Waqrapukara 1-Day Tour from Cusco
Description
We are a team specialized in providing Tourist Services, establishing our headquarters in the Immortal City, Navel of the World CUSCO.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour begins with pickup from your hotel between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. Once the group is complete, we will start the tour. We will travel for approximately three hours by tourist transport to the town of Santa Lucia. Along the way we will make a stop in Cusipata to enjoy a delicious breakfast before continuing our journey.
From Santa Lucia we will take a detour that will take us, in about 15 minutes, along a zigzagging road to the point known as Punta Carretera. There we will make a short 10-minute break to get ready and finalize the details before starting the hike to the Waqrapukara archaeological complex. With everything ready, we will start our hike towards Waqrapukara. It will be about 90 minutes of tour of ancient paths and landscapes that seem to be taken from a dream. Throughout the 2.5 kilometers, the energy of the Andes will accompany every step.
Waqrapukara, also known as the Horn Fortress, is an archaeological gem of Cusco located above the imposing canyon of the Apurimac River. This Inca site consists of platforms, ceremonial squares and spectacular rock formations that create a unique landscape in the world. Despite its beauty and mystery, Waqrapukara remains a destination little explored by travelers. Its name comes from Quechua — “Waqra” (horn) and “Pukara” (fortress) — and reflects its sacred and defensive character. Built by the ancient Qanchis and later incorporated into the Inca Empire, Waqrapukara was recognized in 2017 as a National Cultural Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture of Peru.
After visiting Waqrapukara, we will return along the same trail to Punta Carretera, where our transport will be ready to take us back to Cusipata. In this picturesque village, we will enjoy a semi buffet lunch with Andean delights. Then we will continue the journey to the city of Cusco
After lunch and a short break we will return to the city of Cusco, arriving at approx. 18:00 (service ends 1 block from the Plaza de Armas del Cusco)
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-ups are made from central hotels in Cusco, if you are in remote areas check the meeting points or additional cost for the transfer
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(1)
Let me be clear, Waqrapukara is definitely worth a visit. But I did not really like the tour we booked. You spend a total of 8 hours (!) on bumpy roads trying to reach the start of the hiking path and back. The hike itself is beautiful and absolutely worth it. However, when we finally arrived at the ruins, we had about 30 mins to actually see them. We spent quite some time taking pictures with the group, which is nice, but not if you lose time to discover the site. We had only 10 mins to climb the mountain next to the site to have a panoramic view. Which is also spectacular. Within moments after arriving at the top the guide started yelling from below that we had to go. And then we had to wait several times. When we arrived back at the vehicle, and again after lunch. So, we hurried to get back for no reason at all. Only to drive back another 4 hours to Cusco. A missed chance to make this an amazing day. I would recommend for the tour operator to give visitors at least an hour (maybe 1,5 hours) to visit this magical site. I would have loved to have lunch there (a sandwich would have been enough) while enjoying the stunning views.
Thank you very much for sharing your detailed feedback about your experience at Waqrapukara. We truly appreciate your honest comments and are glad to hear that you found the hike and the landscapes beautiful and worthwhile. We sincerely apologize that the timing and organization of the tour did not fully meet your expectations. You are absolutely right that Waqrapukara is a special place that deserves enough time to be explored calmly and enjoyed without feeling rushed. We understand how disappointing it can be to arrive at such an impressive site and have limited time to appreciate the ruins, viewpoints, and overall atmosphere. The road conditions and travel time to Waqrapukara are indeed challenging due to its remote location, but your observations regarding the schedule, waiting times, and time management are very valuable to us. Feedback like yours helps us identify areas where we can improve the overall experience for future travelers. We especially appreciate your suggestion about allowing more time at the archaeological site and considering a lighter lunch option to maximize the visit. It is an excellent recommendation, and we will certainly share it with our operations team as we continue improving our itineraries and service quality. Thank you again for visiting Peru with us and for taking the time to help us improve. We hope to have another opportunity in the future to provide you with an even better travel experience.
