Peru through the lens of Chalay: Andean Culture and Connection to Food

After going through arrival procedures and getting your bags, you will be met by a representative and transferred directly to your hotel in Lima. (Note: plan for about one hour to get through customs and baggage collection and then another 30 minutes to transfer to the hotel.) 

Your hotel is in a terrific location near the main city park. Explore the district of Miraflores on foot, which is very safe even at night. There are many cafes, restaurants, and bars to explore along with pharmacies, banks, and money exchange sites nearby if you need them. 

Hotel: Antigua Miraflores 

Meals: n/a 

• After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of the historical center of Lima, visiting iconic landmarks such as the main square, cathedral, and presidential palace. 
• Return to Lima airport and take a late afternoon flight to Cusco (around 4 pm). 
• Upon arrival in Cusco, you will be greeted at the airport by a Global Family Travels partner representative and transferred to your hotel. 
• Enjoy free time to relax and acclimatize to the high altitude and recover from jet lag. If you are up for exploring, you can enjoy a short walk 3 blocks away to Cusco’s main plaza where you can find places to eat, exchange money and do some shopping. 
• After dinner, enjoy a guided evening tour of the Cusco Planetarium to learn how the Incas used the constellations for agricultural purposes. 

Flight: 1.5 hours from Lima to Cusco (exact flight details TBD). 

Hotel: Cusco Hotel 

Meals: B

• Today we explore Cusco and the surrounding area, starting with a guided walking tour of the historical city center including the Cathedral in Cusco’s Main Square. 
• Next, we visit one of the most impressive buildings of Incan Cusco: The Qoricancha (the Golden Temple), a temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun God, whose interior walls were said to have been covered in gold. 
• Later we depart for Pisac and visit Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay on our way. 
• We stop to enjoy a farm-to-table lunch near Pisac at Hacienda Sarapampa, where our first experience learning about locally produced corn will take place.                                                               
• Highlights of these sites include:  
  • Cusco Cathedral: Discover and admire its exquisite vestibules and priceless paintings from the Cusco School of the 17th and 18th centuries. 
  • The fortress of Sacsayhuaman: also known as the “Royal House of the Sun” is a colossal structure of enormous stones, carved and fitted together with incredible precision, surrounding a paved area containing a circular stone structure believed to be a solar calendar. The ruins also include a 500,000-gallon water reservoir, storage cisterns, ramps, citadels, and underground chambers. 
  • Qenqo Temple: This temple was once an extremely holy site for the Incas. The dead were judged and possibly embalmed in Qenqo’s winding tunnels, and blood sacrifices were offered to the heavenly gods. Its carved tunnels and chambers are an amazing work of ancient architecture. 
  • Puca-Pucara:  Otherwise known as the red fortress, it was part of Cusco’s defense system and the Inca Empire. 
  • Tambomachay: A series of aqueducts, canals, and waterfalls that run through the terraced rocks. 

Hotel: Florencio Pisac Hotel 

Meals: B, L 

• This morning we head to the Potato Park, “Parque de la Papa,” which conserves biological and cultural heritage through holistic governance based on the Quechua expression of “sumaq kausay” (good living). The Potato Park is dedicated to maintaining one the world’s highest diversity of native potatoes, with over 1,300 varieties being reproduced by local experts.  
• Our introduction to the Potato Park begins with a traditional welcoming and kintuchi ceremony. Following this, we visit Potato Park’s Seed Multiplication Center to learn about the conservation of potato diversity, seed multiplication, and plant breeding.  
• Local farmers share their knowledge of potato agriculture and culture through storytelling, presentations, demonstrations, and hands-on agricultural activities. They will show how potato diversity, Andean culture, and landscapes are preserved while developing sustainable livelihoods and influencing policy. 
• Lunch today is served at the park’s culinary sanctuary called Papamanca, where you will savor both traditional and innovative dishes that include different varieties of potatoes grown in the park, and wild and cultivated plants. You will have the chance to speak with Potato Park’s gastronomy group to learn about the different ways they use potatoes in their dishes. 
• After a day of learning, we check into our homestay where we will be hosted in a family home in Potato Park. In the evening, enjoy dinner, work, and play with your host family.  

(If you would like to stay in a hotel instead, we can arrange rooms at the Royal Inka Hotel in nearby Pisac.) 

