AMAZING! Great guide and driver - 5 stops on half day tour, breathtaking! Guide Miguel was super friendly and very informative!
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Transport
- Bi-lingual guide
Excludes
- Food and Beverages
- Entrance fee
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- We will meet all travellers at our office in 324 - Calle Plateros (a block from Plaza De Armas - Main Square).
Return
- We will meet all travellers at our office in 324 - Calle Plateros (a block from Plaza De Armas - Main Square).
Itinerary
The name Sacsaywaman or Sacsayhuamán is derived from two Quechua words: “Sacsay,” which means satiate and “wamán," which means hawk; together they mean “eat your fill, hawk.” This puzzling meaning is a reference to the fact that the birds were divine protectors of the Incas and the military battalions. t is believed that around 20,000 men worked to cut and transport gigantic stones from Huaqoto and Rumiqolqa and build this ceremonial Inca fortress. Sacsayhuamán is an architectural work with megalithic walls made of stones than can weigh from 99 to 138 tons. The stones are different sizes and some have more than one hundred angles, each fitted and joined to the other with no mortar of any kind.
What is left today of Q´enqo archeological complex are carved rocks that couldn´t be destroyed by the Spanish; there is little left of the paths and aqueducts, as well as of the enclosures, the deposits or the liturgical baths, besides the great layer of gold that illuminated the whole place. Q´enqo was possibly used by the Incas as a worship center; its passages, that resemble a labyrinth, have in their flanks several channels in the form of Amarus (snakes), through which ran the blood of animal sacrifices- that were usually the most beautiful and unique; maybe this was the reason that the black animals were the chosen ones. Some chroniclers like Juan de Betanzos describe it as “a savage act committed by the Incas to sacrifice not only animals, but also newborns that possessed special beauty; according to the Incas, these beings were born beautiful in order to join the gods”. Q´enqo has a sacrifice room in one of its underground chambers, where a large rock stands out, that according to chroniclers, was covered in gold. In the upper part of the chamber you can see a hole, which was exactly above the said rock. The light of the moon penetrated through this hole, radiating through the golden layer, illuminating the whole place. Some historians claimed that in Q´enqo lies the tomb of the Inca Pachacuteq, the most important of all.
At 12,350 feet above sea level, the architecture of this Inca bath consists of a group of structures built with precisely cut stones. Water from nearby streams runs through the site in aqueducts and small cascades. Tambomachay was linked to the veneration of water, an important element in the Andean world view. For that reason, it has two aqueducts with artistic engravings in the rock that transport and supply a constant flow of clean water all year round. Its name, which means "place of rest," leads experts to believe the Inca came to this bath to rest. Today it is one of the best hiking routes because it offers tourists an adventure amid fascinating natural scenery.
The complex holds numerous halls, inner plazas, aqueducts, watchtowers and paths. Its role would have been a “tambo” or a place of rest and lodging. According to legend, each time the Inca visited Tambomachay, he was accompanied by a large retinue that stayed in Puka Pukara. Its fortified appearance led to it being called a fortress.
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Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
The tour was meh. The first place we went was Sasqawaman, and that was worth going to. However, you can walk there from downtown Cusco in about 30 minutes or take a cab for ten soles. The rest of the places we went to were very small, very fast, and generally not worth the trip. I like history and archeology, so I enjoy this kind of stuff, but I do not recommend this tour. Instead, walk it get a taxi to Sasqawaman, then read up on the other four sites that will be listed on your entry ticket (70 soles) and see if you want to go there. They are all with close. The biggest downside to this tour was that it ended after stopping at the most expensive alpaca clothing shop in the area, in a small nearby town. This was just an effort to convince us that only these guys have genuine alpaca and so the rest of the stuff anywhere rose was fake, so you need to buy from them. Not recommended.
We had such a great time on this tour. We were able to experience Cusco through the eyes of the Incas. We were able to ask questions, and have fun with our other your participants. Vida was great and super knowledgeable.
It was okay, not much organized. The pick up was late hence we did not have chance to go into the last ruin.
Definitely recommend this one the guide was professional and nice the explanation the history very and I recommend you buy the full ruins card and you stay there more than 3 days to fo all of them !!!
The tour was great. The guide gave more information then expected was able to answer all of the questions that the tourists asked.
Along with the incredible sacred sites, our guide, Marylou, was fabulous. She provided great historical information on each ruin we visited and was able to answer questions on local bird populations. I wish we had h
We had a wonderful informative, enjoyable day visiting over five sights. Inca ruins are astonishing, the views of the mountains breathtaking, & salt flats fascinating.
The tour is sold as a great way to acclimate to Cusco's altitude, they are right. Even thought we had some miscommunication with the planning, the tour guide was so knowledgeable that she shattered my Peruvian history, great refresher. I loved the props they carried with them giving the tour a "show and tell" atmosphere. Great walks and atmosphere. Excellent recommendations beforehand about glasses, hats, and radiation protection screen. I even learnt about how to distinguish between alpacas & baby alpacas wool and Chinese ripping off synthetics. Great experience for STARTING your days in Cusco.
