Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu 3 Day Tour

Itinerary

Day 1: Cusco City

Stop At: Sacsayhuaman, Cusco 08000 Peru
The Sacsayhuaman (also Saksaywaman or Saqsawaman, meaning ‘Royal Eagle’) fortress-temple complex lies at the northern edge of the former Inca capital Cuzco. Constructed during the reign of Pachacuti (1438-1471 CE) and his successors, its massive, well-built walls remain today as a testimony not only to Inca power but also the skills of Inca architects and their approach of blending their monumental structures harmoniously into the natural landscape.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Tambomachay, Cusco Peru
This site is located at 8km from the city of Cusco , at 3700 meters above the sea level, is also known as the Cavern Tambo( storage).

His name comes from the Quechua words Tampu, which means place or storage, and Machay, which means rest, is a splendid place where took place a ceremony for the water, and thank for his precious gifts like make the flowers grow, and giving life to all creatures in the universe.

Tambomachay is formed by 4 walls stepped inserted to the hill, on the top of the structure there are 4 niches in a trapezoidal shape, where it might deposited the offerings in honor to the water.

Until know, nobody knows where the water comes from this aqueducts, since the water comes from the interior of this place. These aqueducts are built in a way that the water flows naturally to the bottom of the structure, where is a little fount, place where the water is received to be ritualized.
Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Q'enqo, Cusco Peru
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.
Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Qorikancha, Plazoleta de Santo Domingo, Cusco Peru
Originally named Intikancha or Intiwasi, it was dedicated to Inti, and is located at the old Inca capital of Cusco. Mostly destroyed after the 16th century war with the Spanish conquistadors, much of its stonework forms the foundation of the Santo Domingo church and convent.
Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Cusco Cathedral, Portal Belen Plaza de Armas, Cusco 08002 Peru
Cusco Cathedral, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco. The cathedral is located on the Plaza de Armas. Building was completed in 1654, almost a hundred years after construction began.

The Cathedral, in addition to its official status as a place of worship, has become a major repository of Cusco's colonial art. It also holds many archeological artifacts and relics. The cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the City of Cuzco listing in 1983.
Duration: 20 minutes

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 2: Cusco - Sacred Valley - Aguas Calientes

Stop At: Pisac Peru
Situated above Pisac in the Sacred Valley on the Urubamba River sits the ancient ruins of four distinct sites, guarded by the Q’Allaqasa fortress, which served as a defensive military post at the south end of the Sacred Valley. The three sites it guarded, along with the valley below, were Pisaqa, Intihuatana, and Kinchiracay. Also evident still are the agricultural terraces and some of the numerous buildings.
Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Pisac Market, Central Plaza, Pisac Peru
The Pisac Market is one of the most famous markets in the Cusco region, drawing many visitors to its famous Sunday market when indigenous Quechua communities from the surrounding highlands come to Pisac to sell their produce and stock up on supplies for the week.

A large section of the market is dedicated to tourist-oriented souvenir stalls where you can find weavings, jewellery, ponchos, hats, Andean instruments, ceramics, alpaca products and a whole range of other gifts and souvenirs to take home with you
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Archaeological Park Ollantaytambo, Ollantaytambo 08676 Peru
The name of the town and the archaeological area is owed to Cacique Ollanta, who, according to legend, fell in love with a princess, daughter of Inca Pachacútec, and was severely punished.

In the Ollantaytambo complex, located on a hill that dominates the town, outstanding buildings include the Sun Temple and its gigantic monoliths, the Mañaracay or Royal Hall, Incahuatana and the Princess's bath. On the upper part of the complex, the fort is clearly visible, with a series of carved stone terraces built to protect the valley from possible invasions from ethnic groups that came from the jungle.
Duration: 45 minutes

Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight in Aguas Calientes included

Day 3: Machu Picchu - Cusco

Stop At: Santuario Historico de Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu Peru
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.

The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.