Cusco City Tours (Half Day)

Itinerary

Useful Information:

Daily Departure from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Pick up from your Hotel for Private Services

The places to visit:

The Cathedral: The Cathedral was built between 1560 and 1664 out of large slabs of red granite taken from the Incan construction of Sacsayhuaman.  It houses important collections of gold and silver work of the colonial period, elaborate engraved wooden altars, and a beautiful collection of oil on canvas paintings from the Escuela Cusqueña.

Qoricancha: The convent was built on the spectacular Qoricancha “site of gold”.  This was the most important temple dedicated to the worship of the Sun (Inti) and whose walls were lined with solid sheets of gold.  All that remains now is the fine stonework because the conquistadors looted the rest.  Qoricancha was also an observatory, where priests kept track of major celestial events.

Sacsayhuaman:  One of the most impressive sites built by the Incas.  It is generally referred to as a fortress, however, it is not certain what its main function was.  Current research suggests that it was more likely to be used as a temple, as Incan tombs have been discovered in the area. The site is a marvelous archaeological feat, even now after it was destroyed, one can only imagine its greatness when it stood in full glory. The stones in the wall are incredible, Massive in scale, and the largest weighs in at over 300 tones.

Q’enqo: (meaning ‘zigzag’ or ‘labyrinth’) this site contains the most impressive carved rocks in the Cusco area.  There are carvings everywhere, although some are a little indistinct: a llama, a condor, and snakes have been identified.  There are many zigzag channels on top of the rock, probably used for pouring sacrificial chicha (a local beverage made from fermented corn).  Inside the rock, there are several caves and passageways and an altar that was used for the sacrifices of llamas.

PukaPukara: Translates to “the red fortresses”.  This is a small site and although the name suggests that it was a fortress, it does not appear to have any defensive purpose.

Tambomachay: This site was thought to have been used as a Temple to the Water. There are some very impressive aqueducts, canals, and cascades carved in stone, designed to channel water flowing from a nearby stream.