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Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel
Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu - Cuzco
The Stone of Twelve Angles, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Land Price (7 days/6 nights)
Royal US$ 6,250 Imperial US$ 4,620 De Luxe US$ 4,280
The land price includes escorted transfers, private excursions with professional guides and chauffeurs, entrance fees, selected category of accommodations, all meals (see details), all land and water transportation, and travel insurance for guests through the age of 59 years. Over that age, there is a supplementary fee. All prices are per person based on two people sharing a guest room. For a detailed description of our services, see Opulent Itineraries.
Intra-Tour Flights & Fares
Air fares are in addition to the land price.
Intra-Tour Flights & Fares shows South American air flights needed for this tour and the fares.
Tile roofs and church cupolas around the Plaza de Armas, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
... the most renowned of the Peruvian temples,
the pride of the capital, and the wonder of the empire, was at Cuzco,
where, under the munificence of successive sovereigns,
it had become so enriched, that it received the name of Coricancha,
or "the Place of Gold."
-- William H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
We recommend six nights in Cuzco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas; allowing two days in Cuzco for the Inca and colonial monuments, two days with overnight in Machu Picchu, and two days for the archaeological sites and native markets in the Sacred Valley.
Campesina selecting kiwicha, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Highlights
Sacred Valley
Day 1: Lima - Cuzco - Sacred Valley (Chinchero - Maras - Moray). Transfer to the airport. Flight to Cuzco. Reception and drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit to the Chinchero market and church. Private weaving demonstration. Continue to the Moray archaeological site and the ancient salt pans of Maras. If you like, walk down rural paths to the Urubamba River. A lunch of nouvelle Andean cuisine at chef Ricardo Behar's 3 Keros. Arrival at your hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Urubamba Villas.
Day 2: Sacred Valley (Pisaq - Ollantaytambo). Hike in the Pisaq ruins. Afterward, a short visit to the Pisaq market. Gourmet lunch of fusion cuisine in the patio of chef Pio's El Huacatay. Tour of the Ollantaytambo ruins. Return to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Urubamba Villas.
Machu Picchu
Day 3: Sacred Valley - Orient-Express Vistadome - Machu Picchu. Transfer to the train station to meet your guide. Vistadome to Machu Picchu. Transfer to the ruins. Day entrance. Private guided tour in the morning. Buffet luncheon in the hotel. Afternoon exploration with your guide or own your own. Dinner and overnight in the Orient-Express Sanctuary Lodge.
Cuzco
Day 4: Machu Picchu - Orient-Express Vistadome - Cuzco. Day of exploration with your guide or on your own. Entrance into the ruins. Sunrise over Machu Picchu. Lunch in the hotel. Transfer to the train station. Vistadome to the Poroy Station, on the outskirts of Cuzco. Reception and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Orient-Express Hotel Monasterio.
Day 5: Cuzco (A Walk in the Colonial Quarter). Morning walking tour in the colonial quarter. Inca monuments include Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun), the fine Inca walls of Inti Q'ijllo, Ajlla Wasi (House of the Virgins of the Sun), the Stone of Twelve Angles and Huacaypata (Leisure Square), now dominated by the Spanish colonial Cathedral. Traditional lunch at Pachapapa before a visit to artisans' workshops and the Church of San Blas. Afternoon free to stroll around Cuzco. San Blas, the Museo Inka, La Compañia de Jesus, La Merced and the Archbishop's Palace are recommended. This evening, your guide will meet you for a tour of the Museo de Arte Precolombino. Afterward, a dinner of nouvelle Andean cuisine in the museum's courtyard. Overnight in the Orient-Express Hotel Monasterio.
Day 6: Cuzco (The Collasuyu Road - Nearby Inca Monuments). Morning excursion beyond the ancient fortress that guarded the Valley of Cuzco. Coming back from the colonial village of Andahuaylillas on the Collasuyu Road, follow the route of early travelers from the southern quarter of the empire. Pass through the ancient gate of Rumicolca, gaze at the pre-Inca ruins of Pikillaqta, taste the traditional bread of Oropesa and admire the royal garden of Tipon before your arrival in the Imperial City of the Incas. Lunch of Italian-Peruvian cuisine at Incanto. Afternoon excursion to the nearby Inca monuments of Saqsaywaman, the Temple of the Moon, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. This evening, Mediterranean cuisine at the tapas bar or in the dining room of La Cicciolina. Overnight in the Orient-Express Hotel Monasterio.
