After boarding the tourist bus located at the terminal in the city of Cusco , we will begin the one-hour journey to the beautiful southern valley of Cusco, making our first stop in Andahuaylillas, located 3,093 meters above sea level.
This beautiful Andean town has an architectural gem dating back to the 17th century, known as the Sistine Chapel of America , for its impressive works bathed in gold leaf and paintings from the Cusco school .
The interior of the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas is fascinating, with ceilings and walls decorated in the Baroque style, many of them the work of the Peruvian painter Luis de Riaño . Without a doubt, it`s a must-see stop on this route, and well worth exploring.
We will continue the route for an hour and a half, until we reach the second stop at the archaeological center of Raqchi at 3,450 meters above sea level. The temple of the god Wiracocha was built during the 15th century next to the Vilcanota River and, currently, it has enormous walls that belonged to various temples, as well as aqueducts and tombs.
Within the thousand hectares that comprise this site are granaries known as Colcas, which are circular storage structures used to store grains such as corn, potatoes, quinoa, and other foodstuffs. Another interesting fact is that Raqchi is part of the Inca Trail network.
We will continue our journey by bus for about 20 minutes until we reach the city of Sicuani , to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at a local restaurant, which has a variety of national and regional dishes, vegetables, side dishes, desserts and hot drinks such as a restorative coca tea.
After lunch, the bus will continue its journey for approximately 40 minutes until reaching the highest point of the road, known as La Raya Pass, located at 4,335 meters above sea level. We will make a brief stop at this point, which marks the border between the cities of Cusco and Puno, and where the Chimboya snow-capped mountain is located.
The next and final visit will be to the Pucará Lithic Museum , which we will reach after more than an hour`s walk from Abra La Raya. This museum has an important collection of monoliths, stone sculptures, and ceramics belonging to the Pucará culture, which flourished in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.
At the end of this excursion, we will board the tourist bus again for a two-hour journey to the city of Puno . Along the way, you will enjoy views of the heart of the Andes, passing through the city of Juliaca, before arriving at the bus station in Puno at 5:00 pm.
Keep in mind that the route from Puno to Cusco is the same, only the order of the visits is reversed.