Orientation – Cusco

We’ll begin our journey in the modern city of Cusco, once the capital of a mighty empire. There, our group will acclimatize to the sights, smells, sounds, and altitude of the region. We’ll hit the city’s cobblestone streets and learn about the country’s colonial history before hiking to the Temple of the Sun and Moon for a glimpse of the valley’s Incan past. We’ll spend our nights in Aldea Yanapai, where we’ll share a dorm and share meals with our hosts. We’’ll start our mornings with a cup of coca tea and then its time to explore tasty traditional Andean food and do some hands-on learning about the health benefits of native grains and home-made energy bars. Still got room for dessert? We’ll take a chocolate-making workshop and hear about the healing powers of cacao.

From there we will switch gears and dig into mining and development with Derechos Humanos Sin Fronteras. DHSF is dedicated to working with communities affected by multinational mining so, we’ll talk human rights and get the dirt on multinational mining in the altiplano and what local communities are doing to respond.

Andean Traditions – Maska 

Next, our journey will take us to a family farm in the remote village of Maska, about an hour and a half outside of Cusco. The project, known as Kausay Punku, serves as a conservatory for ancient grains and seeds, a school of traditional organic agriculture, and a place of practice for traditional Andean medicine. There, we’ll stay together in cozy adobe huts and learn about herbal and homeopathic medicine, natural construction, and traditional farming. Our days will be spent getting our hands dirty harvesting eucalyptus, building with adobe and distilling medicinal plants into pure essential oils. Evenings will be full of traditional cuisine from the sierra and local stories of the Inca.

Incan Trails – Paru Paru

Then, we’ll set off on a hike deep into the district of Pisac. The Kinsa Ccocha Trek is an off-the-beaten path adventure that will take us past sites rarely seen by tourists, including pre-Incan wall paintings and secret mountain lakes! We will be guided by our partners at Kausay Punku and our friend Silvestre, who will share with us the history of the region and the stories passed down from their ancestors. Along the way, we’ll spend a night in community guesthouse in Paru, an indigenous community that still sustains itself on potatoes, corn and quinoa. So, get ready to challenge yourself and cozy up in this unique corner of the Andes.

Our first day will be spent learning from the Ccapa family about sustainable agricultural methods, traditional medicine, and the real story of the Incas.

Disorientation & Departures – Pisac

Finally, after an incredible journey, we’ll make our way down into an ancient Incan village which is now the famous home of one the finest remaining Incan archeological sites. The ruins of Pisac cover vast agricultural terraces and the country’s largest known cemeteries encompassing 20,000 caves carved into the side of the mountain. We’ll spend the night in town where we’ll celebrate disorientation. This is a staple of every OG program and provides a space to debrief as a group. So, we’ll kickback, relax and reflect on our incredible journey. We’ll fill our bellies with ceviche, sit under the stars, recount our tales of adventure, and reflect on all the lessons we found in the Sacred Valley. Then it’s back to Cusco where we’ll say “a la proxima!”