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If you have already booked a tour in Cusco, you must have been advised to come 2 days before you start your trek in order to acclimatize to the altitude.

Have you arrived and wonder what activities you can do while acclimatizing?

There is no need to worry! Inkayni Peru Tours has designed different outdoor activities that you can do while acclimatizing.

Among the different tours that we have, we suggest a city tour on our especial outdoor tour: Half Day Horseback riding. You will visit the archeological sites in a unique tour.

Horseback riding has an inherent relaxing effect. According to Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Rheta D. Connor, “The natural rhythm of the horse aids in circulation and relaxation while gently exercising and massaging the rider’s joints, muscles and spine”. These physical motions bring about feelings of relaxation naturally without any thought on behalf of the rider.

Half-Day Horseback Riding

Category: Outdoor activity

Max Altitude: 3,700 m (12.139 ft)

Duration: Half day from 3 to 4 Hours

Pase a caballo, en actividad al aire libre

Horseback Riding

Before you start the tour, you will have a briefing.

Briefing: We will transfer you to Sacsayhuaman where the farm is located. There you will meet your horses and the horseman, who will show you how to saddle up a horse and practice how to ride inside the fenced area before we get outdoors. Please pay careful attention to get ready to ride your horse properly.

Archeological sites you will visit:

In the tour Inkayni Peru Tours has designed we include a visit to these 4 archeological sites:

Sacsayhuaman
Qenqo
Puca Pucara
Tambomachay

Sacsayhuaman:

Sacsayhuaman was constructed during the reign of the Inca Pachacutec and his successors. It’s massive, well-built walls remain today as a testimony not only to Inca power but also the skills of Inca architects and their progressive buildings and knowledge of stone masonry.

The fortress was the largest of many structures built by the Incas (between the 14th and 15th centuries). Built on a platform of rock high above the capital, it took over 50 years and 20,000 men to build it. The men who built it were signed up using the ‘mita’ which was a form of community service, compulsory for every citizen of the empire. It required two years of dedicated service between the ages of 18 and 20.

Sacsayhuaman

The fortress has three different terraces which lay one behind the other. The walls reach a height of 18 meters and stretch over 540 meters. Each wall has up to 40 segments which allowed defenders to catch attackers in a crossfire. Because of the different kinds of architecture, the function of Sacsayhuaman is still up for debate by many historians.

Also, it is in Sacsayhuaman where the most important celebration in Cusco takes place, the Inti Raymi or Inca Festival of the Sun.

Qenqo:

It is located near Sacsayhuaman, about 4 km (15 minutes) northeast of the city of Cusco.

In Quechua, Qenqo means labyrinth or zigzag.

It must have had a lot of importance due to the amazing remains that still stand despite the destruction caused by the Spaniards in the place. It is believed that the Incas used this place as a bridge to communicate with other of their gods such as the Sun, the earth, the mountains, the moon, and the stars. Everything in this place has a special mystique, the amphitheater, the labyrinths, the canals, and the sacrificial room.

Although it is clear the canal carried some sort of liquid, researchers have been forced to guess at its purpose, and at what liquid it transported. Hypotheses range from carrying holy water, chicha (corn beer), or blood. All three indicate that Qenqo was used for death rituals, possibly to embalm bodies or detect whether a person lived a good life by the course the liquid followed.

You can visit this archeological site from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Puca Pucara:

It is located to the northeast of the archeological site of Saqsaywaman, 8 km from the city of Cusco at an altitude of 3785 meters above sea level (12417 ft).

Puca Pucara means “red fortress”, being red the color of the soil in this area.

It’s believed to be a military complex due to its commanding view overlooking the Cusco valley and Tambomachay. Or it might have functioned as an administrative center or even a resting place for travelers. Although much is said, it still remains a mystery.

Pucapucara

Puca Pucara

Tambomachay:

It is located 7 km from Cusco, at an altitude of 3,700 meters above sea level (12,150 feet).

It is also known as the Cavern Tambo. The name comes from the Quechua words Tampu, which means place or storage, and Machay, which means rest, is a splendid place where took place a ceremony for the water and thank for his precious gifts like make the flowers grow and giving life to all creatures in the universe.

It takes up an area of 437 square meters.

What was Tambomachay in the Incas time?

Tambomachay is also known as El Baño del Inca (Inca spa), or the Bath of the Inca. This refers to one of the long-held theories about the site’s function: that it was a spa of sorts for the Inca ruler, and maybe for the wider Inca nobility. It is also said that in Inca times it was a sacred place dedicated to water-worship.