Personalized Private Service, 2012

Walking tour in Cusco and Outskirts.

1 Day Walking tour in Cusco: Main Cathedral, Qoricancha ,Museums and Traditional Market.

Price Information: Per person US$     ( With ISIC Card US$20 less )
2 to 3	4 to 6	7 to 9	10 to 15	13 to 15
US 160	US 140	US 120	US 95	US 95

This tour is basically for people of all ages to enable them to acclimatize to their arrival in Cusco and have no problems with height, remember that Cusco is located on 3.450 meters above sea level; it means you probably have problems with height. In this tour, you will get general information about the Inca culture, religion, traditions and customs.

Itinerary of Trip. - Upon your arrival to Cusco of staying already into your Hotel, Pick up from the airport and transfer to your mentioned Hotel ( recommended Hotel in Cusco www.apuhuascaranperu.com with Private Bathroom, Hot Shower, Breakfast and other services ) After relaxing for a couple of hours into your Hotel you will get some information about Cusco. Please, see the information of Cusco below…after spent walking around the Main Square we will pass to visit the Museums around the down town such as below:

1.-The Main Cathedral
2.-Qoricancha (The Temple of the Sun)
3.-Inca Museum.
4.-Church of the Society of Jesus.
5. -Museum of Religious Art (Museum de Arte Religious)
6. -Iglesias de la Merced.
7.-Monument of Pachacutec (Statue of Inca Pachacutec)

After visited the museums, we will explore the TRADITIONAL MARKET OF SAN PEDRO Here you can buy anything from pork, beef and chicken to guinea pig and alpaca, all of which are delicious parts of the modern Peruvian diet. Continuing down the center aisle, the sweet smell of fruit lining both sides slowly gives way to the lunch stands on one side and cheese, sea food, bread and vegetables on the other...

The small stair case leads down to the lower more open level. Here you will find the breakfast stands and just behind them vendor preparing dinner, Ceviche, Fresh Milk and Chicha, a local juice or fermented beer made from corn or quinoa. Try it! But be forewarned that there is a wide variety of Chicha as some are very sweet juices and others will have a strong fermented flavor depending on how it is brewed! If you are still hungry after your juice, I suggest sitting down to have a cup of coffee and a sandwich for just about one dollar at one of these little breakfast stands. While you wait you can chat with the many children playing happily in the aisles with one another. Afternoon, if you still want to spend your time walking, we will be able to visit some alpaca shops where you can buy some clothing made of alpaca Wool.

Shopping places:

• Yuyana Maki Art Gallery Address: Portal de Carnes 236 Plaza de Armas.
• Alpaca 111 -.Address Plaza Regocijo 202.
• Andean Spirit. - Address Calle Triunfo 381.
• Baby Alpaca.- Address Calle Mantas 118.
• Carlos Chaquiras.-Address Calle Triunfo 375
• Maky Artisanal.- Address Carmen Alto 101 San Blas.
• Hatun Maqui .- Address Tecsecocha 432.

After visited all mentioned places around Cusco, we will go back to home to sleep into our mentioned Hotel.

Our daily Walking tour includes:

• Night before, Pre information at your Hotel.
• Pick up from you Hotel and transfer back to mentioned Hotel.
• English speaking guide (with a broad knowledge of culture, architecture, tradition, religion and customs.) 
• Big Tourist ticket (valid 10 days and you can visit all museum with the same ticket, valid for City Tour and Sacred Valley.    
• First Aid Kit.
• Box Lunch for each Person ( Vegetarian optional )
• Entrance fee to the Main Cathedral and Qoricancha.
• Private transport in case of emergency.
• More than 8 People, 02 English speaking guides.
• Further information about each place.

Our daily Walking Tour Not Included:

• Emergency Calls
• Tips to your Tour Guide
• Cold drinks like, Mineral Water, Beer, Soda, etc, etc.
• Lunch and hot drinks.
• Accommodation in Cusco ( if need some , just let us know please )

We recommend you to Bring :

• Wear light shoes or snickers
• Bottle of Mineral Water , Drink much liquid.
• Water proof raincoat for the rainy season
• Long sleeve T-shirts.
• Short or Long Pants
• Sun Block and hats for the sunny days
• Sun glasses
• Personal medical kit.
• A light backpack
• Photographic Camera
• Extra Money for souvenirs’ and extra expenses.                      

A brief history of each place

The Main Cathedral of Cusco. - Examples of liturgical and religious objectsCusco Cathedral is a Baroque-style cathedral built on the foundations of the palace of the Inca Wirachocha in Cusco.Construction began in 1550, using many stones looted from the site of the hillside Sacsayhuaman fortress, and was completed a century later. It is considered one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in the Americas. Within the cathedral's high walls are some of the best examples of the Cusqueña school of painting, including a Marcos Zapata painting of the Last Supper with a local specialty, cuy (guinea pig), as the main dish,The cathedral's centerpieces are its massive, solid-silver altar, and the enormous 1659 Maria Angola bell, the largest in South America.

