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See a different side of Cusco! On this Tipon South Valley tour we head South, towards Puno, leaving the city behind and exploring a largely un-touristed area.
For another South Valley tour with more of a modern-day cultural experience, check out our South Valley Circuit Cultural Tour!
Highlights include the Inca and pre-Inca ruins at Tipon, Pikillacta, and Raqchi, as well as the “Sistine Chapel of the South” in Andahuaylillas. This South Valley tour is especially great for those interested in Huari (Wari), Inca and Colonial Peruvian history.
High quality personalized experience
Unique, off-the-beaten track routes
Experienced staff
Verified sustainability practices
$20 of every trek donated to Threads of Peru
We offer you the opportunity to personalize your trek and make your experience more comfortable through our Optional Extras and Upgrades. All options are available during the reservation process; please ask your sales consultant for more information.
Important!
Cusco can experience every season in a single day, so you should be prepared for sun and rain, cold and hot weather! We recommend a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, sweater, rain gear or plastic poncho, winter hat or toque and gloves. In addition, you should bring:
You can also see What To Bring for our comprehensive recommendations on what to pack for a trek in the Andes. For more great suggestions, check out our blog about How to Prepare for a Trek in Peru.
Remember that scans of the student card (for students) or passports (for children) need to accompany the booking in order to be eligible for the discount.
Want to join a trek? Ready to confirm a departure date of your own, but interested in having others join you? Then Trekkers Wanted is for you! Our innovative Trekkers Wanted system matches people up who are interested in hiking the same trek, bringing costs down and multiplying the fun for everyone!
Read More about Trekkers Wanted, post your trek or search for confirmed departures!
To start your South Valley tour, we pick you up in the early morning and head towards the interesting ruins of Tipon. Here we’ll see elaborate examples of agricultural terracing created by the Incas, irrigated by an impressive aqueduct – probably the coolest thing about Tipon.
From here we continue our South Valley tour to Pikillacta (a pre-Inca city whose name means ‘Place of the Flea’ in the Inca language, Quechua!) and then on to the colonial church of Andahuaylillas. Known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Americas’, this is an eye-popping must-see!
After a packed morning, we head to Sicuani for lunch, traveling through Andean landscapes and past Urcos and Huacarpay lakes, a bird watcher’s paradise!
Following lunch, we continue on to the village of Raqchi, arguably the pinnacle of our South Valley tour. Raqchi is dominated by the eerie Temple of Wiracocha, one of the most mysterious constructions in Cusco. It is a unique complex of cylinder-shaped columns and four naves. There is no other construction like this, which is believed to have been the biggest Inca building in the whole empire! However, this is not the only ruin left standing as there is also a great wall, ceremonial fountains, sphere-shaped buildings and rectangular houses.
We return to Cusco after visiting Raqchi. We drive the 119km in our private vehicle, and arrive home at around 8pm.
High quality personalized experience
Unique, off-the-beaten track routes
Experienced staff
Verified sustainability practices
$20 of every trek donated to Threads of Peru