A half-day tour of the city and nearby Inca ruins begins at Koricancha, which was the Inca’s sumptuous Temple of Sun before becoming the Spaniard’s Santo Domingo church. The Inca stonework here is perhaps the finest to be seen anywhere and it has remained standing for centuries whilst the Spanish construction has succumbed to earthquakes.
Next visit the cavernous cathedral on the Plaza de Armas which was built between 1560 and 1664 out of slabs of red granite taken from the Inca site of Sacsayhuaman. Visit this ruined ceremonial center itself by driving out into the hills surrounding the city. This site is believed to be the ‘head’ of the original puma layout of Cuzco and is a breathtaking display of Inca building skills, consisting as it does of zigzag terraces and ramparts 300 meters in length.
You also drive to see three other nearby sites. Firstly, Tambomachay, which is an Inca fountain and ritual bathing center. Secondly Qenqo, which is a great stone carved with steps and pictures and a sacrificial table. Finally you will stop off at Puca Pucara, which is known for a large rock that looks very red, the name literally meaning "Red Rock".
The order in which the ruins are visited will depend on local conditions as the guides will endeavor to visit each set of ruins at their quietest.