CITY TOUR IN CUSCO

CITY TOUR IN CUSCO

MAX ALTITUDE

• 3500 MT 2-8

GROUP SIZE

• 2-10 2-8

DIFFICULTY

• EASY

City Tour en Cusco

City Tour in Cusco Sacsayhuaman

Cuzco, founded in 1100 A.D., is the oldest inhabited city in the western hemisphere. Built in a mountainous region considered among the most beautiful on the planet, Cuzco was once the flourishing capital of the Inca Empire. Natives and visitors alike consider it the most impressive of all Peruvian cities for both its history and its remarkable mix of Inca and Spanish colonial architecture. And we still have to mention the breathtaking beauty of the local terrain and the warmth of the local people.

If you are looking for a Full Day Tours, the Cusco City Tour in the city of Cusco will allow you to visit the most impressive archaeological and religious sites of the cosmopolitan city of Cusco, Peru.

The city tour in Cusco allows you to know the most representative places of the city of Cusco and its surroundings, you can make a tour of the Cathedral of Cusco, the Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha. In addition, Saqsayhuaman, Qenqo, PUcapucara and Tambomachay. The city tour in Cusco is a half day program but it will show you a great part of the history of Cusco.

ITINERARY

City tour Cusco and the four ruins around the city.

Our transfer will visit you at your hotel to take you to the starting point of your tour, between 13:00 hrs and 13:30 hrs. The tour starts at the Cathedral of Cusco, decorated with fine carved woodwork and impressive altars and beautiful paintings, made by the hands of local artists of the Cusco School, which keep hidden elements of indigenous thought.

Then we will take a short walk through the streets of the historic center towards the Qoricancha or Temple of the Sun considered an indigenous religious sanctuary, where we will appreciate the fine work of lithic technology made by the Incas, with the highest level of cutting hard stone without being able to insert a sheet of paper and that despite the earthquakes remain stable to date. After the visit to Qoricancha we will board the bus that will take us to Sacsayhuaman located 3km. from the city of Cusco, Sacsayhuaman offers a panoramic view of the city of Cusco, Sacsayhuaman was built with large limestone blocks weighing 25 to 130 tons. Integrated by three superimposed terraces in a serpentine form (zigzag).

We will also arrive at Qenqo, which means labyrinth, is located one kilometer from Sacsayhuaman, establishes a construction based on limestone rock that shows stone sculpture in 500 mts2 accompanied by structures that according to historians were used for astronomical, religious and embalming and / or mummification study.

Then we will visit Puca Pucara: from two Quechua words meaning Puca (red) Pucara (fortress) "red fortress", strategic place for control and surveillance of access and exit of the Imperial city of Cusco, which was used as a territorial border to divide the regions and establish the regimes of displacement.

Finally we will visit Tambomachay: place of rest, located 9 km from the city of Cusco, better known as the Inca Baths by water sources, or also known as the waters of eternal youth by the flow of its waters that is constant and offers us part of the Inca Trail that goes from Cusco to Machu Picchu. This city tour in the city of Cusco ends at 18:30 hrs approximately near the Plaza de Armas.

Highlights of this trip

Visit the Cathedral of Cusco and the Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha.

A walk through Saqsayhuaman

Discover the mystery of Qenqo

Enjoy a sunset at Pucapucara and Tambomachay

Recommendations for the City Tour

If you are going to make your tour the first day of your arrival in Cusco, which is the most common and recommended, it is recommended to take a flight that is arriving in the city of Cusco no later than 10:00 am, this so that you can be transported calmly to your hotel, accommodate your luggage, take a break, have lunch and start the City tour at the time indicated to pick you up from your hotel.

Always wear warm clothes, this because in the city of Cusco from 5:00 pm the temperature begins to drop, and it is also at that time that we will be in Sacsayhuaman archaeological park where the wind runs and we are at an altitude of 3700 meters above sea level, it is recommended to bring a warm jacket, scarf and gloves.

If you take the City tour on the first day of your arrival in Cusco, it is recommended to have a light lunch, no fats, no red meat or pork, preferably a chicken-based broth and then a tea to help digest.

If you take the City Tour during the rainy season (December, January, February and March, it is recommended to buy a rain poncho that same day, which is sold in most downtown stores at low prices, consult your travel agent).

City Tour Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, Qoricancha, Tambomachay

Cusco is recognized as the 'Archaeological Capital of America'. The ancient capital of the Incas is a place full of archaeological sites, museums, temples and more. There you can see the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the Coricancha, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. Although it is possible to visit these places on your own, the best way is to do it with the 'City Tour Cusco'.

Why visit the city of Cusco?

The city of Cusco was the capital of the Incas. In its streets survive important Inca constructions such as Sacsayhuaman, Coricancha, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.

