The temple of Wiracocha is part of a larger archaeological complex called "Raqchi" This archaeological complex is located around 3 hours from Cusco, near the main route to Puno and Lake Titicaca. It is 3,460m above sea level on the slopes of the volcano "Quimsachata".
Despite most of the visible buildings in this complex dating to the Incan period (1450-1532), the occupation of the area appears to date back much further. Archaeological investigations found evidence of dwellings here dating back as far as 200 B.C. in the style of the ancient "Qaluyu-Marcavalle" culture. Many Incan and pre-Incan artifacts from many different civilizations such as the Wari (700-1100 A.D.) and the Collao and Inca-Collao (1100-1450).
Pick-up from your hotel around 6:00 am in Cusco. We travel by bus roughly 3 hours to Raqchi. Once in Raqchi, we will take a guided tour through the Wiracocha complex with our guide. After lunch, we return to Cusco in the afternoon, arriving in Cusco at around 6:00 pm.
Itinerary - 2D/1NPick - up in the early morning at your hotel in Cusco. We travel by bus to Raqchi for roughly 3 hours. Upon arrival in Raqchi, there will be a short rest. Afterwards we will have a guided tour through the traditional village of Raqchi to see the way of life, visiting the houses as well as getting an insight into the agriculture and livestock of the village. We will have a typical lunch and spend the evening in the town with a traditional dinner prepared by the villagers. We spend the night with our local host in the town.
After breakfast, we will take a guided tour through the ruins of the Wiraqocha Temple. After the visit, we will take a tour to look at the crafts and fabrics made by the communities in the area. After a typical lunch, we return to Cusco in the afternoon.
We also offer a ceramic class (full day) in Raqchi - Contact us for more information!