Highlights

Machu Picchu: Machu Picchu was an Incan settlement which was built in the 15th century. It is the most important pre-Hispanic archaeological site in Peru and South America. This magnificent city is considered the most important vestige of the Incan culture in terms of its architecture, engineering, urban planning, agriculture and Andean religion and spirituality. The complex is comprised of plazas, streets, water fountains, temples, palaces and residential areas, all of which are surrounded by a stunning geography, which is of great magical-religious significance to the people of the Andes. Machu Picchu stands at the summit of a mountain that is surrounded by other peaks, the steep slopes of which end at the banks of the Urubamba River. The city is surrounded by agricultural terraces which were the Incas’ solution to the rugged geography of the area. Machu Picchu stands at an altitude of 8,085 feet (2,450m).

Sacred Valley of the Incas – Urubamba Valley: The valley of the Urubamba River is a magical place where one can appreciate the living culture of the Quechua speaking inhabitants of the Andes. Visitors can enjoy colonial era villages, local markets, traditional handcrafts, local homes, and get a real feel for the Andean way of life. Local establishments serve Chicha (the fermented corn beer which was drunk by the Incas and is still the traditional beverage in this part of the Peruvian Andes). The valley is the setting for a number of Incan remains, including the archaeological sites of Ollantaytambo and Pisaq. These cities were constructed on mountain tops so that the limited flat areas of land in the valley could be used exclusively for the growing of the region’s several crops, particularly corn. Today local people cultivate white corn, which is the largest and sweetest corn in the world.

Saqsayhuamán: Located only a few minute from the city of Cusco, Saqsayhuamán is the largest and most impressive architectural building in the entire Cusco region. Giant stones, many more than a hundred tons, were used in the construction. The stones were transported by thousands of people and were fitted with extreme mastery. People can now see the finest architecture in the enormous walls.

Saqsayhuamán was the place where the Incas adored the Sun god. They held magnificent religious ceremonies. Thousands of people were mobilized on special holidays who brought offerings and did peregrinations. Now, each year on June 24th, Sacsayhuamán is where people perform the Inti Raymi (Sun Festival).

Cathedral of Cuzco: The Catedral del Cusco is one of the largest cathedrals in Latin America. It is considered to be a museum of art, because of the incredible quantity of art work, gold and silver work, paintings and wood carvings.  These works were principally created by local artists, who belonged to the Escuela Cuzqueña (Cuzco School of Art), founded during the 17th century by local artists.

Qorikancha – Temple of the Sun: It is located in the city center. It was the most important, venerated and respected Incan temple of the entire Empire. It was constructed using the finest architecture of this epoch. According to the chroniclers, its walls were covered with sheets of gold and other precious metals. For this reason, it was destroyed by the Dominican Religious Order to show the power of the Catholic religion in America. At a later time, the foundations and walls were used to construct the Church and Monastery of Santo Domingo.

Pisaq: It is located 33 km to the east of Cuzco. This archaeological site is one of the most important of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and is constructed in the highest part of a mountain. People can travel to the site on a paved road. Pisaq, Incan town, includes hundreds of agricultural terraces, temples, living areas, and store houses; all of which were constructed with both fine and coarse architecture.

The present town of Pisaq is in the same valley, along the Urubamba River. This village was founded by the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo in the 16th century. The village demonstrates colonial architecture and city planning. The main square is alive with craft sellers. It is an entertaining and colorful location to buy reasonably priced articles.

Ollantaytambo: It is located 62 km to the northwest of Cuzco. The town of Ollantaytambo is the only currently inhabited Incan city in Peru. It is an important tourist attraction because of the Incan buildings showing strengthened characteristics and because it is located near the train station to Machu Picchu.

Chinchero: It is a small town located 28 km from Cuzco. The main attraction is a precious colonial Church, constructed in the 17th century on the foundations of an Incan temple. Both the interior and exterior of the Church are decorated with colorful murals, painted by a local artist from the Cuzqueña Art School. These murals clearly demonstrate the colonial art influence. Chinchero also holds a colorful Sunday market (where people continue to use the Incan bartering system) where handmade textiles from the Chinchero handcrafted art workshops are available to purchase.

Tipón: Located 30 minutes, by car, southeast of Cuzco, Tipón was built fairly high in a valley, close to natural springs. It consists of a series of agricultural terraces and manmade water fountains, which were part of a ceremonial center based on the hydraulic and agricultural experimentation.

Maras Salt Mines: Maras is the name of a colonial village, located one hour northwest of Cuzco. The salt mines are located just a few minutes from town, and consist of over 4,000 small water pans, built on a mountain slope. During the dry season, these pans fill with salt water that flows from a nearby saltwater spring.  When the water evaporates, the salt solidifies gradually.

Moray: Located 7 km from the town of Maras, Moray demonstrates a series of circular terraces, all built as concentric rings. Moray was an Incan agricultural research center where crop experiments were performed at different heights, obtaining optimum microclimate research data for the development of high farming technology.

Andahuaylillas Colonial Church: The town of Andahuaylillas is located 40 km southeast of Cuzco. Andahuaylilla’s main square is decorated with native trees “Pisonay” and is the setting of an impressive Jesuit Church built on top of an Incan temple during the seventeenth century. The Church shows modest architecture, which is the type of classical architecture used in the churches constructed in small towns. It is considered the Sistine Chapel of America and the Andes, due to the quality of the artwork found within it. There are many impressive murals covering the walls and the ceiling containing geometric and floral patterns, woodwork covered with gold leaf and paintings by local artists.

Huaro Colonial Church: This Church is located one hour southeast of Cuzco. It is a beautiful colonial church which shows beautiful passages of Christianity depicted as terrible death scenes.

The most important part of the Church are the murals that show an impressive religious iconography. These drawings, in addition to their artistic value, fulfilled a very important role in the task of evangelization of the native Quechua population. In addition to the images of saints, there are also mural paintings representing death, hell and purgatory.