Call Heidi for a custom tour for any number of days you have to spend in the Cusco area! The best way to reach her is a phone call or text via WhatsApp so you don't have to worry about cost of calls to Peru. I found Heidi when looking to schedule a tour for Machu Picchu but quickly realized she was a phenomenal resource to help me schedule everything. My wife and I made a last-minute trip to Peru and we were blessed to find Heidi and her phenomenal team! All I did was book my hotel and Heidi helped with the rest. They picked us up from the airport, provided transportation to and from our hotel each day, and then dropped us off at the airport when it was time to go. A fully customized service and private tour all for an economical price as if we were traveling with a large group! We enjoyed each day in Peru and this City Tour of Cusco with visit to the ruins was a great way to learn more about the Incas prior to visiting Machu Picchu! We had a great guide we spent 3 days with on other tours who took us to some amazing restaurants and places to shop in addition to the scheduled itinerary. We loved everything in Peru: the food, the people, the sites...You've got to visit Peru and call Heidi to help you make you have an amazing experience!
A good tour of 4 ruins around the Cusco area. Our guide was vert good and moved between English and Spanish with ease. The only negative was the pick up which was a bit late and seemed a somewhat disorganized.
We took this tour a few days ago and got to see some amazing sites around Cusco, our tour guide spoke English and Spanish. She told us alot aboit the history of the Incas and the sites we visited, sometimes hard to understand through the accent but she tried very well. If your touring Cusco this is a must!
We highlñy recommend this tour. It was a very good introduction to Cusco and Incan culture. Jhonny was our guide and he knew a lot about many things. He was very helpful and patient to our questions. We visited the ruins off the city in a beautiful country side and it was a very nice experience.
Really enjoyed this trip - I personally didn't go to the Cathedrals as was solely interested in the stones, the Incan culture and the real mysteries behind these places. This commenced at 3,pm but it was roughly 30 minutes late starting. This didn't effect me at all as one was blessed with a beautiful day. The guide was lovely and informative and gave me a good opportunity to listen and practice Spanish (English guide obviously available). Entrance ticket to the 4 sites was 70 soles so ensure you have cash. If you are looking for souvenirs there are plenty of people selling the stuff you see in the town centre and you can get a fraction off those city prices. Highly recommend as you get to see Cusco from stunning vantage points. Thanks for a fantastic day!
I traveled with my young kids, they took us on time and we visit nice places. Tour guide was excellent and there were not issue.
Heidi warmly welcomed us in Cusco and got out of her way to accommodate our tour even though we were late because of a flight delay. From previous experiences, tours leave you if you are late but Heidi moved things around to coordinate our airport pick up and then got someone to take us to meet the group later. We didn’t miss much and we still went to the city ruins, which is definitely worth it if you’re just going to Cusco/Machu Picchu for a few days. I recommend Heidi Travel with no hesitation!
This was a nice day trip. They pretty much took us to all major attractions in and around the Cusco city. The guide was efficient with a good awareness of the history. Highly recommended.
I booked this tour to know a bit about Cusco and it turned out to be the best thing ever, the guide was amazing and helped us a lot with information on history and Inca culture. Worth every cent!
Ho passato una bellissima giornata,grazie anche a norah ,la nostra guida. E stata semplicemente fantástica,professionista e bem preparata.
Agency available and attentive for any help requested, the guides speak several languages so we must choose the one that suits us best
Very good Service of the whole tour. From the miss who calls you and writes always to see how you go to the guide, the driver, etc! All very well. They picked me up at my hotel at the agreed time, very punctual!. The super warm and human guide and comfortable and safe vehicles. All very well coordinated and scheduled. Miss who calls you, super kind before during and after the tour is over always thanking you for everything. A very WARM team. Reliable 100%. I totally recommend them!.. Thanks for everything! :D
Very interesting tour for those who complement their visit to Cusco and have the tour ticket for 10 days. The guide quite friendly and competent. Negative aspect was that the scheduled times were not met in each place (much smaller) and we did not visit Puka Pukara as described.
Just in time, good transport and an enthusiastic, eventful and knowledgeable guide! Maybe a must to choose for a full day excursion!
very impressive the city of Cusco has a history and beautiful landscapes, when you reach the viewpoint of Cusco, you have a panoramic view, the guide was always attentive sharing his knowledge and answering some questions.
very good service and the vehicles are very comfortable. I loved the Service. I went with my friends, we started with the tours and everything was very good, they fulfilled the itinerary, we met more places of cousco, our guide is a nice person,
I knew more about the city of Cusco , places I did not go, streets, landscapes, square. it was a good experience that lasts a day but I recommend because I found excellent to know almost everything Cusco. the treatment seemed excellent.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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