City Tour in Cusco

City tour Cusco is a tour of this magical Inca city, as well as the archaeological sites around Cusco in an economical way. It is also an excellent alternative to acclimatize if you plan to visit Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley or other tourist destinations in Cusco.

Cusco is considered the oldest and most inhabited city in South America. This city attracts travelers of all nationalities, offering thousands of tourist destinations to all of them, proving that it has a wide range of pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and republican archaeological complexes, which are part of the history of Peru and the American continent .To this we add the traditions, customs and legends that are still preserved. Therefore the city tour Cusco is the perfect place to start getting know about Inca culture.Travel with us the most important tourist places of the city of Cusco reliving the history and millenary culture inherited from the Incas.Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, is today one of the most fascinating destinations in the world, due to the enormous amount of important archaeological remains.Walk through the city, which still retains its Inca walls that were the basis of colonial buildings, is a journey through the history of one of the most developed cultures of the continent. In this walk of only half a day you will get to know the Qoricancha (the temple of the Sun God), Sacsayhuaman (ceremonial fortress), Qenq'o (archeological site of worship to kaypacha legendary snake that gives rise to life), Puca Pucara (Inca military construction) and Tambomachay (archaeological site that was destined to the worship of the water and resting place to the Inca), all clear examples of the impressive stone work of the Incas.

Overview

Itinerary

Includes

Before you go

Quick Itinerary:

13:30: We pick you up from your hotel

13:50: Guided tour of the Cathedral of Cusco

14:30: Guided tour of the Qoricancha

15:00: Visit Sacsayhuman and guided tour

16:00: Quenqo guided tour

16:30: Guided tour of the Pukapukara ruins
17:00: Guided tour of the Tambomachay ruins

18:30: Cusco

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CITY TOUR:

Qoricancha is a Quechua word that means "gold enclosure", formerly the whole Qoricancha was covered with plates and sheets of solid gold, inside the Qoricancha you can find many other minor enclosures such as the temple of the rainbow, of the thunder, of the stars, and that of the moon, each of these enclosures has in its walls small niches which housed small statues and idols of the ancient Inca settlers.
The Qoricancha, where the convent of Santo Domingo was built, traverse two earthquakes that damage the Spanish constructions such is the case of colonial mansions, and several convents like Santo Domingo, but the Inca constructions remained intact.This shows the magnitude of the technological advance that the Incas had in terms of architecture.
The Cathedral of Cusco is currently the main temple of the Catholic faithful of this city, initially after several projects of construction of Catholic temples in the city of Cusco after the conquest of the Spanish, began with the first construction of the first cathedral in the capital of the Inca state in the year of 1539, which is called "the Holy Family", this first temple was built on the foundations of an Inca royal palace, which belonged to the Inca Wiracocha, with the passage of time the construction had to be extended, leaving this first one as an auxiliary temple of the cathedral.
Saqsayhuaman is one of the temples of Tahuantinsuyo, whose construction impresses everyone who visits it.Saqsayhuaman has a very strategic location in the city of Cusco, exactly 2 km from the city center, it is located at an altitude of 3,700 m.s.n.m. and it has an approximate area of 3,000 hectares.
Saqsayhuaman is characterized by its impressive construction with huge blocks of stone joined to perfection that not even a very thin sheet is able to enter through the joints, visitors to this area are surprised and with the question of how the Incas could have the ability to perform such a great architectural monument.
Qenqo is a Quechua word whose meaning is labyrinth, this maybe was due to the form of its construction, the purpose of this sector was ignored but some studies emphasize its importance as a center of adoration to the underworld or world below, this is due to that in the interior of this worked rock a small ceremonial table can be appreciated, possibly with ceremonial ends of sacrifices of some camelids, although others make mention of this like a table where they mummify their deceaseds.
Puca Pucara, Quechua words that signify red strength, this due to its strategic position and the reddish coloration of its rocks with which it was built. Puca Pucara also served as an administrative sector, and a point of surveillance of Tambomachay.
Tambomachay is a Quechua word that means resting place. Due to the shape of its construction and the presence of water pools, it is considered a sector of water worship, since water in the time of the Incas played a very important role to such an extent that it was also considered as one of your deities.

