You’ve decided on Peru and one of many Machu Picchu Peru tours is on the top of your list. But what now? How can you get the most out of your visit to this sacred country? How can you be sure you’re seeing the authentic Peru and not simply the tourist traps. How can you fully connect with the incredible Peru sacred sites and culture while you are there? This guide shows you the best way to discover Peru.
Timing of Machu Picchu Peru Tours
Visiting sacred sites such as Machu Picchu can be a powerful experience, and you will want to give yourself enough time to fully appreciate the visit. Try to find a tour that offers more than a quick whistle-stop look around the site, and allows you some time to explore independently as well as with a Tour Leader. It can be difficult to find a Peru tour that offers entrance on more than one day to Machu Picchu, but at Sacred Earth Journeys we feel visiting on 2 days provides the time needed to connect with this sacred site.
As Helen Tomei, founder of Sacred Earth Journeys, says, “We will arrive to Machu Picchu the night before so that we can have an early start when everyone is alert and awake and ready for a beautiful ceremony at Machu Picchu as well as a leisurely afternoon to explore on their own. There will be time for a 2nd visit to Machu Picchu the next day where people can explore on their own and learn more from [our Tour Leader] Puma.”
 |
| Our Tour Leader, Puma Quispe Singona |
Experienced Tour Leader
Sure, you can travel to Peru independently. But travelling with a group led by a really great tour leader will elevate your experience, and offer you so much more than an audio guide.
When choosing a Tour Leader, you need to look for what he or she will bring to your experience of a place. Can he provide you with details that aren’t available in guidebooks and through the local tourist office? Can she bring you to visit local communities and meet with people who live off the usual tourist trails? Does he have special wisdom or training that will allow you to make more progress on your inner journey than going it alone?
At Sacred Earth Journeys, we work hard to ensure you will always travel with Tour Leaders who far exceed your expectations. Through us, you’ll learn all of the best Peru secrets. You’ll also learn what to add to your Peru travel itinerary.
Our Tour Leader for our Peru 2014 journey, for example, is the Andean Medicine Man, Healer, and Wisdom Keeper, Puma Quispe Singona.
Puma is described as “magical, compassionate and wise beyond his years” with a deep reverence for Pachamama (Earth Mother) and an ancient understanding of the Cosmos. He is the perfect companion for a spiritual journey of Peru.
Local Community in Machu Picchu Peru Tours
It’s hard to feel you know a place when all you visit are the top attractions. Spending time in a local community is an excellent way to better understand the local culture of Peru. Our Heart of the Pachamama with Puma Quispe Singona journey to Peru, September 28 – October 8, 2021, provides 2 formal opportunities for meeting local people as well as many more en route.
In the small, windswept village of Chinchero you will meet Puma’s family, friends and village elders to learn more of their traditional ways and practices and perhaps hear a few stories and tales. Renowned for its beautiful traditional weavings, this town is also the perfect place to pick up souvenirs and gifts! Then, on the island of Amantaní, part of the Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca, we will have the unique experience of staying with a “homestay family” for a night.
This is a wonderful opportunity to gain a greater understanding, appreciation, and respect for the way of life and traditions of the Uros peoples, as well as a way for you to really connect with Peruvian culture.
Sites & Ceremonies
Machu Picchu and an ascent to the Temple of the Moon will undoubtedly be a highlight of any trip to Peru, but there are many more sites to visit with powerful sacred energy. Knowing which sites to choose and how to make the most of any visit there can be tricky.
Helen Tomei says she works closely with her local Tour Leaders when choosing which sites to offer and carefully plans all itineraries to ensure travellers have quality time at each site, with appropriate ceremonies or talks that will enrich their experience.
She tells us, “All the sacred places and temples in the itinerary have been chosen for their importance to the spiritual teachings, the ceremonies that will be performed, and the healing energy ~ all of which will help our guests liberate from the energies of fear and ego towards a place of healing and clarity about their life path.”
Indeed, on the journey, we’ll have the opportunity to experience healing with Wachuma. Wachuma San Pedro is a traditional plant medicine that has been used ceremonially in Peru for thousands of years.
Inner Journey
As Joseph Campbell said, “The whole idea of pilgrimage is that you are making a journey into your own heart.” Any travel experience to a country with sacred sites and powerful energies will stir up emotions and throw up challenging questions.
The key is knowing how to navigate these challenges so you can move forwards on your own inner journey with clarity and a positive spirit. Having the guidance of a Tour Leader such as Puma, and travelling with a group of like-minded people, will offer you the safe space you need to connect with your own intuition as your travel through Peru. The ceremonies you will participate in and the wisdom you will learn from all those around you will add necessary layers of knowledge for your own inner quest.
This combination of ingredients – time at the carefully-chosen sacred sites, connecting with local culture and people, and a safe space for your own inner journey – will ensure your trip to Peru will not only be truly authentic but will also be a transformative, unforgettable travel experience.
Enjoy the best among the many Machu Picchu Peru tours!
~ Kim Bridgett