Your next destination
Day 7: Cuzco - Your next destination. Transfer to the airport or terminal for the trip to your next destination.
Terraces of Pisaq, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
But the favorite residence of the Incas was at Yucay, about four leagues distant from the capital. In this delicious valley, locked up within the friendly arms of the sierra, which sheltered it from the rude breezes of the east, and refreshed by gushing fountains and streams of running water, they built the most beautiful of their palaces. Here, when wearied with the dust and toil of the city, they loved to retreat, and solace themselves with the society of their favorite concubines, wandering amidst groves and airy gardens, that shed around their soft, intoxicating odors, and lulled the senses to voluptuous repose. Here, too, they loved to indulge in the luxury of their baths, replenished by streams of crystal water which were conducted through subterraneous silver channels into basins of gold. The spacious gardens were stocked with numerous varieties of plants and flowers that grew without effort in this temperate region of the tropics, while parterres of a more extraordinary kind were planted by their side, glowing with the various forms of vegetable life skilfully imitated in gold and silver! Among them the Indian corn, the most beautiful of American grains, is particularly commemorated, and the curious workmanship is noticed with which the golden ear was half disclosed amidst the broad leaves of silver, and the light tassel of the same material that floated gracefully from its top.
-- William H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
Weaver of Chinchero, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Day 1: Lima - Cuzco - Sacred Valley (Chinchero - Maras - Moray)
Early transfer to the airport for the flight to Cuzco, the capital of the ancient Inca Empire, called Tawantinsuyo. The name of Cuzco is a Spanish version of the native word Q'osqo, which means the "Navel of the Universe". Arrival, reception and drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. On the way, visit Chinchero, the birthplace of the rainbow, according to Inca legend. The village is on the altiplano, or highlands, above Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, at an elevation of 12,340 feet, and rises against a superb Andean landscape dominated by eternally snow-capped peaks. This late 15th century agricultural center maintains its Inca traditions, one being its composition of "ayllus", or groups of indigenous, related families that work communally in the cultivation of their fields.
Sunken agricultural terraces of Moray, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Traditional weaving is preserved, in part, through the efforts of The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, which has arranged a private demonstration by one of the finest weavers. Another tradition that traces it roots back to the Incas is the barter, or "trueque", market. In Chinchero, people still meet to trade good for goods, just as in ancient times, when money did not exist. The market, noted for its textiles, takes place in the main square, at the foot of an Inca wall. Such traditions are not unique to Chinchero; they still exist throughout the altiplano of Peru. The pueblo exhibits a peculiar Andean-Hispanic architectural style, and paintings by the famous native artist Chiwantito hang in a beautiful colonial church. The canvases are in the Cuzqueña style, dating back to the early Spanish period.
Yucay Church, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Afterward, visit the impressive archaeological site of Moray. These circular terraces were built by the Incas in natural sinkholes on a limestone plateau overlooking the Sacred Valley and, according to experts, were used to grow crops in different microclimates. Nearby, below the colonial town of Maras, are age-old, terraced salt mines. If you like, take a three-quarter-hour walk down rural paths to the Urubamba River, where your driver and car will be waiting.
A lunch of nouvelle Andean cuisine at 3 Keros, of chef Ricardo Behar. 3 Keros and El Huacatay fight for the title of the best restaurant in the Sacred Valley. The two restaurants greatly elevate the gastronomic offering of the valley. Arrival at your hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Urubamba Villas.
Ruins of Pisaq surrounding the solar calendar, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Day 2: Sacred Valley (Pisaq - Ollantaytambo)
Breakfast. Private car this morning to Pisaq. High on a mountain above the Sacred Valley and the Urubamba River, tower the imposing remains of an ancient settlement. The Pisaq ruins take up the entire mountain and are made up of different neighborhoods, or squares, the main one being Intihuatana, which is admired for the architectural skill of its constructions. Its central feature is a monumental solar calendar on a promontory from which there are spectacular outlooks. At the same time, the pre-Hispanic cemetery is of great interest, as it is the largest found in this part of the continent, containing thousands of tombs, some of them looted. The complex is also famous for the colossal terraces that circle the mountains and the fabulous watchtowers, which were used as observation points as well as for control and military defense.
