The South Valley Tour, is one of the alternatives offered by the Cusco City, where you will see and learn about 3 types of buildings left us throughout time among them; 1) Pre -Inka 2) Inka and 3) Colonial. We started doing the picking up from their hotels at 09.00am always accompanied by a professional guide, then drive to the south of the Quechua and Aymara area, up to the first Inka archaeological complex of:
Trip Overview
- Code: ISA LLAQTA -53
- Type: Historic, Archeological and Cultural
- Sites to Visit: Tipon, Piquillaqta, Andahuaylillas
- Days of Departure: Every day
- Months of Operation: All year
- Duration of Tour: Half Day from 09.00am – 14.00pm (Private Service any time)
ITINERARY
Tipon: Is a beautiful Inka archaeological complex, with a lot of agricultural terraces, stairways and canals carved in stone and ornamental waterfalls. It shows a marvel of civil Incan engineering, and according to chronicles Tipon may have been a royal garden and farm ordered to be built by Wiraqocha, as a home and refuge for his father Yawar Wakaq after the wars. Tipon has a perfect system of irrigation, still serving the local farmland today.
Piquillaqta: Located at 32 kilometers from Cusco city, this is a huge pre-Incan architectural complex covering an area of 3421 hectares. Its construction is attributed to the Wari culture built during the heyday of their culture between 500 to 900 years AC. This citadel is surrounded by ramparts and walls that are up to 7 meters high, with about 700 buildings, a number of 504 storage barns, and according to studies could have had a population of up to 10,000 military people. Small stones mixed with mud were used in the construction of their buildings. The city’s design was of an almost perfect geometric design- divided by very straight streets and squares. It would have been a white city, covered in large layers of plaster. Micro sculptures have been found, some inlaid with turquoise. Further east of the complex you can see the cover of Rumiqolqa, that served as a customs control entry for those who travelled north to the puma city, or Qosqo City (Cusco).
Andahuaylillas: its original name was Antahuaylla (anta = copper, waylla = prairie) subsequently change when the Spanish people came. Andahuaylillas is the town where the Sistine Chapel Church of the Americas is located, belonging to the colonial period. It is located in the same square of the village where you can see is the famous Pisonay tree. This church was built on an important Inca construction, since the foundation of the church is made with andesite and with typical Inca carving and architecture. Surrounding the church are still remnants of old Quechua buildings. The Jesuits were sent to build the church around the sixteenth century. It has very wide, adobe colonial-style walls, and sports a bell inside the main arch. Arab and Christian elements are included in its interior design, and the church has 2 pulpits, gold leaf decorations and murals, with many mirrors to reflect light, and walls and ceiling painted with geometrical patterns and flowers. Embossed silver plates decorate the tabernacle. The church also has an interesting collection of paintings that came from Cusco, depicting the life of St. Peter and in golden baroque frames.
To enter the temple to the left side you can read an inscription saying “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen” the interesting thing is that it is written in five languages: Latin, Spanish, Quechuam, Aymara and Pukina (Pukina today is an extinct language).
After visiting these interesting places, we return in our transport to respective hotels in Cusco city.
INCLUDED/ NOT INCLUDED
SOUTH VALLEY TOUR GROUP SERVICE PROGRAM INCLUDES:
- Professional English / Spanish speaking guide
- Tourist transport
- Entrance tickets to Tipon, Piquillaqta and Andahuaylillas
SOUTH VALLEY TOUR PRIVATE SERVICE PROGRAM INCLUDES:
- Professional English / Spanish speaking Private guide
- Private Tourist transport
- Entrance tickets to Tipon, Piquillaqta and Andahuaylillas
- Water bottle