City Tour In Cusco | Half Day City Tour Cusco | Cusco Day Tours

You will be picked up from you hotel at approximately 13:00. From here you will head to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas where you will visit the famous Cathedral of the Cusco (entrance fee: S/25 - U$ 7.8). After touring this sacred building you will continue on foot with your group through an ancient Inca-built street from the Plaza de Armas to Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun (entrance fee : S/15 - U$ 5). In Qoricancha you will observe the clash between Inca culture and Catholicism, and you will have the opportunity to see firsthand the difference in building methods. Your guide will explain about the history behind the arrival of the Spanish to Cusco, including their taking over this great and immense temple and converting it into a Catholic convent.

Continue your City tour, the group will walk down to the principal avenue of the Cusco - Avenida El Sol, where you will take the bus and our driver will be waiting to bring you up and out of the city to visit some truly unbelievable and well preserved archaeological ruins. The first stop is Sacsayhuaman, a huge fortified citadel and sacred ritual ground. Marvel at the master Inca stonework and the immense stones used to construct the fortress.

From Sacsayhuaman will go by bus to the farthest archaeological site, Tambomachay, a water temple conveying Inca principles of duality and displaying their mastery of hydraulics. Then you will visit Quenqo, small temple site of the Inca, It is a temple which was dedicated to sacrifices and the principle of the world being divided into three realms; Hanan Pacha, the celestial realm in the sky, Cay Pacha, the outer Earth, where people live and Uku Pacha, the inner Earth. Puca Pucara and the last visit it is Tambomachay ruins.

After finishing the visit of the archaeological sites (as allowed by the daylight) you will return to Cusco by bus, arriving by approximately 18:30.

• Tourist transportation,
• Professional bilingual Tour Guide,
  
  

• Boleto turistico (tourist ticket) to the Cusco City Tour U$ 22,
• Entrance fee to the Cathedral U$ 8
• Entrance fee to the Qoricancha Church U$ 5
• Tips to local staff.

Cusco Cathedral

The Cusco Cathedral or Basilica of the Virgin of the Assumption is one of the most popular architectural monuments in the city. It is also the first site you will visit. It is located in front of the Plaza de Armas. Its construction took almost 100 years until its culmination in 1654. It was originally an Inca temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha. During the Spanish conquest the temple was looted and demolished for the construction of this historic Catholic monument. In 1983 it was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Coricancha and Convent of Santo Domingo

The Coricancha is one of the most important religious centers of the Inca empire. Its stone constructions have an even greater perfection than Machu Picchu. It was lined with gold and plant until before the Spanish conquest who built the Convent of Santo Domingo there. It is located two blocks from the Plaza de Armas. It houses paintings made by the artists of the so-called ‘Cusco School’. Both the Coricancha and the Santo Domingo Convent coexist harmoniously as a symbol of cultural syncretism.

Sacsayhuaman Fortress

Sacsayhuaman is one of the most enigmatic places of the Incas. There the tourist will be able to appreciate stones up to nine meters high and more than 120 tons. They all fit together with incredible precision. The Spanish believed that the enclosure was the work of the devil. There, tough battles were fought between Incas and Europeans. Today it is one of the most symbolic attractions of Cusco and Peru. There every June 24 the famous ‘Fiesta del Sol’ is celebrated, also known as the Inti Raymi.

 Qenqo Archaeological Site

Qenqo is located approximately 1 kilometer from Sacsayhuaman. It was an Inca ceremonial center whose buildings were dedicated to Mother Earth. There is a space called an amphitheater where the Incas had to place their dead in trapezoidal niches. Its biggest attraction are its underground labyrinths. Moreover, the word ‘Qenqo’ in the Quechua language (the language of the Incas) means ‘Labyrinth’.