Hotel: Potato Park Homestay* (Or Royal Inka) 

Meals: B, L, D

• After a group breakfast, we visit Potato Park’s Pampallacta community which houses the Indigenous Crafts Center for an interactive presentation on sheering, dying, weaving, and other cultural arts and practices that utilize the language of symbols.  
• Next, we proceed to the Potato Park Seed Bank to learn about the relationship between culture and place, as well as links to diverse seed registration and conservation strategies, including saving seeds in the global seed vault in Svalbard, Norway. 
• We will enjoy a buffet lunch consisting of local produce and dishes at the PapaManka Restaurant. 
• After lunch at the Potato Park Interpretation Center in the Sacaca community, local experts share traditional knowledge and experience with plants for human health and nutrition, the development of biocultural products, collective trademarks, and indigenous economic models.  
• Experience an ancient ‘ofrenda’ ceremony, where a local shaman will prepare a traditional ceremonial table with materials to offer Mother Earth. 
• Later in the afternoon, we proceed to Lares, where the barter market is located. 

Hotel: Hotel in Sacred Valley near Calca or in Lares Hotsprings 

Meals: B, L 

• We begin our day with an early visit to Choquecancha market to see firsthand how goods are still being bartered today in modern times wherewe will enjoy a locally made breakfast prepared by a women’s group in the community. 
• Later, visit the research field sites in Choquecancha and Pampacorral within the Chalakuy Maize Park to hear stories and have conversations with local experts about topics surrounding traditional agricultural systems, the conservation and traditional knowledge of maize.  Learn how barter markets serve to preserve biocultural heritage, and support food sovereignty, nutrition, and promote the use of underutilized plant species. 
• After lunch in the Chalakuy Maize Park, we visit the Puya Raimondii conservation area. Related to the pineapple, Puya Raimondii are native to the high Andes of Peru and are an endangered species of plant. They are the largest species of bromeliad plants in the world, and their flower stalks reach upwards to 50 feet in height!  
• Later, depart from the conservation area and drive to Ollantaytambo (otherwise known as ‘Ollanta’) where we relax for the rest of the day. 
• Dinner on your own in Ollanta, or with your fellow travelers to process what you have learned at Potato Park. 

Hotel: El Abergue Hotel

Meals: B, L 

Today we journey into the heart of a Quechua community through an impactful and intimate community visit to learn more about the pre-Incan weaving traditions and Andean Indigenous culture with our non-profit partner, Awamaki. 

• The trip begins with a beautiful drive, ascending nearly 1,000m, to the upper Andean community of Patacancha or Huilloc, with stops at the Muscaypuquio ruins and  Markacocha Church (the oldest church in the Sacred Valley). 
• Upon arrival in the community, we enjoy a Welcome Tea and are introduced to the 
• women at the cooperative's weaving centerto learn about weaving and its economic and cultural significance in Andean culture. 
• Next, enjoy an interactive demonstration and explanation of natural dyes and weavings. 
• After the demonstration, you will have the chance to try weaving yourself!  
• Savor a home-cooked meal consisting of soup and a main course in a weaver’s home.  
• The day ends with a chance to purchase items from the women you met during your tour, providing you a chance to bring home a hand-woven memory from your trip. 
   

Hotel: El Albergue Hotel 

Meals: B, L 

• After an early breakfast, we proceed to the train station in Ollanta (15 minutes from your hotel). From there, enjoy a train ride to Aguas Calientes (almost 2 hours).  Upon arrival, we take a 25-minute shuttle ride from the village to the main entry point to Machu Picchu sanctuary. We enjoy a guided tour of the ruins which takes normally between 2-3 hours. 
• Return on a shuttle to town for lunch in Aguas Calientes before boarding the train back to Ollanta in the early afternoon. 
• Once you have arrived in Ollanta, enjoy the rest of the afternoon on your own. 

Hotel: El Albergue Hotel 

Meals: B, L 

We depart Ollanta to drive to Cusco with two stops along the way: 

• The ancient ruins of Moray:  Once used as an agricultural testing ground, the site's system of circular terraces descends 490 feet (150 m) from where we will stand, serving as a perfect testament to the level of advancement achieved by the Incas, who excelled at building masterful constructions in harmony with nature.  
• The Salt Pans of Maras:  The sight of this still-operating salt mine, in use since Incan times, will amaze you with the stark white of the steeply descending salt pans juxtaposed against the green of the surrounding mountain slopes. 
• After a buffet lunch at Muña in Urubamba, we continue to Cusco via Chinchero. 
• Upon arrival in Cusco, check into your hotel and enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening doing some last-minute shopping or visiting the town at your leisure. 

Hotel: Cusco Antigua  

Meals: B, L 

• Transfer to Cusco airport for a flight to Lima. Evening flight back home. 

