South Valley Day Tour
The Valle Sur (South Valley) just outside Cusco is little known to foreign tourists. But it’s a popular destination for Peruvians, who flock there to enjoy spectacular scenery.
The Inca complex of Tipon has elaborate set of terraces and water channels. It is thought to have been used as a ceremonial centre to worship water.
Pikillaqta is the only pre-Inca site in the Cusco area. This complex was built by the Wari culture who once dominated the central highland and coastal regions of Peru. Widely considered the first culture to make use of mass agricultural terraces, many of the Inca administrative practices can be traced back to the Wari civilisation.
The Andahuaylillas church known as “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”, situated in a beautiful, quiet plaza, this baroque church is famous for its incredible artwork. It has many fine examples of paintings completed by the Cusco Religious art school (Escuela Cuzqueña).
Itinerary
- Trip Style: Traditional
- Starting point: Cusco
- Ending point: Cusco
Cusco – Tipon – Pikillaqta– Andahuaylillas
We will pick you up at your hotel in the morning. First we will visit the archeological site of Tipón. A great place to observe several royal chambers of the Inca Wiraqocha. This type of architecture is well known for its imperial style and impressive hydraulic engineering in magnificent mountain scenery.
After this we will continue to the old village of Pikillacta. This was one of the more impressive regional centers of the Wari culture, seated in Ayacucho, and which was occupied by the Incas through the years. Today it is a national archeological park of great importance.
The word Pikillaqta is a made up Quechua word, meaning lousy town (piki = lousy, llaqta = town), although it is also called “city of the fleas”.
The next tourist attraction will be Andahuaylillas, a small village at 3198m (10490 feet), having a good climate because of the surrounding mountains. It is located 35 km (22 miles) southeast of Cusco on the road that leads to the Puno region. Formerly, the name of this village was Antawaylla, (anta: barrel maker; waylla: prairie and both words united mean “coppery prairie”).
Andahuaylillas has two big tourist attractions: The “Sistine Chapel” of America and La Plaza de Armas of Andahuaylillas.
This is a circuit that will show us a magnificent landscape and will give you moments of satisfaction, getting to know the great variety of typical dishes of the region of Cusco. One of these dishes to taste is the Chicharrón (pork meat) or the famous designated dish ‘Roasted Guinea pig’.
In the afternoon we will return to Cusco.
Included
Included
- Official English speaking guide
- Private tourist van or bus
- Entrance for every archaeological sites
- First aid kit and oxygen bottle
- Tour price includes government sales tax (18% as known IGV)
- Personal assistance.
Not included
- Lunch
- Others not specified.
Recommendations
What you need to Bring/Carry
- Sweaters and a jacket (something warm for the night).
- Rain wear or poncho for the rainy season December – April, but during the dry season can be raining too.
- Camera.
- Bottle of water
- Snack (dried fruits, power bars, chocolates, etc.).
- Insect repellent to protect you from mosquitoes in the sacred valley.
- Hat and sun block to protect you from the sun.
- Day pack is good to bring to carry your camera, water, rain jacket.
South Valley weather
- Dry season (May – October)
- Day temperature 20ºC/35ºC
- Night temperature 5 ºC/10ºC
- Wet season (November – April)
- Day temperature 17ºC/22ºC
- Night temperature 7 ºC/12ºC
PERSONALIZED TRAVEL
RELIABILITY - SECURITY
ECONOMIC PRICES
