Cusco City Tour Half-Day Trip

Immerse Yourself in the Magic and Beauty of Cusco with Our half-day Tour

With our Cusco City Tour half-day trip, you can immerse yourself in the enchantment and beauty of Cusco. This guided tour takes you on a fascinating trip through history, from Native Americans to the Incas and Spanish to modern-day Cusco.

Explore the historic capital of the Incan empire, pre-Columbian America’s biggest ancient civilization. In this regal city, go through ancient streets and experience each historical period. Our professional tour guides will take you to the city’s most important landmarks and historical sites, such as the Temple of the Sun, Qoricancha, and the Convent of Santo Domingo.

The adventure, however, does not end there. We’ll also take you to the spectacular Inca ruins and archeological sites just outside of town, including Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, Qenqo, and Puca Pucara. At each location, our tour guide will provide a thorough description of the architecture, historical customs, and traditions still followed by the locals.

Go through the ancient streets and lovely plazas of Qosqo to learn about Cusco‘s rich history and culture. Discover what makes Cusco a wonderfully distinctive location on our half-day Cusco City Tour.

If you prefer a more leisurely pace and a thorough overview of Cusco’s sights, our full-day Cusco City Tour is ideal. It is an excellent starting place for seeing Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, as well as giving significant insights into Andean culture. Make your reservation for a tour of this wonderful city right now.

City Tour Half day Details

• Location: Cusco City, Peru
• Type: Cusco half-day tour (or private personalized tour)
• Tour Duration: 5 hours
• Departure Time: For daily departures, we have two schedules: morning and afternoon. You can choose the most convenient time according to your travel itinerary
• In the morning, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
• In the afternoons, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
•  Need to book in Advance
• Pick-up location: Customer’s hotel near the main square
• Drop-off Location: San Francisco, near the main square
• Group Size: It depends on you since the tour is in private service. Solo travelers are welcome to our trips as well
• Physical Grading: easy, gentle walk, stone steps, cobblestone streets, small elevation changes along the way, and some walks on uneven trails. Designed for everyone (kids, teens, adults)

A guided city tour in Cusco allows you to discover the city’s beauty and culture.

Our Cusco Half-Day City Tour runs Monday through Sunday. It perfectly introduces our bustling city. We will see the cathedral, Qorikancha, and other key places on the trip. Additionally, we will visit Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay, and Puka Pukara, four important sites beyond Cusco. This thorough tour assures you don’t miss any Cusco must-sees.

CUSCO ECONOMIC CITY TOUR ITINERARY: 5 HOURS

Our transportation will meet you at your hotel and transport you to the start of your trip. We have two shifts: one in the morning that begins around 8:30 AM and finishes around 2:00 PM, and one in the afternoon that starts around 1:00 PM and ends around 6:30 PM.

The journey begins at Cusco Cathedral, which features exquisite woodwork, magnificent altars, and stunning paintings created by local Cusco School painters that reveal hidden facets of indigenous thinking.

Following that, we’ll take a short stroll through the ancient center streets towards Qoricancha, or the Temple of the Sun. Fasting and walking barefoot were necessary to visit this location, which was regarded as an indigenous sanctuary devoted to the deities of the sun, moon, stars, rainbow, thunder, and lightning, according to the chronicles. Here, you may see the Incas’ remarkable lithic technique, with detailed stone-cutting that has remained intact despite earthquakes.

Following our tour to Qoricancha, we will take a bus to Sacsayhuaman, which is situated 3 kilometers from Cusco. The Sacsayhuaman Esplanade provides a panoramic view of Cusco. Sacsayhuaman was constructed with massive pieces of limestone weighing 25 to 130 tons. Due to the grandeur of this location, which consists of three terraces piled in a zigzag pattern, it has served as a meeting place for festivals such as WARACHIKUY and INTI RAYMI.

City Tour – Cusco half-day

We’ll also go to Qenqo, which translates to “labyrinth” in Quechua. It lies one kilometer from Sacsayhuaman and has 500-meter-long limestone rock constructions, as well as formations that historians think were utilized for astronomical, religious, embalming, and mummification reasons.

Following that, we’ll look at Puka Pukara, which is formed from the Quechua terms “Puka” (red) and “Pukara” (fortress). This important site, which translates to “red fortress,” was used to control and monitor entry to and from the Imperial City of Cusco. It functioned as a territorial boundary, delineating zones and establishing travel rules.

This excursion will conclude with a visit to Tambomachay, a rest stop situated 9 kilometers from Cusco. It’s also known as the “Inca Baths” because of its water sources, or the “Waters of Eternal Youth” because of its always-running waters. Finally, we complete our Cusco City Tour by bringing you back to your accommodation.

What the Cusco City Tour Includes:

• You may expect to benefit from the knowledge and skills of our professional English-speaking guides on the Cusco City Tour.
• They will provide interesting facts about each location and its historical importance. Furthermore, you will drive in luxury to each place on the trip schedule in our well-maintained cars, assuring a smooth and delightful experience.

What the Cusco City Tour Doesn’t Include:

• Please keep in mind that entry fees to individual locations are not included in the trip price. Koricancha entrance is an extra 15 soles per person.
• The four Inca sites visited on the trip require an additional fee of 70 soles per participant. If you already have a tourist ticket for another site in the area, you may use it for these admissions as well.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE ENTRANCE TICKETS

The archeological and tourism attractions’ admission fees are not included. Please keep in mind that you will need to purchase an admission partial ticket (Boleto Turistico Partial) for PEN 70 Peruvian soles (approximately USD 25 per ticket) to gain access to four historical sites located within the city limits, including Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay (in other words, it is only used on this tour).

The cathedral and Q’oricancha (Temple of the Sun) have separate entry tickets that cost PEN 25 Peruvian soles (about USD 8) and PEN 15 Peruvian soles (approximately USD 5).

If you plan to visit historical sites in both Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we recommend purchasing the general admission ticket (Boleto Turistico General) for PEN 130 Peruvian Soles (approximately USD 45 per ticket). This ticket allows you to visit 14 historical sites in Cusco, the southern part of Cusco, the Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, and Chinchero), and some museums in Cusco city. The ticket is good for ten days.

The Maras salt ponds ticket is not included in the boleto turistico parcial or boleto turistico general (partial or general ticket) and must be bought separately at the same location for PEN 10 Peruvian soles (about USD 4 per ticket). It is not essential to acquire the tourist permit in advance since it may be obtained at the first stop on the trip.

What should I bring?

• Original passport
• Day Pack
• Good Shoes
• Rain Jacket or a Poncho
• Water Bottle
• Hat or Cap to protect you from the sun or the cold
• Sun Block
• Water and Snacks
• Camera
• Boleto Turistico
• ISIC Card, if applicable

The Cusco City Tour costs:

The charge is USD 15 per person and covers transportation to all places visited during the trip as well as a guided tour. Please keep in mind that admission costs for Koricancha and the four Inca sites are not included in the trip price and must be paid individually.