The city of Cusco has much to offer to even the most intrepid travellers. Originally named Qosqo in the Quechua language, it means "navel", and served as the centre of the inka empire. This was the sacred capital of the inkas, and today is is the historic capital of Perú, and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can find impressive evidence of both inka and spanish heritage throughout the city. Just outside the city centre you will find magnificent ruins and spectacular views over the orange rooftops.

 

The mix of inka heritage, Spanish architecture, colourful people with their alpacas and spectacular location at 3400masl makes this city a perfect place to get introduced to Peruvian history, acclimatizing before a trek or just fall in love and stay... 

 

 

 

ITINERARY

 

Duration: 1 day

(may be combined with other tours and treks)

Activity level: Easy

Season: All year

 

 

Plaza de Armas & the cathedral

 

 

At 1PM we will begin our tour, and today we will visit 6 important sites. Get ready to dive into the magical world of the Inkas and feel the energy that emerges from the mystical ruins. But first, a little history lesson about the Spanish heritage of Perú, starting in the Cathedral at Plaza de Armas. This enormous structure contains approximately 300 paintings of the Cusco School, among many other expressions of art.

 

Koricancha

 

 

We continue to visit the mystical temple of "Koricancha" (Temple of the Sun), now the Convent of Santo Domingo. This is one of the most important archaeological places of the inkas heritage and is located in the heart of the city of Cusco, only 4 blocks from the Plaza de Armas.

 

Sacsayhuaman

 

We now drive for 15 minutes to the magnificent Sacsayhuaman that lies nestled above the city centre. Some of the monoliths here weigh over 200 tons and are perfectly smooth and connected with such presicion that you couldn't even fit a needle in between two stones. Your guide will offer an explanation of this phenomenal site and you will have extra time to do a bit of exploring on your own.

 

 

Q'enqo

 

 

Just 200 meters from Sacsayhuaman is our next destination: Q'enqo. The massive rocks here have been carved to perfection, revealing steps, seats, geometric reliefs and even a motif of a puma. It was centre to pay homage to the Pachamama and to execute funerary rituals.

 

 

Puca Pucara and Tambomachay

 

 

Our next visit is Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. Puca Pucara consists of a circular construction that was used to see the entire milky way. Tambomachay was linked to water and land regeneration, and features an impressive fountain system made from limestone. After this we return to Cusco and arrive around 6:30pm at the Plaza de Armas.

 

 

 

This package is an outline of how one tour may be like. Of course we can customize this tour to match your specific needs. We are flexible during the tour, so that we may make changes to the itinerary along the way if that suits you better. Contact us for more detailed information on options and we will work together on creating the perfect experience for you!