Lying at high elevations of 3,400 m / 11,150 ft. above sea level, the city of Cusco is an urban landscape nestled atop the Andes of Peru.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and famed as the ancient capital of the Incas, Cusco City is a dazzling spectacle of Peruvian culture. Bathed in ornate colonial architecture, Cusco City, the oldest city of the Americas, is a celebration of over 3,000 years of history.
Experiencing rainfall from November to February, Cusco city has a generally dry climate with its waters fed by the tributaries of the Vilcanota River.
The Cusco City Tour is one of the most interesting cultural tours of Peru, as you’ll imbibe in the history of Incan rule of Cusco as well as its colonial usurpation by the Spanish Conquistadors in 1533 AD, lending insight into the mosaic of cultures weaved into this glorious cityscape.
Destination: | Cusco |
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Duration: | ½ day |
Difficulty: | Moderate |
Group Size: | 2 – 8 Persons |
Price: | $100.00p/p$90.00p/p |
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After a 12.30 pm pick up from your hotel, we’ll drive you to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas which was once a gathering spot for the Incas. We’ll start your Cusco City Tour itinerary with a visit to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, or simply the Cusco Cathedral.
Informed by a gothic-renaissance style with subtle hints of baroque trimmings, you’ll be enamored by the architectural design of the Cusco Cathedral, built by Spanish architects and conquistadors in 1654.
We’ll then walk to Qoricancha, the most revered temple of the Inca, whereupon the Inca worshiped the Incan Sun God, Inti. Here, you’ll learn all about the history of the once golden temple.
Then it’s off to Sol Avenue wherefrom we’ll hop into a van and drive down to the archeological site of Sacsayhuaman. Featuring polygonal blocks 4 meters in height and weighing over 100 tons, Sacsayhuaman was originally constructed as a fortress but was later used predominantly as a storage depot and an Inca ceremonial site. Its zigzag walls, constructed to meticulous precision are a sight to behold.
Another 5 minute van drive from there will take us to Quenqo, an archeological site built by the Incas in the architectural design of a labyrinth.
We’ll then drive to Puca Pucara. Known as the red fortress, Puca Pucara was believed to have been used as a military operational center and a resting site of the Incas.
Our final stop on this Peru cultural tour is Tambomachay, a religious site where the Incas genuflected in worship before the altar of the Water God. This archeological site still features some interesting aqueducts, channels and fountains sculpted into stonewalls. The Cusco City Tour itinerary for the day then draws to a close prompting our return to Cusco.