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Cusco City Tour: Explore Historic Landmarks
5.0
6 Ratings
Cusco
Immerse yourself in the ancient Inca capital with a half-day Cusco City Tour. Explore prominent landmarks, witness the fusion of Spanish and Inca architecture, and delve into the rich history and culture of this captivating city.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Sacsayhuaman - The journey continues to Sacsayhuaman, a renowned archaeological site overlooking Cusco. This fortified complex highlights the Inca’s exceptional masonry skills, featuring stones that weigh over 100 tons. Here, the tour guide will explore the rich history of this magnificent structure. Today, Sacsayhuaman is celebrated as the venue for the Inti Raymi festival, a historic religious event from the Incan era that honors the Sun God.
- Q’enqo - Next, the tour proceeds to Q’enqo, another significant site. Q’enqo was one of the largest sacred places for the Incas, where they performed sacrifices and mummified corpses.
- Tambomachay - Tambomachay is another fascinating archaeological site located on the outskirts of Cusco city. The site features terraced rocks with a network of canals and aqueducts. Tambomachay is believed to have served as a spa for the elite Incan families.
- Puka Pukara - Adjacent to Tambomachay are the military ruins of Puka Pukara. This vantage point offers a stunning view of Cusco and its scenic countryside. “Puka Pukara” translates to “red fort” in Quechua, named for the rocks’ reddish hue at dusk. This site functioned as an Incan watchtower, protecting against potential invaders. After exploring Puka Pukara, the tour will return to the heart of Cusco.
- Qorikancha - The tour includes smaller temples dedicated to the sun, moon, and stars, maintaining the original stone foundations. Outside, there are gardens and fountains on the grounds of the Temple of the Sun.
- Manos De La Comunidad - Manos de la Comunidad offers an impressive experience. The shop sells a variety of alpaca wool products and other regional souvenirs. The prices are fair, and the quality of the products is excellent. The shop is particularly notable for its commitment to supporting local artisans. The alpaca wool is sourced from local communities, and the products are handcrafted by local artisans, helping to support the local economy and preserve traditional Peruvian crafts.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Hotel pick up and drop off in Cusco City Center
- English or Spanish Tour Guide
- All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
- Entrance Tickets (Boleto Turistico)
- Meals
Additional Information
The Cusco City Tour offers an in-depth 4-hour journey through the city’s key attractions. Once the center of the Inca Empire, Cusco continued to be a capital during Spanish colonization.
As one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in South America, Cusco beautifully combines tradition with modernity. The city is a remarkable example of the fusion between Spanish and Inca architectural styles.
Taking this tour is essential for any visitor to the region. It provides an excellent introduction to a place rich in history and culture. To optimize your acclimatization, we suggest doing this tour on your first or second day in Cusco.
- Infant meals not included
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Location
Sacsayhuaman
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(6 Ratings)
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Lauriew
Jan 25, 2020
A Must Do Tour - Tour guide Jorge and his Toyota Prado vehicle were excellent. This trip is far superior in terms of convenience (8am departure instead of 4 am), and amount of walking (30 minutes on level ground instead of 2 hours up and down ), and the scenery along the alternative route travelled, especially all the llamas and alpacas seen along the way. Jorge was most helpful and patient with me asking him to stop along the way for photo shoots.
Review provided by Viator
Wunderlustworld
Dec 31, 2019
Amazing Day at Rainbow Mountain - Jorge picked us up at our hotel in a very nice and clean SUV. We felt safe traveling over the rugged terrain. He was informative about the areas we were traveling through and made sure we were comfortable.
When we got to the mountain base and started walking up, my wife was having a little trouble going up the hill. Jorge made sure to tell us that we could go at our own pace. That helped because in the high elevation it is somewhat hard to breathe if you are not used to it. The views were absolutely beautiful.
After we left the mountain, we stopped for a fantastic Peruvian lunch. We were returned to our hotel afterwards. We didnt want to say goodbye to our wonderful host. Private tours are the way to go, and we highly recommend this tour, especially with Jorge.
Bryan & Joni Mondy
Wunderlust Travel and Tours
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rahul_g
Dec 25, 2019
Best Tour Guide - Very Good Tour Guide Jorge. Its worth it. Gave us a very good explanation of the history behind everything.
Review provided by Viator
13miket13
Dec 19, 2019
Absolutely amazing!! - This tour was a phenomenal experience. The pictures do not do it justice and we highly recommend this trip!
Jorge was on time when picking us up and he provided us with a lot of history on Peru during drive to and from the mountains.
Once we arrived at the mountains, Jorge was careful to check-in with us to see who we're feeling to ensure we weren't getting altitude sickness and he let us go at our own pace.
The view from all the lookout spots were absolutely amazing! It was such a surreal experience. This trip is a MUST-DO while in Cusco.
Review provided by Viator
Gerardo_m
Sep 10, 2019
Amazing - This tour is great and worth doing it. The scenery is fantastic and the travel to and from is soothing and pleasant. However, what makes this tour even greater is George, our tour guide. He make me feel welcome from the time he arrived at the hotel lobby to the end. He was pleasant and very knowledgeable. attentive and courteous. He was addressing every question and concern on high demand. This is a great tour however, I think it would have not being the greatest if it would have not been George the tour guide. A big thank you to George for making this wonderful excursion so GREAT.
Review provided by Viator
Kailing_h
May 23, 2019
stunning view and easy hike - I am so happy to go with this private tour as the other one that well known for people in other side is so much harder to hike and need to wake up in at 3 or 4 am. The view is incredible and we enjoy it the peaceful 360 degree mountain around us so much!
Review provided by Viator
