Simply said, this 12-night, 13-day journey is a visit with master artisans in a spectacular country. This is deep and ancient Peru. Culture and Place. A true and intimate immersion into a vibrant land.  

We will meet with the legendary activist and artisan, Nilda Callanaupa, in her village of Chinchero; Shipibo artisan, Olinda Silvano in her Lima workspace; folk potter Artemio Pomo in his family workshop. We’ll learn from the creatives at Warmichic about how they are using clothing design to counter discrimination against rural emigrant women and the designers at Amapolay who fuse present and past in their works to raise awareness of Peru’s powerful indigenous legacy. IFAM has been honored to host all of these artisans in Santa Fe!

Yet Peru is endless! We’ll dive into a hands-on retablo making workshop in Ayacucho, visit a jewelry artisan in Cuzco, see how alpaca are sheared in Patacancha, see the making of story-telling tapestries, cook up an iconic Peruvian lunch and try our hand at weaving. We will peer into the past as we explore ancient temples and ceremonial centers, learn rich stories with museum visits and fully enjoy the delights of humanity in the plazas, eateries and markets of Peru.

The setting for all this goodness could hardly be more stunning. We journey from the edge of the Pacific Ocean to mesmerizing valleys bounded by the spirit-infused peaks of the Andes. With three included internal flights, our path takes us through the colonial and bohemian neighborhoods of Lima to the ancient capital of the Inca, Cuzco; A gem among gems. We’ll explore the off-the-beaten-path cultural hub of Ayacucho and spend time in the Sacred Valley in the ancient Incan town of Ollantaytambo with its incan stonework, ancient canals and our hotel in the midst of an organic farm.  

Peru Fine Folkart is custom designed for IFAM and operated by Traditions Tours/Eric Mindling.  Our Tour Host and coordinator is Hillary Freeman. Please feel free to contact her with any questions at hillaryfreemantravels@gmail.com or 650 489-1054. 

Lima

Welcome to Lima!  We will be staying at Casa República, a boutique hotel in a 1920’s mansion located in the heart of what many consider to be Lima’s most interesting and inviting neighborhood, Barranco. You can check in any time after 2PM. If you are flying in today, odds are reasonable you will get in late. Let us know your arrival plans and we’ll meet you in the hotel lobby to welcome you and help you get situated. 

Overnight Casa Republica hotel

B, L / Lima

Lima is a humming, modern city built over ancient settlements. We’ll get a sense of then and now exploring Huaca Pucllana, an ancient adobe pyramid in the heart of Lima. Then, to add color to our imagination of how the inhabitants of those adobe temples looked, we visit the Museo Amano with its remarkable collection of pre-Columbian textiles. Lunch will be at one of Lima’s signature world class restaurants,  Mayta.  Back to Barranco, we head to Amapolay, a fusion art clothing store and another IFAM invitee.  Then we’ll visit Las Pallas, an elegant home that feels like a museum but is actually a folkart store. Enjoy!! The evening is free, walk the streets of Barranco neighborhood, go have dinner at a restaurant featured on Netflix, eat cotton candy in the park. 

Overnight at Casa Republica hotel. 

 B, L /Lima

We will start diving into the world of Amazonic textiles and Kené art, learning about the rich traditions behind these crafts in a far corner of the city with IFAM artist, Olinda Silvano.Then we’ll walk Lima's historic downtown, exploring its colonial architecture and vibrant streets. Our plan continue heading to Pueblo Libre neighbourhood. We will enjoy a delicious lunch at the awarded Museo Larco's restaurant, a convenient venue before our curatorial guided visit of the museum. The day will end with a visit to IFAM artist Qarla Quispe, a designer, activist and founder of  Warmichic, a renowned Andean fashion clothing store.

 Overnight Casa Republica hotel 

 B, L /Ayaucucho

We leave the coast early, flying up, up to Ayacucho. At 9,000’ elevation, this is the perfect place to get our bodies acclimatized to the higher reaches of Andean Peru we’ll soon be visiting. Mid morning we visit the Cathedral of Huamanga, an architectural gem, and then we’ll delve into the world of retablos, an artform that Ayacucho is legendary for.  Essentially storytelling boxes, we’ll learn about this colorful folk art at the Museum Joaquín Lopez de Antay. Inspired we’ll go to work creating our own retablo with the Ataucusi family. We set you free this evening to relax and enjoy friendly Ayacucho.

Overnight at Hotel Santa Rosa

B, L /Ayacucho

We’ll wander through the crumbling remains of Wari, once the art of a historic kingdom and one of the largest urban settlements in Peru. With José Ochatoma, the most renowned local archeologist, we’ll learn about who these ancient ones were. Then onward to the town of Quinua to meet IFAM potter, Artemio Poma, who will guide us through a workshop and share his expertise, while his wife prepares an outstanding traditional lunch.

 Overnight at Hotel Astromelia 

 B, L, D /Ayacucho

We finish what we began, returning to the retablo workshop to polish up our own masterworks. We’ll also visit the ANFASEP Museum, to learn about the hard edges of more recent history and Peru's internal armed conflict.we’ll visit the local market to immerse ourselves in the vibrant daily life of this corner of the earth.  We’ll follow meeting IFAM participants Hilos y Colores, a family-run social enterprise doing a remarkable job  promoting Ayacucho's textile techniques. Hosted by the power couple Faustino and Mercedes and their daughter Natividad, we will learn about their production process and participate in a vibrant encounter with rural-community representatives that form part of the organization. Tonight a farewell to Ayacucho with dinner together at a locals’ favorite spot. 

