Learn about life, tourism and sustainability in Peru by virtually travelling to Machu Picchu Pueblo.
What is the Virtual Machu Picchu Pueblo Learning Tool?
This interactive resource supports learning about Machu Picchu Pueblo (also known as Aguas Calientes), its community members and sustainability challenges. Students can visit a digital replication of the main square of Machu Picchu Pueblo as well as the town’s recycling depot and the hill overlooking the world-famous and heavily visited Machu Picchu archaeological site.
Through embedded videos, students can hear from 11 different community stakeholders about life in the town, the positive and negative impacts of tourism and their aspirations for the year 2030 (to tie in with the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals).
The stakeholders include the mayor, representatives of local government, business owners, the local doctor, a tour guide, a busker, a porter, a community member with limited tourism contact and an international tourist.
Introduction video
This learning tool and its learning resources are supported by the Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence and have been designed to support social studies, sustainability, geography and tourism education in years 8–10. It has been developed by a multidisciplinary team from Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington in collaboration with the community members and local government of Machu Picchu Pueblo, Peru.
The learning tool is research informed and developed based on the conceptualisation of virtual reality situated experiential education environments (Schott & Marshall, 2018). The broader Virtual Reality for Situated Experiential Education project, which this learning tool is an integral part of, has received international awards for innovative contributions to sustainability education (see www.virtualmpplearningtool.org for details).
Demonstration of the tool
Download the learning tool
Please click on the links below to access the Virtual Machu Picchu Pueblo Learning Tool.
Windows download (1.3 GB) and How to install for Windows (video)
macOS download (1.5 GB)
Chromebook version (install from the Google Play Store)
Supporting resources for teachers
Instructions for installation and usage on all platforms (PDF)
Suggested learning and teaching sequence
Peru and Machu Picchu information
Interview transcripts and video links
Information for students
Welcome to Machu Picchu Pueblo!
You have an important mission. You will visit a digital replication of Machu Picchu Pueblo in Peru to find out about life in the high Andes, Peruvian culture, and sustainability challenges and solutions linked to tourism. You will explore the town, visit the recycling depot and enjoy the view of the world-famous Incan site of Machu Picchu. While exploring you need to find and talk to 11 community members and local government officials to learn about their lives and their views on the benefits and costs of tourism.