Puca Pucara Archaeological Site

Puca Pucara is known as the ‘Red Fortress’ due to the pigmentation of this color in some of its stones as well as the reddish hue that the place acquires at sunset. It is believed that this enclosure served as a military post and resting place for the Inca troops. Its main function was to take care of Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman. There you can also see other structures such as fountains, aqueducts and other Inca constructions. 

Tambomachay Archaeological Site

Tambomachay is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites. It is located approximately 400 meters from Puca Pucara. Its Inca constructions worship water with such perfection that even today, after several centuries, its canals continue to flow water. The enclosure is also made up of a set of finely carved rocks as well as waterfalls, channels and aqueducts fed by springs. The scenic beauty of the enclosure harmonizes with the buildings and the murmur of the water.

Textile Center of Cusco

The textile centers of Cusco offer a demonstration of the spinning and dyeing process of garments made of alpaca and other materials used in Cusco for many years. In addition, each visitor will be able to know the difference in types of materials such as: alpaca, baby alpaca, vicuña and more. At the end, tourists will be able to make purchases of clothes and other crafts made by Cusco hands.

For the City Tour you will need to buy the Partial Cusco Tourist Ticket Saqsayhuamán - Circuit I. However, if you are also planning to visit the Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray) or the South Valley (Tipón and Piquillacta); We recommend you buy the General Tourist Ticket. Since, the Partial Tourist Ticket - Circuit I, only serves to enter the attractions of the City Tour Cusco.

• General Tourist Ticket: 130.00 soles, foreign tourist - 70.00 soles, national tourist; valid for 10 days.
• Partial Tourist Ticket - Circuit I: 70.00 soles, foreign tourist - 40.00 soles, national tourist; valid for 1 day.
• Entrance ticket to the Cathedral of Cusco: 25.00 soles, adult - 12.50 soles, child.
• Entrance ticket to the Temple of Santo Domingo - Coricancha: 15.00 soles, adult - 8.00 soles, child.

Ticket prices are in PEN (S /), Peruvian sol. Credit Cards, Debit Card, USD, or other types of currencies are not accepted for the purchase of Tourist Tickets.

• Copy of the passport,
• Original ISIC (an international student card if applicable)
• Pocket money in Nuevos Soles,
• A small rucksack,
• Rain gear (a rain-jacket and a waterproof trousers),
• Warm clothes such as a jacket, a fleece (thermal clothing is also recommended for cold nights during in the afternoon),
• A cap (to protect you against the Sun, rain as well as cold),
• Sun cream or sun block,
• Camera and its charger/batteries (please note that batteries are consumed quickly under cold conditions),
• Handkerchiefs and toilet paper,
• Snacks (biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.)
• Bottled water for the first morning and a water bottle to be refill.

These are some tourist attractions of the city of Cusco that are not included in the City Tour:

• The 12-angle stone - A famous stone that fits perfectly in its twelve corners with the immense rock wall that belonged to the Inca Roca palace. It is located on Hatun Rumiyoc Street, a few steps from the Plaza de Armas. Because it is on the street, the visit is free.
• The Museo Machupicchu de la Casa Concha - A museum inside a colonial house where some of the pieces found in Machu Picchu in 1911 are exhibited, which were returned by the Yale University of the United States between 2010 and 2012. It is a few steps from the Plaza de Armas.
• The Church of the Company of Jesus - A beautiful and imposing colonial church of baroque style located in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco. Its interior presents objects made of silver and gold used in religious rites. His collection of paintings from the ‘Cusco School’ of painting also stands out.
• The Temple of the Moon - It is a mysterious Inca building carved inside a cave. Light filters through its cracks, making it seem like a mystical place. It is also known as the 'Temple of Fertility'. It is near Sacsayhuaman, on the outskirts of the city.

Hiking pants and T-shirts are recommended during the day, complemented by sweaters, fleeces and waterproof jackets. It is very convenient to have light raingear available in the daypack (rain poncho or jacket and/or rain pants) as the weather changes easily and rains can suddenly occur.