Tour Details

Sacred Valley Community Small Group Tour from Cusco

From: £60.58

Duration: 9 hours

Categories: Culture & History, Sightseeing

Escape from the hustle and bustle of Cusco and explore real Quechua community life in the sacred valley on a small group tour. Get lost in the labyrinth of the famous Pisac craft market, take the road less traveled to a Quechua village and meet families to learn about their daily lives. Sit down for a Quechua style lunch, get involved in one of the local activities and wander around the Ollantaytambo archaeological site for an insight into the past.

Departing Cusco, you'll head to the small town of Pisac, located in the heart of the Sacred Valley on the Urubamba river. The Sacred Valley was very important for the Inca Empire as it was widely known for its rich soil and production of maize. Located a short distance away from the sacred city of Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley contains the remains of great citadels, scientific stations and cities built by the Incas. Pisac is a great place to explore Andean life up close and you'll gain an insight on the Incas' traditions and culture. As well as having a Sunday mass given in the Quechua language, Pisac is also home to a bustling craft market where the barter system is still an accepted method for buying goods.

Explore the market and maybe barter for a few items yourself before heading out of town to an even smaller community. Along the way, take in the spectacular landscape of the region. Communities are still living in a very traditional way, cultivating wheat, potatoes, corn, beans and quinoa as a means of survical. The region is home to 3000 varieties of potatoes and is essential to the Andean cuisine. Depending on the season and the activity on that day, you could be harvesting the fields, fishing, cooking, playing football, painting houses or schools, building roofs or teaching kids. There is always something to do to help the community.

The activity will probably be interrupted by local people that will be offering you to join them for a meal. It will then be time to thank your host and visit the near by Ollantaytambo archaeological site for an insight into the past. We then make our way back to Cusco through more incredible landscape, land of stories and anecdotes that your local guide will share with you.

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Culture Shock Rating

We have a wide range of tours designed to give you an insight into the destination you're travelling in and there is something for everybody. The culture shock ratings considers the destination visited, transport used, activities undertaken and that "Wow, I'm really not at home now!" factor. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

20%

This is the least confronting of our tour range. Transport used on the trip is either private or a very comfortable public option, the activities included are usually iconic sites and locations that are not all too confronting.

40%

The tour can include a mix of private and public transport providing a level of comfort that is slightly below what you would experience at home. Sites visited are usually iconic sites, tours can also include market visits, visits to communities etc that provide the traveller with a fantastic insight into destination.

60%

Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether it's a packed public bus where you are forced to stand, a visit to a local market, a local community, you are sure to have an experience that is very different from what you're used to at home.

80%

The comforts of your home town and the environment you are used to are more of a rarity. Expect some challenging transport options, visits to local sites and areas that don't resemble anything at home.

100%

You're out there in the global community! You are likely to be exposed to the elements, travel in whatever means of transport is available and basically take it as it comes, whatever comes! It can be tough.

Physical Rating

Our physical rating gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour. While generalisations are always tricky, a summary of our gradings is as follows…

20%

These tours have very limited physical activity. Usually climbing in and out of the transport provided, walking through sites, markets etc included in the itinerary.

40%

These tours have a bit of physical activity but nothing that should challenge you too much. This could be climbing on and off public transport through to a walk through the destination you're travelling in, they can include walking only tours or a combination of walking and transport.

60%

These tours involve a bit of physical activity from walking up and down hills in the destination you're travelling in or the surrounding areas. Climbing on and off local transport or riding a bike up to 30 kms along predominantly flat terrain or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.

80%

These Tours will provide you with some solid physical activity. Whether its bike riding, walking, trekking, kayaking or riding on public transport you will need to have a good level of fitness to enjoy this tour.

100%

Be prepared for some serious physical activity. These tours are our most challenging and involve some serious walking, hiking or bike riding. Can involve step climbs by foot or pedal and some challenging public transport options in the destination you are travelling.

Luxury Rating

Some trips are like a stroll on the beach, while others have you trekking alpine passes. Some of you thrive on camping out on the savannah, while others may prefer a hot shower and a comfortable bed in a lodge. Follow the grading systems below to find the right trip for you.

To help you choose the trip that's right for you, we've broken all of our trips down into four service levels. Measuring the comfort level of the accommodation and transport. So whether you're travelling on a budget and want to save money by using public transport, or prefer upgraded accommodation and are happy to pay a little more, then we have a level for you.

25%

This is grassroots travel at its most interesting

50%

Authentic experiences with some of the comforts of home

75%

For those who like to travel in comfort

100%

All the unique experiences wrapped up with a gold ribbon