Girl of Pisaq adorned in traditional attire and cantuta flowers, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Far below, in the colonial town of Pisaq, a popular handicraft fair take place under the main square's century-old tree, with wares displayed on vividly patterned and colored textiles. On Sundays, the traditional mass is held in Quechua, the Inca language, at the local church, which is attended by the village leaders from the surrounding communities. They wear their typical costumes and carry their traditional scepter of authority, or vara, that gives origin to their name of Varayoc.
Fortress of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Linger over a gourmet lunch of Mediterranean-Asian-Peruvian fusion cuisine in the patio of El Huacatay, a country restaurant with big-city sophistication. Indeed, Pio Vazquez de Velasco Jimenez (known simply as chef Pio) is making a name for himself throughout Peru after mastering his skills in the kitchen of Lima's culinary landmark, Astrid & Gaston.
Agricultural terraces, Fortress of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Continue to the Ollantaytambo archeological site, a gigantic agricultural, administrative, social, religious and military center in the era of Tawantinsuyo. The Spaniards called it the Fortress of Ollantaytambo. The architectural style of its streets and squares reflects Inca town planning, with enormous polyhedral stones forming the walls and trapezoidal doorways of temples and palaces set along rectilinear and narrow streets, which have been inhabited continuously since Inca times.
Incan town of Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Above the city, a mountain rises which houses innumerable Inca constructions, such as magnificently-crafted temples and terraces. One striking construction is the partially-destroyed main temple, believed to be the Temple of the Sun, whose carved-stone facade is made up of six perfectly-sculpted, red monoliths. The mountainside on which this enormous fortress is built is strategic: it dominates three valleys that come together at this point. Across one valley, tremendous blocks of stone lie abandoned along the route from the quarry site to Ollantaytambo, their uncompleted journey marking the arrival of the "Conquistadores". According to a legend that inspired the Quechua drama Apu-Ollanta, the fortress belonged to a powerful lord who fell in love with Princess Cusi Coillor, daughter of Inca Pachakuteq. It later served Manco Inca after his defeat by the Spaniards at Saqsaywaman. Return to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Urubamba Villas.
Citadel of Machu Picchu.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Arrive like the Inca!
Consider an unforgettable arrival on the Royal Inca Trail
or the top-of-the-world panorama of the Machu Picchu Mountain Trail.
(Either trek must be requested in writing at the time of booking your tour.)
Photo album: Marvels of Machu Picchu
Day 3: Sacred Valley - Orient-Express Vistadome - Machu Picchu
Breakfast. Early transfer to the station to meet your guide and board the train for a descent into the Urubamba Valley to reach Machu Picchu (Old Peak), the "Lost City of the Incas". The Orient-Express Vistadome's recently renovated carriages have panoramic windows, offering enhanced photographic opportunities. Refreshments will be served. Upon arrival, your guide will accompany you to the Orient-Express Sanctuary Lodge, near the top of Machu Picchu and next to the ruins.
Agricultural terraces,
Machu Picchu.
Photo:
Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
On your private tour this morning, you'll ponder the many theories about this mysterious citadel, including the latest -- that it was Inca Pachacuti's winter palace. The word "ruins" is misleading, as the site is actually in a remarkable state of preservation -- only the wood and palm-frond roofs have decomposed over the centuries. Surprisingly, the Spaniards never discovered the sanctuary, and it remained unknown to the outside world until Hiram Bingham's expedition of 1911. Its discovery captured the world's imagination, and its allure has never diminished.
Sumptuous buffet luncheon in the Sanctuary Lodge and an afternoon of exploration with your guide or on your own. One memorable possibility is the steep trail to the top of Huayna Picchu (Young Peak), a strenuous, two-hour round-trip. Other trails lead to the Temple of the Moon (a moderate, four-hour round-trip), the Inca Drawbridge (an easy, one-hour round-trip) or Machu Picchu's multitude of hidden nooks and crannies.
Walk back to the hotel. From its terrace and nearby lookouts, you'll be able to watch the sunset, southern constellations and sunrise over the citadel, from high above the canyon of the Urubamaba River. Dinner and overnight in the Orient-Express Sanctuary Lodge.
Trapezoidal windows, Machu Picchu.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
The temples and royal chambers, throughout the Empire, were lined with gold, and, in preparing the stone, they left niches and empty spaces in which to put all sorts of human or animal figures: birds, or wild beasts, such as tigers, bears, lions, wolves, dogs and wildcats, deer, guanacos, vicuñas and even domestic ewes, all of which were made of gold and silver...