 Overnight at Hotel Santa Rosa

B, L, D/Cusco

We fly away from Ayacucho early, like an Andean condor meeting the sun, and land in the heart of the Incan empire, the gem of gems, Cusco. Our time in Ayacucho has prepared our bodies for the 11,000’ elevation of this city of cobbles, roof tiles and unfathomably perfect Incan stonework. We’ll take a walking tour of the heart of this jewel making a special visit to The Temple of the Sun, Qorikancha.This place is ancient and semi ancient, where Incan and Spanish architecture overlap each other and speak of the time when one power came to wash over another. We’ll be staying at Costa del Sol Hotel Wyndham hotel, within the walls of a 17th century mansion and a short walk from the central plaza of Cusco.

Overnight at Costa del Sol Hotel Wyndham hotel 

 B, L /Cusco

We continue our explorations of Cusco today. Truth is, one could joyfully walk the streets of Cuzco, often called the Rome of the Americas, for ages. We start the day exploring the grandeur of the Cusco Cathedral and its impressive art collection. We’ll rest our feet and enliven our pallets with a cooking workshop. Our lunch will be the fruit of our own labor as we cook up iconic Peruvian dishes under the expert guidance of a skilled chef. Then we’ll close out our day meeting Abraham Aller, a renowned artist specializing in religious imagery.  

Overnight at Costa del Sol Hotel Wyndham hotel

 B, L /Cusco

The ancient layout of Cusco is a mythical Jaguar. The river being the tail, the great plaza and city the body and the ceremonial center of Sacsaywaman and Q'enqo, the head. We will walk through the Jaguar’s mouth today! Here, the glory of Incan stone work, unsurpassed anywhere in the Americas and still a technical mystery, is on full display. We’ll also visit the gorgeous Xapiri Ground art house that is a bridge to indigenous Amazonian culture and arts. After enjoying lunch together, chance for a break. Later this afternoon we meet IFAM jewelry artisan, Hilda Cachi, and discover her unique creations and family’s legacy. In the evening, experience a special night out with a concert at a local bar 

Overnight at Costa del Sol Hotel Wyndham hotel

 B, L /Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley 

Pack bags, load the llamas and onward. We follow the new road, old trail to the ancient village of Chinchero, birthplace of Nilda Callañaupa. At the Chinchero weaving center we will sit among traditional Quechua weavers and try our hand at weaving. You won’t go home with a handwoven scarf of your own creation, but you will begin to understand what it takes to organize threads into something useful and gorgeous. Then, surrounded by the breathtaking peaks of the Andes, we descend from our high perch into the Sacred Valley of the Inca. We’ll take you to an especially sweet lunch spot and then onward to the enchanting ancient village town of  Ollantaytambo, our last base camp on this grand exploration. We’ll settle into the river and railroad side hotel, El Albergue, which is a community unto itself.  It has a distillery, coffee roaster, organic gardens that provide much of the produce for the restaurant and kind, rustic rooms set throughout the century old, forested compound. (And it’s but one train stop away from Machu Picchu, something to keep in mind as a little thing to do once the tour is over ;).

Overnight at El Albergue Ollantaytambo hotel. 

 B, L /Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo was once the royal estate of the Incan Emperor Pachacutec. This truly delightful village rests in a river-fed valley with stunning ruins lining the valley walls on either side. We’ll explore the spectacular, terraced ruins of the ceremonial center on the western side of the valley. It is appropriate to stare agape at the massive stones used to build this site.  Lunch will be of a ritual sort, a Pachamanca, an earth baked meal done in the old way.

Overnight at El Albergue Ollantaytambo hotel. 

B,L,D/Ollantaytambo

Our day begins early as we travel up a side valley to the small village of Patacancha where we will meet with herdsmen and artisans. We have met many weavers on this journey. Today we come to source, learning about communal organizing, how alpaca are sheared and how their wool is prepared for weaving. And we’ll close our travels with a Pachamama ceremony, in gratitude for the gifts of this earth.  In the evening we celebrate with a farewell dinner and enjoy the lively atmosphere of Ollantaytambo town. 

 Overnight at El Albergue Ollantaytambo hotel. 

 B / Ollantaytambo-Lima

After a leisurely breakfast, we transfer to Cusco airport for your included departure flight to Lima which arrives in Lima at 5PM when the tour will have officially ended. Book onward travel or take yourself to a hotel in Lima. 

Buen viaje!!

Hillary Freeman is our fantastic host for this journey to Peru and she will be your support before and during this journey.   Please feel free to contact her with any questions at hillaryfreemantravels@gmail.com or 650 489-1054.  

Hillary describes herself as a leader, mentor, educator, polymath, and travel expert. She has been traveling since she was 5 years old, as both of her parents were avid adventurers. She has lead 25+  international travel adventures to 9 countries in Asia, Europe, Central America and South America. Hillary is a people person. She looks for the light in everyone she meets.  She ensures travelers safety while helping them immerse in the experiences. Humor, fun, activity, and camaraderie are key components to trips she leads.  Hillary is a mother of two and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, playing tennis, and all water sports. Her water polo team won a gold medal in the senior Olympics.  Hillary’s academic interests range from human culture, philosophy, and the arts to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).