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SOUTHERN VALLEY CUSCO TOUR
It was an important place and a major shrine, where the water was worshiped with the care and veneration with which the Incas treated this element. Although there are still mysteries to be unraveled, the calm of the place, the sound of the water and the sensation of being close to the gods subjugate the visitor.
The main sectors that make up Tipón are:
Royal Enclosures and Gardens Beautiful rooms and gardens built on the base of megalithic stone blocks constituted the Royal House that Wiracocha had built as a home for his father Yahuar Huaca. This is the most beautiful and wide group of the complex, has beautiful fountains and channels that until today continue to pour water, which emerges from mysterious and secret underground channels. An ovoid construction like a tower is located south of the platforms. From this place you can see the entire ravine with a breathtaking view.
Intiwatana Beautiful rooms of first quality with exquisite trapezoidal niches, from where you can visually include almost all Tipón, are located a few meters from the main enclosures. They are located higher up on a mountainous elevation that protects the whole.
Minor Enclosures A personality of some importance, but who did not belong to the nobility, must have lived in these precincts. The rooms, located almost 1 km. of the Intiwatana, they are of lower quality, but in spite of this they show importance and solemnity. They are initially built of stone and finished with adobe.
Viewpoint of Cusco In the northern part of the archaeological site is a significant orogenic prominence that was, in ancient times, an important site for observation and signals. It has been called Cruz Moqo which means "summit where there is a cross" and at the same time QosqoQhawarina which means "from where Cusco can be seen". It has been called like that because from this place you can see the western part of the city of Cusco. It was a place of abundant population during the Incas, home of personalities with broad political and economic powers.
The wall It is possible that the area of Tipón was occupied by manors that waged wars of many years and to make sure, they built colossal and extensive defensive walls, which undoubtedly took many years of work. Later the wall lacked object because all the regional kingdoms happened to comprise of the great Empire of the Tahuantinsuyo. It is worth noting the presence of the so-called "zarunas" or ridge steps that appear on the walls of the platforms, in the form of huge lithic nails arranged as stairs, which were built to avoid occupying the space with the stairways. Archaeological group corresponding to the Inca period in which you can see an exceptional irrigation system with horizontal vertical irrigation channels on stepped terraces, the water flows from the sub floor to a source from which it is distributed by the mentioned channels. It was an important agricultural production center.
This tour allows you to know Maras and the agricultural terraces of Moray. You will enjoy the beautiful natural scenery along the way. We start the tour by picking you up from your hotel at 09:00 am in a tourist bus, to go to the town of Chinchero, then we’ll head to the picturesque town of Maras, the importance of this place is given by the salt mines that it owns, which we will visit. Then we’ll go to Moray, which is composed of a group of circular terraces of different sizes, which in Inca times were used as an agricultural experimental center; here it was where they performed their studies of plant adaptation to new ecosystems. At each site that you visit you will have time to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. After the tour ends you’ll return to the city of Cusco. The entire tour takes about 5 hours, that’s why we will be back to the city of Cusco approximately at 14:30.
This tour begins with pick up from your hotel at approximately 08:15 h in order to board the tourist bus to take us to the various attractions of the Sacred Valley. After picking you up, we will stop at Qorao Market, where you can see and buy beautiful works made by local craftsmen. Then we will go to the viewpoint of the Sacred Valley; there we can take great pictures of the Andes and the Sacred Valley itself. Then the bus will take us to the town of Pisac to visit the local market and the archaeological complex of Pisac, after visiting this wonderful place we’ll go to the town of Urubamba in this place we will have buffet lunch in a tourist restaurant. After the delicious lunch we head to the town of Ollantaytambo; which was built to monitor and protect the empire from possible invasion. Afterwards you’ll have some time to walk along the streets of this town and thus have a better idea of what life religion and traditions were like in this place during the period of the Incas. On the way to Cusco we’ll visit the picturesque town of Chinchero where we will see the remains of the royal house of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the beautiful colonial temple with interesting frescoes on the front gate (this place was built on the foundations of an Inca construction). We can also admire the well-preserved Inca walls in the main square of the town. Finally, we return to the city of Cusco, arriving at around 18:30 h.