Imitation of nature was so consummate that they even reproduced the leaves and little plants that grow on walls; they also scattered here and there, gold or silver lizards, butterflies, mice and snakes, which were so well made and so cunningly placed, that one had the impression of seeing them run about in all directions...
In all the royal mansions there were gardens and orchards given over to the Inca's moments of relaxation. Here were planted the finest trees and the most beautiful flowers and sweet-smelling herbs in the kingdom, while quantities of others were reproduced in gold and silver, at every stage of their growth, from the sprout that hardly shows above the earth, to the full-blown plant, in complete maturity. There were also fields of corn with silver stalks and gold ears, on which the leaves, grains, and even the corn silk were shown.
In addition to all this, there were all kinds of gold and silver animals in these gardens, such as rabbits, mice, lizards, snakes, butterflies, foxes, and wildcats... Then there were birds set in the trees, as though they were about to sing, and others bent over the flowers, breathing in their nectar. There were roe deer and deer, lions and tigers, all the animals in creation, in fact, each placed just where it should be.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega, The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Day 4: Machu Picchu - Orient-Express Vistadome - Cuzco
Breakfast. Day of exploration with your guide or on your own. Start by ascending Machu Picchu for sunrise, which due to the high, surrounding mountains does not occur until around 7:00 am. It takes an hour to hike up to Intipunku (Sun Gate), the end of the Inca Trail and the ancient entrance into the sanctuary. Its majestic panorama of the citadel, seen from on high, is the first view the Incas had upon arriving from Cuzco. Lunch in the hotel's restaurant.
Early afternoon for further exploration. Descend from Machu Picchu at mid-afternoon and walk to the station for the train departure. Evening arrival at the Poroy Station, on the outskirts of Cuzco, reception and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in the Orient-Express Hotel Monasterio.
Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesús, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Day 5: Cuzco (A Walk in the Colonial Quarter)
Breakfast. Morning walking tour of the imperial city of the Incas to their ancient monuments of Qorikancha (the Temple of the Sun); the fine Inca walls of Inti Q'ijllo; the Ajlla Wasi (the House of the Virgins of the Sun); the Stone of Twelve Angles; and Huacaypata (Leisure Square). All of these constructions date from the era of 1440 A.D., when Inca Pachakuteq, desiring a capital befitting his great empire, pulled down the adobe city and rebuilt Cuzco in stone.
The Inca palaces were in the form of "canchas", or enclosures, formed by massive stone walls with living quarters, temples and courtyards within. Throughout Cuzco, you will see the Inca walls, built upon by the Spaniards in colonial style. The Cathedral was built over the Inca Wiracocha's palace. The Palacio del Arzobispo, or Archbishop's Palace, was erected in the 16th century in an Arabesque style on the walls of Hatunrumiyoc, the palace of Inca Sinchi Roca, which contains the Stone of Twelve Angles. The Church of Santo Domingo (begun in 1534), was built over Qorikancha, the most important religious structure in the Inca Empire. When the earthquake of 1950 collapsed much of the superimposed colonial architecture, it revealed the ancient Temples of the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, Thunder and Lightning, and the Rainbow.
The interior of the temple was the most worthy of admiration. It was literally a mine of gold. On the western wall was emblazoned a representation of the deity, consisting of a human countenance, looking forth from amidst innumerable rays of light, which emanated from it in every direction, in the same manner as the sun is often personified with us. The figure was engraved on a massive plate of gold of enormous dimensions, thickly powdered with emeralds and precious stones. It was so situated in front of the great eastern portal, that the rays of the morning sun fell directly upon it at its rising, lighting up the whole apartment with an effulgence that seemed more than natural, and which was reflected back from the golden ornaments with which the walls and ceiling were everywhere incrusted. Gold, in the figurative language of the people, was "the tears wept by the sun," and every part of the interior of the temple glowed with burnished plates and studs of the precious metal. The cornices, which surrounded the walls of the sanctuary, were of the same costly material; and a broad belt or frieze of gold, let into the stonework, encompassed the whole exterior of the edifice.