Hotel: n/a  

Meals: B 

Global Family Travels is pleased to offer a truly regenerative adventure in Peru with a lens on Andean culture and the sacred nature of food, land, and the people who cultivate it. In partnership with community organizations, ANDES Association, Potato Park and Awamaki, this journey through Peru’s Sacred Valley offers the opportunity to immerse and learn firsthand from farmers, artisans, and Indigenous peoples about ancient farming techniques and economic practices, traditions which have protected food sovereignty and biodiversity in the Andes, while adapting to the challenges of food security, climate change, water shortages, and biodiversity loss.  

Participants on this trip will also learn about Chalay, the ancient Andean practice of bartering, or trading goods without the use of money. Through alternative economic systems, chalay strengthens relations between friends and families from diverse agricultural zones where seeds and food are thought to be members of the family.

Learning themes and experiences unique to the Peru part of your trip include:

• Take in the charm and history of Cusco and Ollaytambo
• Visit the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
• Learn by engaging with Awamaki about their work and how they are uplifting local women and communities, while learning about some economic development theory too!
• Learn firsthand about local traditions and life by spending a day with Patacancha indigenous people in their village, enjoying lunch with them and learning traditional weaving techniques. (Note, a homestay with a Quechua family is optional)

At Global Family Travels, we believe that the most powerful way to learn is through first-hand experience. We let the country and its people be your teachers. While taking in the charm and history of Sacred Valley cities and sites in Cusco, Ollantaytambo and other towns.  While on the trip, you will be immersed in the community, meeting community members,  and even working alongside them performing the various service project tasks. A highlight of the trip is the option to spend one night with a host family in Potato Park, living as they do, helping to prepare meals and participating in the daily routine of the house.

Unique educational experiences on this tour include: 

• Immerse in Potato Park to learn about their incredibly diverse collection of potatoes and how Indigenous communities and farmers are helping to conserve them, while adapting to the challenges of food security, climate change, water shortages, and biodiversity loss. 
• Engage with and learn from our non-profit partner, Awamaki, who is helping to empower rural women with skills-based education and vocational skills. 
• Visit barter markets to witness an ancient economic system called CHALAY in action. Chalay is a tradition in which commodities are exchanged for non-monetary items like food, woven items, etc.
• Learn how our non-profit community partners, ANDES/Potato Park and Awamaki are preserving Andean cultural heritage, economic systems, and Indigenous traditions.
• Learn about astronomy and how it relates to agriculture.
• Visit and learn about the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Potato Park is a biocultural territory dedicated to the conservation of biological and cultural diversity in the Andes mountains near Pisaq, Cusco, Peru. This 35 square mile (90 square km) park is administered by the five Indigenous communities of Amaru, Chawaytire, Pampallacta, Paru Paru and Sacaca, with the support of the Association for Nature and Sustainable Development (ANDES). ANDES and community members of the Potato Park are our hosts as we will learn about their work and participate in the daily routine of the Indigenous peoples.

The Potato Park is not just a conservation initiative for various varieties of potatoes. It is, above all, a bio-cultural territory dedicated to the conservation of the heritage of six indigenous communities that live here: not only hundreds of cultivated varieties but also related wild species, the landscape and its elements that also include knowledge, traditions, innovations and the worldview of the more than 6000 inhabitants. Learn more about Potato Park: https://andes.org.pe/potatopark-pisac/.

Global Family Travels has partnered with Sustainable Travel International (STI) to provide carbon-offsetting for all of our guests' flights between the USA and Peru, which is already included in the cost of your trip. Through this partnership, we support projects that reduce carbon pollution by protecting and restoring forest ecosystems, generating clean energy, or increasing energy efficiency. In addition to fighting climate change, Sustainable Travel International's offset projects also provide meaningful benefits for communities and biodiversity such as creating local jobs, protecting indigenous land rights, safeguarding the habitat of endangered species, and bringing clean drinking water to rural families. Learn more about STI and their impactful work here: https://sustainabletravel.org/our-work/. 

The health and safety of Global Family Travels’ travelers, community partners, colleagues and guides are of paramount importance to us. To mitigate and manage the risks associated with COVID-19, we have adopted COVID-19 Health and Safety guidelines, which were developed in collaboration with the Adventure Travel & Trade Association (ATTA) and Cleveland Clinic, as well as the Washington State’s public health policies.   You can find more detailed information on our website COVID-19 and Travel.

Global Family Travels’ customers will have peace of mind when they choose to travel with us and know that their health and safety are backed by flexible booking conditions. Please refer to the "Tasks" outlining specific details for the health and safety protocols for destination and itinerary.   Please also visit our Booking terms and Conditions for the specifics of your personal trip page.

These critical health and operational measures ensure that we can continue to offer tourism experiences with community partners and suppliers in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about these protocols or your trip and thank you for helping to keep yourself and fellow travelers,  host community and guides safe!