Freddy Silva on a quest to the lesser-known aspects of megalithic Peru, from Sacsayhuaman and Machu Picchu to the Uros Islands.
This is not your typical Andean trip. Unlike others, it reveals an aspect of pre-Inca culture few people get to see and hear. Such as the ritual towers of Cutimbo and Sillustani; the underground resurrection chamber of Q'uenqo; the Egyptian roots of Sacsayhuaman; the Otherworld portal of Amaru Muru; and the ceremonial Moon temple Huanu Pichu. Highlights include meditations, mountain walks, dowsing, time for personal introspection, and lively discussions on the true origin of these awe-inspiring power places, all in a carefully-balanced itinerary. READ MORE
Freddy Silva is one of the world's leading researchers of ancient civilizations, sacred sites and their interaction with consciousness. He is the best-selling author of The Divine Blueprint.
MOREWe had a wonderful time in Peru: Freddy is a total pro and very knowledgeable.Jeff Wilson, Tukwila, WA
TESTIMONIALS
This was my first trip to Peru and the country was everything I'd hoped for. Very nice to travel in a small group with like minded individuals.Beverly Westbrook, Houston, TX
TESTIMONIALS
Tour Description
There are places on Earth that literally take your breath away. The megalithic culture of Peru is such a place. Sacred sites such as Sillustani, Sacsayhuaman and Macchu Pichu defy description because they defy human scale. Imagine cutting blocks of stone too large for modern cranes to lift, hauling them up near-vertical mountainsides and 40 miles across high altitude terrain, then fitting them with lathe-like precision so that thousands of years later the fruits of this labour are still fairly intact.
You get the idea.
It is known that the Inca did not build these sites but merely followed an ancient tradition already developed around Lake Titicaca c.15,000 BC, a time when vast sheets of ice were collapsing across the Earth, bringing unparalleled climate change and catastrophe. It was under such conditions that an advanced culture thrived in South America, the stuff of legends. The Inca maintained their memory so that one day we could travel to these temples and marvel at a civilization whose work modern science still has trouble explaining.
To visit such remote places is to connect with a culture the Andean people considered beyond time. Myths speak of travelling gods moving stones through the air to the command of sound, and erecting "mansions of the gods" literally overnight. What spiritual technology were they privy to? What motivated them to create such a megalithic landscape?
You can find out by joining us on a quest into the unbelievable.
We will go beyond the typical site visits and focus on details that few people get to see and hear: Huanu Pichu, a ceremonial Moon temple above Macchu Pichu; the underground chamber of Q'uenqo, once used for the ritual of living resurrection; the beehive towers of Cutimbo and Sillustani; and Amaru Muru, a portal into the Otherworld.
We shall listen to legends, tap into subtle energies, practice some dowsing, and perform one or two guided meditations inside some chambers. And for ten days we shall feel like gods.
Welcome to the world of megalithic revelation.
Read our guest blog by Freddy Silva - he explores the true significance of some of Peru’s most iconic sacred sites, revealing that stone towers (chullpas) such as those at Silustani and Cutimbo as well as portals such as Amaru Muru may have been part of a global tradition of secret initiation rituals. A must-read!
The Otherworld in the Andes - Part I
The Otherworld in the Andes - Part II
You will be met on arrival at Cusco airport and transferred to the the hotel. Our first day is spent doing... nothing strenuous. Cusco lies at 11,000ft and your body needs time to adapt. Drink tea, chew coca leaf and watch the local world come and go.
This evening we will enjoy a Welcome Dinner together with our fellow travellers and tour leader Freddy Silva. It's an opportunity to enjoy delicious local cuisine and get to know every pilgrim (or as Freddy calls them, Willing Infodels). We can also share our aspirations as we prepare to engage with the megalithic world.
(Overnight in Cusco at the San Agustin Internacional)
First matter of the day is a cleansing ceremony with a Peruvian shaman to purify the spirit body, because entering temples is best done without negative baggage. We then walk around the Inca Palace to marvel at astonishing megalithic masonry, such as the 12-angle stone. On to Coricancha, the original navel of the earth, now inside Santo Domingo cathedral where remain vestiges of an ancient megalithic temple dedicated to the Sun, Moon, Venus, and Pleiades.
After lunch we take a short bus ride to Killarumliyoq, a large terraced site where Moon ceremonies were held, to see a curious boulder carved with a semi-circular glyph, and a cave with petroglyphs.
(Overnight in Cusco at the San Agustin Internacional)
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Hakan Svensson)
Today we start with a visit to Q'uenqo (Q’inqu), a mysterious limestone butte carved with ledges, stairways, and a chamber used for performing living resurrection rituals to access the Otherworld. Then, we enjoy an invigorating walk to Amaru Machay, the Temple of the Serpents, and its two underground chambers illustrating the solar and lunar ideals.
