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Thi W TripadvisorEucalyptus Forest Picnic + Pucará Torito Painting Workshop
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OVERVIEW
Trip Overview
Most people leave Cusco with the same things: photos of the Cathedral, a photo at Sacsayhuamán, maybe a poncho from the market.
The Eucalyptus Forest Picnic + Pucará Bull Painting Workshop by Andeara gives you something you actually made yourself.
Twenty minutes from the city center, the eucalyptus forest at Q’enqo opens up into something that feels entirely removed from Cusco’s tourist circuit. Tall trees, shade, clean air, and the kind of quiet that the city center doesn’t offer. This is where the picnic is set up – Andean blankets on the ground, a cheese and fruit spread, a bottle of wine – and where a local Cusco artist hands you an unpainted Pucará bull and walks you through the tradition behind it before you paint your own.
The tour also takes in Qoricancha and Sacsayhuamán on the way out – two of the most significant Inca sites in Cusco – so by the time you reach the forest, you’ve already covered a full morning of serious history.
Five to six hours, entirely private. And you leave with something painted by your own hand.
Itineraries & Prices
Accomodation
Accommodation
Up to 12 people
Group size
15,090 feet (4,600 meters)
Max. altitude
Easy
Difficulty
by Bus
Transport
1B, 1L, 1D
Meals
Trip Details
- Tour name: Eucalyptus Forest Picnic + Pucará Bull Painting Workshop
- Duration: Approximately 5 to 6 hours
- Start time: Morning – confirm exact pickup time with Andeara at booking
- Meeting point: Hotel pickup from the Cusco historic center
- Languages: Spanish / English
- Service type: Fully private throughout
- Group size: 2 to 10 people
- Difficulty: Easy – short walks at archaeological sites, flat terrain at the picnic area
- Altitude: 3,399 m.a.s.l. (Cusco) / 3,700+ m.a.s.l. (Sacsayhuamán)
- Availability: Daily, subject to booking
- Price per person: From USD 85
- Includes: All transport, guide, artistic picnic, wine, Pucará bull figure and painting materials, local artist
- Does not include: Qoricancha entrance ticket, Boleto Turístico for Sacsayhuamán, personal expenses
Day by Day Schedule
Highlight of the day: Two of the most significant Inca sites in Cusco, a forest picnic unlike any lunch you’ve planned before, and a painted ceramic bull you made yourself
Your guide picks you up from your hotel in the morning. The exact time is confirmed at booking and adjusted for your group’s needs.
- Terrain across the day: Paved city streets, stone paths at Qoricancha and Sacsayhuamán, gravel and compacted earth paths through the Q’enqo forest
- Total walking distance: Approximately 2 to 3 km spread across the full day
- Physical demands: Low – no steep climbs, manageable for all ages and fitness levels
- Transport: Private vehicle throughout – hotel to Qoricancha, to Sacsayhuamán, to Q’enqo, and back to Cusco
First Stop – Qoricancha, Temple of the Sun | 3,399 m.a.s.l.
Morning – approximately 45 to 60 minutes
The vehicle takes you first to Qoricancha, located in the center of Cusco within walking distance of the Plaza de Armas but a different order of thing from what surrounds it. At the height of the Inca Empire, the outer walls of this temple were covered in gold sheet – hundreds of sheets of hammered gold angled to catch the sunlight at specific hours of the day. The Spanish stripped every piece of it within years of arriving. Then they built the Convent of Santo Domingo directly on top of the original Inca foundation.
The combination of what was here before and what was built on top of it is visible in every wall of the complex – the curved Inca stonework rising from below, the colonial Spanish construction sitting above it. Your guide covers both layers: what the Inca built here, why this specific location mattered, and what the construction of the convent on top of it was meant to communicate.
- Entrance fee: Not included – purchased on-site (consult Andeara for current pricing)
- Terrain: Flat, paved courtyard
- Difficulty at this stop: Low
Second Stop – Sacsayhuamán | 3,700+ m.a.s.l.
Morning – approximately 60 to 75 minutes
From Qoricancha, the vehicle climbs out of the city center to Sacsayhuamán, the great Inca complex that sits above Cusco on the hill to the north. The temperature drops noticeably as you ascend – have a jacket layer ready.
The walls of Sacsayhuamán are among the most studied and least fully explained structures in pre-Columbian archaeology. Three parallel zigzagging rows of massive cut stone, the largest blocks weighing over 100 tons, fitted together without mortar with precision that leaves no light between the stones. The Inca called it Saksaywaman – “satisfied falcon” in some interpretations. The Spanish, when they arrived, immediately began dismantling the upper sections for building stone for colonial Cusco. What remains is still one of the largest stone structures in the Americas.
