Cusco Travel Guide

 
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  •   Cusco
    by sim1
  • Picture-perfect! :-)
      Picture-perfect! :-)
    by sheherezad
  •   Cusco
    by MStars
  •   Cusco
    by mayadoc
  • view of La Compania de Jesus Church
      view of La Compania de Jesus Church
    by JetlagCity

Pro

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 Fantastic Architecture in a breathtaking natural surrounding 


Con

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 Too westernised, perhaps. Global World reached the Kechua World, like 500 years ago... 


In a nutshell

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 you are searching for culture, mysthics and more? go to Cusco! 

 

Explore Cusco

Things to Do  

Sacsayhuaman

Sacsayhuaman, Cusco

 55 Reviews  Well. I wish I was an Aztec, Or a runner in Peru I would build such beautiful buildings To house the chosen few Like an Inca from Peru (Neil Young ' Like an Inca') We took a taxi in the morning, up to the Saksayhuaman complex, on a hill to the north of the city. We bought 'Boleto Turistico' which... 

Qoriqancha - Santo Domingo Convent

Qoriqancha - Santo Domingo Convent, Cusco

 38 Reviews  The Sun Temple (Coricancha) forms the foundations of the San Domingo Convent and Church. In the grand tradition of looting and destruction carried out by Spanish conquerors throughout Peru, much of the wealth of Spain was stolen from the treasuries of the Incas. In this case, gold from the sun... 

Hotels  

Hotel Monasterio Cusco

 8 Reviews and 631 Opinions  We didnt really think of coming here until we started mapping out a plan of our independant walking... 

Hostal Rumi Punku

 7 Reviews and 660 Opinions  Very nice hotel including all amenities, even wi-fi. Recommend the tours booked via Sergio at the... 

Restaurants  

Pacha Papa

Pacha Papa, Cusco

 4 Reviews  This was the first restaurant we went to in Cusco, maybe more expensive than many other local restaurants, but definitelly a nice place to have lunch or dinner. You will find traditional peruvian dishes in the menu, though if you don't eat meat you might have trouble there! There is however also... 

Quinta Eulalia

Quinta Eulalia, Cusco

 4 Reviews  I'm vegetarian so the menu was very limited for me. However, I dined with five other people who ordered various traditional dishes and they all enjoyed their meals. Beware...if you order the cuy (guinea pig) it is served whole and looks a lot like a fried biology experiement. A trio of musicians... 

Nightlife  

Mama Africa Disco

Mama Africa Disco, Cusco

 7 Reviews  I have visited the several locations of Mama Africa (moved several times) and it definitely isn't my cup of tea. It wasn't in the past and it won't be in the future. Large crowds of backpackers, bricheras, bricheros drinking and dancing. It's cheaper than other discos in Cusco but I prefer Ukukus,... 

Los Perros

Los Perros, Cusco

 5 Reviews  Here you'll find one more picture of the more than acceptable pisco sour. Made with a shaker, not with a blender which really makes a big difference. David Espejo is the friend on the picture, a very experienced guide. 

Transportation  

Around Cusco by Taxi

Around Cusco by Taxi, Cusco

 11 Reviews  Taxis: Pay no more than s/. 3 for a taxi ride in the city. s/. 2.5o is the actual rate. Newer, larger cars may try to charge more. It’s difficult to pay the actual rate from the airport. You should walk outside the gate at the airport, away from the “tourist taxis” and pay s/. 4-5. ALWAYS agree to... 

To Cusco by Air

To Cusco by Air, Cusco

 15 Reviews  Not too many choices of flying into Cusco from Lima, Lan Peru, Taca, or Star Peru. The fare on Lan is more than doubled than on Star. I've taken both Lan and Star Peru, service is good on either flight. If you want to keep budget, then Star Peru is the choice. 

