Full Day Weaving Tour: Ocutan Community and Kantu Weaving Center

Early in the morning, get picked up from your hotel and driven to the Kantu Interpretation Center for Andean Textiles located in the town of Chinchero, about 40 minutes away from Cusco.

After a welcome and introduction, enjoy a meeting with the center’s master weavers. An included beverage service of herbal tea, coca or muña (a Peruvian herb) helps add to the hospitality. Continue the day with a short trip to the community of Ocutuan on the shores of Piuray Lake, where you’ll make a quick stop to take in the spectacular views and appreciate the lake’s flora and fauna.

Arriving in Ocutuan, the trip’s host families will welcome you and introduce themselves. You’ll further cement your bond with your new friends by taking part in the Andean traditional meeting by chewing of coca leaves and sharing an ancestral drink known as “chicha de jora.” Further your experience by sampling traditional Andean foods like native varieties of potatoes, such as the “Oca” (Oxalis tuberosa), “Añu” or “Mashua” (Tropaeolum tuberosum), and Fava Beans, to name a few. Your hosts will share ancient legends and local stories and give you an introduction to the breeding of guinea pigs.

Midday, return to the Kantu Weaving Center for a traditional Andean lunch, complete with soup, main dish and drink. After lunch there will be a demonstration and introductory class on weaving. You’ll learn about the entire textile production process, starting from sheep or alpaca wool, wool spinning, plant dying, determining color schemes, and hand-weaving art to finished product.

Finish the day with free time to explore the merchant stands in Chinchero’s city center, each with its own unique goods. Purchase a few crafts or weaving from the artisans themselves or from the area. In the afternoon you’ll transfer back to your hotel in Cusco.