Duration half day
Difficulty accessible and family-friendly
Schedule pickup 8:30 a.m.; return approx. 3:30 p.m.
Best time to go May to October (operates year-round)
Our South Valley tour, located on the outskirts of the city of Cusco, is an ideal place to explore this beautiful region: it offers you a unique tourism experience with a wonderful mix of culture and nature. In the South Valley you can discover its charms and learn how the Incas mastered hydraulic engineering at Tipón; we will visit Pikillacta and the enigmatic Wari culture; and finally we will see the Church of Andahuaylillas, known as the Sistine Chapel of America, with the best of colonial religious art. Enjoy the crafts and culture while you explore the many villages.
The tour begins with hotel pickup at 8:30 a.m. We then begin the journey south of the city for about 45 minutes. The first stop is the Tipón Archaeological Complex, 24 km southeast of Cusco. Tipón is one of the least visited sites in the Cusco area, but it is just as impressive as those in the Sacred Valley. It is an ancient Inca site and is believed to have been a royal garden commissioned by Wiracocha. It is one of the most elaborate examples of agricultural terraces created by the Incas.
These high terraces, which stretch through the narrow valley, are irrigated by an aqueduct from Pachatusan and the mountain above the site. In addition to the terraces, there are other structures at Tipón, such as baths, a temple complex, canals, and aqueducts.
The next stop is the Pikillacta archaeological center, the only pre-Inca site in the Cusco area. This adobe complex was built around 700 to 900 A.D. by the Huari people. In the area there is a small Inca site a few steps from Pikillacta, known as Rumicolca, a travel checkpoint for the Incas.
We then visit Andahuaylillas, where we discover the “Sistine Chapel of Peru,” a church that houses golden altars, paintings, and ceilings of many colors. The chapel is simple and unpretentious on the outside, but inside you will find masterpiece after masterpiece.
On the way back to Cusco we visit Saylla, where you can enjoy delicious pork chicharrones (optional). We return to Cusco around 3:30 p.m.
It is a half-day excursion designed to explore the historical richness of the Andean region outside the traditional circuits. You will visit the Tipón Archaeological Complex (Inca hydraulic engineering), the citadel of Pikillacta (pre-Inca Wari culture), and the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas (colonial religious art).
Yes. Some sites require the Cusco Tourist Ticket (generally covered by the partial ticket or circuit corresponding to these ruins, with an approximate value of 70 soles).
The Tourist Ticket is a personal ticket and is not sold in advance. It must be purchased in Cusco or at the entrance of the places visited where this ticket is required.
The dry season (from May to October), since the days are clearer, sunnier, and with lower chances of rain, which makes travel and photography easier. The tour, in any case, operates year-round.
On the Sacred Valley tour we visit the regions of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, while on the South Valley tour we visit Tipón, Pikillacta, and Andahuaylillas.
Yes. It is an accessible, family-friendly route because it does not require long or physically demanding hikes compared with other extreme-altitude circuits in the region.
