The place where the main square of Cusco is located, was in ancient times a swampy area, which during the time of the Incas was dried and transformed into an administrative, cultural and religious center of the Tahuantinsuyo Empire, after the conquest was occupied by the Spaniards, who surrounded it with temples and residences that were built on buildings and foundations of ancient Inca palaces and constructions; Tupac Amaru II was executed in the main square of the city of Cusco in 1781. It is currently the core of Cusco, and is surrounded by jewelers, travel agencies, tourist restaurants, and the same temples of the period of the conquest, merging the Andean and Hispanic architecture.
Controversy by the name of the main aquare of Cusco The true Quechua name with which it was called the current
main aquare
of Cusco, at the time of the Incas, is still unknown. Authors such as María Rostworowski claim that she was called Aucaypata, place of the warrior; Other authors such as Víctor Angles say it was Huacaypata, the place of crying, and others such as the American George Squier (in 1863) say it was called Huacapata, a sacred place.
Víctor Angles, a student of the Inca culture, explains that the square was formed by two sectors: Huacaypata and Cusipata (all coincide in the name of the latter). Both denominations would have a symbolic meaning since the first means place of crying the second means place of rejoicing (at present, that place is still called Plaza Rejoicing). According to Angles, this was due to meditation ceremonies performed by the Inca nobility in the square. These rituals ended in tears. It is currently known as Huacaypata.
Historical review
The place where the
main aquare
of Cusco is located, was a swampy area dried during the time of the Inca empire, using sand brought from the coasts of the Empire; the drying is initiated by the Inca Sinchi Roca, and was concluded by the Inca Pachacutec. To talk about the main square of Cusco
is to talk about a place full of history, which was initially a swamp, which over the years, became one of the main tourist attractions of the city of Cusco.
This square was the administrative, cultural and religious nucleus of the capital of Tahuantinsuyo, one of the largest empires in America and the World. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the
main aquare
was surrounded by temples and mansions, built on the structures of Inca palaces and buildings that existed there.
In this place, José Gabriel Condorcanqui Noguera (Túpac Amaru II) was also executed on May 18, 1781; Eminent character in Peruvian history, who revealed himself against the Spanish invasion. In the current
main aquare
of Cusco, you can find travel agencies, jewelers, tourist restaurants and temples dating from the colonial era.
The
main aquare
today
Currently, the
main aquare
is located in the historic center of Cusco, and is surrounded by tourist shops. The colonial temples built around it remain as such, some of them also function as museums.
The buildings mostly retain some Inca walls fused with the Hispanic architecture of the colony. The importance of the area makes it one of the most expensive in the city. In some cases, renting a store can cost up to $ 1,500 per month. A few years ago, fast-food restaurants like the American company McDonald’s and others like Bembos, KFC and Starbucks opened in the place.
The main square is still the place where many of Cusco's folk festivals are celebrated, such as Santuranticuy, Semana Santa, Corpus Christi, and other more modern ones, such as national holidays, Cusco parties, New Year, etc. It also holds free concerts, some parades of institutions and allegories, as well as political rallies.
The tour starts at the impressive COLONIAL CATHEDRAL in Cusco that contains over 400 paintings from the Cusquenian School, several altars. Qoricancha: Qoricancha is the inkas's main temple , this is a nice place to start learning about inka culture, inkas call this place (golden place), Santo Domingo conventis next to qoricancha, Here is a perfect example of the fusion of Inca and Christian culture. Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Site: After your tour in the city, we will take the bus and drive to the impresive Inca Sacsayhuaman, where you will be amazed by the rocks used for construction, some of them weigh more than 300 tons and beautiful view of cusco city, Qenqo Archaeological Site: The tour continues with the discovery of the underground temple of Qenqo, (labyrinth) with impressive rock carvings and tunnels carved into the solid rock. This religious temple is dedicated to the worship of mother earth and mystical gods.. Puka Pucara Archaeological Site: After a few minutes ride we will see a small fortress of Puka Pucara (red fortress) used as military control entrance gate to Cusco (inka's capital) . Tambomachay Archaeological Site: Walking for few minutes we will arrive at Tambomachay (water temple), temple dedicated to worship the water, fertility and eternal youth.after this amazing tour ,We return to Cusco city at the end of the day around 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
SACRED VALLEY
We will go to Pisac where you can see impressive agricultural terraces all over the place. After we will go back to the town of Pisac, where there is a peculiar market that deserves to be visited. At the market you will have free time to walk around and do some shopping. Afterwards we will go to the Urubamba where we have Our Lunch.
