Experiential tourism consists of carrying out attractive and interesting actions in contact with local people. In this way, the traveler learns their customs, enjoys their meals, sleeps in their homes, experiences their routines and intervenes in their productive practices. This alternative encourages an encounter between people of dissimilar cultures.
This option, which emerged just over a decade ago, has become a fascinating way to appreciate the vast, complex and little-known universe of the village. Beyond its undoubted economic gains, it makes it possible to realize our vast gastronomic, ecological, ethnic and historical baggage and, especially, attracts people eager to perceive the ancestral diversity of rural aborigines.
Are you interested in discovering experiential tourism in Perú? It is a very popular option among tourists today and in Peru there are many places where you can enjoy experiential tourism in Perú. Just book one of the Packages to Perú.
If you come to visit Peru and want to do something different, there are many rural community tourism options where you can share a day, a night or stay as long as you want with people from a community.
Many travelers want to learn about local life and the cultural customs of the country they visit but do not know how to do it. That is why in Peru the Rural Community Tourism (TRC) network was created with the support of the Ministry of Tourism. The idea is that the traveler knows how to relate to the resident and that the people of the communities benefit from the arrival of tourists, who can choose from the 76 enterprises in 16 regions that exist.
14 ideas for experiential tourism in Perú
The best Perú vacation packages are located near Cusco and its Valley, by the Colca Canyon, by the Cordillera Blanca or by the shore and the islands of Titicaca. For example, you can sleep in a cozy room and taste Cristina’s seasoning by floating above Lake Titicaca on one of the Uros islands, made of reeds. Another option is to kayak in the crystal clear waters of the Lake with the association Sumaq Wasi Tours de Llachon. The islands of Taquile and Amantani are considered the most mystical of the Lake and the inhabitants also open their doors to tourists.
In Colca, the stone town of Sibayo awaits you or the community of Coporaque where they rent horses to tour the Andean terraces of the Colca Valley. In the Cordillera Blanca, the people of Vicos will teach you a lot about agriculture and will hike through the lagoons around the glaciers there.
In the Sacred Valley of the Incas there are also authentic experiences to share. We stayed to sleep in the Amaru weaving community above Pisac. They are part of the Tierra de los Yachaqs project (www.yachaqs.com). There we shared healthy and delicious food, we made a bonfire at night, we walked through the hills learning about medicinal plants and we ended up knowing the whole process of their tissues. We share with Rufina, Paulina, Carmen and Valentina wisdom, laughter and sincerity. Definitely the image that you take back home is another. And these moments of exchange fill you with a lot of energy.
With the Yachaqs you can also organize the Huchuy Qosqo trek, they are Inca ruins above Cusco, built by Viracocha, they are not very visited because it is only reached on foot in a journey of 2 days and 1 night.
Near Amaru, we find the Potato Park where we learned how one of the most emblematic products of the Peruvian Andes is grown. Go visit him from March to May during the harvest or stay in Maras, near Las Salineras to learn how pink salt is made with the same process of the Incas and that it is exported all over the world.
In the Amazon, they will have the best guides of nature since they live all year in the jungle and know it better than anyone. You can walk through the gigantic Gocta waterfall and observe toucans.
2 and a half hours from Tarapoto is the Tingana reserve, a sanctuary with birds and monkeys in which you enter by canoe and rowing. And if you want to go even further, the Ivy Mara Ey Lodge is part of the Rumbo al Dorado route through the Pacaya Samiria Reserve in Iquitos, one of the largest and oldest in Peru. Juan in Tingana or Manuel in Pacaya Samiria are unique guides.
Other 4 ideal places for experiential tourism in Perú
Coporaque (Caylloma, Arequipa):
4 hours from the city of Arequipa, you can find the town of Coporaque, located at 3575 m.a.s.l. This population is well known for the importance of its textiles within its cultural traditions. In this town you can visit the Archaeological Complex of Llactapampa, its main church and the chapel of San Sebastián.
During your visit to Coporaque you can carry out various activities in the company of the locals. Thus, you can be part of agricultural and livestock tasks. These are the main economic activities of the population, but they are also practices that contain a lot of knowledge that is transmitted from generation to generation. It can also be part of the weaving process. In these participatory exhibitions the tourist will not only be able to observe the processes of making the fabric, but also to test their own skills and learn more about the importance and role of this activity for the culture of Coporaque.
Llachón (Capachica, Puno):
Just one hour from the city of Puno, is the beautiful town of Llachón, which has the best view of Lake Titicaca.
Likewise, you can be part of the agricultural tasks, learning about the harvesting process by seasons. In the same way, you can talk with the locals about the alternative uses of their products, such as in rituals. Because Llachón is located on the Copachica peninsula, activities also include boat trips on Titicaca and artisanal fishing. Again, the latter is a daily practice in the Llachón community, so it will be a privilege to observe and be part of this experience.
Finally, the community also offers tourists to be part of the weaving process, a very important activity throughout the Peruvian highlands. Here you can learn about weaving techniques and the meaning that textiles have for the culture of the settlers.
Cocachimba (Valera, Amazonas):
One hour from Chachapoyas, Cocachimba is located, located in the Valera district, at 2300 m.a.s.l. From Chachapoyas it is very easy to get there due to the proximity of this town to the Gocta Falls. We recommend going through Cocachimba first and participating in its experiential tourism activities.
This town is well known for its sugar cane and pineapple crops. That is why experiential tourism in Cocachimba has as its main activity participation in agricultural tasks. In this way, tourists will be able to learn harvesting and sowing techniques based on the experience of the residents.
Likewise, you can also participate in the production of chancaca, panela and cane milling. The locals can show you how they make these ingredients and their secrets so that they get the most delicious flavor.
Canrey Chico (Olleros, Huaraz):
Canrey Chico is a town that is located 50 minutes from Huaraz and has an altitude of between 3,100 and 4,700 m.a.s.l. Due to this altitude, it is recommended that, upon arrival, you rest for a minimum of a couple of hours to acclimatize.
In the town of Canrey Chico you can perform various experiential tourism activities. The most attractive activities for tourists are participation in Andean rituals, storytelling, myths and legends and the observation of folk dances. Each of these activities will provide you with a little more information about the culture and traditional practices of the people of Canrey Chico.
“With these 4 experiential tourism options, you are ready to embark on the next adventure and learn more about the diverse cultures that Peru is home to.”