In the afternoon, at approximately 13:30 we’ll pick you up from your hotel to do the city tour in the beautiful city of Cusco, the city tour includes a visit to the Temple of Qoricancha also known as "Temple of the Sun" its architecture and perfect stone buildings show that during the rule of the Incas this was the most important temple, then we’ll observe the Cathedral in the main square where we will see a variety of paintings from the Cusco School, sculptures, works in gold and embossed silver. Afterwards we will travel out of town where we’ll visit the 4 ruins:
The fortress of Sacsayhuaman, strategically built on a hill from which you can appreciate the whole town of Cusco. It is famous for its enormous carved stones, and also because in this place the Inti Raymi is performed every year. Then we visit Qenko, an archaeological complex that had a religious function. Afterwards we’ll visit a place called Puca Pucara, which means "Red Fortress", is believed to be a military construction which made part of the defense system of Cusco. Finally we’ll visit Tambomachay, a temple dedicated to the worship of water, until today its water sources can be appreciated.
After having completed our city tour we’ll return to Cusco at approximately 18:30 hrs.
Ciudad perdida - Cuidad Sagrada - Cradle of the Inca Empire, Machupicchu Located 2,430 meters high in a beautiful landscape, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, the Machu Picchu sanctuary was probably the most amazing architectural realization of the Inca Empire in its apogee Its walls, terraces and gigantic ramps give the impression of having been sculpted in the escarpments of the rock, as if they were part of it. The natural frame, located on the eastern slope of the Andes, is part of the upper Amazon basin, which has a very varied flora and fauna.
Location:
The archaeological zone is located on the left bank of the Vilcanota river, in the Kusi Chaka creek, until the mouth of the Aobamba river. In the district of Machu Picchu, province of Urubamba, department of Cusco at 112.5 km. northeast of the city of Cusco in Peru. To get to the Inca city of Machu Picchu, you can choose two routes:
Via Inca Trail
Rail to Aguas Calientes and from there by car or walking until you reach the mountain where the citadel is located.
Description:
Machu Picchu, Quechua term whose meaning is Old Mountain. Today it is universally known, both for its imposing archaeological remains, as for its incomparable location, on the edge of an abyss in whose bottom run the mighty waters of the Urubamba River.
Machu Picchu, more than a citadel, is an architectural complex that only lacks the roofs. This complex is called a city, because of the large number of houses that currently number more than 200, and at its peak they must have been more. In addition, its design includes plazas, temples, roads, stairways, terraces, aqueducts, etc.
Its name comes from two Quechua words: "Wini", for the rounded and heavy black stones that abound in the place, which 'em called "wini rumi" (stone). The second is "Kunka" which means neck, 'cause the narrowness of the hill resembles a neck step. Initially, the arrieros of the high plateau and the settlers knew it like "Qolla Ñan" or "way of the Qollas". RAINBOW MOUNTAIN PHOTO
Why is it a Mountain of Colors?
Its coloration is natural and this due to the large amount of sedimentary stones in erosion, what makes it so beautiful and impressive is how these stones are formed to give it the appearance of a rainbow.
That's why many studies were done to know the reason for the colors and the following conclusion was reached:
The report revealed that the colors of the mountains are due to the mineralogical composition that has: the pink color is for red clay, fangolitas (mud) and arilitas (sand). The whitish, by the white quartzose sandstone. Brown, brown and purple, by limonites and marls, rich in calcium carbonate.
The red one made up of the claystones (iron) and clays belonging to the upper tertiary. The green is due to the compound of phyllites and clays rich in ferro magnesian. The earthy brown is the product of the fanglomerate composed of manganese rock belonging to the Quaternary era. And the mustard yellow color for the calcareous sandstones rich in sulfur minera'em.
How to get to the Mountain of Colors?
Our tour begins in the City of Cusco from where we will depart to Andahuaylillas, Quiquijana and Checacupe. After 3 hours we arrived at Pitumarca.
From our arrival in Pitumarca we have to ascend one hour, approximately, to reach a horse station. The price for the horse rental service, is between 70 and 90 so'em round trip or depending on your decision can be single or only return.
Then we have to climb on foot 'til reaching the summit, at 5,200 meters above sea level, where there is a viewpoint. From there we will observe all the splendor of this fantastic Mountain.
From Cusco you must travel by vehicle for about 3 hours towards the southeast in the direction of the District of Combapata. Before reaching the village, turn left, where the Checacupe bridge is, a suspension bridge made by the Quechuas to favor the connection of the Inca Empire. Then follow the dirt road for about 1 hour until you reach a parking lot.
