Cusco City Tour

On our city tour that lasts half a day from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m., you will have the opportunity to explore the city and admire the remains of Incan architecture, learn about the conquest, colonial period and the republic that all continue intact today. Perhaps most importantly, you will learn about the greatest pre-Hispanic accomplishments in South America. On the city tour, you will visit the following sites:

We will start at the most important temple of the Incan Empire, The Sun Temple, known as Koricancha. Here, you will observe detailed and intact architecture and within the temple, you will see smaller temples dedicated to the moon, rainbow, stars, lightning and thunder, among others. Today, the Santo Domingo church stands on top of the temple. You will then walk traditional streets in the city and stop by Aqllaywasi (the chosen virgins of the sun) that is now the Santa Catalina convent, on the way to the Plaza de Armas. In the Plaza de Armas, you will visit the Cathedral that was built on top of an Incan palace. You will see fine Incan and European architecture, paintings, woodcarvings, ceramics, metallurgy and much more. Some of the main features in the Cathedral that you will see are the alters of the city’s patron, Señor de los Temblores (father of the tremors), the silver chapel, the paintings from the Escuela Cusqueña (Cusqueñan School), the woodcarvings in the pulpits, the catacombs, among others. From the Cathedral, we will go to an important religious site, Sacsayhuamán. Although the site was religious, the Spanish considered it a military fortress because of its location and the way it was built. Because of the architectural characteristics and because of the size of its stones, many larger than 33 feet and heavier than 150 tons, and also because of the stories that the gates and towers tell, the Spanish described the site as a fortress. At Sacsayhuamán, people celebrate Inti Raymi (celebration of the sun) each year on June 24. Also at Sacsayhuamán, you can see the Quenqo that represented the Andean constellations and the concept of the three worlds, each one representing sacred animals, the condor, puma, and snake. You will also see Puca Pucara, the military center of its time, strategically located at the entrance to control who went in and out of the site. The people who typically visited the site came from many different parts of Peru, including the Amazon region.  You will also see Tambomachay, known as the temple of water, where the Incas practiced religious traditions tied to water to rejuvenate the land. This tradition is known as the fountain of eternal youth. After visiting these sites and learning about these traditions, you will return to the city.