Peru Cultural Journeys is a Peruvian travel company, based out of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Pisac, Peru. We are a unique tourism company committed to providing visitors and our guests with a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the magic and mystical wonders of the Andes through authentic social interaction, cultural participation and personal comfort.
We live our daily lives in the world shared with our visitors, and involved in many valuable cultural projects. Thanks to our long-established local roots and ties, Peru Cultural Journeys offers access to people, places and insights far beyond the reach of the average traveler, with insider opportunities unlike any you have experienced before. We believe that authentic cultural travel broadens horizons and enriches the spirit, affording a deeper understanding of the world in which we live.
Join us and experience the authentic essence of 5,000 years of Andean culture, its meaning and its magic. Gently walking on ancient pathways, we lead an exploration into the Andean world through a native perspective, allowing you to cultivate a personal and intimate relationship to this land, the people and their customs. This unique travel adventure through Peru's magical destinations affords visitors a rare opportunity for social interaction, personal comfort and cultural participation while visiting rural Peru.
We envision our tours as tapestries, artistically composed of excursions, cultural events, cuisine and worldview – interconnected to the fantastic landscape, ancient archeological sites and cultural continuum. All of our guides and specialists are local and indigenous. They are exceptional people who commonly share the vision and life ethic based on Andean respect and reciprocity, and honor their ancestral heritage. Most are fluent in English and Spanish and also speak the local language of Quechua. When not fluent in English, we provide necessary translation.
Our native guides contribute an unmatched level of knowledge and sophistication along with indigenous perspectives that brings the history of the area clearly into focus. Visitors come away with invaluable insights into the treasury of local Andean knowledge and traditions. As such, these journeys open doors into a world that visitors would never have seen otherwise. For example, Peru Cultural Journeys alone lets you discover Machu Picchu based on ancestral accounts and introduces you to Inca culture first-hand, through a sincere encounter in a Quechua community.
In this light, Peru Cultural Journeys is wholeheartedly committed to ecological, responsible and conscience travel, deeply rooted in respect for the local land, the people and their traditions. We are dedicated to protecting and promoting Andean heritage through sustaining traditional culture, its values and traditions.
For the Quechua peoples everything is related and bound: art, science, religion, social organization, and daily life. Our itineraries are carefully woven to celebrate the colorful layers and diverse elements of authentic Andean culture. From your accommodations to your meals to your destinations, each day offers multiple opportunities to engage in the sophisticated and gentle culture of this ancient region. Most importantly, the entire tour is composed from an indigenous point of view, thereby offering learning experiences and unforgettable memories that will enrich your life.
The journey you will embark upon with Peru Cultural Journeys is based on a traditional holistic approach wherein astronomy, geometry, geodesics, engineering, hydraulics, mythology, history, politics, artistic expressions, rituals, music, dance and spirituality are all tied together to master the art and science of agriculture — which comprises the essence of Andean culture.
Not the typical tour, Peru Cultural Journeys offers the insider version of authentic Peru. We maintain a high quality of excellence in our tours always respecting, honoring and celebrating the indigenous perspective. This allows for a richer voice than that of many conventional historical versions. In these and myriad other ways, Peru Cultural Journeys consistently goes above and beyond – and no journey is complete without an unexpected “gem” that makes your experience special, educational and unforgettable.
Meet your Hosts:
Your hosts and founders of Peru Cultural Journeys, Fielding Wood Vizcarra, an American from Taos, NM and her husband, Roman Vizcarra, a native of Peru, invite you to participate in a truly unique travel experience that makes a positive difference in our world.
Born in Peru, Roman has traveled worldwide teaching about the Quechua people. He loves to share an intimate knowledge of his people’s traditions and belief systems: their music, dance, art, food and customs. A professional guide, Roman speaks fluent Spanish, English, German and Italian. He studied Agronomy and then traveled and lived in Europe for 12 years, studying painting, playing traditional Andean music – and meeting his future wife.
Roman and Fielding settled in Peru in 1993, married and started their family. Having married an American Roman has also lived in the US for several years and returns regularly for family visits and for intertribal exchange work. Together they established the Pisac Inn (www.pisacinn.com) and its restaurant Cuchara de Palo (www.cucharadepalo.com), began Peru Cultural Journeys and built their home in Taray. They have dedicated the past 16 years to cultural and social work with local people, including the establishment of four Andean Cultural Centers and a school, K**i Kawsay (www.kusikawsay.org), with the vision of providing the space to practice and celebrate local traditions. “We are very active promoting the Andean culture on a grassroots level. The idea is to inspire others and have cultural centers and schools emerge like wildfire, and so encourage a resurgence of the practice of local belief systems by the Quechua people.”
Roman has lived in and traveled to many areas of his country, gathering a wealth of traditional knowledge to share with others. He maintains a deep respect and passion for the traditional Quechua people and a calling to promote their human rights as equals. His focus is to remind the world that traditional belief systems are valid and that Andean cosmology and practices are a valuable part of universal wealth. Roman shares with passion his life vision: the recuperation and revaluation of his culture.
Fielding is originally from Lexington, Kentucky, and moved to Taos N.M. at age 11. She went to The Madeira High School in Virginia, and then on to the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she received her BFA. She spent her junior year abroad in the Education Abroad Program (EAP), studying painting at Bellas Artes in Venice, Italy. Roman was living in Italy at the time, and since their first encounter in Venice life was never the same for either. “I remember the first moment we met, Roman said that when he settles down and has his family he wants to be in his land, and raise his children in his traditions and customs. I thought that was beautiful and so important. I never imagined I would be the one joining him.”
She was indeed the one to join him. Fielding has embraced her new life in the Andes with love and gusto, embarking upon numerous cultural projects, cultivating several businesses and most importantly raising three children Suni, T’ika and Katari. “We have lived in Peru for 19 years and have created a very wonderful life here. This culture celebrates family. For raising children it is ideal; here children are a focal point of joy. It is easier to live a simple, healthy life, not bombarded with so many unnecessary distractions. This allows for a higher quality of life in the truest sense.” As an American living in Peru, Fielding understands the importance of hospitality, of exchanging insights, of creating your home away from home. She enjoys using her artistry and inspiration to create itineraries that fulfill each guest’s travel preferences and dreams.
With this expertise in Andean culture, world vision and history, Peru Cultural Journeys reveals the magic of Peru with an authenticity that will surely exceed your expectations.
