What you'll do on day 14
- After breakfast, you will take an excursion to the Sacsayhuamán complex, built during the Inca period. According to legend, people from other tribes were not allowed to enter this sacred site. Sacsayhuamán was considered a holy place for the Incas. Its ruler had to be of royal blood, as only kings could govern the House of the Sun, as the complex was considered.
- Peru is home to many ancient temples and architectural sites. Along with Sacsayhuamán, Qorikancha is also considered a Temple of the Sun. According to legend, the temple was built in the 15th century out of gold and glittered under the sun’s rays, attracting conquerors. Its interior was entirely covered in gold, and even the altar was shaped like a golden disk. But when the Spaniards arrived in the land of the Incas, they destroyed the temple and built their own monastery on its foundations. Later, an earthquake destroyed the Spanish monastery as well, and beneath its ruins, the strong stone blocks of Qorikancha were rediscovered.
- The next stop on our excursion is the Tambomachay water temple, also considered sacred by the Incas. It housed the Inca baths, where the Great Inca would come to bathe in the pool supplied by carefully constructed water channels. Very close to Tambomachay, you can also see another archaeological complex with unusual walls and towers—this is the Red Fortress, or Puka Pukara in the Inca language, which served as a military outpost.
- Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival, meeting and transfer to the hotel.