CUSCO CITY TOUR
On the City Tour you’ll visit 7 of the most important historical sites in Cusco, starting from the Cathedral of Cusco and heading to Qoricancha – the Temple of the Sun during the Inca times and converted into Santo Domingo Temple by the Spanish conquerors – both located inside the Historic Center.
On the second part of your tour, we’ll travel back to the Inca Empire times and visit the 4 archaeological sites around Cusco including Qenko, Pukapukara, Tambomachay and the highlight of this day: the Fortress of Sacsayhuaman where you can appreciate the some of the biggest stones among all of the archaeological sites in Peru – and still a mystery of how they were cut and moved to this place.
This is a half day tour and you can choose to do it in the morning or in the afternoon
CUSCO CITY TOUR - Map
Itinerary
PACKAGE DETAILS | Cusco City Tour
CITY TOUR (OFFERED EVERY DAY FROM 1:00 PM TO 6:00 PM)
We will pick you up at your hotel lobby at 1 p.m. to begin this tour. Together, we will then head to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas where we will visit the famous Cathedral (entry fee: 40 soles, children and students with ID 20 soles not included in the tourist ticket). After touring this sacred church we will continue on foot with our group through an ancient Inca-built street from the Plaza de Armas to the Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun (entry fee: 15 soles – not included in the tourist ticket). In the Qoricancha, you will observe first-hand the juxtaposition between the Inca culture and Catholicism. You will also learn about the differences in architecture between the Incas and Spaniards. The Qoricancha was the main temple for the Incas and was the center of their city, where all their highways departed from. Thus, their incredible architecture is on full display throughout the site.
From Qoricancha your group will walk down to El Sol Avenue and take our bus to drive up and outside of the city. It will take 25 minutes to arrive to the majestic Inca site Sacsayhuaman. We will enter the ruins site and the guide will lead you around and explain this incredible fortress’ history. You will have extra time to explore it on your own.
From Sacsayhuaman, we will take a short drive to the Qenqo Temple. In Quechua, Qenqo means maze (labyrinth) or zig-zag and the temple is named for the crooked channel cut out of its rock. Next, we will head to Puca Pucara and admire the small circular Inca military fortress. Last but not least, we will visit Tambomachay, the temple of water. We will then drive back to Cusco and end the tour in the main square. If this is a private tour, we will drop you off at your hotel.
It is included
IT IS INCLUDED:
- Professional guide in English and Spanish
- Transportation
NOT INCLUDED:
- Entrance fees:
- Catedral 40 soles
- Temple of the Sun 15 soles (20 soles starting on May 2024).
- Tourist Ticket 70 soles for 4 archeological sites
- You can buy the entrance tickets when we arrive at the sites
What To Bring
WHAT TO BRING
- Original passport
- Daypack for personal items
- Comfortable clothes and appropriate footwear
- Extra money in soles for the entrances, souvenirs and handicrafts
- Camera and batteries
- Sunscreen
- Water
- Sunglasses
FAQ
Do I need to walk a lot on this tour?
No. It is an easy tour, around the historic center of Cusco, and there is little walking to be done. The first part is a few meters walk between Cusco’s Cathedral and Qoricancha, and then we travel by van to visit each of the ruins.
Why is the tourist ticket not included?
The Boleto Turístico (tourist ticket) is a personal ticket and is not sold in advance. It must be purchased in Cusco or at the entrance of the visited sites where this ticket is required.
Check our guide with all the information about the tourist ticket.
What is the difference between this city tour and the panoramic bus tour?
This is a guided tour, where travelers get on and take a complete tour inside each visited site. The bus tours just pass by the sites and the tourists do not enter the attractions and only watch from the outside, from the bus.
Flexibility
Flexible cancellation/ change
- Cancel your tour 48 hours in advance and be reimbursed for the full amount of the tour. If you cancel the tour after these 48 hours prior to your tour no refund will be processed.
- The policy to reschedule or to make any amendment allows the update to be made no more than 5 days prior to the date of your tour and it is valid until December 30th, 2023.
- The itinerary may be subject to changes due to unforeseen circumstances, beyond the control of the operator, changes without prior notice.