Shopping  

Pisac Market

Pisac Market, Cusco

 6 Reviews  Pisac market is close to the Scared Valley and Sacsaywaman. Many tour buses which go to the Sacred Valley may make stops here as well. Remember that the markets are only open Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays from 9 AM-5 PM. The best day to visit is on Sunday. It is on Sundays that the locals set up a... 

Alpaca and Baby Alpaca Products

Alpaca and Baby Alpaca Products, Cusco

 5 Reviews  Cusco is a great, extensive place to go shopping. It became our night time entertainment . Here you can find here a great variety of handcrafted articles the trouble is limiting yourself. We were travelling with backpacks so we could onlt buy so many of those wonderful hats and sweaters. Forget the... 

Local Customs  

Local Traditions

Local Traditions, Cusco

 11 Reviews  There are little ceramic bulls on all the rooftops in the Sacred Valley. They are supposed to bring good luck, and fertility, to the household. Many roofs had a cross between the bulls. Some roofs also have flowers. The flowers go up the day you put the roof on (even if the doors and windows... 

Local Drinks

Local Drinks, Cusco

 8 Reviews  A Pisco Sour is a cocktail containing pisco (8 parts), lemon or lime juice (4 parts), egg whites 1, simple syrup (3 parts), and bitters 1 dash. All but the bitters are shaken vigorously and the bitters are added to the resultant foam as a garnish. Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Altitude Sickness - Soroche

Altitude Sickness - Soroche, Cusco

 30 Reviews  We flew from Lima at sea level to Puno at 4000 m and were taking Diamox and drinking lots of coca tea. We're both very fit - this is irrelevant with altitude sickness. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're super fit and healthy and you won't be affected. Your body must maintain adequate blood... 

Tourist Traps  

Street Sellers

Street Sellers, Cusco

 5 Reviews  Everywhere you turn you'll see street venders plying their wares. You can't blame them they are trying to make a dollar. Alpacha sweaters are big on the list of merchandie. It's good to know when you're bargaining that these colourful sweaters are generally made from sheep wool, although there are... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley, Cusco

 10 Reviews  Our horseback ride from Urubamba up past the salt terraces to Maras and Moray was the best adventure of our entire visit to Peru, For a mere $US60 a person, Rancho Casa Hospedaje supplied a non-English-speaking guide (Juan Carlos) to take for a nine-hour ride along the Urubamba River, then up a... 

Las Salinas de Maras

Las Salinas de Maras, Cusco

 4 Reviews   This was definitely one of the more bizarre sights we saw on our trip to the Sacred Valley! A huge salt mine carved out of the hillside, with terrace after terrace of mini salt-pans spread out in front of us. Although it was a Sunday a few people were working in the pans, dredging up the piles of... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Inca Trail

Inca Trail, Cusco

 9 Reviews  Hello everybody!! I would like to share some of my experience on the Inca Trail. I just did it for the first time two months ago and I totally recommend it. The Inca Trail has a a mix of everything. It starts in the dry highlands and finishes in the cloud forest where Machu Picchu is located.... 

Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking, Cusco

 2 Reviews  Even if you are not an experienced cyclist, I would highly recommend taking a mountain biking trip with one of the tour companies (I went with Eric Adventures - $35.) The views are truly amazing and it is so peaceful to ride in the fields and see the Andes in the background. We rode to two places,... 

Favorites  

Main Square

Main Square, Cusco

 7 Reviews  When exiting the bus station doors you will immediately be bombarded with taxistas, local taxi drivers, offering you the “best” rates to the center of town. Whether you are at an airport or bus station, they are the ones that pay a fee to enter the area so they will always charge you more. After... 

Sacred Valley

Sacred Valley, Cusco

 5 Reviews  All around the Sacred Valley of Peru, you can still see terraces built during Inca times. Since these terraces continued to be useful after the fall of the Inca Empire in that they allowed cultivation of the steep Andean hillsides and prevented erosion, they have been maintained by the locals for... 

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Map of Cusco