Peru tours

Tailor-made tours

Cusco

High in Peru's southern Andes, Cusco was the former capital of the Inca's great empire. Today the "Archaeological Capital of America" combines great beauty and charm with a wealth of archaeological and architectural remains. You can visit the great ruins of the Inca fortress at Sacsayhuaman, the Q'enko amphitheatre and the Koricancha Temple and many other sites throughout the city, which even today still bear witness to the Inca's remarkable architectural and engineering skills.

Cusco's colonial heritage is also rich in fine churches -many of which are built on top of former Inca temples- such as the town's cathedral, the Church of La Compañia and La Merced Convent. The area around San Blas, now the base for many of Cusco's fine artists and craftsmen, has remained unchanged for centuries. But of course, Cusco is also a marvellous base for many possible excursions: along the course of the Urubamba river, through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to the spectacular Inca fortress at Ollantaytambo or to the colourful mountain villages of Pisac and Chincheros with their ruins and famous Sunday Markets. Other beautiful and interesting villages near Cusco include Andahuailillas with its fine Colonial church and Piquillacta with its ruins.

Half day tours

City Tour (3 hours - private services only)
Includes the Main Square, the Cathedral with its religious Art Museum, the Santo Domingo Church or Koricancha, the artisans quarter of San Blas, the San Blas Church and baroque pulpit, the Archaeological Museum.

Surrounding Ruins (3 hours - private services only)
This tour includes visits to the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, overlooking the city of Cusco, a pre-Inca architectural masterpiece; Kenko, a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is a monolithic altar representing a puma, the red Fortress of Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay, a beautiful fountain fed by a spring forming a series of basins.

Combination City and Ruins (4 hours - private and shared services)
A combined tour offering the highlights of the ruins and the city.

Pisac Market (4 hours - private services only) - Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
The village of Pisac, founded during Colonial times, is set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an Inca city. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the main square, Indians barter their products and artisans from all over the area sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions, jewellery, etc. On Sundays it is also the meeting place for Mayors from all the villages in the region, dressed in their traditional costumes to attend morning mass.

Chincheros (4 hours - private services only) - Sundays
A very typical Quechua village, with a fine Inca wall in its main square, where a market is held on Sundays. Near by, the Colonial church has interesting frescoes on the portico and overlooks Inca terraces. The natives still wear traditional dress.

Shrines: Temple of the Moon (3 hours - private services only)
Around the city of Cusco, the Incas built a network of shrines devoted to their divinities, Water, Moon, Air and Earth. These shrines, though perhaps less famous, were very important to the people. Visit natural caves, stone sculptures and burial grounds.

Full day tours

Cusco Valley (Private services only)
Visit Pumamarka (ancient Inca Palace and healing centre); visit Tipon (agricultural experimental site); visit Pikillacta and Andahuailillas. Lunch en route.

Urubamba, The Sacred Valley and Pisac Market (Private services daily, shared services on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays only)
Visit the village of Pisac, where the Indian market takes place three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. After lunch visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town which is still inhabited, and explore the ruins which tower above it.

Chincheros, Salinas and Ollantaytamba (Private services only)
A different way to see the Sacred Valley; visit Chincheros, the salt mines of Maras, where the ancient Inca ways of mining and ritual working traditions are still preserved, and a community whose inhabitants live in cave like houses. Visit the town of Ollantaytambo and its ruins. Picnic lunch on the banks of the Urubamba river.

Inti Raymi, Feast of the Sun (Private services only)
The best known tourist festival in Cusco (June 24th) which culminates with the "Feast of the Sun", is the Inti Raymi, a theatrical representation of the crowning of the Inca at the Sacsayhuaman esplanade. Transfers, escort, entrance-fee and box-lunch are included.

Corpus Christi (Private services only)
This festivity usually takes place on the second or third Thursday of June. The day before, on Wednesday afternoon, all the Patron Saints of the different Cusco suburbs are taken to the Main Square and stay overnight in the Cathedral, where they are dressed in their finest attires and jewels. The following morning they form a procession around the main square, which takes several hours, accompanied by a multitude of devotees. In the late afternoon, the images return to their churches of the suburbs, where the local festivities continue. Escort included.

Full day adventure tours

Biking in the Andes (Private services only)
Early truck-ride to Chincheros, visit to the town and community. From here you bike downhill all the way to the Urubamba valley, along mountain trails used by shepherds, visiting ancient communities, Indian villages and the salt mines of Maras on the way. Picnic lunch included. Visit to the Ollantaytambo ruins. Return to Cusco by truck.

One Day River Rafting (Private services - shared services on request)
This full day adventure is available all year-round to visitors to Cusco. Leave Cusco early in the morning and drive by bus for 40 minutes to our launching spot near the town of Huambutio. After preparing and boarding the rafts, begin an exciting day of introductory river running down the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The scenery is beautiful a highlight of the marvellous trip. Halfway, a stop is made for lunch on a sandy beach. Continue down the rapids to our final spot. A quick change of clothes and ride to the town of Pisac to visit the Inca remains that overlook the Sacred Valley and in the afternoon, return to Cusco to your hotel.

Horse Riding (Private services only)
You will ride horses along Andean paths which link the various sites devoted to worship by the ancient Peruvians, crossing villages and pastures near Cusco. Places you will visit are the Inca Shrine and Temple of the Moon and the Palace of Pumamarca. You will be led by a guide to make your experience safe and complete. Picnic lunch included.