Cusco City Tour
Half-Day Trip
Cusco City Tour Half-Day Trip
Cusco City Tour Trip Details
Cusco is the center of Inca history and home to some of the most important ruins in the country. Exploring them with a member of the Alpaca Expeditions team will help make this period of history come alive. Visit the beautiful cathedral in the main square, the Temple of the Sun, and then head by car to the city limits to visit the four main Inca ruins, including Sacsayhuaman. From here, you will also see some of the most beautiful views of Cusco, so don’t forget your camera.
Note: We only pick up from hotels in the city center due to the early pickup. We cannot go to Airbnb, as most do not have an easy-to-find name or address, and some are far from the main city center.
Highlights
Itinerary
Start Your Cusco City Tour at the Plaza De Armas and Temple of the Sun
At 1 p.m., we will meet you at your hotel lobby to begin your tour. From here, you will head to Cusco’s Plaza de Armas, where you will visit the famous cathedral. Following, you will continue on foot through an ancient Inca-built street from the Plaza de Armas to the Q’oricancha, the Temple of the Sun. At the Q’oricancha you will be able to compare and contrast the building methods of the Incan culture and Catholicism. This was the key spiritual center of the Incas, which leads to all four quarters of the Inca Empire. There is also a bronze, high altar to be seen.
Enjoy a Comfortable Bus Ride to Ancient Ruins
From Q’oricancha, your group will walk down Avenida El Sol, where you will take your bus 25 minutes outside of the city. You will be taken to the majestic Inca site, Sacsayhuaman, with its enigmatic, 200-ton monoliths. Enjoy learning stories of the ruins from your guide, and spend some time exploring on your own.
Visit Ancient Altars and a Water Temple Before Returning to Cusco
From Sacsayhuaman, you will take a five-minute bus ride to the Q’enqo Inca site to see its fascinating Incan altars. Following, you will take another five-minute drive to Puca Pucara, a small, circular Inca site. The final stop on our tour is Tambomachay, a water temple with impressive water fountains, thought to be used by the Inca for bathing. We’ll then drive back down to Cusco where the tour ends in the main square unless you are taking a private tour, in which case, we will return you to your hotel.
Inclusions
Included
- Professional Guides
All of our guides studied English and tourism at Cusco National University. They all grew up in this region and have a true passion to teach others about their heritage. They are fun yet professional and will ensure you are safe and happy. - Transportation
Alpaca Expeditions uses private, clean vehicles for all their tours so that you are comfortable driving out of the city when visiting the beautiful inca ruins on the city limits. - Entrance Tickets
Many of the sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley accept the Boleto Turistico (Tourist Ticket), which is a bit costly, but grants access to many of our areas highlights. Included in this tour are the 4 inca ruins you visit on the city limits. we included the partial ticket (boleto turistico) wich allow you to visit the arqueological sites in this tour.
- Professional Guides
Not Included
- Meals
There are no meals served during this tour. You should be back in Cusco in time to enjoy lunch on your own. - Tips: optional.
- Meals
Price
We design this special city tour of 10 people only because we want to give a personalized experience and more time for you to enjoy the different archeological sites as well as the most important attractions in Cusco. Explore with our professional English-speaking guide the colonial streets and Main square of Cusco. Hear about how this ancient city was once full of Inca treasures and gold, which were later looted during the Spanish conquest.
Cusco City Tour – Half Day
Please fill in our BOOKING FORM carefully with your correct personal details.
The Alpaca Difference
Alpaca Expeditions is a 100% peruvian, indigenous owned company. Started by Raul Ccolque, a former porter and tour guide, Alpaca Expeditions separates ourselves by our dedication to both our customer and our team. We work very hard to make sure that all our clients needs are taken care of throughout the tour with us. At the same time, we never forget about our brothers and sisters working tirelessly for us to make all of this possible. Responsible and sustainable tourism that gives as much to our community as to our clients.
Meet the AE Trekking Team!
Everyone on the Alpaca Team is from Cusco region, living the traditions and history they share with you while on one of our tours. Our guides are all graduates of university studying tourism, history and english. Our chefs are trained every February by a professional cooking team learning new meals, adding varieties of entrees for all types of eating. And all our porters are from HUARQUI, HUACAHUASI, PATACANCHA, QUISWARANI, CANCHACANCHA, QUEYUPAY, UMACHURCO and CCACCACCOLLO villages, very often working this job on top of maining their farms back at home. Most of our team has been with us for years, as we have the most loyal, hard working, happy employees in Cusco. We know how lucky we are to have the best team trekking and you will immediately fall in love with all the men and women who call Alpaca Expeditions their home.
AE súper porters
Our Porters represent the Peruvian people, both men, and women who are at the heart of our...
Equality Matters
Alpaca Expeditions aims to promote gender equality and empower women, hiring first Peru Wo...
Our Guides
Travelling and trekking along the mountains is one of the best activities in the World. Co...
Our Chefs
Trekking along the mountain on your way to conquer Machu Picchu is a once in a lifetime ex...
What do we do for our porters?
Alpaca Expeditions would not be where we are today without these hardworking men and women. We could not imagine a harder job and our team does it smiling. We do our best to thank them for their hard work and loyalty by doing as much as we can to make their lives and their families lives better. All our porters receive all their equipment for free from warm winter hats to proper hiking boots. They sleep in proper tents and are given warm sleeping bags for night. They enjoy the same food we serve our clients and all leftovers are donated to their families. We visit their villages with doctors and dentists, donate school supplies and sports equipment. And our favorite time of the year is when we bring a group of porters and their families to Machu Picchu to visit the ruins for the first time.
AE súper porters
Our Porters represent the Peruvian people, both men, and women who are at the heart of our company. It is not possible to ...
Equality Matters
Alpaca Expeditions aims to promote gender equality and empower women, hiring first Peru Women as Porters opening the door ...
Free Medical Assistance to Porters
In 2019, we hired our first Alpaca Expeditions Medical Doctor to help tend to our guides, drivers, chefs…
Our Porter’s bus
We treat our porters with the same dignity and respect as we do our clients. Just as our clients enjoy our…
Our Porter’s House
As we mentioned above, our Porters like many Peruvian people come from distant villages to work our treks…
Tents and Sleeping bags
Again, this is something unique that Alpaca Expeditions provides, and sad others are not doing. We supply…
Proper Equipment for our Porters
Every porter of ours receives proper equipment. That includes moisture-wicking long/short sleeve shirts…
Nutritious Meals for our Porters
A general comment from trekkers on an Alpaca Expeditions tour is that we serve too much food. Well…
Videos of our Porters
Extra information
Alpaca Expeditions is always ready to make your trip safe and as easy as possible for you. Because these trips are a bit more complicated than your typical tour, we have put together some notes on logistics, storage, and even recommendations on where to stay in Cusco. And of course our team is ready to answer any other question, as we promise to be your partner from the moment you first contact us to our last goodbye in Cusco.
Alpaca Expeditions Recognitions
ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
In the pursuit to stand out from the rest, Alpaca Expeditions has obtained four ISOs plus our carbon footprint certificate to date. These achievements result from our efforts to implement the internationally-recognized integrated management system. They also represent our commitment to all of our clients and staff of operating sustainability and responsibility in every way possible.