Adjoining the principal structure were several chapels of smaller dimensions. One of them was consecrated to the Moon, the deity held next in reverence, as the mother of the Incas. Her effigy was delineated in the same manner as that of the Sun, on a vast plate that nearly covered one side of the apartment. But this plate, as well as all the decorations of the building, was of silver, as suited to the pale, silvery light of the beautiful planet. There were three other chapels, one of which was dedicated to the host of Stars, who formed the bright court of the Sister of the Sun; another was consecrated to his dread ministers of vengeance, the Thunder and the Lightning; and a third, to the Rainbow, whose many-colored arch spanned the walls of the edifice with hues almost as radiant as its own...
All the plate, the ornaments, the utensils of every description, appropriated to the uses of religion, were of gold or silver. Twelve immense vases of the latter metal stood on the floor of the great saloon, filled with grain of the Indian corn; the censers for the perfumes, the ewers which held the water for sacrifice, the pipes which conducted it through subterraneous channels into the buildings, the reservoirs that received it, even the agricultural implements used in the gardens of the temple, were all of the same rich materials. The gardens, like those described, belonging to the royal palaces, sparkled with flowers of gold and silver, and various imitations of the vegetable kingdom. Animals, also, were to be found there --among which the llama, with its golden fleece, was most conspicuous-- executed in the same style, and with a degree of skill, which, in this instance, probably, did not surpass the excellence of the material.
-- William H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Peru, 1847
Qorikancha, the Temple
of the Sun, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours
& Travel.
In the time of the Incas, this garden... was entirely made of gold and silver; and there were similar gardens about all the royal mansions. Here could be seen all sorts of plants, flowers, trees, animals, both small and large, wild and tame, tiny, crawling creatures such as snakes, lizards, and snails, as well as butterflies and birds of every size; each one of these marvels being placed at the spot that best suited the nature of what it represented.
There were a tall corn stalk and another stalk from the grain they call quinoa, as well as other vegetables and fruit trees, the fruits of which were all very faithfully reproduced in gold and silver. There were also, in the house of the Sun, as well as in that of the king, piles of wool made of gold and silver, and large statues of men, women, and children made of the same materials, in addition to storerooms and recipients for storing the grain they called pirua, all of which, together, tended to lend greater splendor and majesty to the house of their god the Sun.
All of these valuable works were made by the goldsmiths attached to the Temple, from the tribute of gold and silver that arrived every year from all the provinces of the Empire, and which was so great that the most modest utensils used in the temple, such as pots and pans, or pitchers, were also made of precious metals. For this reason, the temple and its service quarters were called Coricancha, which means the place of gold.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega, The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
San Blas artisans' quarter, Cuzco.
Photo: Walter H. Wust. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
A lunch of traditional Andean cuisine in the patio of Pachapapa. Just across the street, visit artisans' workshops and the Church of San Blas (built in 1562). It houses an imposing pulpit from the late 17th century that, for many, is the finest example of a carved wooden structure in the world. Chiseled from a single cedar trunk, the pulpit features angels, demons, saints, virgins and beasts. A native artist, Juan Thomas Tuirutupa, is believed to have been the sculptor. The main altarpiece is Baroque and exceptionally beautiful.
Afternoon free to stroll around Cuzco on your own. Your tourist ticket includes entrances to many other sites and The Historic City of Cuzco map describes each, all within a few blocks of Huacaypata (commonly called the Plaza de Armas). We recommend that you start in San Blas.
If you walk back down toward the Plaza de Armas, you'll enter the charming Plaza de las Nazarenas, surrounded by early Spanish colonial mansions and religious structures, such as the 16th century House of Cabrera (now the Museo de Arte Precolombino), the 17th century Nazarenas Beguine Convent and the 17th century San Antonio Abad Seminary (now the Hotel Monasterio). A little further down is the 16th century Palacio del Almirante, or Admiral's Palace (now the Museo Inka). Facing the Plaza de Armas, you will find notable Spanish Colonial monuments, such as the Cathedral (begun in 1556) and La Compañia de Jesus (begun in 1576). La Merced Church and Convent (begun in 1536) is one block south. The church is famous for its jeweled monstrance, encrusted with diamonds and precious stones, including rubies, topazes and emeralds. You will have to ask a friar to let you see it. A good place to relax and take in the spectacle is the popular Cafe Ayllu, which offers delicious apple pastries and a memorable view. It's just to the left of the Cathedral, on the corner of the arcade.
