A representative of Salkantay Trekking will be waiting for you at the Cusco Airport to take you directly to your hotel. Cusco is located at an altitude of 3,399 masl / 11,151 fasl so you may need some time to acclimatize.

After Lunch, we pick you up from your hotel to explore the city on an afternoon city tour.

Our tour begins in the fascinating Qorikancha or Temple of the Sun, probably the most important Inca place within the city of Cusco. While you marvel at the exquisite architecture of the place, our guide will share with you a bit of the history of the Incas. We’ll continue heading to the Plaza de Armas to visit the Cathedral that holds approximately 300 paintings from the famous Cusqueña School (the tour includes the entrance to the Cathedral). The Plaza de Armas itself is a wonderful place to sit and immerse yourself in the local atmosphere.

Later we’ll visit the impressive Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, located on top of a mountain above Cusco. It’s characterized by having been built with rocks of colossal sizes that weigh hundreds of tons. Ancient Inca architects cut and polished these giant rocks to build zig-zag walls that span hundreds of meters. Despite the fact that only a small portion of the original site remains, the cyclopean dimensions of Sacsayhuamán continue to inspire and surprise its visitors. We’ll continue with the Qenqo temple, carved from a single stone block. This temple has artificial tunnels, one of which forms an amphitheater. The original purpose of the amphitheater has been lost over time, but most agree that the area was used to worship the Sun, Moon, and Stars! We will also visit Puca Pucara, a site that the Incas used as a military control center.

Our tour ends in Tambomachay, an Inca archaeological site that shows a series of aqueducts, channels, and waterfalls that run spectacularly through rock terraces. The cost of admission to the site is included in the tour.

At the end of the day, we’ll take you to the door of your hotel to enjoy a relaxing night.