Cusco Walking Tour

Following our very fulfilling day at Machu Picchu we awoke refreshed after a good night's sleep at a hotel right in the heart of Cusco's historical district. You probably recall that we'd spent a day on the outskirts of Cusco learning about Inca history and culture at La Casona (once home of an Inca princess), Awana Kanacha (a lama farm) and the Ollantaytambo Fortress town and heritage site. Now we were spending our last day in Peru on a walking tour of Cusco which is known for its archaeological remains and Spanish colonial architecture. In 1933, this ancient city was declared the 'Archaeological Capital of the Americas' and has been a UNESCO Heritage Site, since in 1983.

Firstly we tackled yet another substantial and very enjoyable breakfast where the choice of menu was impressive. One thing we agree about Jamie our guide, he knows how to provide a thoroughly inspiring tour with great accommodation and meal venue experience.

Cusco was the ancient capital of the Inca Empire from the 13^th to the 16^th century when the Spanish conquered Peru. The city's architecture is a blended mix of Inca and Spanish colonial styles interspersed with strong, masterly crafted Incan walls that are scattered throughout the city and have endured for centuries. Today is a very busy, vibrant city filled with tourists, vendors and people on their way to work. Our walking tour began outside our hotel over cobbled roadways and lanes, bordered by Spanish tile-topped walls, city homes, shops, local markets, interesting restaurants and commercial business.

Cusco is set high in the Andes at 3400m in a 30km valley basin dominated by mountains which rise as high as 4000metres. Temperatures do not vary much in Cusco with average temperatures ranging from 1C to 21C over the drier winter period that we were in. Even though it was a sunny, clear sky day we needed to wear zippered jackets at the beginning of the tour but by the middle of the day we either unzipped our jackets or removed them, depending whether we were in the sun or not. The evenings are cool but the days are pleasant. You will notice in the photos that most locals and tourists are wearing long sleeve and skirts or trousers early in the morning.