After lunch at La Casona del Inca, it’s a full afternoon at Sacsayhuamán, a sprawling stone-walled complex overlooking Cusco. Along with ample time to walk around freely, we’ll look at lesser-known aspects such as its Egyptian connection, secret tunnels, an astronomical plain, and an ancient seven niche semi-circular court.
(Overnight in Cusco at the San Agustin Internacional)
Today we travel by coach to Tombomachay, an important temple because it protects the sacred springs feeding the local sacred sites. A favourite resting place of the Incas, commonly referred to as the “Baños del Inca” or “Baños de la Ñusta“ (Baths of the Incas or Baths of the Princess). Once used for ritual bathing, the site is ideal for connecting with water and its ability to memorize intent. We then continue on to the picturesque town of Pisac, with its colonial architecture and awe-inspiring scenic beauty, for lunch.
After lunch we ride to Pisac Temple, high up on a mountain face, for the sole purpose of trekking down the original steep trail back to town, to experience what it was like on the ancient trails. A perfect place to appreciate the scale and solitude of the Andes. So start exercising.
(Overnight in Pisac at the Royal Inka Pisac)
From Pisac we take a short drive, because we then have to climb a steep ravine. Ha! Naupa Iglesia is an extraordinary and seldom visited site. Why? It's a mystery: a doorway that goes nowhere carved out of solid bedrock with three altars that point to…well, that's the mystery and why we are going there. We then continue along the sacred valley, have lunch, and then climb Ollantaytambo and its massive hillside terraces, to reach the pre-Inca Temple of the Sun and its gargantuan stones. The view alone is stunning. We'll gaze across the valley at the colossal face of Wiracochan, which marks the “place where the god descends”. Also a chance to see many examples of machined stonework whose explanation defies science.
We close the day with a scenic train ride to the village of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu.
(Overnight in Aguas Calientes at Taypikala Boutique Machu Picchu)
Sunrise trek through Machu Picchu as we begin our steep ascent to the sacred peak, Huayna Picchu and its Temple of the Moon. This highest of ritual centres sits on the cliff face, 1200ft below the summit.
Eat a packed lunch at the summit (if time and weather conditions allow) and gaze down upon the entire circular blueprint of the three sacred mountains.
We then descend into Machu Picchu as the tourists begin leaving and have it a bit more to ourselves. With its megalithic astronomical observation points, the geology of the location also funnels Earth energies, hence why it has drawn people on vision quests for millennia.
In addition to visiting a lesser-known ritual compound, it is a perfect spot to sit, meditate, and become one with the spirit of place.
(Overnight in Aguas Calientes at Taypikala Boutique Machu Picchu)
A day to chill. We earned it. And your calves will appreciate it. We return to Cusco via the small town of Chinchero and its silver stores and archaeological oddities. Located high up in the windswept plains, the town offers spectacular views over the Sacred Valley and the Andean peaks. It is also renowned for its beautiful traditional weavings. The perfect place to pick up gifts.
We arrive late afternoon in Cusco for free time to relax and rejuvenate for the coming days. Stay at the hotel or take a gentle stroll through this colourful town, taking in the craft markets and unique culture.
(Overnight in Cusco at the San Agustin Internacional)
Today we fly to Juliaca and then take a late lunch in the village of Sillustani, overlooking a lake and several mesas. The rest of the afternoon is for hiking to the ritual area and its iconic circular towers, once used for secret resurrection rituals, the highest achievement for initiates in the old Mysteries schools. We’ll also see a few other megalithic curiosities on this beautiful and serene location.
On to our hotel in the village of Chucuito to further adjust to the high altitude and take adequate rest. The Taypikala hotel boasts an attractive colonial style and has spectacular views of majestic Lake Titicaca – the perfect place to relax after our afternoon walk at 15,000 ft.
(Overnight in Chucuito at the Taypikala Hotel)
An action packed final day, beginning with Amaru Muru, a portal to the Otherworld carved out of an entire hillside. After lunch we take a boat to the Uros islands for a gentle afternoon in this unusual floating reed community. It's an opportunity to learn about ancient practices and traditions, and to admire a simple yet vanishing way of life. According to legend, the Uros people existed before the sun when the earth was cold and dark and, although they claim to have black blood which makes them impervious to the cold, they are a warm people.
We close off the day at Cutimbo for, hopefully, a sunset guided meditation inside a chullpa, to experience what it would was like to be “raised from the dead”. We then return to Chucuito for a special Farewell Dinner together, making the most of our final day in this sacred land.
(Overnight in Chucuito at the Taypikala Hotel)
As you ready yourself to transfer to Juliaca for your flight home, take a moment to ponder over time well spent away in the world of the ancients. Having “drunk the knowledge” at each sacred site, your energy will have been raised, so that in all your interactions with everyday life you will come see the world around you in ways you'd never contemplated before.
(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
