Potato Park Pisac Tour (Parque de la Papa)
A living conservation project protecting 1,400+ native potato varieties, with a Quechua interpreter.
Potato Park (Parque de la Papa) is a unique conservation initiative run by six indigenous communities in the Sacred Valley, dedicated to preserving traditional Andean agriculture and protecting an extraordinary range of biodiversity — over 1,400 native potato varieties, along with other crops and medicinal plants.
This tour takes you to the Paru Paru community, where you’ll be welcomed with traditional Andean music and flowers, learn to identify native potato varieties, participate in planting using ancestral Inca techniques, and share an organic potato-based lunch with the community.
This is a first-hand operation by Kondor Path Tours — locally owned, licensed in Cusco, and free of reseller markups. This tour includes a local Quechua-Spanish interpreter, ensuring genuine cultural exchange with community members. It operates year-round.
Want to combine this with Inca archaeology? See our Super Sacred Valley + Maras Tour or the South Valley Tour Cusco.
| 🥾 Duration | Full day (08:00 – 17:30, round-trip from Cusco) |
| ⛰️ Max altitude | 4,070 m / 13,556 ft — Paru Paru community |
| 🥔 Highlight | 1,400+ native potato varieties, living conservation project |
| 🗣️ Interpreter | Local Quechua-Spanish interpreter included |
| 🍱 Meals | Organic Andean lunch included |
| 💪 Difficulty | Easy |
| 📅 Season | Year-round |
| 👥 Group size | 1–10 travelers |
| 🔞 Minimum age | 5+ years |
| 💲 Price | Scalable from $68 USD per person (groups of 1–10) |
The Potato Park Pisac Tour turns 1 day into a genuinely unforgettable trip – Traditional welcome ceremony with Andean music and Kantu flower necklaces from the Amaru community tradition – Learn to identify native potato varieties — Potato Park protects over 1,400 varieties – Hands-on planting using ancestral Inca farming tools and techniques – Pachamama offering ceremony, led by an Andean priestess. The Potato Park Pisac Tour — genuine Andean history, start to finish.
Potato Park is not a museum in the traditional sense — it’s a living, working landscape managed by six indigenous Quechua communities, dedicated to protecting the extraordinary agricultural biodiversity of the Andes. Visiting Paru Paru, one of these communities, offers a rare opportunity for genuine cultural exchange rather than a staged performance.
| Tour | Focus |
|---|---|
| Potato Park Pisac Tour | Living Andean agriculture, indigenous community exchange |
| Super Sacred Valley + Maras Tour | Inca archaeology and terraces (Chinchero, Moray, Maras) |
| Qeswachaka Inca Bridge Tour | Last hand-woven Inca rope bridge |
| South Valley Tour Cusco | Tipón, Pikillaqta, Andahuaylillas |
This cultural tour visits the Paru Paru community within Potato Park, a living conservation project protecting over 1,400 native potato varieties, with a traditional welcome ceremony, hands-on planting, and a local Quechua-Spanish interpreter facilitating genuine cultural exchange.
Paru Paru sits at 4,070 m, higher than Cusco itself, making it the day’s highest point. Since the visit involves a short walk (5 to 15 minutes) rather than sustained trekking, the altitude is generally manageable for travelers who’ve already spent time adjusting in Cusco, though the community’s elevation is worth being aware of for anyone still acclimatizing.
Your guide picks you up from your hotel at 08:00 AM. The drive to the Sacred Valley includes stops at scenic viewpoints in Taray, Pisac, and Cuyo Chico, with photo opportunities over the Andes, the Sacred Valley, and the Pisac mountain range.
Arriving at the Paru Paru community, you’re welcomed with traditional Andean music and flowers from the Kantu — the imperial Inca flower. Community members, dressed in colorful traditional clothing, guide you through a short walk to identify native plants and their traditional uses, followed by a Pachamama (Earth) offering ceremony led by an Andean priestess.
The heart of the visit is hands-on participation in potato farming — planting using ancestral Inca tools, while learning about the more than 1,400 native potato varieties preserved in this part of Cusco. At midday, share an organic Andean lunch based on potatoes grown in the community, followed by time to browse locally made textiles before saying farewell to the Paru Paru community.
Day 1 stats
Potato lunch
Easy
A light walk
5 to 15 minutes
Potato Park: 4,070m (13,556 ft)
Potato Park: 4,070m (13,556 ft)
Looking to combine it with Inca archaeology? Compare it with our South Valley Tour Cusco.
There’s nothing extra to add on for this one. Community textile purchases are optional and directly support the Paru Paru community.
A conservation initiative run by six indigenous Quechua communities in the Sacred Valley, dedicated to preserving traditional Andean farming practices and protecting over 1,400 native potato varieties, along with other crops and medicinal plants.
A traditional welcome with Andean music, a walk to learn about native plants, a Pachamama offering ceremony, hands-on participation in potato planting using ancestral tools, and an organic Andean lunch — all at the Paru Paru community.
Yes — a Quechua-Spanish interpreter is included, enabling genuine conversation with community members rather than one-way narration.
Yes, an organic Andean lunch based on potatoes grown in the park.
Rated Easy — a short walk of 5 to 15 minutes, suitable for most fitness levels and ages.
The recommended minimum age is 5 years old.
This tour operates year-round.
Yes — locally made textiles are available for purchase directly from Paru Paru community members, supporting the local economy.
Not fully, due to the terrain and some uneven ground at the community.
This tour focuses entirely on living Andean agriculture and cultural exchange with the Paru Paru community, rather than Inca archaeological sites like Moray, Chinchero, or Pisac ruins.
Yes — ask us about combining this tour with a visit to the Pisac ruins or market on the same day.
| Persons | Price (p/p) | |
| 1 | $ 269.00 USD | |
| 2 | $ 171.00 USD | |
| 3 | $ 122.00 USD | |
| 4 | $ 102.00 USD | |
| 5 | $ 93.00 USD | |
| 6 | $ 85.00 USD | |
| 7 | $ 79.00 USD | |
| 8 | $ 74.00 USD | |
| 9 | $ 71.00 USD | |
| 10 | $ 68.00 USD |
Potato Park Peru
Potato Park Peru
Potato Park Peru