From the parking you can already see the colorful mountains, but if you want a better view, at a slow pace you can reach the viewpoint of the Palcoyo mountain range in 45 minutes. In Denomades we have a tour to Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain that includes pickup at the hotel, shared transportation, guide in Spanish, lunch, entrance ticket and drop off in the center of Cusco. Be aware that the tour is available from April to November, because during the high plateau winter the hills are covered with snow and the rains make access difficult.
As in Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca, an extraordinary geological process aligned the different strata of the earth in multicolour layers creating a unique effect. From the viewpoint of Palcoyo you can see the 3 colorful mountains in all their magnitude and lonely immensity. In the same place there is a curious forest of stones, which as its name suggests, it is about peaks of rock from the height of trees that look like a true geological labyrinth. PALCOYO OR VINICUNCA?
Palcoyo Vinicunca Duration of the walk. From 1 to 1.5 hours (round trip). From 4 to 6 hours, depending on the pace of the walk (round trip). Technical Difficulty Low Average Physical difficulty Low Medium high Maximum height 4,900 masl approx. 5,000 meters above sea level approx. Best time to make the route From April to November. From April to November. Climate Height, with low temperatures Height, with low temperatures. The physical effort and the time it takes to get to Palcoyo is much less than to get to Vinicunca, the latter also receives a large influx of tourists that detracts from the natural landscape. With this we do not mean that the trekking to the Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca is not worth it, is more, if what you are looking for is a physical challenge, perhaps visiting Vinicunca has more sense for you. The grace of the Cordillera de Colores Palcoyo is that it is an excellent alternative for those who can not or do not want to wear themselves physically to observe the same landscape that they would observe in Vinicunca. RECOMMENDATIONS TO VISIT PALCOYO Being located at 4,900 meters, the risk to suffer from puna is always present. In any case, because the walk is without slope and last one hour, most travelers (regardless of age) will not have problems. The recommendation is always to spend at least two days in Cusco before traveling to Palcoyo to acclimate the body. If you want more information on this topic, read our article on how to avoid altitude sickness. As for the cold weather, it is very important that you wear warm clothes due to the temperatures below zero in Palcoyo. A windbreak is also recommended.
In this program we will visit one of the new tourist circuits of Cusco. The "Humantay Lagoon" is a natural attraction located in the village of Soraypampa, formerly only visited by those who ventured to make the trek to the Salkantay, but now it has become one of the most visited places by travelers, visiting the Humantay lagoon will not take you more than 1 day, the walk is easy if you have previously acclimatized yourself in Cusco and the reward for this effort will be the wonderful landscape that is observed in this turquoise lagoon.
CUSCO - MOLLEPATA - SORAYPAMPA - LAGUNA HUMANTAY Our transfer will visit you at your hotel between 04:30 and 05:00 in the morning to begin our unforgettable day trip to "the Humantay Lagoon". Then we will make a trip by car for two and a half hours to the town of Mollepata where we will enjoy breakfast. After breakfast we will continue our journey until we reach the town of Soraypampa, from this point we will start the hike for an hour and a half to two until we reach the Humantay Lagoon, where we will enjoy the scenery and take unforgettable photos to return to Mollepata, place where we will have a buffet lunch. After lunch we will start the return trip to the city of Cusco. Our tour ends at approximately 6:30 p.m. Our last stop will be close to the Plaza de Armas of Cusco.
Early at 07:00 in the morning we will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco to start our incredible adventure. In our transportation we will head to Limatambo for a route full of unique natural and cultural attractions. We will make some stops to visit 2 Inca Archaeological Centers, Quillarumiyuc; a temple dedicated to the Moon with its beautiful waterfall, and Tarawasi that has walls of stones of polygonal shape that show the perfect architecture of the Incas and the importance of this place. We will continue our journey until we reach the Chonta, By 12:00 p.m., we will arrive at the Community of Chonta, a place where we will taste a lunch with magnificent views of Salkantay. In this community, we will begin the walk of about 45 minutes until arriving at the Viewpoint of the Condor Canyon located at 3,380 masl. Here, we will wait for the Condors (Sacred Bird) to return from your daily activities, and after a short time we will have the opportunity to observe the impressive Andean Condor in full flight and in its natural habitat. He will pass very close to us and you will be able to take many photos. After this incredible experience, we will return to the Community of Chonta walking and continuing to the city of Cusco in our transportation, arriving at 08:00 at night.
