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Explore the Sacred Valley on a guided tour from Cusco. Visit working villages, learn about Andean life, and enjoy a traditional lunch.

Highlights

• Immerse yourself in the history and culture of the Sacred Valley
• Visit working villages and learn about Andean life and traditions
• Enjoy a traditional Andean lunch prepared with local ingredients
• Discover the importance of the Sacred Valley to the Inca civilization
• Learn about the valley's agricultural and political significance

Description

Begin your day with a pickup from your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley. Before entering the valley, listen as your guide explains why the Sacred Valley mattered to the Inca, how colonial land disruption reshaped villages, and what “traditional life” actually means today. Next, visit 1–2 inhabited villages, chosen for active farming and year-round residents, Quechua-speaking communities, and minimal tourism distortion. Possible areas include the Chinchero outskirts (textiles and land ownership history), Huayllabamba or Urubamba rural zones, and Ollantaytambo agricultural sectors beyond the ruins. Learn about Ayni, mink’a, and communal labor systems, crop rotation, terraces, and altitude adaptation, and why Spanish and Inca systems still overlap. Photography is consent-based only. If available and approved by hosts, enjoy a practical skill demonstration. Learn about potato or maize cultivation, natural dye use (without staged performances), and household tools and daily routines. These demonstrations are short, factual, and voluntary — not a show. Next, enjoy a traditional lunch using local valley produce. Enjoy a typical meal of soup or stew (quinoa, vegetables, or meat), potatoes or maize, fresh herbs or greens, and herbal tea or water. This is functional food, not a curated “experience.” After lunch, take a short walk to learn about terrace systems, irrigation channels, and why villages are placed where they are. This is engineering, not mysticism. Finally, return to your hotel in Cusco or the Sacred Valley.

Includes

Hotel pick-up & drop-off Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional local driver Licensed local guide with Andean cultural training Traditional Andean lunch prepared with local ingredients Community participation fee

Important Information

• No photographing people without permission No gifts or money to children No entering homes unless invited No 'poor but happy' narratives

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund