Sustainable tourism is the practice of tourism in a way that respects and strengthens the destination or host community. Sustainable tourism invests in the families that live in a host community, and offers economic opportunity to those who are often marginalized by or excluded from tourism. At Awamaki, our sustainable tourism program works in deep collaboration with indigenous women and their families to provide direct access to the economic benefits from tourism.

Sustainable tourism also strengthens appreciation for the cultural heritage and environment of the destination community. Rather than undermining cultural practices, sustainable tourism respectfully elevates and values local traditions. For example, in the communities where Awamaki works, sustainable tourism offers women the opportunity to earn an income by sharing their deep knowledge of weaving and fiber arts, instead of working in a hotel or a job in a nearby city that is removed from their community.

Years ago, tourism to the indigenous villages where we work was disorganized and chaotic. Without a tourist reception center, guides brought tourists to the village to wander the paths, even peeking into people’s homes to take pictures. Visits were not planned in advance, so when tourists arrived, women dropped everything they were doing–cooking, weaving, parenting–to run to meet the tourists in the hopes they would sell a weaving, but if they didn’t, there was no compensation for the time they took from their day. The economic benefit of tourism was uneven and unreliable. Visitors disrupted and eroded key parts of village life. Meanwhile, women had few options to earn money in the village, as paying jobs were located in towns several hours away.

At Awamaki, we have worked with artisan partners to design a tourism program that is beneficial to indigenous communities and meaningful for tourists. Artisans know in advance when tourists will arrive, and they have created a rotation system to ensure that everyone has a chance to benefit from the visits. We have supported our artisan partners in creating comfortable spaces to host tourists, and worked with them to set guidelines for respectful photography. Through our program, artisans are compensated for their time hosting tourists whether or not the tourists buy weavings. Overall, visitors enjoy a much calmer and more meaningful experience, with an opportunity to truly connect with their host community. Artisans and their families are able to earn an income while valuing their heritage and keeping their communities intact.

When you click on the button to “book” the tour, you’ll be directed to a page that details the full itinerary of the experience and allows you to select date(s) for booking!

You’ll find a specific packing list for each trip on the booking page! Our cooking classes require you to bring nothing, while the Andean Overnight requires the most. For your trip to Ollantaytambo, we generally suggest you bring the following:

Water
Sunscreen (the Sacred Valley sun is no joke!)
Comfortable, sturdy shoes
Warm layer, such as a light jacket
Small rain coat (just in case, but not as necessary in May-September)
Light snack(s) for any time in transit

Yes, we can gladly store your luggage during the experience! We can either bring your luggage on the tour if you are in transit, or store it securely at our office.

All international travel comes with some risk, but Ollantaytambo is an extremely safe town. You will want to take reasonable precautions, like keeping an eye on your backpack in a restaurant, but any kind of violence against tourists is exceedingly rare. Ollantaytambo is a small town that values tourists and wants to keep you safe. During your tour, you will be with Awamaki staff at all times to answer any questions.

In the indigenous villages where we travel for the weaving experiences and the Andean Overnight, any crime against tourists is almost nonexistent.

Yes! We can accommodate most special requests, and almost 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 have already booked and need to request special assistance, please email your requests to tours@awamaki.org 72 hours or more before your tour.

Our tours are generally quite mild in physical activity. Anyone able to walk at a slow pace over slightly uneven ground is able to participate. The Rural Tourism, Andean Overnight, and Earth Oven Lunch packages do take place at high altitudes. However, there is not much strenuous activity and you are only a little higher than Cusco.

Your tour begins and ends at the Plaza de Armas (main square) in Ollantaytambo. This is a great central location in town, nearby to many shops, hotels, and restaurants. If you’d like suggestions on what to do or where to stay in the area, we are happy to share!

*If you need transportation from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, please book this separately on our main reservations page. It is not difficult to hail a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo or back, but we are happy to help with this booking if you reserve it through our reservations page.

With the Rural Tourism, Earth Oven-Lunch and Andean Overnight packages you will find discounts for groups and younger travelers! Depending on the experience and number of people (10+), we may be able to provide a group discount for other experiences. Please email us with questions at tours@awamaki.org!

Yes! You will need to book for two on our reservations page. The tour description on that page has a discount code for solo travelers so you are not paying double, just covering the increased cost of transport.

Awamaki is a non-proft and our tourism department consists of volunteers and one coordinator. We sometimes have to turn down bookings because we have another on the same day. If a tour is canceled more than 15 days in advance, 75% of the payment will be refunded. Between 15 days and 2 days before the date of a tour, 25% of the payment will be refunded. Twenty-four hours before a tour, or in the case of a no show, none of the payment will be refunded. On the day of the tour, we will wait up to an additional 15 minutes for passenger(s) to arrive. If, within this time, the passenger does not arrive, or their driver has not communicated with the tourism coordinator of Awamaki through the emergency phone number (+51 973 540 413), it will be considered a no show.

We generally require 48 hours notice so that we can give our artisan partners ample time to plan and host. This is part of our commitment to tourism that does not disrupt community life. However, you can email tours@awamaki.org to see if there is an existing tour already happening within 48 that you could join- there is just no guarantee that we are able to get back to you in time, so we strongly recommend booking in advance.

If you find us too late to book a tour, please feel free to stop by our store in Ollantaytambo to see the artisans’ work, ask questions, and learn more about Awamaki!

We do not run tours on Sundays, per the artisans’ request. This is part of our commitment to not disrupting community life. The artisans spend Sundays with their families.

No problem! Just send us an email at tours@awamaki.org and we will get back to you there!