Everyone has heard of the Sacred Valley. It has a whole host of big-name sites to visit, has nice accommodation, and is on the way to Machu Picchu. But have you heard of Cusco’s South Valley?
For most people as Cusco South Valley day tour would be in addition to the Sacred Valley- you can read about why we don’t recommend doing the standard Sacred Valley tour here. If you want to get a bit deeper into the real Peru, and do not want to travel the tourist trail, then this is perfect. Slightly less spectacular perhaps than the Sacred Valley but it has a more restrained beauty.
Here are a few reasons why we love the Southern Valley tour:
- Very few tourists
- Very authentic
- Great variety of sites
- Less driving from Cusco
If you want to avoid the crowds and experience a part of what Peru is really about, then why not try out one of our off-the-beaten-track Inca Trail hikes that take you to some of the least visited and most beautiful sites in Peru?
The furthest point, Andahuaylillas, is only one hour from Cusco. Compare that to a Sacred Valley tour, where you reach Ollantaytambo, which is two hours from Cusco. Altitude is about 3100/10,000 feet, except Tipon at 3500m/11,500ft so a bit lower than Cusco.
Here is our itinerary for this great Cusco day tour:
Cusco South Valley tour: The valley to the South of Cusco is largely unexplored by tourists but has some wonderful places to visit. It is a great way to get into the heart of the real Peru.
First stop on the Cusco South Valley tour is the Inca complex of Tipon, made up of an elaborate set of terraces and water channels. It is thought to have been used as a ceremonial center to worship water. The town below is also home to various roadside sellers on the weekends when Cusqueñeans come to enjoy guinea pig on a stick, or roasted in a clay oven. It’s a traditional delicacy that may be a little too much for most tourists!
On your Cusco South Valley tour you will drive on through Oropesa known as the bread capital of Peru due to having over forty bakeries, all producing delicious and huge discs of bread. Soon after, we will arrive at the pre- Inca ruins of Pikillaqta.
Pikillaqta is a pre-Inca ruin, and not only is it the only pre-Inca ruin on this Southern Valley tour, it is one of the few to be found in Cusco. The adobe complex was built by the Wari culture, who once dominated the central highland and coastal regions of Peru. They are widely considered to be the first culture to make use of mass agricultural terraces, many of the Inca administrative practices can be traced back to the Wari civilization.
You can then take a short walk down to the lake of Huacarpay. This wetland has been declared a Ramsar site, as a wetland of international importance due to the vast number of migratory birds that stop there.
Each October birds migrate down from the Northern hemisphere to avoid the harsh winter. Then in April, they stop over on their way back up to Northern summer. Apart from that, there is a more localized form of migration when the cold weather comes to the Peruvian altiplano, birds migrate down here to stay at a lower altitude and enjoy warmer temperatures. This is a beautiful place to enjoy your lunch.
If you want to avoid the crowds and experience a part of what Peru is really about, then why not try out one of our off-the-beaten-track Inca Trail hikes that take you to some of the least visited and most beautiful sites in Peru?
Finally you hop back in the bus and drive twenty minutes out to the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas”, in Andahuaylillas. Situated in a beautiful, quiet plaza, this baroque church is famous for its incredible artwork. It has many fine examples of paintings completed by the Cusco Religious art school (Escuela Cuzqueña).
On your way back to Cusco you can stop in the town of Saylla to get a chance to sample traditional Cusco fare of pork crackling or pork chicharrones. Delicious and traditional.