Cathedral and Plaza de Armas, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Before the Spanish conquest, the main square was twice its current size. The part occupied by the present-day Plaza de Armas was surrounded by Inca palaces, sculpted of finely-crafted stone blocks. On the southwest side of the plaza flowed the river Huatanay. On the far bank was the market square of Cusipata, now occupied by the arcade of buildings known as the Portal de Panes. The only remaining portion of that square is the lovely Plaza Regocijo, with its picturesque Queñuales trees. Happily the Spanish name corresponds to the original Inca meaning of "Joy Square". Although the river was covered over with stone slabs, a division remained: Haucaypata was reserved for the nobles, Cusipata for the commoners. Yet, all could celebrate ceremonies together in the great square of ancient Cuzco, from which two intersecting roads led out to Tawantinsuyo, the "Four Quarters of the Empire".
Finish at the 16th century Archbishop's Palace (now the Museum of Religious Art) before returning to your hotel.
This evening, your guide will meet you for a tour of the Museo de Arte Precolombino, which displays 450 pre-Inca and Inca masterpieces dating from 1250 B.C. to 1532 A.D. Afterward, a dinner of nouvelle Andean cuisine at the MAP Café, in the museum's courtyard. Overnight in the Orient-Express Hotel Monasterio.
Fountains of Tipon, the water garden of Inca Wiracocha.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Day 6: Cuzco (The Collasuyu Road - Nearby Inca Monuments)
Breakfast. Morning excursion beyond the ancient fortress that guarded the Valley of Cuzco. Coming back from the colonial village of Andahuaylillas on the Collasuyu Road, follow the route of early travelers from the southern quarter of the empire, which reached beyond Lake Titicaca. Pass through the ancient gate of Rumicolca, gaze at the pre-Inca ruins of Pikillaqta, taste the traditional bread of Oropesa and admire the royal garden of Tipon before your arrival in the Imperial City of the Incas.
In Inca times, the name of Andahuaylillas was Antawaylla (anta = copper and waylla = field). Its lands are fertile; its people quiet and friendly. Andahuaylillas has two attractions -- the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas and the huge main square it faces. The square, considered one of the most beautiful in the region, is surrounded by pisonay and palm trees. The church, built in 1580 and known as the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, features a simple facade in marked contrast to its rich Baroque interior of gilded altars, wall paintings and polychromatic ceilings.
Rumicolca, pre-Inca gateway to the Valley of Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Departing toward Cuzco, we first encounter Rumicolca, an immense stone fortress at the southeastern entrance to the Valley of Cuzco. It originally served as an entry point into the pre-Inca Huari empire and defended nearby Pikillaqta, their largest city. Centuries later, the Incas fortified and refined the rough construction of the original structure with massive blocks of polished andesite. The fortress became the gateway to their imperial city, guarding the road from Collasuyu, the southern quarter of their "Land of Four Quarters". The southern quarter was the largest, stretching to Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.
The pre-Inca and Inca ruins of Pikillaqta.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Pikillaqta, the largest Huari city and the major pre-Inca city in the region, reached its cultural height between 800 AD and 1100 AD, in the period corresponding to the Huari regional confederation. A massive hilltop complex of stone structures overlooking Lake Lucre, its long, straight streets and big, rectangular city blocks full of buildings are surrounded by high, flagstone and mud-mortared walls, which taper as they rise. In some of the rooms, little idols made of turquoise were found and now can be seen in the Museo Inka, of Cuzco. "Pikillaqta" translates as the "City of Fleas". The name comes from the presence of many tiny rooms, only four square meters in area, that seem to be part of a military garrison.
Plaza and La Iglesia de Oropesa.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Oropesa has long been known as the "Land of Bread". Locals keep numerous domestic ovens for the production of delicious peasant bread. People from Oropesa still use the traditional ovens, fired with eucalyptus leaves, which give the town its peculiar and pleasant aroma. Near the main square, you can recognize the bread stores because each has a big basket outside. Inside, you will be able to see the bread makers in action and even make your own bread.
Tipon, the water garden of Inca Wiracocha.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Tipon is exceptional for the harmony achieved in the movement of water through its fine stone structures. This beautiful complex is composed of twelve enormous agriculturual terraces, walls of perfectly polished stone, long stairways, aqueducts (some subterranean) and ornamental waterfalls. According to legend, Tipon was one of the royal gardens ordered by the 8th Inca, Wiracocha. It is believed that the site was earlier the royal farm of his father, the 7th Inca Inca Yawar Huacac, at which time it was dedicated to a religious cult and agricultural experimentation. Return to Cuzco for a lunch of Italian-Peruvian cuisine at Incanto.