After We will go along the Urubamba River towards the town of Ollantaytambo. In there. we will visit the archeological site of Ollantaytambo, an important Inca construction built during the Inca's heydays. This is an extraordinary Inca place where besides the ruins you may also see an amazing rock formation representing the Inca god Wiracocha. On the way to Cusco we’ll visit the picturesque town of Chinchero where we will see the remains of the royal house of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the beautiful colonial temple with interesting frescoes on the front gate (this place was built on the foundations of an Inca construction). We can also admire the well-preserved Inca walls in the main square of the town. Finally, we return to the city of Cusco, arriving at around 18:30 h.
Machu Picchu
We will pick up you in the early morning from your hotel and then transfered to the train station in Ollantaytambo, you will take the train to Aguas Calientes, enjoy the train, the landscapes. Then we will arrive to Aguas Calientes, where a representative from our agency will welcome you and then will escort you to the local bus station to catch the bus that goes up to Machu Picchu. Bus ride to Machu Picchu lasts approx. 30 minutes and it follows a steep winding path, offering spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Upon our arrival, we will get into the archaeological zone of Machu Picchu and our guide will show us the most important sectors of this great Inka City, such as the great Intiwatana, The Sun Temple, the urban sector, the agricultural sector among others. Machu Picchu was long thought to be legendary. The guided tour in Machu Picchu will last about 2 hours, and afterwards you will have free time to explore the ruins on your own. MACHU PICCHU TOUR If you want to climb Huayna Picchu, a very popular climb with spectacular views, we recommend you to book preferably three months beforehand. (There is daily limit of 400 persons per day allowed to climb, so pre-book if you don’t want to miss out. Cost: $25) The round trip walking to the peak of Huayna Picchu is about an hour and a half. It is definitely worth it for the stunning views from the top! As an alternative to the Huayna Picchu climb you can choose to visit Machu Picchu mountain which gives the ancient Inka townsite its name. This is a new option that lets you see Machu Picchu archeological site from the highest peak. It is less crowded so you don’t have to book early. Cost: $25) After visit this wonder. Depend of your time train tickets, you will take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, where you will have time for lunch and also to explore this colorful town that utterly filled with souvenirs shops, restaurants, bars, internet cafes etc. In the night, you will take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. According the time in your train tickets, return to Ollantaytambo, in Ollantaytambo the transfer is going to pick up you at the bus to return to Cusco.
Can I get to Machu Picchu on my own? Many people have the idea that it is impossible to reach Machu Picchu without being part of an organized tour, but this is far from the truth. Something that should be taken into account, is that there is an order in the organization of the trip to Machu Picchu, and must follow if you want to reach Machu Picchu without problems. Well to the point!
Or you can take our service at: Machu Picchu Tour
How to get to Machu Picchu on your own These are the steps you have to follow to get to Machu Picchu on your own; We remind you that you have to follow them in the order in which we show them. Reserve Machu Picchu Tickets The first thing you will have to do “and most importantly” is to reserve the Machu Picchu Tickets; If you find availability, we recommend you book the ticket that includes the Huayna Picchu mountain (Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu ticket), you will not regret it. Something you can't do is wait to get to Cusco to buy the tickets. In case you did not know, in most cases Machu Picchu tickets must be booked at least 4 weeks in advance, this will give you the necessary time to book train tickets, hotels and even guides, since coming in season High (from May to September), everything will have to be booked well in advance. Reserve Train Tickets Securing train tickets "round trip" is the second step to get to Machu Picchu without the help of a travel agency. The high season causes train tickets to sell out quickly in all available services. So, if you do not want to have the Machu Picchu tickets in your hands and find no way to get to Machu Picchu - it happens more often than you think -, then, just know when you are going to enter Machu Picchu, book the train tickets . Arrive in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) If you have done all of the above, you should now know how to get to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town). Getting to Machu Picchu is not difficult, even more so if you can use your smarthphone to know its exact location and how to get to certain places. Once in Cusco, you will have to get up very early and go to Pavitos Street, here you will find minibuses and minivans that will charge you around S / 15 (US $ 4) to take you to the town of Ollantaytambo. "Keep your train departure schedule in mind."
From Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu it is even easier. When you arrive in Ollantaytambo, you can take a “motorcycle taxi”, it is very fun and the easiest way to get to Ollantaytambo station, this will cost you between S / 2 and S / 5 soles (US $ 0.70 and US $ 1.50 ). If time permits, do not miss the opportunity to tour the ruins of Ollantaytambo; It is one of the best prior to the Inca City of Machu Picchu. Once at Ollantaytambo station, look for your train and board it. The tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas is one of the most beautiful short train routes in the world, so enjoy it. The train will take you to the city of Aguas Calientes, at the foot of the Machu Picchu Mountain.
Recommendation: you will enjoy Machu Picchu more if you can arrive a day before the day of your visit to the city of Aguas Calientes. Book your hotel You can expect to get to Aguas Calientes to book your hotel. If there is something that abounds in Aguas Calientes, they are hotels; You can find hotels of all prices and categories. If you only have one day in Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, you can skip this step.
Very Important: If you are planning to visit Machu Picchu during the high season (from May to September), you will have to book your hotel, in Cusco or Aguas Calientes, after booking train tickets. Getting from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu If you arrive a day before your visit to Aguas Calientes, you can take the first bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu; but if your visit is one day, know that you can buy the bus tickets to Machu Picchu, next to the train station in Aguas Calientes, just before the Ruinas Bridge; These tickets cannot be booked in advance, purchased online, or by third parties. You can only buy your ticket in person and with your passport. If you want to know more about the bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, enter here. At the entrance to Machu Picchu Before allowing you to enter Machu Picchu, you will be asked to present the copy of your Machu Picchu ticket along with your original valid Passport, if you do not present these documents you will be prevented from entering Machu Picchu, and everything will have been in vain; so do not forget that your documents must be valid when entering Machu Picchu.
DAY 1: CUSCO / CITY TOUR
Reception at the airport, transfer to the hotel and you will have a free time available to rest and so avoid altitude sickness. In the afternoon the trip will start with the visit of the Temple Koricancha , The Main Square or Plaza de Armas, The Cathedral and continue to visit the Inca sites: The Fortress Sacsayhuaman the latter side is strategically built on a hill overlooking Cusco and is famous for its enormous carved stones, some of them standing over 9m/30ft tall and weighing over 350 tons, set together whit astounding precision to form the outer walls. Most important Mystical center from Inkas time Qenqo, the military control center Puca pucara and the water temple of Tambomachay. Return to the hotel and free night.
DAY 2: TOUR OF MARAS AND MORAY
09:00 – 14:00 Tour of Maras (salt mines) and Moray (terraces). Night at hotel in Cusco.
DAY 3: CUSCO/ SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS
This day we take a trip to the Sacred Valley of the Incas: visit the Pisac Incas built, the colorful Andean market and the church. Then we pass places like Lamay and Calca on the way to arrive in Urubamba town where we stop for lunch. After lunch visit to Ollantaytambo town, where we can see its typical streets, the impressive archaeological constructions and agricultural terracing, not to mention the splendid views over the sacred valley. Finally, visit the picturesque Andean village of Chinchero where the built of the royal hacienda Of Tupac Inca Yupanqui lie. You can admire the well preserved Inca wall in the main square, and visit the beautiful colonial temple. Built on Inca foundations with interesting paintings. Overnight in Cusco
DAY 4: CUSCO / MACHUPICCHU
Pick up at the hotel to take the train for a full day tour of the Magical citadel of Machu Picchu, it is 112 Km. from Cusco .During the journey we see the Urubamba canyon, Urubamba River and the show capped peaks of the Veronica Mountain. Arriving in Aguas Calientes we go to Machu Picchu where we visit this wonderful Inca Sanctuary also known as “The lost City of the Incas “one of the best known examples of surviving Inca. After the visit, we come back to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Cusco.
DAY 5: DEPARTURE FROM CUSCO
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and take you to the airport.
Machu Picchu,This stunning site situated on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley is the best-preserved relic of Inca civilisation and South America’s most popular attraction with an estimated 3,000 people visiting on a typical day.
