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.