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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