Would you like to know Peru in contact with the locals ??? Here is the trip that’s right for you! It provides accommodation and dinner with Peruvian families in nice and cozy houses. We will also visit local communities that are dedicated to crafts and fabric production, our most authentic journey and responsible tourism!
All without forgetting Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, Machu Picchu, the lost city, the legendary Sacred Valley of the Incas and finally Puno and the spectacular Lake Titicaca ….
International flight. You meet one of our staff members at the airport. Airport pick-up and transfer to your host family’s home.
Transfer to Lima airport to take the flight to Cusco. Airport pick-up and transfer to the local family where we get time to rest so our bodies can adjust to the altitude. Free afternoon, we recommend resting and eating light. Dinner and night at our host family’s home.
In the morning, with other tourists, we visit the Cusco Cathedral, Qoricancha, and the archeological site of Sacsayhuaman. Dinner and night at the host family’s home.
Transfer from Cusco to Pisac with your private guide. Visit to the archaeological site of Pisac, a great example of Inca architecture with its big walls and palaces.
We then head to ‘Chawautiri’ Community, famous for its fine textiles. We are shown all the manufacturing process. We also take a short walk to visit some ancient cave paintings. We have lunch at a local family place in Cuyo Grande. They will show us how they produce the ‘ocarina’, a typical Andean instrument. After lunch, we visit a workshop of ancestral and ceremonial Andean musical instruments, where they also give us information about the Andean ‘Cosmovision’ (the world as perceived by the Incas).
We then get back to the Sacred Valley and are transferred to Ollantaytambo in order to start the “Machu Picchu” adventure. Night at the hotel in Aguas Calientes.
At dawn we embark on a dream. We take the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and enter the “lost city.”For the more adventurous there is also the possibility to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu or visit the Machu Picchu Mountain or the Huchuy Picchu. In the afternoon we take the train back to Ollantaytambo. Night at the hotel.
An authentic and unforgettable visit to Patacancha Andean community. Today we will discover the textile and cultural traditions of an authentic Andean indigenous community. Departure from Ollantaytambo at around 9am, using private transportation accompanied by our guide. We reach the community in an hour and a half. On our arrival, the women of the textile cooperative will be waiting for us. They will tell us everything we need to know and show us the whole process of softening and heating the precious alpaca fibber until it is transformed into beautiful fabrics, blankets, caps, sweaters, etc. We also learn to make a bracelet with the help of one of the artisans. Those who wish can purchase some unique handmade products from them. We have a unique gastronomic experience with the community: a ‘pachamanca’. It is a typical Peruvian dish from the Andes in which food is cooked using pre-heated stones. The dish contains several ingredients among which meat, potatoes, etc. that are previously macerated with spices. On our way back from the community we visit the Inca archaeological complex of Pumamarca, located on the upper part of the valley. We get back to Ollantaytambo at around 3pm. Transfer to Cusco and dinner/night with our host family.
We start our trip at 6:30am en route to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain. This place is located 100km away from Cusco and is not known by mass tourism.
After a 4-hour trip -private transport and guide- and a nice snack in Cusipata, we reach the starting point of the hike (from 4700m to 4900m).
We walk in the surroundings of the rainbow mountain during an hour or so. It is also possible to visit a “wood” of rocks and to observe the Red Valley at the far distance. Lunch in a familiar restaurant in Cusipata. We get back to Cusco at around 6:00pm. Dinner and night at your host family’s home.
Note> if you want, instead of Pallcoyo, you can visit the famous Vinicunca. But consider that Vinicunca is more strenuous (you have to walk from 4600m to 5100m) and very crowded. We recommend the more “intimate” Pallccoyo.
Free day to walk around the beautiful city of Cusco. Some must-see places we recommend: MAP (Museum of Pre-Columbian Art); San Francisco Convent; and the quaint neighborhood of San Blas. In the evening we go on a cultural and alternative walking tour. Strolling under the stars through the historic city center, we discover a less-known side of Cusco: myths, legends, tales, ghosts and saints. A unique experience to see the real Cusco, Peru’s iconic city.
Dinner and night at your host family’s home.
