Traditional Cusco City Tour half day

The City Tour of Cusco is a tour of the main tourist attractions of the city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas, such as: Sacsayhuaman, Qoricancha, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay.

It offers a visit of 5 hours (half day). Some tour packages start in the morning (from 8 in the morning) and other tours start in the afternoon (from 1:30 in the afternoon).

It also includes the tour guide service, transportation to all places and entrance to all tourist attractions. Visitors can choose a shared or private service.

Coricancha and Santo Domingo Convent:

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 covered in gold and plants 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 of up to nine meters of height 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 were fierce battles 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.

Archaeological site of Qenqo 

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

Archaeological site of Puca Pucara

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 a resting place for the Inca's 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 with water. The enclosure is also formed by a set of finely carved rocks as well as waterfalls, canals and aqueducts fed by springs. The scenic beauty of the enclosure harmonizes with the buildings and the murmur of the water.

Cusco City Tour will take approximately half a day. You can do it on your first day in Cusco, as long as you are in the city before 11 am. These are the times when you can do the City Tour:

• Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to 1 p.m.
• Hours: from 1.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

The answer is yes, you should visit Cusco and its 4 ruins where the true history of the Incas is. The Sacasayhuaman fortress is perhaps the one that will surprise you the most, because you can still see the great stone walls, some are so large and weigh more than 100 tons. You can also enjoy a fabulous view of the city of Cusco from the Cristo Blanco viewpoint.

The city of Cusco is in the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of 3400 meters above sea level. Sacsayhuaman's altitude is 3700 meters above sea level.

Acclimatization is essential at this altitude to prevent altitude sickness.

Therefore hiking to Sacsayhuaman is a perfect activity for your first day in Cusco. Some of the altitude sickness symptoms are dizziness, nausea, headache, shortness of breath, tiredness, etc.

Take your time in Cusco slowly, soak up in the atmosphere, acclimate. Luckily, Cusco offers plenty of things to do. And by the way, one of the best ways to deal with the altitude is to stay hydrated.

Carry a reusable water bottle to lower the plastic footprint and drink plenty of water throughout the day.

The traditional city tour of Cusco, in a group service, is normally made up of 15 to 20 people. With your guide in Spanish-English. In each tourist attraction, your local guide will provide you with as much information as possible, so that you feel amazed by the history of the Incas.
But if you prefer a private tour, we can also organize this type of excursion for you. The advantage of organizing a private tour is that you decide the starting time, and you can also have more time to take the best photos, with the help of your local guide.

If you feel more comfortable and these allow you to walk on rough terrain, you can take your trekking poles to the city tour of Cusco, just do not forget to have their tips covered with rubber bands. Because in Cusco in each archaeological site the park rangers are very strict with this rule, that is due to protect the historical monuments from possible wear or marks from the metal to the stones.

In this excursion of the city tour in Cusco, you do not walk too much, since most of the visit takes place in the tourist buses, and in the archaeological sites their lands are flat. Normally, each tourist attraction takes an average of 1 hour.
Even so, it is recommended to wear adequate footwear for an outdoor visit, since there will be gravel paths, grass, rocks.

The use of DRONES is regulated in Peru. If you want to make use of this flight device, you can do it without any inconvenience in the city of Cusco, we are talking about the square of Cusco, and its streets in the center of the city.
But in the archaeological attractions, it is totally prohibited, due to its declaration in its majority as historical monuments protected by Peruvian and international laws.
You can only use the DRONE if you have processed a special permit with the Ministry of Culture of Peru, at least one month in advance, and it must issue a letter of approval for the use of drones in the archaeological parks of Peru. Cusco.

If you plan to take a walk from the center of the city of Cusco to Sacsayhuaman, Quenqo and Tambomachay, it is possible. If you are in good physical condition, and acclimatized to the altitude, it takes about 1 hour. The path is all uphill combined with steps, it is recommended that you bring good hiking shoes, a water backpack and some snacks.