The Museum Inca (Inca Museum), also known as the Archaeological Museum of Cusco, contains artifacts that trace Peruvian history from pre-Inca civilizations and Inca culture to the impact of the Conquest and colonial times on these native cultures. The building was once the palace of Admiral Francisco Aldrete Maldonado, hence its common designation as the Palacio Del Almirante (Admiral's Palace). The palace itself is one of Cusco's finest colonial mansions, with a superbly ornate portal indicating the importance of its owner.

Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun). - Combined sacred sites of Koricancha (also spelled Qoricancha or Qorickancha) and Santo Domingo in Cusco vividly illustrate ancient Andean culture's collision with Western Europe. The temple of one culture sits atop and encloses the other. The extraordinarily crafted Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was the most sumptuous temple in the Inca Empire. Some 4,000 priests and their attendants once lived within its confines. Koricancha also served as the main astronomical observatory for the Incas.

The Church of the Society of Jesus. - Is housed in a handsome colonial palace that previously belonged to the Archbishop of Cusco. Before that, it was the site of the palace of Inca Roca and then the home of a Spanish marquis. The museum is located on the corner of one of Cusco's most extraordinary streets, Hatunrumliyoc, a pedestrian alleyway lined with magnificent Inca stonemasonry. Inside is a nice collection of colonial religious paintings, notable for the historical detail they convey. There are important pieces of Juan Zapata and other masters of the Andean painting, a collection of pieces from the Academy of Cusco and examples of colonial furniture. But the extravagant old house that shelters the museum is really the main draw. The Archbishop's Palace features an impressive portal and Moorish-style doors, balcony, carved-cedar ceilings, stunning stained-glass windows, and small chapel.

The Museum of Religious Art (Museum de Arte Religious). - Near Cusco Cathedral , the Church of the Society of Jesus (Iglesias La Campania de Jesus) which rivals the cathedral in grandeur and prominence on the main square (an intentional move by the Jesuits, which did not go over too well). Originally begun in the late 16th century, the church was almost entirely demolished by the earthquake of 1650, rebuilt, and finally finished 18 years later. Like the cathedral, La Compañía was also built on the site of an important ancient palace, that of the Inca Huayna Cápac (said to be the most beautiful of all the Inca rulers' palaces).

Iglesia de la Merced.- Erected in 1536 and rebuilt in 1680 after the great earthquake, the Iglesia de La Merced ranks just below Cusco Cathedral  and La Campania de Jesus  in importance. The church and convent were founded by Riña Sebastian de Castaneda in 1535 on a plot donated by the Marquis Francisco Pizarro. La Merced has a beautiful facade and lovely cloisters with a mural depicting the life of the Merced Order's founder, the French St. Pedro Nolasco.The sacristy contains a small museum of religious art, including a spectacular solid-gold monstrance swathed in precious stones. The church's crypt shelters the remains of two famous conquistadors, Diego de Almagro and Gonzalo Pizarro. When Almagro began his expedition to Chile, he brought along two Mercederian chaplains from Cusco. The church was designed a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1946. Address:.

Monument a Pachacutec.- Pachacutec was the 9th Inka and the founder of Qosqo (Cuzco). There are 2 monuments to him in close proximity to each other and the bus station in the city.

Temple of San Blass.- On the little square in the San Blas neighborhood of Cusco is the Iglesia de San Blas, a simple adobe church with one of the jewels of colonial art in the Americas. …The pulpit of San Blas, arguably Latin America's most ornate is an intricately carved 17th-century cedar pulpit hewn from a single tree trunk and dominated by the triumphant figure of Christ. Address: Plaza San Blas Church.

Cusco information.- often referred to as the 'Archaeological Capital of the Americas' Cusco is a beautiful city riddled with contrasts between the indigenous styles and the modern western world. It is these contrasts that have given Cusco its rare beauty. The first thing that hits the newly arrived visitor to Cusco are the Inca walls; enormous granite blocks carved to fit together perfectly without the aid of mortar beds. Many of the walls were simply built upon during the construction of a new Spanish city. Its a tribute to the Incas that their anti seismic design has survived the test of time while the Spanish colonial architecture has been rebuilt several times following a wave of earthquakes that have hit the city.

San Pedro Market in Cusco- Two isles of clothes open up to the plethora of smells, colors and sounds of the San Pedro market. To the left, tourists and locals sit in a sea of juice stands sipping on their concoctions of fresh fruit while the vendors aggressively call for your attention. Take a seat and choose from the selection of fresh cherimoya, aloe, papaya, kiwi, pineapple, strawberry or mango stacked in front of you, if not to be at the fingertips of the juicer, to make you impatiently wait for your much deserved refreshment. If you are feeling up for a local treat, you can ask the vendor to add Cusqueña Black labeled beer to your juice and if you are feeling very adventurous try liquidized frog, a brew said to be good for memory! As you sit drinking your beautiful blend watching the 'mamis' hustle by you will most likely avoid looking at the dead animals staring back at you from the stands across the way.

Terms and Conditions of trip, 2012