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Cusco City Tour Half Day: Saqsawaman, Kenqo, Tambomachay, Pucapucara, Cathedral & Koricancha.

Cusco CityTour. Saqsawaman, Kenqo, Tambomachay, Pucapucara, Cathedral & Koricancha, PERU
Very Good

Duration

5 Hours

Cancellation

No Cancellation

Group Size

12 people

Languages

English, Espanol, Português

Overview

Half-Day Tour in Cusco

This tour touches on the best of Cusco, the blend of Inca and Colonial architecture and religious features meet beautifully in Cusco to give it its charm and character. The stunning archaeological feats in building the famous Saqsayhuaman and other major Incan sites will astonish you.

Tour Location: Cusco City, Peru
Tour Type: Cusco half-day tour Group Service
Tour Duration: 5 hours
Departure Time: Daily departures, we have 02 schedules – Morning & Afternoon – You can choose the most convenient time according to your travel itinerary

In the morning from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
In the afternoons from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Discover the magic and beauty of Cusco, and experience the fascinating Inca history on this half-day tour in Cusco, visiting the ancient capital of the Incan empire – the largest ancient civilization in pre-Columbian America. This half-day city tour will give you the opportunity to trace time from Native Americas to Incans to Spaniards and now to modern-day citizing of Cusco, as well as, to walk through ancestral streets and each historical era in this royal city.

Our half-day city tour involves to visits the Temple of the Sun called Qoricancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo, and the amazing Inca ruins and archaeological sites found outside of the city, such as Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Qenqo, and Puca Pucara, where your tour guide will give you a thorough tour at every site along the way, teaching you about the architecture and ancient traditions, as well as customs that local people continue to practice today.

This half-day tour in Cusco is suitable for all fitness levels and it is a wonderful way to begin acclimatizing to the high altitude of Cusco City and get ready for a trek if you have booked one.

This tour is very popular and though quite touristy, there is plenty of open space in which to explore the large ruin sites. It is one of our most favorite tours offered and we personally rate it as a must not miss experience. It is also an excellent introduction to the city of Cusco and great spot to soak up the colorful atmosphere and enjoy its surrounding landscape, and the panoramic views of Cusco will take your breath away.

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HIGHLIGHTS

  • Visit the city’s highlights so that you get to know Cusco from its foundations in a half-day tour
  • Discover the history of the Incas with a local private guide
  • Visit the Plaza de Armas where the Cathedral of Cusco is located
  • Guided tour Coricancha or Temple of the Sun
  • Guided tour of the Sacsayhuaman, Quenqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay ruins

What you will do

HALF DAY CITY TOUR
The half day city tour Cusco runs every day either in the morning or afternoon. The tour in the morning starts at 8:00 AM until 13:00 PM / and in the afternoon starts at 13:00 PM until 6:00 PM

To start this half-day tour in the morning or afternoon, our guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and pick you up in our private transport. Then, we’ll head to the most important temple of the Inca Empire, the Temple of the Sun, known as the Q’oricancha (“golden enclosure” in Quechua). At the Q’oricancha, we’ll be able to observe detailed and intact architecture, and within the temple, we will see smaller temples dedicated to the moon, rainbow, stars, lightning, and thunder, among others, as well, we’ll be able to compare and contrast the building methods of the Incan culture and Catholicism – Q’oricancha was also the key spiritual center of the Incas, which leads to all four quarters of the Inca Empire. Today, the Santo Domingo church stands on top of the temple.

From Q’oricancha, we’ll walk down Avenida El Sol, where we will take our private transport and drive for 25 minutes to the outskirts of the city to visit the spectacular archeological site of Sacsayhuaman which features with its enigmatic stones, 200-ton monoliths. Although the site was religious, the Spanish considered it a military fortress because of its location and the way it was built. Here is made the famous Inti Raymi or Festival of the Sun on June 24 of each year. After an explanation of your guide, you will have some time to explore this site on your own.

At the appointed time, we’ll regroup with our tour guide to continue onto other archeological sites in the area. Next, we’ll visit the fascinating Inca site of Q’enqo (Labyrinth or Zigzag). A side built in a natural rock formation to show the complex patterns of steps, seats, geometric reliefs and a puma design. It was also created to represent the Andean constellations and the concept of the three worlds, each one representing sacred animals: the condor, puma, and snake; according to some theories, funerary rituals.

