Cusco City Tour: Archaeological Sites Sacsayhuaman Tambomachay

Spanish conquest to Inca engineering tour: gold-leaf temples and fortress walls without mortar in 5 hours

A guided tour of Cusco and four archaeological sites in the hills above it, combining the city's colonial heart with Inca ruins spanning military, religious and hydraulic engineering. The tour includes pickup from your hotel, entry to Santo Domingo Convent and Cusco Cathedral, and a professional guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Portuguese or French. The four hilltop sites (Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay) require a separate Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC), which you arrange before the tour begins.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Cusco Cathedral45m · entry included
2. Q'enqo30m
3. Tambomachay20m

Cusco city and archaeological sites tour

• Visit Santo Domingo Convent and Coricancha
• Explore Cusco Cathedral at Main Square
• Tour Sacsayhuaman fortress ruins
• See Qenqo temple and amphitheatre
• Visit Puka Pukara military complex
• Explore Tambomachay hydraulic site
• Return to hotel

The experience

You start in the city itself. The tour opens at Santo Domingo Convent, a Renaissance-baroque complex built directly over the Coricancha, the Inca temple of the sun. The Spanish laid their own stone on top of the Inca foundations, which remain visible at the base: the gold leaf that once covered the temple is gone, but the engineering underneath is still there. From there you move to Cusco Cathedral at the Main Square, where the walls hold works from the Cusqueña school, a blend of 17th-century European devotional painting and indigenous Andean symbolism.

The second half climbs into the hills. Sacsayhuaman sits above the city with ramparts that offer a panoramic view of Cusco spread below. The fortress began during the reign of Pachacutec in the 15th century, built by more than 20,000 men who moved stones 20 kilometers from nearby quarries. Qenqo is a religious compound built into natural rock formations where the Incas are believed to have conducted agricultural rituals, sacrifices and mummifications. Puka Pukara (the name means "Red fortress" in Quechua) is an Inca military complex on a prominent hill with rooms, open squares, terraces and towers overlooking the Cusco valley. Tambomachay, 7 kilometers from the city, holds an underground hydraulic system. The Incas treated water as a deity, and the engineering here reflects that reverence.

The tour is five hours total, with pickup and drop-off at your hotel. Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese or French. Entry to Santo Domingo Convent and the Cathedral is included. The four archaeological sites require a Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) that you'll need to purchase separately before the tour. Children from age 3 are welcome, and the pace suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off at your hotel.
• admission to Santo Domingo Convent and Cusco Cathedral.
• a professional guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 13:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by LimaTours

Is this one for you?If your group speaks different languages, you can choose the guide's language at checkout: English, Spanish, Portuguese or French all work equally well for following the commentary across the city and the four sites. The five-hour pace and all-fitness-level suitability mean families with children from 3 up, older travelers, and mixed-ability groups can move through it together without anyone being left behind or rushed.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What is Santo Domingo Convent and why is it on this tour?

Santo Domingo Convent is a Renaissance-baroque complex built directly over the Coricancha, the Inca temple of the sun. The Spanish constructed the convent on top of the Inca foundations, which remain visible at the base of the building: a physical layering of conquest and engineering that makes it central to understanding Cusco's history.

What happens at Sacsayhuaman and why does it take so long to build?

Sacsayhuaman is a fortress with imposing ramparts that overlook Cusco from the hills above. Construction began in the 15th century under Pachacutec and required more than 20,000 men to extract stones from nearby quarries and transport them 20 kilometers to the hilltop, which is why the site is so massive and why it remains one of the most incredible buildings in the world.

What is the Cusco Tourist Ticket and do I need it for this tour?

The Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) is required to enter the four archaeological sites: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. It is not included in the tour price and you must purchase it separately before the tour begins.

How does Tambomachay show what the Incas valued?

Tambomachay, located 7 kilometers from Cusco, contains an underground hydraulic system built by Inca engineers. The Inca civilization venerated water as a deity, and the sophisticated water engineering at this site reflects that spiritual and practical reverence.