Cusco City Tour

Daily Departures at 1:30 PM

Itinerary:

We will begin this half day tour of the city of Cusco and its surrounding ruins at 1:30 PM, with a brief meeting at the office, where we will then load up on to our private transport. Our first stop of the tour is at one of the most important Inca sites in all of Cusco, Koricancha or "the Temple of the Sun", which is called this because it was a sacred place where people worshipped the maximum Incan god: the INTI, and also various others of their most esteemed gods. There is much to learn about this ancient worshipping center that our guide will teach us all about as we walk through its corridors.

The next stop on the tour will be the regal Cathedral found in the Plaza de Armas. The architecture is known to be one of the most magnificent in the all of the Americas. Due to the crucial period when it was constructed, the Cusco Cathedral inherits the Gothic-Renaissance hybridism of the great Spanish Cathedrals of the XVI century.

"The whole structure is magnificent, and it can be said that the Cusco Cathedral is one of the most beautiful and significant monuments of America."

Héctor Velarde, Arquitectura Peruana, 1946

Afterwards, it is on to the astounding ruins found in the surrounding areas of the city. The most important of which being Sacsayhuaman, which is known to be another of the most significant sites in all of Cusco. Sacsayhuamán is one of the most amazing Incan constructions for tourists. Its Quechua name means "satisfied falcon". If, as it is known, Cusco was designed with the shape of a lying puma, Sacsayhuaman would be its head, and the Koricancha would correspond to the feline's genitalia.

We will also get a chance to see and learn about Tambomachay, which was one of the favorite resting-places of the Incas, and was used as a resting place and, at the same time, it was one of the pillars of the defense system of the Valley of Cusco. The sound of the water, the quietness and peace of the environment, as well as the closed and secluded form of the space in which it was constructed, give Tambomachay a peculiar atmosphere.

On to Puca Pucara (Red Fortress) and Qenko, which are smaller than the other sites, but definitely no less interesting. There is still much to be learned about these sites, but our guide will explain to us what we do know. The tour will be concluded by the return trip to Cusco by means of our private transport.

Price Includes:

• Guided tour by our professional, bilingual tour guide.
• Private Transport

Price does not include:

• Entrance fees to Koricancha or The Cathedral. As these sites do not belong to the government of Peru, they are not included in the "Boleta Turistico" along with the other sites. They charge 16 soles and 10 soles, respectively, and are to be paid at the entrance.
• The "Boleta Turistico", or tourist ticket, which can be bought at the OFEC office on Ave. Del Sol. It can be purchased for 70 soles for the full ticket (16 sites and valid for 10 days), or it is also possible to buy half of a ticket for 35 soles, which will only grant you entrance to the sites on this tour.

"Be sure to try out our Sacred Valley Tour as well, in order to get all of the main Cusco tourist sites as well. Just another way to spend your day while learning about the history of the “Magical City".