Cusco

Educational Activities

Start with pickup from your hotel in Cusco and travel to Ollantaytambo Station to board the train to Aguas Calientes. This is the nearest town to Machu Picchu. Enjoy a scenic train journey through dramatic Andean landscapes. The train has ample seats with large windows allowing for grand views of the surrounding jungle and mountains.  Board a coach for a 25-minute ride to Machu Picchu. The city of Machu Pichu is believed to have been built in the 1450s by the Inca emperor Pachacuti as a holiday retreat. Within a century the city would be abandoned following the Spanish conquest. The Spaniards never found it, so it was spared the destruction they brought on other Inca sites. Instead, it was slowly swallowed up by the jungle and hidden from harm. Take a guided tour of the site which explains the origins behind this awe-inspiring citadel and its most prominent landmarks such as the monumental Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial, and the Burial Grounds. After the tour, be returned to Aguas Calientes where you can take some free time to explore the city, or enjoy an optional lunch.  After some time in the town, return to Aguas Calientes station to take the train back to the Ollantaytambo Station, from there you will be taken back to your hotel.

After being picked up from your hotel between 8:40AM and 9:00AM, you will proceed to the Tipon Archeological Complex to begin your Incan adventure. The complex is located 24 kilometers southeast of Cusco, and is one of the lesser visited sites in the Cusco area. It is an ancient Incan site and thought to be a royal garden commissioned by Wiracocha, and is one of the most elaborate examples of agricultural terracing created by the Incas. These tall terraces run up the narrow valley and are irrigated by an aqueduct from Pachatusan, with a mountain located above the site. In addition to the terracing, there are also some other structures at Tipon including baths, a temple complex, canals, and aqueducts. Following Tipon, you will head to Pikillacta. Pikillacta is the only pre-Inca site in the Cusco area. This adobe complex was built around 700 to 900 A.D. by the Huari people. In the area, there is a small Inca site just a short walk from Pikillacta which is known as Rumicolca, and was a travel checkpoint for the Incas. After this complex, you will progress towards Andahuaylillas. Here you will discover the “Sistine Chapel of Peru”, a church that is home to golden altars, paintings, and many colored ceilings. The chapel is simple and unassuming on the outside, but on the inside you’ll find masterpiece after masterpiece as you browse the fascinating walls. On your return to Cusco you will also pass Saylla, where you will be able to enjoy the delicious and famous pork chicharrones. Your tour will then conclude with your return to Cusco at around 2:30PM.

Discover one of the New Seven Wonders of the World with a magnificent guided expedition to the forgotten Inca city of Machu Picchu. Catch an early train to Aguas Calientes before venturing onward to the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu. This icon of Inca civilization went unnoticed by the 16th-century Spanish conquistadors and consequently remains significant as Peru's best-preserved site of Inca heritage. Take the opportunity to discover landmark attractions such as the Temple of the Sun and the terraced fields of the agricultural sector. Take the famous picture from the observatory with the lost citadel behind. At the end of the tour the bus will take you back to Aguas Calientes where you can explore the city before boarding your train back to Ollantaytambo. A complimentary transfer will take you back to Cusco in the evening.

Delve into Peru’s ancient history with a guided tour from Cusco, with hotel pickup included. Enjoy live commentary as you visit the Cusco Cathedral, Sacsayhuaman, the Sacred Valley of Peru, and Tambomachay. Learn about how people lived in the Inca Empire. Start the tour with a pickup around 1:00 PM from your hotel in Cusco. Head to your first stop, the Cusco Cathedral, a 16th-century colonial relic that took over 100 years to complete. From there, visit the most important temple in the Inca Empire, the Coricancha — also known as the Temple of the Sun. Continue with archeological discoveries as you visit the towers, walls, and tunnels of Sacsayhuaman. Move onward to the Sacred Valley of Peru with stops at the Temple Qenqo followed by Puca Pucara — a large military fortress with a fascinating arrangement of large stones. Finally, get further insight into the lives of the Inca at the enchanting Tambomachay, situated 3700 meters above sea level with a fascinating series of water features thought to have been built in worship of water. Return to the city of Cusco to be dropped off near the main square of Cusco at approximately 6:45 PM.

