Sacsayhuaman + Sacred Valley & Machupicchu Tour 2 Days

SACSAYHUAMAN

An imposing Inca building, surrounded by enormous carved rocks and great vegetation, the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park is a construction that astonishes with its perfect connections between its stone walls. Built between the period of the Incas Pachacuteq and Huayna Capac, currently covers 2,296.76 hectares (source DDC Cusco). Its majesty makes it one of the mystical architectural expressions belonging to the Tahuantinsuyo.

Located approximately 2 km from the city of Cusco, the large blocks of the Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, made of granite, measure up to 9 meters high, considered the largest within the Inca archaeological zones. Each of these walls fits without any kind of amalgam. The interior of this construction is identified by its temples, warehouses and water channels more than 200 meters long.

The origin of its Spanish Quechua name means “satisfied falcon”, because from this point one could watch over the capital of the Inca Empire. The Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park serves as the stage for the staging of the Inti Raymi (Feast of the Sun) which takes place during the winter solstice, every 24th of June.

THE SACRED VALLEY

The Sacred Valley tour is one of the most popular tours that exist in Cusco, almost all tourists who have come to Machu Picchu the fact, is a must, because this contains beautiful Andean landscapes, architectural samples of the greatness of the Inca culture, during the trip you can visit local markets, where you can buy handicrafts, impressive archaeological sites such as Pisac, that shows a very advanced engineering in construction of platforms, Ollantaytambo, a military, religious and agricultural center, whose main function was to control the passage towards the Valley of the Convention (the Cusco jungle) and Chinchero, place that is characterized by its crafts and where the organized families show us the artisan process of obtaining the fabrics. The trip lasts a whole day. On the trip you can enjoy Andean cuisine in the town of Urubamba.

MACHU PICCHU

The “lost city of the Incas”, Machu Picchu, was rediscovered on July 24, 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham, although the place had been known since at least the eighteenth century. This seems to be indicated by the correspondence of Colonel Baltasar La Torre and the notes of Antonio Raimondi, which were published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru in 2008, as well as the map of the Urubamba party, by Pablo José Oricain, where the site of Intihuatana is indicated. Charles Wienner also collected it in his maps before Bingham photographed and documented it. Together with engineer Ellwood C. Erdis and osteologist George F. Eaton, who studied the funerary contexts, Bingham dug into the site, mainly in the urban sector, taking with him more than 46,000 pieces back to Yale University, the center that organized the performance.

Where is Sacsayhuaman located?

The archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman is located 2 kilometers north of the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It is located at 3,700 meters above sea level.

What does Sacsayhuaman mean?

The term Sacsayhuaman means in Quechua “place where the falcon is satiated”. The name is probably due to the presence of these birds. It is presumed to have been a fortress, although it is also believed to have been a ceremonial center.

How to get to Sacsayhuaman?

Sacsayhuaman is only 10 minutes from Cusco’s Plaza de Armas (by car) or 45 minutes on foot. Another option is to take a ‘City Tour’, which includes transportation to this archaeological site. Entrance is with the Cusco Tourist Ticket.

When is the best time to go to Machu Picchu?

The best time to visit Machu Picchu depends on your priority. When there are few people, the low travel season between September and April is the best. For the best climate, the dry season, between May and August throws the clearest skies and of course more people visit it.

The season is not really a problem in Machu Picchu the minimum temperatures vary between 6 ºC and the maximums around 24 ºC. We recommend that you always carry something waterproof with you, as the geography of Machu Picchu means that rain can fall at any time of the year. However, there are big differences between coming in the rainy season or during the dry season; if you definitely don’t want to get wet, you can choose to come between the months of April and October, the dry season, but coming in the rainy season also has its advantages, lower prices, fewer people and Machu Picchu in its most intense green.

Who handles entrance tickets to Machu Picchu?

The citadel of Machu Picchu is a world heritage protected by UNESCO, so the Peruvian Government and in particular the Ministry of Culture Cusco, establish the conditions of access, and regulate entry fees etc.). All companies are subject to these regulations and must respect the imposed regulations.

What to see in Machu Picchu?

Machu Picchu hosts amazing constructions, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the 3 Windows, the Intihuatana or the Temple of the Moon very close to the top of the Mountain Huayna Picchu, are some of the most amazing structures that exist. Below is a list of places not to be missed in Machu Picchu.

• The Temple of the Sun
• The Intihuatana
• The Temple of the 3 Windows
• The Temple of the Condor
• The Hall of Mirrors
• The Ladder of the Fountains
• Huayna Picchu Mountain
• The Temple of the Moon (Mountain Huayna Picchu)
• The Gate of the Sun (Inti Punku)
• The main square
• The Royal Tomb
• The Sacred Rock

What is Huayna Picchu?

The Machu Picchu ticket includes the option Boleto Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu. This ticket includes the entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain next to the Inca City of Machu Picchu. The top of this mountain offers you some of the most spectacular aerial views of Machu Picchu. You climb a very steep road built on one side of the mountain, so most of the way, will be between the walls of the mountain and cliffs of hundreds of meters; not recommended for people who suffer from vertigo, or who can not overcome their fear of heights.

What is Machu Picchu Mountain?

The Machu Picchu ticket includes the option Boleto Machu Picchu + Montaña Machu Picchu. This ticket includes entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain next to the Inca City of Machu Picchu

It is the elevation located south-east of the Inca city of Machu Picchu at 3050 meters above sea level. At its summit extends a platform of Inca invoice, which corresponded to a ritual space to which priests accessed on special dates to perform the liturgies of greeting to the Apu Salkantay.