Temple and fortress of Saqsaywaman, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Afternoon drive to the fortress of Saqsaywaman. To truly appreciate Saqsaywaman, one must realize that what may now be seen is only the base of a colossal construction of a series of three successively-higher, defensive structures made from enormous blocks of stone, joined together with great precision.
Inside this triple enclosure, three tall towers were erected on a large narrow ground. The largest of them was called Mayac Marca, which means the round tower. It was built over a clear, abundant spring, fed by underground canalizations, concerning which nobody knew from where or how they came... This round tower contained rooms with gold and silver paneled walls, on which animals, birds, and plants figured in relief, as though in a tapestry. It was here that the king lived when he came for a rest in the fortress...
The two other towers, which were round, not square, in shape, were called Paucar Marca and Sacllac Marca, and were used to house soldiers of the garrison, which was composed only of Incas by privilege, ordinary men, even combatants, not being allowed inside this fortress, which was the house of the Sun, both its arsenal and its temple...
An underground network of passages, which was as vast as the towers themselves, connected them with one another. This was composed of a quantity of streets and alleyways which ran in every direction, and so many doors, all of them identical, that the most experienced men dared not venture into this labyrinth without a guide, consisting of a long thread tied to the first door, which unwound as they advanced....
It would have been in the interest of the Spaniards to maintain this fortress, and even to repair it at their own expense, because, quite alone, it gave proof of the grandeur of their victory and would have served as a witness to it for all eternity. And yet, not only did they not keep it up, but they hastened its ruin, demolishing its hewn stones, in order to construct their own Cuzco homes at less cost.
They made their portals and thresholds with the big flat stones that formed the ceilings, and to make their stairways, they did not hesitate to tear down entire walls, provided they were based on a few stones that could be used for steps.
And so, that is how the Spaniards destroyed the Cuzco fortress.
-- Garcilaso de la Vega, The Royal Commentaries of the Inca, 1609
Campesina at Saqsaywaman, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Saqsaywaman was considered a fortress by the Spaniards, since it was a place of defense, weapons and war. It was considered the House of the Sun by the Incas because, at the same time, it was a place of worship and sacrifice. Notably, it was the site of the most important ceremony of the empire, Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun. Its name means "Satiated Hawk" and it was built in approximately 77 years (1431-1508), during the reign of Inca Yupanqui and Wayna Qhapaj. It began being destroyed from 1537 until 1561, becoming the base for the building of the Spanish Cathedral, churches and homes. "Neither the bridge of Segovia, nor the buildings built by Hercules or the Romans, are so worthy of being admired, as this" says the Spanish chronicler and soldier Pedro Sancho de la Hoz, who saw Inca Cuzco intact, along with Pizarro in 1533.
Ritual fountains of Tambomachay, Cuzco.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel. Luxury Cuzco Tours & Travel.
Further up the hill is the Temple of the Moon; one of the few sites preserving its sculptures of pumas, serpents, condors, llamas and female genitalia, carved into the stone. It is located in a rocky outcropping with natural caves that have been sculpted to a minor extent to create ceremonial platforms and symbols, such as an immense snake. The site is in a singularly beautiful landscape and overlooks the Valley of Cuzco. In contrast to the animal sculptures at this temple, those at Q'enqo, a religious sanctuary devoted to fertility, were obliterated by the Spaniards.
Puka Pukara (red fortress) is located at a strategic point along the road to Antisuyo (the jungle quarter of the Inca Empire). It served as a checkpoint and was a military and administrative center. The Inca's retinue received food and lodging here when he stopped at nearby Tambomachay, on his way to the Sacred Valley. Tambomachay is believed to have been dedicated to the worship of water and its aqueducts are fed by springs all year long. The site includes a liturgical fountain and three terraces with structures made from polyhedral blocks of stone, joined without mortar. The setting is bucolic and the spring water is cold, pure and delicious. After drinking of it and making your devotions, return to Cuzco. This evening, enjoy Mediterranean cuisine at the tapas bar or in the dining room of La Cicciolina. Overnight in the Orient-Express Hotel Monasterio.
Day 7: Cuzco - Your next destination
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport or terminal for the trip to your next destination.
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