Your guide covers the construction theories, the ceremonial function of the complex, the 1536 battle that took place here between Manco Inca’s forces and the Spanish, and what the site’s current condition tells us about what was lost.
From the upper sections of Sacsayhuamán, the view over Cusco – the red-tiled roofs, the Cathedral in the distance, the mountains beyond the city – is the widest and clearest in the area. Take the time to look.
- Entrance fee: Boleto Turístico de Cusco required – not included in the tour price (see additional information section)
- Terrain: Stone paths, some uneven ground, minor inclines between sections
- Difficulty at this stop: Low to moderate – mostly flat with short inclines
- Cold: At 3,700+ m.a.s.l., the temperature and wind at Sacsayhuamán can surprise people who came dressed for the city below. Have a jacket.
Third Stop – Q’enqo Eucalyptus Forest | ~3,600 m.a.s.l.
Late morning to early afternoon – approximately 2.5 to 3 hours total for picnic and workshop
From Sacsayhuamán, it’s a short drive to Q’enqo – a site that carries both archaeological significance and a natural setting that the city doesn’t prepare you for. The eucalyptus forest here is dense and aromatic, the light filtering through the canopy differently depending on the hour, and the sound of the city has completely disappeared by the time you’re twenty meters into the trees.
Q’enqo itself is an Inca sacred site – the name means “labyrinth” or “zigzag” in Quechua – with carved rock channels, a natural amphitheater, and ceremonial spaces cut directly into the limestone. The forest that surrounds it adds a layer of sensory calm that most archaeological sites in Cusco don’t have.
This is where the picnic is set up. And this is where the afternoon changes register.
Artistic Picnic in the Eucalyptus Forest
Late morning to early afternoon – approximately 60 minutes
The setup is waiting when you arrive: Andean blankets laid on the ground, a spread of local cheeses, seasonal fruits, and small bites, and a bottle of wine. The forest around you. No restaurant nearby. No other tourists at this specific spot.
The picnic is decorated with traditional textiles and flowers – not as performance, but as the kind of care that makes the difference between eating lunch and actually stopping for a meal in a place worth stopping in.
Eat. Drink. Let the morning’s sites settle.
Pucará Bull Painting Workshop
Early afternoon – approximately 60 to 90 minutes
While the picnic is still laid out, the local artist who has been with your group introduces the torito de Pucará.
A ceramic bull, unglazed and unpainted, roughly the size of a large fist. The tradition comes from Pucará, in the Puno region – one of the oldest pottery-making areas in the Andes. These figures have been placed on the rooftops of Andean homes for generations, a pair on either side of the ridge, to protect the household and bring prosperity. They appear in markets across Peru and Bolivia and in the homes of the highland communities. They are not decorative objects that became symbolic. They were symbolic first.
Your artist explains this before you open a single paint pot.
Then the workshop begins. Acrylic paints in the traditional Andean color palette – deep reds, yellows, greens, white geometric details. The artist demonstrates the standard designs and walks you through them step by step. You don’t need to copy exactly. The guide adapts to your group: faster for people who want to move freely, slower and more structured for people who want more instruction.
All materials are included. Aprons are provided – the paint is acrylic and can stain fabric if you’re not careful. Your painted torito de Pucará goes home with you.
No prior painting experience is needed. The taller is designed to be accessible for anyone from children to people who haven’t touched a paintbrush since school. What matters is that the piece you carry home is yours.
Return to Cusco
Afternoon
At the end of the workshop, the private vehicle takes you back to your hotel in the Cusco historic center, with a drop-off point at Plaza Regocijo if preferred. The return is straightforward – approximately 20 minutes from Q’enqo to the city center.
