Cusco Peru, which was once the great capital of the Inca empire, currently receives more than 2 million visitors a year.
Everyone arrives thirsty for the cultural richness of this destination, which has a unique blend of Inca and Spanish cultures, there is a lot to do in Cusco.
Also known as Cuzco in Spanish or Qosqo in Quechua, this destination was once considered the archaeological capital of America and is now on the UNESCO heritage list.
In Cusco you will find remnants of the Inca civilization mixed with Spanish architecture, all in a vibrant, bustling and modern city.
The city is at an altitude of 3,400 meters and its historic center is full of attractions, scattered in an up and down slope.
Cusco can take your breath away both for its beauty and for its altitude. So take some time to acclimatize to the thin air and explore the city without the rush.
What to do in Cusco
Main Square
This is the main square and the heart of the historic center of Cusco. Plaza de Armas is the best starting point to start your tours in Cusco.
With a beautiful architecture and surrounded by many shops, cafes and restaurants around, the Plaza de Armas is always very busy.
The square was once the center of the Inca Empire, when it was twice its current size and was the scene of festivals and ceremonies.
In the middle of the square you can see the statue of Pachacutec, a great emperor of the ancient civilization.
After the Spanish arrived, they destroyed many of the Inca buildings and built the two large churches that you can see in the square today.
Santo Domingo Cathedral
One of the churches in the Plaza de Armas is the Cathedral of Santo Domingo, also called the Cathedral of Cusco.
This cathedral was built around 1560, on top of the ruins of the Viracocha Palace, one of the many Inca works destroyed by the Spaniards.
Its exterior in red stones is beautiful and worth checking out during the day and also at night, all lit up.
Inside, works are kept that explain much of the adaptation of the Andean people to Spanish culture, such as the Holy Supper being served with cuy, a typical regional dish. Or the Virgin Mary depicting Pachamama, the Mother Earth of the Andean peoples.
Church of the Company of Jesus
Another huge work in the Plaza de Armas, next to the Cathedral of Cusco. The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus is considered one of the most beautiful baroque churches in the Americas.
Qorikancha
This was once one of the most important temples of the Inca Empire. Qorikancha, which means “Temple of the Sun”, was once covered in gold. Its walls, statues, altars… everything was golden.
What the Spaniards also did was build churches and monuments around Qorikancha, including the Convent of Santo Domingo, as the place is also known today. It turned out that Qorikancha resulted in a rich blend of Andean and Spanish architecture.
Sacsayhuaman
An ancient Inca fort, Sacsayhuamán sits high on a mountain north of Cusco. Much of its structure was stolen by the Spanish to be used in other constructions, but what was left is worth the visit to get an idea of the grandeur of what this place once was.
To get to Sacsayhuamán, you can take a taxi or bus. But the ideal is to face the altitude and take a walk to enjoy the incredible view along the way. Leaving the Plaza de Armas, it takes about 40 minutes to get there.
The tip that people from Cusco give us to pronounce the word Sacsayhuamán is to try to make an adaptation of “sexy woman”.
White Christ
If you’ve braved the climb to Sacsayhuamán, take the opportunity to walk another 10 minutes and reach Cristo Blanco, a statue 8 meters high.
The statue is not that beautiful, and don’t even think about comparing it to our Christ the Redeemer; but what counts here is enjoying the wonderful view of the city of Cusco.
Neighborhood of San Blas
San Blas is a very friendly neighborhood, full of colors, craft shops, restaurants and street commerce.
It is next to the Plaza de Armas and walking through its narrow streets is very pleasant, even for those who don’t want to go shopping.
Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the museum is spread over 12 rooms of a mansion from 1580. There are many works from 1250 BC to 1532 AD, including jewelry, ceramics and sculptures.
The twelve-angled stone, twelve-angled stone
Close to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, we find a stone that is a symbol of Inca perfectionism, the Stone of 12 angles, which forms part of the wall of the Palacio Arzobispal. It won’t be hard to recognize it with so many people around taking pictures.
San Pedro Market
Mercado San Pedro is a spectacle of colors and smells, right in the center of the city.
Stalls selling everything, including fruit, vegetables and meat, without refrigeration, by the way.
There you will find many typical foods at lunchtime, if you want to challenge your stomach.
But if you prefer to leave the food aside, it’s worth the visit to buy your coca leaves, a warm and colorful poncho or just watch the people go by.
Museo Inka
It is housed in a 16th-century colonial mansion and houses a collection of Inca artifacts, including textiles, ceramics and metalwork. There are also mummies and pre-Inca works.
What to do in Cusco at night
Paddy’s Irish Pub can be the starting point for a warm up. For those who want to go into the night, one of the best options is Mama África, which starts very late (better to arrive after midnight) and goes on until morning playing electronic, hip hop, dance and dance hits.
Rainbow Mountain
The Mountain was once covered with ice, and the colors are a reaction of the minerals that were exposed to oxygen.
And speaking of oxygen, it is good to reinforce that the visit to Rainbow Mountain is not at all simple, the rarefied air at 5,000m of altitude turns this tour into a challenge.
Humantay Lagoon
Another destination that requires effort and adaptation to the high altitude, but which rewards you with an unforgettable view, is another one of the tours in Cusco that will take a whole day and demand work from your lungs.
The path to Laguna Humantay is also long and tiring, but it is a beautiful opportunity to see a turquoise blue lake up close.
Machu Picchu
If this is your first visit to the country, Machu Picchu is certainly the main destination on your itinerary. The lost city of the Incas is one of the 7 wonders of the world and the most visited tourist destination in Peru.
Machu Picchu is to leave anyone speechless. And a visit to these ruins requires some planning.
You also have to define how to get to Machu Picchu, as there are options that vary between hiking or taking a train.
With so much to do in Cusco, we suggest setting aside 2 full days for the city, reserving the day of arrival for rest and acclimatization. It is possible to do the main tours in Cusco in one day, but it gets busy.
The best time to visit Cusco is during the dry season, between May and September. The temperature tends to be fresh/cold all year round, but it’s best to avoid the rainy season so as not to disturb your tours in Cusco and the archaeological sites of Machu Picchu and Valle Sagrado.
Let’s embark on this!
Just another normal person who is passionate about getting to know every corner of this planet that we live, enjoying and living every second, with all the intensity, so as to keep living spiritually.