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Engage in Vicos' authentic culture
Destination: Huaraz - Ancash
Client satisfaction: ****
RESPONSibility Index: ****
Price level: $, $$

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PLEASE NOTE:
RESPONS is finalizing its new website. This new site will contain more than a hundred RESPONSible Travel Experiences around Peru, and an interactive Travel Planner to design your dream trip to Peru! Meanwhile, some products or photos might not be visible on this website and some functions might not work properly. 
Thank you for your understanding,
The RESPONS Team 

Engage in Vicos' authentic culture

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Engage in Vicos' authentic culture
Full Description
Sustainability Practices
Previous travellers
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Vicos is an authentic Andean community, which has hosted many satisfied travelers since 2002. Previous visitors praise the great hospitality, the authentic culture and its beautiful surroundings. Your local hosts will take you hiking whilst you learn about medicinal plants. They will receive you in their house, bake bread in their adobe oven for you. By the heat of their chimney, they will tell you ancient myths and legends of their ancestors. Vicos is the experience that today's curious traveller is looking for! Become part of your Andean family now; contact RESPONS for programs, prices and more details!

The sustainable community-based tourism project 'Cuyaquiwayi ' ('Beautiful House' in Quechua) was started by The Mountain Institute in 1999 to provide a sustainable alternative source of income to the Vicos inhabitants. The project received its first tourists in May 2002 and since then many national and international visitors lived this profound Andean experience.

RespTourAwards_VicosIn November 2010, the Cuyaqui Wayi tourism committee of Vicos was almost recognized with a Responsible Tourism Award at the World Travel Market 2010 in London as "Best Accommodation for Local Communities"!
Finally, Vicos became highly recommended by the jury, consisting of thirteen responsible tourism hot-shots, headed by professor Harold Goodwin. The judges said: "The community members of Cuyaqui Wayi Vicos in Peru have embraced their own cultural identity as a tool for establishing a positive relationship with the outside world through tourism. Following a period of isolation and exploitation by outsiders, they have rediscovered their own cultural practices and established a homestay programme owned and operated by eight local families that allows them to communicate cultural traditions to travellers on their own terms." Thank you judges!
(Read more about the responsible tourism awards here: www.responsibletourismawards.com)

Hiking, working on the fields or exploring ruins? Find out which activities you can undertake in Vicos here. For a (satellite) map of Vicos, click here.

Guinea pig on a stick, potatoes cooked underground and hot drinks of forbidden grains? Find out about our special drinks & dishes here!

In Vicos seven beautiful guesthouses  are located next to the host families. Find out more about the accommodation and their location here!

Children’s urine to beat diseases? Hmmmm... Learn more about traditional medicines here!

What do I pay, what is in- and excluded, and what does the community get? Find out about our prices here.

Please make use of the submenu on the right, or the "Next"-button on the bottom of each article, to switch between pages containing more information about Vicos. More pictures can be found below, to get a good idea of Vicos' beauty.


A personal note from the Vicosinos

Dear Visitor,

The Cuyaquihuayi Tourism Project in Vicos started in 2001, when we invited the NGO The Mountain Institute to start a sustainable community-based tourism project in our village. This NGO strengthened our capacities in tourism service, guiding, cooking hygienically, social aspects of the project, and so on. The first group of tourists visited our project in May 2002, which was a very special experience for us.

Since then we have received many tourists, who were all enchanted by their stay in our village. With the information on this site we want to show you why a visit to the community of Vicos is so interesting. We would be very glad with your visits, because it means we can help our families and our community to develop. Please stay with us, and let us share our beliefs and way of life with you.

Greetings from the Vicosinos.

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Please check out this short video about Vicos (sorry, in Spanish)



What to pack & leave

What should you definitely not forget, and what should you definitely leave at home?? Learn about what to bring & leave here.

Health & Safety

How should you prepare your body for a journey to a developing country and altitudes of above 3.000 meters? And how to minimize risks of being robbed? Learn more here.

How to get here & there

Which bus company should you take from Lima to Huaraz, and how to get to the communities? And how does this taxi system work? Find your answers here.

Vicos Fans

detmar“This homestay turned out to be one of the most authentic experiences I had during my
stay in Perú.”
- Detmar Breuker

ivanmiral“A homestay is a chance to make more than a superficial connection with local villagers.”
- Ivan and Miral

dirk“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
- Dirk Wolkers

Contact us

RESPONS Huaraz:
Jr. 28 de Julio 821, Center
+51 (0) 43 427 949
huaraz (A) responsibletravelperu.com

RESPONS Cuzco:
Canchipata s/n (corner Choquechaca), San Blas
+51 (0) 84 233 903
cuzco (A) responsibletravelperu.com

RESPONS Lima:
Calle Arica 329, Miraflores
+51 (0) 1 446 3228
lima (A) responsibletravelperu.com

Opening hours:
Mon - Sat, 9am - 7:30pm
More contact info and maps

RESPONS News
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Previous experiences

Need another perspective? Previous travellers and volun-teers share their experiences with you in the Travellers Blog and the Volunteers Blog.

Find us on the web!

- Vicos by Enlace Nacional: part 1 | part 2
- Vicos on Leap Local
- Vicos highly commended by r:travel magazine (see page 85!)
- Find Vicos, Humacchuco and the Inka Naani on RedTurs.org
- Vicos and Humacchuco on Careers for Good and Idealist.org!
Follow responshz on Twitter

Package trip to Vicos

Vicos3-2_ENGWould you prefer to travel to Vicos in a completely organized way? We can arrange private transportation, translators and even your bus from Lima and a hotel in Huaraz for you. Inform here!

Package Vicos + Chavín

Vicos3-2_ENGCombine your fully organized visit to Vicos with a tour to the famous Chavín de Huantar ruins, guided by a specialized guide that will make these ruins live! Inform about program and prices here. 
 

Package Vicos + Chavín + Inka Naani

Vicos-IN5-5_ENGRESPONS can also offer you a completely organized program including Vicos, Chavín de Huantar and the three-day Inka Naani! Book now and enjoy your package discount! Inform here
 

RESPONS is recommended by:

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Our partners:

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