ALSO VISIT:

ITINERARY:

We will start our tour of the main places of the Navel of the world with the pick up of your hotel between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm to go on foot to the Qoricancha (gold enclosure) place that according to some historians was the main ceremonial center in Inca time since you can appreciate the enclosures dedicated to the main Andean deities such as the Sun, the Moon and the Lightning. After the guided tour of this important place we will walk a little to our tourist bus to go out of the city to the archaeological center of Sacsayhuaman, a place that still preserves the huge bastions with which it was built even after being almost destroyed as the stones for the construction of the churches and colonial mansions were extracted from this place. After a brief guided tour and having been able to visit this place on our own, we will continue to Qenq'o (Labyrinth), which is named after its underground zigzag chambers, according to some archaeologists, this was a center of water worship. We will return to the bus to go to Puca Pucara (Red Fortress) place from which you will have an amazing view of the Cusco Andes, from here we will continue to Tambomachay which still counts today with two crystal clear water fountains perfectly carved in stone, this place probably served as a place of rest and purification for travelers who wished to enter the city of Cusco. Finally,we will return to the city of Cusco at 6:30 p.m.

Aditional Information:

After the tour you can enjoy a walk through the Main Square and its surroundings where you can appreciate the work of artisans from Cusco in the craft shops, you can also taste the famous Peruvian cuisine in the nearby restaurants or you can simply take a break in a of the pews of the Main Square. And if you like the nightlife; around the square you will find many discoteque and bars where you can share and have fun with tourists and locals.

INCLUDES:

Private Transport
Professional bilingual guide

NOT INCLUDED:

Tourist ticket to the Cusco City Tour U$ 22,
Entrance fee to the Cathedral U$ 8
Entrance fee to the Qoricancha Church U$ 5
Tips (optional)

WE RECOMMEND YOU TO CARRY:

Small backpack
Snacks
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Photographic camera
Hat

CITY TOUR - MAIN ATTRACTIONS

Cathedral:

The Cathedral (Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption) is the first place you will visit, it is located in the Main Square of Cusco; It was built in 1560, on the Inca palace of Huiracocha; in this wonderful religious building you can see beautiful wood carvings, embossed silver works and approximately 300 paintings from the Cusqueña School.

The Qoricancha Temple

The Qoricancha Temple (Convent of Santo Domingo) is one of the most important religious centers of the empire of the Incas, and it is definitely one of the best examples of the fusion of the Inca and Spanish cultures. It is located 2 blocks from the Main Square of Cusco; It houses paintings of the Cusqueña School and Inca structures that are true works of art.

Sacsayhuaman

Sacsayhuaman is one of the most enigmatic places on the planet, its 3 overlapping platforms of 390 m. long, were built with "huge stones carved" and fitted with incredible precision; You can appreciate stones up to nine meters high and more than 120 tons of weight. This place is the head of the puma created by the original layout of the imperial city of Cusco. Here the Inti Raymi or "Sun Feast" is celebrated, on June 24 of each year.

The Qenqo Archaeological Complex

It is located one km from Sacsayhuaman and will be its next stop, it was a center of worship, and ceremonial Inca; It was dedicated to Mother Earth. In this place a space called amphitheater stands out, since the Incas had to place their dead in their trapezoidal niches; At present, only half of the original structure remains.

The archaeological group of Puca Pucara

Puca Pucara will be the next place you will visit, it is 10 minutes from Qenqo and is known as the red fortress, thanks to the amount of iron present in its stones. It is deduced that this place was used as a military post and resting place, and it is possible that its function was to take care of Tambomachay: in this archaeological site you will be able to appreciate fountains, aqueducts and several Inca enclosures of great architectural quality.

Tambomachay

Tambomachay (tanpu mach'ay, or place of rest) is the last site of the City Tour Cusco, it is located only 100 meters from Puca Pucara; It was used as a center of worship and worship of water. The enclosure is formed by a set of finely carved rocks, falls and water, canals and aqueducts fed by nearby springs.

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