Archaeology & Geology

Archaeology & Geology Tours: Machu Picchu, Colorado, Utah - Overview

For those with a love of ancient history and the relics that remain, we’re excited to offer a series of interpretive archaeology adventures with expert guides and special guest archaeologists. From the remarkably well-preserved pre-Puebloan ruins of the desert southwest to the world-renowned archaeological sites of the Inca Empire in Peru, we endeavor to create the best archeology and adventure vacations imaginable.

For the Indiana Jones in all of us, Machu Picchu in Peru is unequalled in its archeological wealth, and many experts find Peru’s ancient sites and cultures as exciting as those of Mexico, Egypt and the Mediterranean. Learning about and visiting these centuries-old ruins is a highlight of our Peru adventure. Our archaeological exploration begins in the city of Cusco, the center of the Inca Empire with tours of a city rich in Inca and Spanish Colonial heritage and to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, and Tambomachay. In the Sacred valley we make stops at Ollantaytambo, Moray and Pisac and an unforgettable visit to Machu Picchu.

With legendary sites that include Chaco Canyon and the reaches of the San Juan River, the Native Americans that inhabited the four corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah were perhaps best-known for the pueblos and various religious, agricultural, and domestic structures they built from the region’s pervasive rock and mud. Countless dwellings, as well as gorgeous prehistoric rock art, still adorn the region and many centuries later, gold miners, explorers and river-running pioneers added an Old West flavor to the rich history of this unique area.

Feratured Archaeology & Geology Trips

Utah Hiking: San Juan River:
6 Days, April
Explore the bottomless treasure chest of the San Juan River basin which encases numerous remnants of ancient civilizations – most prominently, the pre-Puebloan culture, who left behind granaries, cliff dwellings, kivas, watchtowers, and panels of unique rock art.

Mystical Peru – From the Source of the Amazon to the Heights of Machu Picchu:
16 Days, July
Join us on an all new, one-of-a-kind lodge-to-lodge trekking trip on a seldom-traveled Inca trail that traverses the high Andes en route to Machu Picchu. Combining an epic four-day rafting trip through the Black Canyon of the Apurimac River at the source of the Amazon and a ground breaking six-day trek from Salkantay to the incomparable Machu Picchu, this is a trip that defines the possibilities of Peru.

Yampa River Geology Trip:
5 Days, May & June
Dinosaur National Monument – the name alone conjures a host of images: dinosaur bones preserved in ancient rock walls, deep rivers that cut indecorously through dry desert canyons, ancient sea beds full of prehistoric fossils, frozen in time. Join our guest geologist for an in-depth exploration of these wonders of the evolution of the Earth.

As you descend the Yampa River, you have the fascinating experience of actually traveling through the river canyon’s various layers, each one representing an entire age of the earth’s development: the rise and fall of major mountain ranges, the arrival and retreat of oceans at least 12 different times, the alternating development of deserts and swamplands. A billion years are captured in these canyon walls, along with the remnants of various life forms that existed long before humans. Our pathway through time showcases some of the oldest exposed rocks in the world, ones that have been folded, lifted and split by eons of geological forces.

Beside this fascinating scientific value, the Yampa’s geology is also responsible for the beauty of its canyon home: vertical yellow and red sandstone walls that tower as high as 1000 feet and squeeze the river through a surprisingly narrow gorge, tiger-striped walls alternating in blonde rock and black manganese oxide, clear creeks tumbling out of shady side canyons, sheltering sandstone caves, and more...