Not many tourists take the time to visit the South Valley, but the ruins of Tipon and Pikillakta are beautiful and very different from the rest. The good thing is that it’s not that crowded, and with the beautiful scenery it is very calm and relaxed. At the end you’ll see the beautifully painted church of Andahuaylillas. These places are also harder to reach by bus so taking a tour is more convenient.
The tour starts at 9 am and the first stop about an hour away from Cusco is Tipon, which has incredible square terraces. There are many water canals running through the ruins and there’s a lot to see. This is also the best place if you’d like to try guinea pig, in Peru called ‘cuy’.
The next stop is Pikillakta, which is a pre-Inca ruin built by the Wari culture around 500 BC. The city is huge and the roads are perfectly square as you can see on this map. The last stop is the church of Andahuaylillas, which is also called the ‘Sixtine Chapel of Peru’. The church looks simple on the outside, but is beautifully painted and decorated on the inside with very colorful ceilings. You’ll be back in Cusco at around 2 pm.
Tipon and Pikillakta are included in the boleto turístico. Andahuaylillas has an entrance fee of 15 soles.
Included:
- Transportation
- Bilingual guide
- Entrance ticket to the church Andahuaylillas
Not included:
- Entrance to Tipon and Pikillakta with the boleto turístico
- Lunch
