This is the third and final part of our new tour to this millenary village. After enjoying the gastronomic road and cultural activities with locals, it’s time for the Raqchi archaeological complex, amazing remains of a major religious temple and an agricultural hub.
The Hiking Part
After the wonderful cultural attractions like pottery, music and Andean religion, we walk back on a section of the Inca Trails and get to a hill. There we hike upwards until a gazer at the top, with a stunning view of the entire valley, with the village of Raqchi, farming fields and the old Inca city. The gazer has a roof and benches for a very comfortable resting time. For more information about our treks to Machu Picchu, check the itineraries for the Classic 4-Day IncaTrail and the Short 2-Day version.
Then we hike back downwards the hill on the same path, and head for the Raqchi archaeological complex. First stop there is at a walled area called usno, a place where authorities gathered with the people to announce new laws and orders. It also was the spot where the Inca emperor met with the inhabitants, when visiting the city.
Raqchi Ancient City
After leaving the usno, we cross a corn plantation until the barns area and the urban zone. Both are made of stone, with the famous masonry of the Incas. The families worked mainly in agriculture and also taking part in government tasks, like building bridges and roads. In turn, they were given their own land and occasionally food in case they had a bad harvest. For such purpose, the Inca State had big barns everywhere. In Raqchi there are around 152, where they stored potatoes, coca leaves, corn, quinua and so on. Those storage buildings were called qolqas. To know more about this subject, we suggest you take a look at our tour to the amazing Inca agricultural lab, the Maras and Moray package.
The Fabulous Temple at Raqchi Archaeological Complex
This Inca settlement also had a major religious importance, for it was the place of a mighty temple in honor of Wiracocha, the god of creation and civilization in the Andean world. Back in the day, this point of worship had a quite large central wall, with pillars on both sides and a big straw roof. There were the priests accommodations, an area for rituals and water streams for the churchmen to wash up before the ceremonies. Know more regarding Inca religion and spiritual tourism in Cusco!
Nowadays, we can admire the immense central wall and the base of the pillars, still a quite impressive sight! Its monumentally size inspires awe and a sense of reverence.
After finishing the circuit, we are close to Raqchi’s square, where you can find grocery stores, shops and clean bathrooms. Finally, there is the relaxing ride back to Cusco City, and you’ll be left at the hotel. If you prefer to include Raqchi in a longer tour, we have the amazing Route of the Sun Cusco-Puno, a 1-day exciting ride across Peru’s southern Andes!
The Raqchi archaeological complex is the grand finale for this amazing tour! Our goal is to give travelers the complete, unforgettable Cusco City-Raqchi experience!
