Step off the beaten path and explore three eras of Pre-Inca, Inca, and Colonial history on an all-inclusive half-day journey.
While most travelers rush exclusively toward the Sacred Valley, the Cusco South Valley Tour remains one of Peru’s most magnificent, well-kept secrets. Located just southeast of the imperial city at a comfortable, lower elevation, this scenic route offers a peaceful, crowd-free half-day excursion—making it the ideal acclimatization tour in Cusco for your first days in the Andes.
On this all-inclusive private tour, you will travel through three entirely distinct chapters of Peruvian history. You will witness the ingenious hydraulic engineering of the Inca Empire at Tipón, walk the ancient geometric streets of the pre-Inca Wari civilization at Pikillacta, and stand in awe beneath the golden ceilings of San Pedro Apóstol of Andahuaylillas—a 16th-century masterpiece celebrated as the "Sistine Chapel of the Andes." Along the way, we pass the serene Huacarpay wetlands and stop in Oropesa, Peru’s traditional bread capital, adding an authentic culinary touch to your cultural adventure.
After picking you up directly from your hotel in Cusco, our first stop is Tipón (3,400 m / 11,154 ft), an expansive Inca sanctuary spanning 12 majestic agricultural terraces. Widely regarded by civil engineers as one of the greatest feats of ancient hydraulic engineering in the world, Tipón features natural mountain springs channeled through finely carved stone aqueducts, ceremonial fountains, and waterfalls that have flowed continuously for over 500 years.
Traveling further back in time—centuries before the rise of the Incas—we arrive at Pikillacta (3,250 m / 10,662 ft). Built between 600 and 900 AD by the pre-Inca Wari culture, this sprawling urban center offers a fascinating architectural contrast. Instead of curved Inca masonry, you will explore a massive, strictly geometric grid of over 700 stone and mud-mortar buildings, two-story walls, and straight avenues that once housed up to 10,000 inhabitants overlooking the scenic Lucre Basin.
Our third major stop brings us into the Spanish colonial era in the peaceful Andean town of Andahuaylillas (3,122 m / 10,242 ft). Behind the modest adobe facade of the 16th-century Church of San Pedro Apóstol lies one of South America's most breathtaking interiors. Your private guide will decode its intricate Mudéjar coffered ceilings, Baroque gold-leaf altars, Cusqueña School paintings, and vivid wall murals depicting the paths to Heaven and Hell—a remarkable example of Andean and Catholic religious syncretism.
True to our culinary roots at Taste Peru, our route includes a stop in the traditional town of Oropesa, officially recognized as the National Bread Capital of Peru. Here you will see giant wood-fired clay ovens and taste warm, recién-baked Pan Chuta—a sweet, anise-scented artisanal bread cherished by Cusqueños. We also pause for photos by the Huacarpay Lagoon, a protected Ramsar high-altitude wetland teeming with native Andean birds, before returning comfortably to your hotel or our Cusco Cooking Studio.
Everything you need to know about visiting Tipón, Pikillacta, and Andahuaylillas.
Yes! Unlike standard tours, our rate is 100% all-inclusive. It covers your official Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico Circuit 2) for Tipón and Pikillacta, as well as the separate admission ticket to the Church of San Pedro Apóstol in Andahuaylillas.
Yes, it is one of the best acclimatization tours in Cusco. Most of the South Valley sits at a lower elevation than Cusco city—ranging from 3,150 meters (10,334 ft) at Andahuaylillas and Pikillacta to 3,400 meters (11,154 ft) at Tipón—making it an ideal, gentle half-day excursion for your first or second day.
The tour lasts approximately 4 to 5 hours. Because this is a private tour with hotel pickup and drop-off, you have the flexibility to choose a morning departure (typically 8:30 AM or 9:00 AM) or an afternoon departure (1:30 PM or 2:00 PM).
While the Sacred Valley (Pisac and Ollantaytambo) is a full-day route focused on famous Inca fortresses, the South Valley is a half-day route completely off the beaten path. It is virtually crowd-free and uniquely allows you to experience three eras in a single trip: Pre-Inca Wari ruins (Pikillacta), Inca water engineering (Tipón), and 16th-century Colonial art (Andahuaylillas).
Absolutely! Many of our guests take the morning South Valley Tour (9:00 AM – 1:30 PM) and join our Afternoon/Dinner Peruvian Cooking Class at 3:00 PM, or take our Morning Cooking Class (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM) followed by an afternoon tour.
