3 Things Most Families Don’t Know About Our Peru Trip
When we describe our Peru trip on a parent call, there is often a moment when it clicks. Parents realize, this is way cooler than I thought. It makes sense. It is hard to capture the full magic of an RLT trip on a single webpage. Small details, years of fine tuning, and the care that goes into each program simply do not fit into a standard itinerary.
This post is part of a series that highlights parts of each trip families usually would not know unless they had gone themselves. Here are three things most families do not know about our Peru program.
1. Students help repair a dorm that keeps rural girls in school
In Ollantaytambo, our group works at a dorm where girls live during the school week—many of them walking hours from remote villages to get there.
While the girls are in class, RLT students help with projects like painting, fixing furniture, and maintaining the space. It’s quiet, tangible work that supports something big: giving these girls a better shot at finishing school.
2. The group hikes a route most Machu Picchu visitors skip
Instead of taking the bus, our students hike from Aguas Calientes up the stone-paved path to Machu Picchu. It’s a short, steep climb—around 1,600 steps—and less than 10% of visitors choose it.
At the top, students meet a local guide and explore the site with a deeper understanding of Incan history and place.
3. Students learn how wool is spun, dyed, and woven by hand
The weaving workshop is one of the most loved parts of the trip. Students meet women who show them how wool is collected, how natural dyes are made from plants and minerals, and how traditional patterns carry meaning across generations.
This isn’t a staged demo. It’s part of daily life in the Sacred Valley—and it offers real insight into how tradition and creativity are passed down.
There’s more to our Peru program than Machu Picchu. These moments—painting a dorm wall in Ollantaytambo, climbing past orchids and cloud forest toward the Sun Gate, watching color emerge from cochineal or eucalyptus—are the ones that stay with students long after the trip ends.
For teens ready to travel with purpose, Peru is a summer experience that offers both challenge and connection, in one of the most culturally rich regions we visit.