Cusco City Tour (Half Day)

We’ll pick you up from your hotel at 1:00 pm. Then, we’ll walk to the Cathedral of Cusco, which is located in the main square of the city. The Cathedral is entirely made of stone and it was built on top the ancient Royal Palace of the Incas. The Cathedral features numerous religious paintings and sculptures, which date to the XV century onwards.

Next, we’ll visit the Qorikancha or “Temple of Gold”. The Qorikancha was one of the most sacred places to the Incas. According to the Spanish chronicles, the Qorikancha used to host the sculptures of the gods of the peoples conquered by the Incas. The Qorikancha is located right next to the Santo Domingo church.

Our next stop will be the Sacsayhuaman fortress. This gargantuan site is located northeast of the city of Cusco. Sacsayhuaman features three rows of giant stone walls built on a zig zag layout. When the Spaniards arrived in Cusco, they believed that Sacsayhuaman was a giant fortress built to protect Cusco. However, some historians theorize that Sacsayhuaman actually was a temple dedicated to Illapa, the Inca god of thunder.

Then, we’ll go to Q’enqo. To this day, the original purpose of Q’enqo is still a mystery. According to some historians, Q’enqo was built to worship the Inca god Inti. Others propose that Q’enqo served as an oracle where ritual sacrifices were performed.

Afterwards, we’ll explore Tambomachay. This place has some water fountains built during the Inca empire. These fountains still work to this day. Tambomachay was a Inca temple dedicated to worship the water. According to some legends, the royal Inca family used to bath on Tambomachay.

Finally, we’ll explore the red fortress of Puca Pucara. This stone structure served as an outpost to protect the entrance to Cusco.