Inclusions
What’s Included
- Private hotel pickup from the Cusco historic center
- Private transport between all sites throughout the day
- Professional bilingual guide (Spanish/English) for the full tour
- Guided visit to Qoricancha – Temple of the Sun
- Guided visit to Sacsayhuamán archaeological complex
- Walk through the Q’enqo eucalyptus forest
- Artistic picnic in the forest, set up with Andean blankets and flowers:
- Selection of local Andean cheeses
- Seasonal fresh fruit
- Small bites and aperitivos
- One bottle of wine per group
- Pucará Bull Painting Workshop:
- One unpainted torito de Pucará per participant
- All painting materials (acrylic paints, brushes)
- Aprons for all participants
- Step-by-step guidance from a local Cusco artist
- Your painted torito to take home
- Return transport to your hotel in the Cusco historic center (drop-off at Plaza Regocijo if preferred)
What’s Not Included
- Qoricancha entrance ticket – paid on-site, consult Andeara for current pricing
- Boleto Turístico de Cusco for Sacsayhuamán – see additional information section for details
- Personal expenses
- Tips for the guide and artist (optional, based on your satisfaction)
- Any service not listed above
More Tour Information
- Qoricancha – the temple the Spanish couldn’t fully erase – The most important building in the Inca Empire, dedicated to Inti, the sun god. Gold-lined walls stripped by the Spanish, a Dominican convent built directly on top of the original structure. The layers of what was done here are visible in every wall of the building. Your guide walks you through both the Inca original and what it became.
- Sacsayhuamán – walls that still don’t have a satisfying explanation – The massive zigzagging stone walls of Sacsayhuamán sit above Cusco at over 3,700 m.a.s.l. The largest stones weigh more than 100 tons. They were cut, moved, and fitted without mortar. Your guide covers the theories, the engineering, and the history of how this structure has been interpreted across centuries. The views over Cusco from the top are among the best in the city.
- The Q’enqo eucalyptus forest – 20 minutes from the Plaza de Armas, another world – Eucalyptus is not native to Peru – it came from Australia and spread across the Andes because it adapts well and grows fast. At Q’enqo, a dense forest of tall eucalyptus fills the landscape around an area that already carries Inca ceremonial history. The shade, the smell, the texture of the ground underfoot – it reads completely differently from the stone plazas of the city.
- An artistic picnic that looks like it took time to set up – Andean blankets laid out in the shade of the trees, a spread of local cheeses, seasonal fruits, and small bites, and a bottle of wine. Not a box lunch. Not a bag of snacks. A proper mid-morning or early afternoon spread in a setting that no restaurant in Cusco can replicate.
- The Pucará bull – what it is and why it matters – The torito de Pucará is one of the most recognized objects in Andean folk art. Made from ceramic in the Pucará district of Puno, these small bulls are placed on the rooftops of Andean homes as symbols of protection, abundance, and prosperity. The tradition of putting a pair of them on either side of a new roof survives across the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. Your bull is included in the tour. You paint it yourself. You take it home.
- A local artist who actually knows the tradition – The painting workshop is guided by a Cusco-based artist who explains the cultural meaning of the figures, the color symbolism in traditional Andean art, and the specific designs associated with the Pucará style – before helping you apply your own. No prior painting experience needed. The aprons are provided. The steps are walked through one at a time.
- Fully private from start to finish – Pickup from your hotel, transport between every site, the picnic, the workshop, and the return – all of it is exclusive to your group. No shared vehicle, no other travelers at the picnic, no compromises on pace.
Hotel Pickup
Pickup is from your hotel in the Cusco historic center. Some hotels are on streets too narrow for the tour vehicle – in those cases, your guide will confirm a nearby meeting point within easy walking distance. This is standard practice in Cusco’s historic center and is communicated clearly in advance.
Luggage
Bring a small daypack only. Large bags and suitcases are not practical for this tour and cannot be accommodated in the vehicle alongside your group.
Payment Conditions
- A deposit is required at the time of booking confirmation. The amount and timing are communicated by Andeara at reservation.
- The remaining balance is due before the tour date.
- Tourist tickets (Boleto Turístico for Sacsayhuamán and Qoricancha entrance) are paid directly at each site in cash – they are not collected by Andeara.
- Tips are paid directly to your guide and artist in cash at the end of the tour, based on your satisfaction.
Availability
The Eucalyptus Forest Picnic + Pucará Bull Painting Workshop runs daily, subject to booking and guide availability.
We recommend booking at least 48 to 72 hours in advance to allow time to confirm the guide, artist, and picnic preparation for your group.
For groups of 6 or more people, contact Andeara’s reservations team directly as soon as your travel dates are confirmed. Larger private groups require more coordination across the day’s sites and more preparation for the picnic and workshop.
Last-minute bookings may be possible depending on availability – contact us by phone or WhatsApp and we will confirm within a few hours. Same-day bookings cannot be guaranteed.
