Just landed in Cusco? Join us on a half day Cusco City Tour that will give you an introduction to the Inca civilization and the impact of Spanish conquest. Guided by a local expert, you will discover many astonishing facts about the Inca ruins which are worth visiting before you visit Machu Picchu.
Cusco City nestles at 3399 metres above sea level. The former capital of the Inca empire has mystery in every turn. The well preserved architecture reflects the perfect blend of Inca and Spanish designs. Qorikancha or the Santo Domingo Church is the perfect example of this.
Qorikancha was built by Incas as their supreme religious site. To them this was the sun temple. When the Spanish conquered Cusco, they demolished the temple and built their cathedral on its remains.
The city of Cusco saw rapid development under the leadership of Pachacutec. The renowned Inca emperor who built Machu Picchu and Choquequirao among other notable sites. You will be able to see his statue in the centre of Plaza de Armas (Main Square).
On this guided Cusco City Tour, you will be visiting the Cathedral of Cusco, Qorikancha, Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucara. On this guided tour you will discover that Cusco’s reputation as a gateway to Sacred Valley or Rainbow Mountain simply accentuates its enduring popularity.
City Tours Cusco is one of our signature tours. We have dedicated guides who have an excellent knowledge about history and culture.
We operate the half day trip from Cusco both in small groups and as private tours. Simply reach out to us to discover the former capital of Incas.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
01:00 PM
We will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. The half day tour starts with a visit to the Cathedral of Cusco. This was once a Royal palace of Incas. On Spanish conquest, they modified it as a cathedral.
We will continue the City Tour at Qorikancha. This was the most prominent and Sacred Site of worship to Incas. Legends say that once the courtyard of the temple was filled with statues made entirely of gold.
The Spanish rulers demolished the temple on conquering Cusco and built the temple retaining its basement.
Once you have had your fill of these two iconic sites within the city of Cusco, we will be driving you to the outskirts of the city. Here we will begin the tour at Sacsayhuaman. It is a massive fortress built entirely of massive stones each weighing over a ton. It is still a mystery how the Incas transported these stones here.
Our next stop will be in Q’enqo. This site was used for scarification and mummification of corpses.
We will then visit Tambomachay. This was more like a spa to the political elites of Incas. There are series of canals which are fed by water from the nearby Timpuc river. Even today you will be able to see the water flowing through these canals.
We will then visit Puca Pucara. In Quechua, it means ref rock. It is named after the colour of the rock at sunset. This was the watch tower of Incan military.
Ending the tour, we will be driving you back to Cusco city. We will be dropping you off at Plaza Regocijo, a block away from Cusco’s main square – Plaza de Armas.
