After hotel pickup, relax on a scenic drive to the ancient site of Sacsayhuaman, an archeological park perched on the top of a hill. Admire spectacular city views before exploring the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site with your guide; see colossal stones crammed together to create a fortress-like structure. Decipher depictions of condors, pumas, and snakes upon the façade of the temple, enriching your knowledge of the Incan empire.
Return to your coach and continue on to Qenqo, home to an enormous sacrificial altar and sacred temple. See, too, Puca Pucara to discover the atmospheric military ruins of the site then set out to explore Tambomachay, where a series of aqueducts, moats and stolid stonewalls provided impenetrable defense from Incan attackers. Gaze upwards at the impressive Temple of the Sun, an ancient pyramid upon which resides the Convent of Santo Domingo.
Head back to the center of the city to continue your cultural exploration; stroll around the ambient and attractive Plaza de Armas before entering the sacred and spectacular Cusco Cathedral. Admire prismatic stained glass windows, classic colonial art and the Gothic grandeur of the architecture; the cathedral is home to Cusco’s oldest surviving painting, Pintura Senor de los Temblores, among other significant works.
Return to your Cusco hotel in the coach when the tour concludes.