Note: it is possible to include in this program a trip to Rainbow Mountain (at an extra cost) by adding an additional day to the itinerary (recommended option) or during this free day.
We get picked up at 06:15 from the hotel and begin our journey towards the city of Puno. The comfortable touristic bus (including heating, air conditioning, chemical bathroom, DVD, on board service, and buffet lunch in Sicuani) will make several stops during the journey: Andahuaylillas, Rajchi, and Pukara. Pick-up from the bus station in Puno and transfer to the hotel. Night in hotel.
After breakfast, we head to the port and embark on a boat to Uros floating islands, located north of Puno’s bay. Then we reach Amantani island where we have lunch and spend the afternoon discovering the island. Dinner and night with a local family.
After breakfast we go towards Taquile, the biggest island of the Lake Titicaca. We disembark on the northern side and walk till the main part of the island. Lunch in Taquile. We get back to Puno in the afternoon (estimated arrival at 18:00). Night in hotel in Puno.
Transfer to Juliaca’s airport and flight to Lima. End of service.
City to city transfers in comfortable tourist buses: restroom on board, heating, air conditioning, and reclining seats.
If your international flight arrives in Lima in the morning, please note that the room is available from 3 pm. You can then leave your luggage in the hotel luggage storage for free, but you cannot enter the room before the check-in time. In this case we recommend to include a room available from the moment of your arrival, with an extra cost.
Cusco group city tour takes place in the afternoon if it’s on Sunday and during low season.
Qoricancha: it is closed on Sunday; if the city tour of Cusco coincides with this day of the week, you can visit the archaeological site yourself during the free day.
Andean World and Weavers Community: PeruEtico pays the demonstration shown in both tours. Thus there is no obligation to buy anything. However, this is a great opportunity to buy high quality items straight from the producers.
Machu Picchu: travelers are limited to a 20lt/5kg backpack; the rest of your luggage is to be left in custody at the hotel in Cusco or Urubamba.
Palccoyo: we reach 4900 meters above sea level so you will feel the altitude. We recommend you walk slowly. This tour is only for fit people. During the rainy season (from December to March), it is not always possible to visit Palccoyo due to bad weather. If necessary, this tour will be replaced by an excursion to the Huatanay Valley (south of Cusco), including Tipón, Piñipampa Pikillaqta.
Housing in Amantani is very basic. Rooms are cozy and there are enough thick blankets to keep you warm. Bathrooms are located outside the house.
As from the arrival in Peru, the passenger is responsible for any additional costs caused by a variation in the program (net cost plus agency rights).
Through the stay in Lima, the food and accommodation in Cusco, Amantani, the lunch in Cuyo Grande, the visit to Andean music instruments workshop and the visit to Patacancha and Chawaytiri Communities, you are directly helping and supporting the local families and their projects.
Any of our employees, from guides to local communities, receive a fair salary and remuneration for the work done, above the average in Peru.
Peruetico is committed to reducing the environmental impact and the use of plastic and paper during your travels.
Peru is fantastic, varied, and unpredictable … and discovering it thanks to such a precise agency! Everything was planned in the smallest details, meticulous, we all felt in love with this country. We thank you for never letting us feel alone and always followed. A special thanks to our guide in the Cusco area, Luis, who with his experience made us not only discover the cultural aspect, but also today’s Peruvian society and culture. Thanks so much!
We relied on PeruEtico for our honeymoon. We wanted to “live” Peru and not just “visit” it, with PeruEtico it was possible. We chose to sleep in local families, where we met fantastic people who gave us all their warmth making us feel at home.
We visited and spent days with Andean communities, eating their food and observing their work.
We saw exceptional places and enjoyed breathtaking views.
Heartfelt thanks to John and above all to David, who filled our hearts in the days spent in Cusco, with their sincere stories, their sympathy and collaboration.
Thanks to Gianni who supported us “from afar”. Thanks for this unique experience … Thanks PeruEtico!
Our trip to Peru was truly splendid! Intense, full of breathtaking landscapes and suggestive archaeological sites. The thing we appreciated the most was the chance to spend a few nights with a local family … an easy way to really experience the culture and customs of the places you visit. Gianni was always available, even when we had to change planning at the last moment for an unexpected event .. Highly recommended!