Documents
- Passport or national ID
- Travel insurance documentation
Clothing & Footwear
- Closed-toe walking shoes with non-slip soles – sandals won’t work on the stone paths at the archaeological sites
- Layered clothing – a light jacket or fleece for Sacsayhuamán’s altitude, and something that can come off in the warmer eucalyptus forest
- Hat or sun cap
- Sunglasses with UV protection
- Light rain layer or compact poncho if traveling between November and March
Personal Items
- Sunscreen – SPF 50 or higher, applied before departure
- Lip balm
- Personal medication, including altitude medication if your doctor has recommended it
Cash
- Soles for the Qoricancha entrance ticket, Boleto Turístico for Sacsayhuamán, and tips
- No cards accepted at tourist ticket counters – carry cash before you leave the hotel
Gear
- Small daypack or shoulder bag – enough for water, a jacket, camera, and personal items
- Reusable water bottle
- Camera or smartphone with charged battery
- Wet wipes for hands before and after the picnic – the forest setting doesn’t have hand-washing facilities
Special requirements: If you carry professional photography equipment, travel with a child under 5, use mobility aids, or have any specific medical or physical need, notify Andeara’s reservations team before confirming your booking.
Tourist Tickets
Boleto Turístico de Cusco (BTC) – Sacsayhuamán
The BTC is required for entry to Sacsayhuamán. The relevant partial circuit covers Sacsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay.
- Foreigners: Consult current pricing at the site or with Andeara before your tour date
- Peruvians: Consult current pricing
- Payment: Cash only, in Peruvian soles
- Where to purchase: At the entrance to each site, or as an add-on through Andeara reservations
Qoricancha Entrance Ticket
Qoricancha operates under a separate entrance fee from the BTC.
- Purchased directly at the site entrance
- Payment: Cash only, in Peruvian soles
- Consult Andeara for current pricing before your tour date, as entrance fees can change without advance notice
Carry enough soles to cover both tickets before departing your hotel. ATMs in the Cusco historic center are reliable but can have queues in the morning.
Transport
All transport is private and included in the tour price:
- Hotel pickup to Qoricancha
- Qoricancha to Sacsayhuamán
- Sacsayhuamán to Q’enqo eucalyptus forest
- Q’enqo forest back to your hotel in the Cusco historic center (or Plaza Regocijo)
About the Pucará Bull
The torito de Pucará originates from the town of Pucará in the Puno region, one of the oldest pottery-producing areas in the Andes. The tradition of placing a pair of ceramic bulls on the rooftop of a new home – one on each side of the ridge – to protect the household and bring prosperity has survived continuously through the colonial period and into the present. The figures appear on homes across the Peruvian and Bolivian highlands, and they are taken seriously as protective objects, not merely as decoration.
The ceramic figure included in your tour is unpainted. The painting workshop is the act of making it yours.
Accommodation in Cusco
This tour departs from and returns to the Cusco historic center. If you’re still planning accommodation, staying in the historic center gives you the easiest pickup logistics and puts you within walking distance of everything else the city has to offer before and after the tour. Contact Andeara’s reservations team for accommodation suggestions that fit your budget and travel style.
Travel Restrictions & Important Notes
Strikes and Demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru and can affect road access to sites outside the city center. In the event of disruptions, Andeara will make every effort to run the tour as planned, adjusting the route when necessary. If the tour must be canceled entirely, our operations team will coordinate directly with you. Your safety is the determining factor in all decisions.
Lost Objects
Pay attention to your belongings at each site and in the vehicle. You are solely responsible for personal items during the tour. The archaeological sites attract large numbers of visitors – keep bags closed and valuables in a front-facing position.
Not Permitted
- Pets
- Smoking at any point during the tour
- Large bags or suitcases in the vehicle
Health Considerations
This tour is rated easy and is suitable for most ages and fitness levels. That said, Sacsayhuamán sits above 3,700 m.a.s.l. – a meaningful step up from Cusco’s 3,399 m.a.s.l. – and cold wind at that altitude can arrive without warning.
- Spend at least 24 to 48 hours in Cusco before this tour to begin adjusting to the altitude
- Avoid alcohol the night before – altitude and alcohol interact in ways that make a morning departure harder than it needs to be
- Drink water consistently throughout the day, before you feel thirsty
- Coca tea (mate de coca) is widely available in Cusco and can help with mild altitude discomfort in the first days – worth having before departure
- Let your guide know immediately if you feel unwell at any stop – the day can pause or adjust
- If you have a heart condition, respiratory condition, or have no prior experience at high altitude, consult your doctor before booking
The walking at each site is low-intensity. The challenge is altitude, not distance or incline. In reasonable health and with appropriate clothing, this tour presents no significant physical challenge for most travelers.
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