Tipon, Pikillacta & Andahuaylillas Full Day Tour

Day 1: Cusco | America's Sistine Chapel - Tipón - Pikillacta

Tipon, Pikillaqta & Andahuaylillas Tour – Experience Peru’s alternative ancient wonders on a full-day tour of Tipon, Pikillacta, and Andahuaylillas from Cusco! This exciting one-day tour takes you off the beaten track, in the South of Cusco, where you will learn about pre-Inca, Inca and Colonial history of Peru.

• Tour Type: Private Service Only
• Activities: Archaeology & Cultural Adventure with Scenic Views
• Tour Duration: 6 - 8 hours (Half Day Tour)
• Pick up location: Customer’s hotel in Cusco or anywhere in the historical center such as the Plaza de Armas, or another place, just let us know. This Moray, Salt mines of Maras tour can be started from Ollantaytambo, Urubamba and finishing in Cusco or viceversa.
• Pick up Schedule: @ 8:00 am if the tour starts in Cusco and @ 7:00 am if the tour begins at any hotel in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba.

Our adventure in the South Valley begins when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 8:00 a.m. Our first stop will be at Tipón, located about 23 km to the east of Cusco. This vast Inca site covers some 239 hectares and was likely used as an agricultural center. It has 12 impressive and unusually wide agricultural terraces, all irrigated by a network of water channels fed by a natural spring from the Pachatusan Mountain above the site. It may have been used as a laboratory of sorts, with each terrace providing a different micro-climate within the complex. Some surrounding ruins have been excavated, while others remain partially visible below the soil and vegetation.

We’ll spend about an hour exploring Tipón before heading on to Pikillaqta. Pikillaqta was built by the Wari civilization, which occupied the site from about 550 to 1100 AD (before the rise of the Inca Empire). The large site may have had various functions, including as a defensive settlement and as a huge feasting site for people coming from across the region. As we explore Pikillaqta, you’ll see houses, colcas (food storage areas), temples, and areas used for games and ceremonies, all connected by a network of streets, some of them very narrow. The site has more than 700 structures in total, with some walls standing almost 12 meters high. We’ll spend about an hour exploring the ruins of Pikillaqta, and then continue on to Andahuaylillas.

Next we’ll move on to Andahuaylillas, an Andean village with some spectacular colonial architecture. The most famous structure is the church of San Pedro Apóstol, built by the Spanish in the late 16th century. From the outside, this Baroque church looks fairly plain. When we go inside, however, you’ll see an amazing sight: an astounding display of colorful murals, a coffered painted ceiling and an ornate altar covered in gold-leaf. The church also has a majestic piano, numerous paintings from the Cusco school of artists and exquisite silverwork. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as “The Sistine Chapel of the Andes.”

We’ll spend about one hour in Andahuaylillas, which is the last attraction on our tour of the South Valley. We will then return to Cusco, arriving at around 2:30 p.m.

At Pacha Peru Explorers, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

• Briefing in our office a day before (optional).
• Pick up at your hotel.
• Private Tourist Transportation.
• Professional Tourist Guide Service.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?

• Entrance Fees: You must have the tourist ticket to enter to the Inca ruins of Tipón and Pikillacta in the South Valley. The tourist ticket is currently 70 soles for a one day ticket or 130 soles for a 10 day ticket. This one ticket will give you access to many other locations in Cusco, as well as some museums and places of interest in Cusco.
  25 soles is the cost to enter to the America's Sistine Chapel.
• Lunch: We will stop in Saylla for a traditional lunch at a local restaurant. If you prefer another location, please feel free to tell your guide. This meal is not included in your tour cost.
• Tip for your guide is optional but sometimes extra is always welcome, especially considering their work.
• Travel interruption & travel medical/evacuation insurance (required).

We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Pacha Peru Explorers in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.

Briefing or Informative Meeting: All information meetings and briefings are held in our main office in Cusco (or your hotel) at 5:00 pm, one night before the tour begins. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. If you’re unable to attend, you must coordinate another time by email, by phone or at the Pacha Peru Explorers office.

Trek Balance Payment (in Cusco): The trek has to be paid for in full at most 7.30 pm one day before your departure (generally after the briefing).
It would be much appreciated if you pay the trek balance in cash US dollars or local currency at our office in Cusco. You can withdraw some money from several ATMs along Avenida Sol (either in US dollars or local Peruvian Soles). You can pay by credit card or PAYPAL online, but you will have to pay an 6% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. We do not accept bank checks or payment of the balance by traveler’s checks.

Can I store my luggage at your office?: During the trip, your main luggage can be stored at our office (you can organize it with us on the briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you won’t need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags; put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing everything). It’s best to put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.

Pick up of guests: Pacha Peru Explorers can pick you up from your hotel, as long as it’s in the Historical Center of Cusco. Your guide will coordinate the pickup time in the briefing session, but please keep in mind that the time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes due to traffic.
Cusco is an old city, meaning it has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on streets without access to cars or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. We strongly recommend that you book accommodation with good access.

Group Tours: Group tours are made up of different types of people, then physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.
It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if such modifications are possible.

Strikes and demonstrations: Strikes and demonstrations are usually common in Peru, and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked, and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as originally planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date. Under these circumstances, tours may also be canceled. In case of changes or cancellations, everything will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and our decisions will be made to protect it.

Lost Objects: Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our transport or restaurants. You’re the only one responsible for your objects during the tour.

"Tipon - Pikillacta - Andahuaylillas Full  Day" can leave any day of the week, from January through December.

2022 Land Cost:

Price: US$ 85.00 per person
Required Pre-payment: US$ 50.00 per person.
Balance (Cusco): US$ 35.00 (Commonly paid in Cusco after the briefing).

This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Notice that PayPal charges a fee of 6%, which we ask the client to cover since it's due to the use of its service. This tax is just for online deposits so that you will pay the remaining in cash (the briefing day in Cusco) without charges.
Please, after your deposit, send us the transfer number to contact@pachaperu.tours; only after that, we'll be able to confirm your deposit and reservation.

Extensions & Offers: There are several extensions you can include to your Peru Adventure.

• Rainbow Mountain: US$ 120.00
• Cusco City Tour: US$ 65.00
• Humantay Lake: US$ 120.00

Price Guarantee: Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the price won’t increase, whatever the circumstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.