Rural Tourism Package

Rural Tourism Package
From USD $108.00
  • Duration: 6 Hours (approx.)
  • Location: Ollantaytambo, Peru
  • Product code: RTP

Descripción en Español abajo

Your trip begins in Ollantaytambo. From there you will enjoy a beautiful drive ascending nearly 1000 meters up the Patacancha Valley. Following the  Patacancha River, you will pass small farms, Incan agricultural terraces, little-visited ruins, the oldest colonial church in the Sacred Valley, and stunning  mountain views. Upon arrival in one of the upper Andean villages of Patacancha or Huilloc, Awamaki’s partner artisans will meet you and welcome you to their  cooperative’s weaving center.


The artisans will lead you in a sharing of Quechua culture and traditions, and a demonstration of the entire weaving process. They will show you how  alpaca or sheep wool is spun into yarn by hand on the pushka, the traditional Andean drop spindle, and you can give it a try. They will explain how different local plants and materials are used in the dyeing process, and show you how they dye the yarn. They will demonstrate the warping of the traditional backstrap loomand the weaving process, including a discussion of the traditional pallay designs used in their villages. Finally, the artisans will teach you to weave a small bracelet on the backstrap loom in a one-on-one lesson.

After the demonstration and lesson, enjoy a traditional, nourishing and plant-based home-cooked meal including soup and a main course. The village visit will end with the opportunity to purchase textiles directly from the women who hosted you for your tour.


After the private market, we will head back down the mountain to Ollantaytambo and make one final stop at the Awamaki store, where you can see the work of all Awamaki’s partner womens’ cooperatives, including the artisan’s textiles made into contemporary accessories.


Itinerary

  • Picturesque drive from Ollantaytambo to a rural Quechua community in the Patacancha Valley
    (Patacancha or Huilloc)
  • A warm welcome from members of our women’s artisan cooperative upon arrival at their weaving center
  • Demonstration and discussion of Andean backstrap weaving as it relates to Andean culture and history
  • Demonstration andexplanation of the traditional weaving process, led by the artisans
  • One-on-one weaving lesson taught by the artisans
  • Typical local lunch with traditional soup and entree
  • Opportunity to buy the artisans’ handmade textiles
  • Return to Ollantaytambo

Sustainable and respectful tourism

We created our sustainable tourism program in partnership with our partner Quechua women’s cooperatives. We aim to allow women artisans to host tourism on their own terms, in a way that is beneficial and sustainable for their village. We will ask you to respect guidelines around photography that we have created together with the artisans. Included in your tour price is fair and generous compensation for your hosts, regardless of whether they sell a weaving during your tour. Thank you for being part of this work!


Logistical Information

Because we are a small non-profit, we are not able to guarantee a private tour.  There may be other visitors in your tour group. However, most of our tours are  very small, between 2 and 6 people.


Things to Bring

  • Water and refillable water bottle
  • Sunscreen
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Warm layer
  • Rain jacket (just in case!)
  • A small snack, optional
  • Bills in soles if you plan to purchase from the artisans. Please note: This will be one of the best shopping opportunities of your trip. Most of the markets just do not offer the variety and quality of weavings that you will see on this visit. The artisans are not able to accept credit cards. The main feedback we get from our travelers is that they wish they had brought more cash to shop from the artisans. Typical spending per traveler ranges from 100 to 1000+ soles. 


Special requests:

We can accommodate most special requests. We can accommodate all dietary restrictions. Please note special requests or dietary restrictions in the “special instructions” section when you book. We will contact you if we are unable to accommodate your request.

If you need transportation from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, please book this  separately on our main reservations page. We can also bring your luggage on the tour if you are in transit, or store it securely at our office.


Solo travellers:
If you are traveling alone and would like to book a tour, book for two people and then at check-out use discount code: SoloTravelerDT for 10% off. 


Descripción en Español

Viaje a uno de los pueblos quechuas rurales en las altas montañas de los Andes sobre Ollantaytambo y conéctese con las líderes artesanas. Las mujeres compartirán su herencia y conocimiento textil, una lección de tejido personalizada, un almuerzo tradicional y un mercado privado.

Itinerario

  • Pintoresco viaje desde Ollantaytambo hasta una comunidad rural quechua en el valle de Patacancha (Patacancha o Huilloc)
  • Una cálida bienvenida por parte de los miembros de nuestra cooperativa de mujeres artesanas en la llegada al centro de tejido.
  • Demostración y conversación sobre el tejido andino de cintura, y su relación con la cultura e historia andina.
  • Demostración y explicación del proceso de tejido tradicional dirigido por las artesanas.
  • Clase individual de tejido impartida por los artesanas
  • Almuerzo típico local, que incluye una sopa tradicional y plato principal
  • Oportunidad de comprar los tejidos hechos a mano por las artesanas
  • Regreso a Ollantaytambo