After that, we’ll take another five-minute drive to Puca Pucara, a small, circular Inca site, which was a shelter for travelers coming to Cusco from the Amazon. It was also a military center and used to protect the nearby temple located at Tambomachay. The final stop on our tour is Tambomachay, known as the Temple of Water, with impressive water fountains, thought to be used by the Inca for bathing. Besides, the Incas practiced religious traditions tied to water in order to rejuvenate the land. This tradition is known as the fountain of eternal youth. From there, we’ll drive back down to Cusco city and drop you off at your hotel.
*IMPORTANT NOTE
While we expect the tour will run as the itinerary describes. Participants should accept that there is the possibility of changes, being necessary liable to local conditions, e.g, strikes, natural disasters, these changes might be at the discretion of your travel company.
** NOTE ON THE ENTRANCE TICKETS
The entrance fee to the archaeological and tourist sites are not included. Please note that you will need to purchase an admission partial ticket (Boleto Turistico Partial) whose cost is PEN 70 Peruvian soles (about USD 25 per ticket) which allows you to access four historical sites located on the city limits like Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay (in other words, it is used only on this tour). The cathedral and Q’oricancha (Temple of the Sun) are separate entrance tickets and are PEN 25 Peruvian soles (about USD 8 per ticket) and PEN 15 Peruvian soles (about USD 5 per ticket). However, if you plan to visit historical sites in both Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we recommend you purchase the general admission ticket (Boleto Turistico General) whose cost is PEN 130 Peruvian Soles (about USD 45 per ticket), this ticket allows you to visit 14 historical sites, which are located in Cusco, Southern part of Cusco, Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Chinchero), and some museums in Cusco city. The ticket is valid for 10 days. The Maras salt ponds ticket is not part of the boleto turistico parcial or boleto turistico general (partial or general ticket), this ticket should be purchased at the entrance of the same place, whose cost is PEN 10 Peruvian soles (about USD 4 per ticket). It is not necessary to purchase the tourist pass in advance, as you can get it at the first site we visit on the tour.

Included/Excluded

  • Experienced Guide: All our guides are graduates of the professional career of Tourism of the National University San Antonio Abad of Cusco. Our guides are chosen for their professionalism, experience, responsibility, seriousness, unbridled passion for exploring, and a desire to share in the experience. They’ll make sure you are safe and happy.
  • Transportation: All your transportation is included in this half-day city tour of Cusco. We’ll pick you up from your hotel to explore the Cusco city and outskirts of town. Once you complete the tour, we’ll take you back to the door of your hotel. The type of transportation will be provided based on the group size – SEDAN, MINI-VAN or VAN.
  • Hotel before/after the tour
  • Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turistico): 70 soles per person (or 130 soles if you are also doing the Sacred Valley)
  • Entrance to Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun): 15 soles per person
  • Meals: There are no meals served during this tour. You should be back in Cusco in time to enjoy lunch on your own.
  • Travel interruption & travel medical/evacuation insurance (required)
  • Tip for your guide is optional but highly encouraged if you enjoy your tour

Languages

English
Espanol
Português

Activity's Location

Cusco CityTour. Saqsawaman, Kenqo, Tambomachay, Pucapucara, Cathedral & Koricancha, PERU

FAQs

Why Take the City Tour Cusco?
Cusco, Peru’s cultural capital, offers its visitors a rich history legacy
Cusco holds various titles, including UNESCO World Heritage Site, Archaeological Capital of America, Historical Capital of Peru, and Navel of the World.
The Inti Raymi or “Sun Festival” is celebrated in Cusco
During the Viceroyalty in Cusco, house and colonial churches and convent with magnificent art pieces were built on top of Incan walls and foundations.
What you need to bring ?
Original passport
Tourist ticket (not included in price)
A good (and small) daypack
Comfortable shoes
Hat and sunglasses to protect you from the sun
Sun protection cream (factor 35 recommended)
Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
Camera and films
A bottle of water
Extra money for drinks and tips, souvenirs.
Optional: Personal medical kit. Disinfectant, aspirin, stomach tablets, medicine to avoid altitude sickness, etc.
When and where does the tour start?
Pick up location in Cusco: Customer’s hotel lobby located in Cusco city or airport, just let us know.
When and where does the tour end?
Drop-off location: Hotel of the customer in the Cusco city, airport or other locations in downtown, just let us know.
Physical Grading?
Is easy, gentle walk, stone steps, cobblestone streets, small elevation changes along the way, and some walks on uneven trails. Designed for everyone (kids, teens, adults)
from $15,00

Organized by

inkaland

Member Since 2022

113 Reviews

Information Contact

Email

info@inkaland.com

Website

www.inkaland.com

Phone

+51 984 903434

Fax

+51 84 236895

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