The Cusco City Tour visits these places as well as the Cathedral of the city. The name 'Cuzco' is considered 'Navel of the world' in Quechua, the language of the Incas.

Most tourists decide to take the Cusco city tour on the first day of their visit. This way, they can acclimatize better to the high altitude of the Andes Mountains. On the remaining days, it is recommended to visit Machu Picchu, the 7 Colors Mountain or other tourist attractions.

How is a City Tour in Cusco?

The City Tour Cusco is a tour of the main tourist attractions of the city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas such as: the Cathedral, Sacsayhuaman, Coricancha, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.

It offers a 5 hour tour (half day). Some tour packages start in the morning (from 8 a.m.) and other tours start in the afternoon (from 1.30 p.m.).

It also includes tour guide service, transportation to all sites and entrance to all tourist attractions. Visitors can choose a shared or private service.

What locations are included?

Cusco Cathedral - The Cusco Cathedral or Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption is one of the most popular architectural monuments of the city. It is also the first site you will visit. It is located in front of the Plaza de Armas. Its construction took almost 100 years until its completion in 1654. It was originally an Inca temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha. During the Spanish conquest the temple was looted and demolished for the construction of this historic Catholic monument. In 1983 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Cusco Cathedral

Coricancha and Santo Domingo Convent - Coricancha is one of the most important religious centers of the Inca Empire. Its stone constructions have an even greater perfection than Machu Picchu. It was covered with gold and plant until before the Spanish conquest who built there the Convent of Santo Domingo. It is located two blocks from the Plaza de Armas. It houses paintings made by artists of the so-called 'Cusco School'. Both the Coricancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo coexist harmoniously as a symbol of cultural syncretism.

Coricancha and Santo Domingo Convent

Sacsayhuaman Fortress - Sacsayhuaman is one of the most enigmatic places of the Incas. There the tourist will be able to appreciate stones of up to nine meters high and more than 120 tons. All of them fit together with incredible precision. The Spaniards believed that the enclosure was the work of the devil. Hard battles were fought there between Incas and Europeans. Today it is one of the most symbolic attractions of Cusco and Peru. There every June 24 is celebrated the famous 'Feast of the Sun', also known as the Inti Raymi.

Sacsayhuaman Fortress

Qenqo Archaeological Site - Qenqo is located approximately 1 kilometer from Sacsayhuaman. It was an Inca ceremonial center whose constructions were dedicated to mother earth. There is a space called amphitheater where the Incas must have placed their dead in trapezoidal niches. Its main attraction is its subway labyrinths. In fact, the word 'Qenqo' in Quechua (the language of the Incas) means 'Labyrinth'.

Qenqo archaeological site

Archaeological site of Puca Pucara - Puca Pucara is known as the 'Red Fortress' due to the pigmentation of this color in some of its stones as well as the reddish hue that the place acquires at sunset. It is believed that this enclosure served as a military post and resting place for the troops of the Inca. Its main function was to guard Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman. There you can also appreciate other structures such as fountains, aqueducts and other Inca constructions.

Archaeological site of Tambomachay - Tambomachay is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites. It is located approximately 400 meters from Puca Pucara. Its Inca constructions worship water with such perfection that even today, after several centuries, its canals continue to flow water. The enclosure is also formed by a set of finely carved rocks as well as waterfalls, canals and aqueducts fed by springs. The scenic beauty of the site harmonizes with the buildings and the murmur of the water.

Tambomachay archaeological site

Cusco Textile Center - Cusco's textile centers offer a demonstration of the spinning and dyeing process of garments made of alpaca and other materials used in Cusco for many years. In addition, each visitor will be able to learn about the difference in types of materials such as: alpaca, baby alpaca, vicuña and more. At the end, tourists will be able to purchase garments and other handicrafts made by Cusco hands.

Other attractions of the city of Cusco

These are some of Cusco's tourist attractions that are not included in the City Tour:

The Stone of the 12 angles - A famous stone that fits perfectly in its twelve corners with the immense rock wall that belonged to the palace of Inca Roca. It is located on Hatun Rumiyoc Street, a few steps from the Plaza de Armas. Because it is in the middle of the street, the visit is free.

The Machupicchu Museum of the Concha House - A museum inside a colonial house where some of the pieces found in Machu Picchu in 1911, which were returned by Yale University in the United States between 2010 and 2012, are exhibited. It is a few steps from the Plaza de Armas.

The Church of the Company of Jesus - A beautiful and imposing colonial church of baroque style located in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco. Its interior presents objects made of silver and gold used in religious rites. It also highlights its collection of paintings from the 'Cusco School' of painting.

The Temple of the Moon - It is a mysterious Inca building carved inside a cavern. Light filters through its cracks making it look like a mystical place. It is also known as the 'Temple of Fertility'. It is near Sacsayhuaman, on the outskirts of the city.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?