City Tour Cusco 4 hours

Places to visit:

The Cathedral: The Cathedral was built between 1560 and 1664 with large red granite slabs taken from the Inca construction of Sacsayhuaman.  It houses important collections of gold and silver work from colonial times, elaborate engraved wooden altars, and a beautiful collection of oil paintings on canvas from the Cusco School.

Qoricancha: The convent was built on the spectacular Qoricancha “site of gold”.  This was the most important temple dedicated to the cult of the Sun (Inti) and whose walls were covered with solid sheets of gold.  Today, only fine masonry is preserved because the conquistadors looted the rest.  The Qoricancha was also an observatory, where the priests kept track of the main celestial events.

Sacsayhuaman: One of the most impressive sites built by the Incas.  It is generally known as a fortress, however, it is not known with certainty what its main function was.  Current research suggests that it is more likely that it was used as a temple, as Inca tombs have been discovered in the area. The site is a marvelous archaeological feat, even now after it was destroyed, one can only imagine its grandeur when it was in full glory. The stones of the wall are incredible, massive in scale, and the largest weighs over 300 tons.

Q’enqo: (meaning ‘zigzag’ or ‘labyrinth’) this site contains the most impressive rock carvings in the Cusco area.  There are carvings everywhere, although some are a bit indistinct: a llama, a condor and snakes have been identified.  There are many zigzag channels on top of the rock, probably used for pouring chicha de sacrificio (a local drink made from fermented corn).  Inside the rock there are several caves and passageways and an altar that was used for llama sacrifices.

PukaPukara: It translates as “the red fortresses”.  It is a small site and although the name suggests that it was a fortress, it does not seem to have any defensive purpose.

Tambomachay: It is believed that this site was used as a Water Temple. There are some very impressive aqueducts, canals and waterfalls carved in stone, designed to channel water flowing from a nearby stream.