Half-day ‘Pay to Earth’ tour in Cusco

Local Culture

About this tour

  • Start: At 8 in the morning at the door of your hotel.
  • Duration: 5 hours.
  • Type of transport: Large full equipment minivan.
  • Tour guide: In English and Spanish (shared service).
  • Shaman: Specialized in land payments.
  • Payment methods: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, PayPal.
  • Immediate confirmation.

Description

  • From before the Inca period, the Andean inhabitants adored the land as it was a source of food and, consequently, of life. Thus, the ‘Pachamama’ (mother earth in the Quechua language) was adored for many centuries. Today, the Andean population continues to consider the land sacred, which is why they carry out ‘Payments to the land’ ceremonies. The tour offers the services of a specialized ‘shaman’ to perform this ceremony in honor of the Inca goddess of fertility. It also includes complete transportation and instruments for the ritual.

So is the experience

  • The shaman specialized in ‘Pago a la tierra’ needs to perform the ceremony in one of the nearby mountains of the city of Cusco, so it will be necessary to walk to the peaks around Cusco, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Andean priest will make his ‘office’ set of offerings following an ancient ritual and burn them making requests to the land. Tourists will also make their requests. There will also be a flowering ritual (ceremony that uses plants with energetic powers) to fill visitors with positive energies.

Map


Itinerary

  • The tour begins with the pick up of the tourist from the door of the hotel at the previously agreed time (the time is decided by the visitor) heading to the mountains of the city of Cusco aboard our extensive tourist transport.
  • In the mountain chosen for the ceremony we will meet our specialized shaman who will give us an explanation of the ceremony to be performed. At all times, a guide translator will translate for us the words of the Andean priest.
  • The ceremony consists of the burning of an ‘office’ or set of offerings to honor the mountain. This ceremony follows a set of strict rituals that only some shamans know. Part of the ritual consists of making requests to ‘mother earth’. Tourists will also have the opportunity to make their offerings and make their own requests.
  • Then we will perform a flowering ritual with medicinal plants that will fill visitors with positive energy.
  • Finally, in the afternoon the tourist transport will return to the tourists, renewed of energies, to the city of Cusco

It includes

  • Pick up from the hotel.
  • Wide tourist transport.
  • Recognized shaman service.
  • Tourist translator service in English and Spanish.
  • Immediate confirmation.
  • Tour cancellation option.
  • Snacks and drinks.
  • Tips

What to bring

  • Passport (or identity document).
  • Offering (some object that the tourist wants to offer to the land).
  • Hat or cap.
  • Comfortable clothes.
  • A jacket.
  • Raincoat for rain.
  • Snacks and drinks.
  • Sunscreen.

Where does the tour start and end?

  • The tour begins with the pick up of the tourist at the door of their hotel -valid only for hotels in the historic center of the city- (most tourist hotels are there). If your hotel is not there, the transport will pick you up at a central location in the city, such as a square.
  • The tour ends at Square Regocijo in the city center (a few steps from most hotels and tourist restaurants).

How to prevent altitude sickness?

  • Altitude sickness or soroche can cause you some discomfort during your visit such as dizziness, fatigue or nausea. Try to avoid alcoholic beverages and fatty foods before the visit.
  • To reduce symptoms, try to acclimatize yourself one day before to the altitude of the city of Cusco. Drinking infusions of coca leaf (natural plant used by the Incas) is an excellent option.

Group or private services

  • The information described applies to private services (for your own group of family or friends). For more information contact us at info@machupicchuterra.com.

Frequent questions

Is the tour in shared or private service?

The ‘Pago a la tierra’ tour is done only in private service. In other words, the group will be made up of the tourist and their partner, friends, family, etc. It is not possible to do the tour with a shared group (different people who booked the tour).

Can I do the ‘Pay to Earth’ ceremony with children?

Yes. The ceremony can be held with people of all ages. Whether with children, youth, adults or seniors.

Did the Incas perform ceremonies of ‘Payment to the land’?

Yes. Not only the Incas but many of the cultures prior to the Incas performed these ceremonies in honor of ‘Mother Earth’, one of the gods present to this day. The ceremony is still practiced by many people in the Andes.

Who is the person conducting the ‘Payment to the land’ ceremony?

The ‘shaman’ directs the ceremony with the help of the translator. This person comes from descendants who already practiced this and other types of ceremonies. According to Inca tradition, only people whose families practiced Inca religious ceremonies, can direct the ‘Payments to the land’.



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