Embark on an adventure-filled 2-day tour of the Lake Titicaca area. Discover some of the highlights located in and around Puno, Uros, Taquile, and Cusco, stopping with plenty of time to soak up the local flair and experience the key attractions. Stay overnight in Puno and savor some tasty local cuisine along the way. Day 1: Cusco to Puno with stops Get picked up from your hotel and head to the tourist bus station for Puno. During the trip, enjoy a suite of exciting stops at different tourist centers and attractions. Begin with a 35-minute tour of the Temple of Andahuaylillas Sistine Chapel of America and prepare to be amazed. Later, explore the Archaeological Complex of Raqchi, before arriving at Sicuani where you can sit for a buffet lunch in the restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the pretty Paso la Raya, hemmed in by snow-capped mountains. Explore the Pucara Lithic Museum. Check in to your hotel in Puno. Day 2: Puno, Uros, Taquile, Cusco Your second day will start early with hotel pickup and transfer to the Port of Puno. Board your boat and head to Uros where you will participate in a cultural demonstration that will allow you to discover the Uros way of life. Visit the Taquile Islands and get to know the local culture. Take a lovely 1-hour walk packed with amazing photo opportunities. Break for lunch in the afternoon at a restaurant in town, where you can sample local favorites like quinoa soup or fresh fried fish from the lake. Return to the main port of Taquile and then to your hotel in Puno in the late afternoon to have dinner on your own. Get picked up and driven to the bus station in Puno. The bus will leave for Cusco at 10:00 PM and arrive at 5:00 AM the next morning. You can then take a taxi back to your hotel.

Discover the best of Cusco on a 2.5-hour guided tour in the comfort of an open-top bus and in the company of a professional guide. After boarding the bus, your first stop will be at the San Cristobal Temple and Colcampata Inca wall, where you can admire panoramic views of the main square, Plaza De Armas. Next, enjoy a panoramic overview of the archaeological sites of Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo and Puca Pucara.  Later, stop at the white statue of Christ which towers over the city. From here, admire breathtaking views of Cusco and the surrounding area before begging the drive back to the city center.

Start your tour with pickup from your Cusco hotel. On this half-day trip you’ll stop at Qenqo Temple, a natural rock formation that became a ceremonial center. See Puca Pucara, a site of military ruins, and the remains of guard posts, staircases, streets, houses and courtyards. Carry on to Sacsayhuaman, which chroniclers believe was a solar shrine built by the last dynasties of the Incas. This temple was built with large blocks of limestone to protect the city from the attacks of invaders from the East or Antis. Finally, visit Tambomachay, located 9 kilometers outside of the city, known as the baths of the Incas because of the shape of its water source. This site could also have been a temple dedicated to the cult of water and purification. With afternoon departures, you’ll also have the chance to visit the UNESCO-listed Basilica Cathedral and the temple of Coricancha. The temple’s perfect architecture and stone construction reflect the fact that it was the most important temple of the Inca empire.

Immerse yourself in the Inca culture on this half-day trip to 2 important Inca sites. Get picked up from your hotel in Cusco in the morning and head to the archaeological sites of Moray. Experience the site's unusual Inca ruins, consisting of several circular terraces. Learn more about the terraces function and their complex irrigation system before heading to the colonial village of Maras. In Maras, enjoy a visit to the nearby salt evaporation ponds at the Salineras Salt Mine and marvel at the vastness of the complex, which consists of over 3000 evaporation pools, and is still in use today. Get dropped off back at your hotel in Cusco in the afternoon.

Following pickup from your hotel in Cusco, journey towards the village of Raqch'i in the middle of a natural paradise of the former Inca Empire. Take part in a zip line adventure and fly through the air to appreciate the beauty of the mountains and Sacred Valley from a completely different perspective. You can choose from 4 different zip line lengths, from 300 meters to 700 meters. Relax on the 20-minute drive to Chinchero to admire the well-preserved Inca walls of the main square and many altars of the village. Visit the beautiful colonial church, unique for its interior art and imagery. Next, participate in a wonderful learning experience and benefit from an introduction to the textile art of the Andes region. Get acquainted with the wisdom and meanings of the weavings, dating back to an era that even pre-dates the Inca Empire.

Explore the historical sights of Cusco with a guide born in the city and get an insight into what it is like to live there. Hear tales and historical facts about local highlights and marvel at colonial buildings and unique Inca monuments from pre-Hispanic days. Take in some impressive panoramic views of the city before making your way to San Pedro Market. Learn all about the regional produce on sale as you soak up the atmosphere. Continue to the Inca temple of Coricancha, dedicated to the sun god Inti and mostly destroyed after the 16th century to build the neighboring Convent of Santo Domingo . Visit the convent before taking a stroll from the artisan neighborhood of San Blas to the beautifully preserved street of Hatun Rumiyoc that originally led to the Antisuyu quarter of the Inca Empire. Continue to Plaza de Armas to visit the cathedral and marvel at masterpieces of colonial architecture.