South Valley Tour (Half Day)

Cusco – Tipon:

After picking you up from your hotel in Cusco, we will start our journey towards the archaeological complex of Tipon.

Tipon is located 22 kilometres to the South of Cusco. Architecturally, the ruins of Tipon are considered to be the most impressive one in the Sacred Valley of Incas. Tipon is an ancient Incan citadel sandwiched between mountains. The site has a well preserved agricultural terraces and finely designed water channels. The water channel in Tipon has a great significance to the agricultural system practised till date. The aqueducts feeds the whole site with fresh natural spring water from the top of the site. Unlike the ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, ruins of Tipon are largely water based. Tipon ruins are quite smaller but are much advanced and impressive.

The town of Tipon that lies below the ruins are popular among locals during weekends. Tipon is known as the “Cuy Capital of Peru”. Roasted Cuy (Guinea Pig) is a popular delicacy here.

Tipon – Pikillaqta

Enroute to Pikillacta from Tipon, we will be traversing through another popular town called Oropesa. Oropesa is known as the bread capital of Peru. This picturesque town is home to over fifty bakeries and a beautiful colonial adobe church with three tiered belfry.

Pikillaqta is flea town. The name comes from two Quechua words – Piki means Flea and llaqta means town.

Pikillaqta is home to one of the handful of sites built during the Wari Culture. Wari empire lasted around 400 years ago and were the first people to inhabit in the area. The Incans later arrives and conquered the region. Pikillaqta was a religious and administrative site during the Wari rule. The Waris held a great significance to Maize. Infact, they even painted them on potteries along with deities and supernaturals. The town is home to over 600 buildings built in between open fields and the traditions here still has a vast influence from Waris and Incas. The design of the archaeological complex is geometric.

Pikillaqta however has no direct source of water. The only source of water is from Wakarpay Lagoon which is one kilometre away from the town.

Pikillaqta – Andahuaylilas:

After touring the archaeological ruins of Pikillaqta, we will visit the farthest site on the South Valley tour, Andahuaylilas. Andahuaylilas is an Andean village and home to the whitewashed chapel of San Pedro Apóstol, The Sistine Chapel of Americas. It is believed that the actual construction of the building started in 1610. However, there was a little church that was built on top of an ancient Incan temple in XVI century.

The chapel harbours artistic walls and valuable colonial paintings. Still we can observe some remains of the Inca architecture. In the main altarpiece stands the Saint of the village: La Virgen del Rosario.

Among the walls you can find the portrait of the only women that has ruled the Catholic Church between the years 855 – 857; the Pope Joan.

After touring the Chapel and the village of Andahuaylilas we will be returning to Cusco and will be dropping you off at Plaza Regocijo, near Plaza De Armas (main square of Cusco).