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Visitors Guide for Cusco, Peru

Cusco was once the capital of the ancient Inca Empire and stands today as one of the most captivating cities I’ve ever traveled to! It is also the crossroads for many travelers to visit one of my favorite of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu!
With so much well-reserved architecture and the high elevation of about 11,000 feet, Cusco is one of the most unique place I’ve ever been. I visited in the middle of my one week last-minute trip to Peru so this visitors guide is the best for travelers similar to me who are spending a few short days there.

How to Get to Cusco

The most common route is to fly to/from Lima as that is Peru’s capital and other popular tourist destination. I booked roundtrip flights to and from Lima on Viva Air. You can book flights on JetSMART, Sky Airline, and LATAM. Once you land at the airport you can take a short Uber ride into the city center. I recommend booking an Uber as taxi’s in Peru are sometimes known to scam customers and it is hard to spot an official taxi vs fake ones.

Where to Stay in Cusco

I stayed at the El Mariscal hotel in the San Blas neighborhood. While this is a popular accomodation location for tourists, I would personally recommend finding accomodation as close as possible to the Plaza de Armas. While returning back from my Mahcu Picchu day trip, I found that I was the only person in my group who was staying in San Blas and almost everyone else stayed directly near Plaza de Armas. While where I stayed was nice, quiet, and safe it was a farther walk from the main activities and day trip pickup points. The streets of Cusco can also be tight so walking between Plaza de Armas and San Blas can be a bit dangerous with the cars.

Best Things to Do in Cusco

  • Visit one of my favorite of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu! You can use Cusco as your starting base for a several day adventure or you can do a day trip from Cusco.
  • Visit Sacsayhuaman (kinda sounds like sexy woman haha). It’s a citadel on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco. It is a site on the UNESCO World Heritage List and overlooks the city. You can walk to it from the San Blas/Plaza de Armas area but be wary of the altitude and take your time!
  • Visit the Historical Center of Cusco. This is where Plaza dr Armas is and where you can find many attractions and where you can eat at one of my favorite restaurants in the world, Morena!
  • Visit the Central Market of San Pedro. It’s a lively indoor market where you can find many things from clothing to food to souvenirs! Peru has some of the best souvenirs that I’ve seen as a traveller so make sure you take advantage of that and buy some memorable goods.
  • Make some chocolate at the ChocoMuseo! It’s a lovely free chocolate museum where you’ll learn all about chocolate and be able to sample some flavors. Make sure you sign up ahead of time if you want to make your own chocolate there!

Where to Eat & Drink in Cusco

  • Morena Peruvian Kitchen – I am not exaggerating when I say that I had the BEST meal of my life here! Order the Lomo Saltado here but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in anything you get!
  • Hapya
  • Organika
  • Rucula Cusco
  • Sakana CeviSushi – My local tour guide brought me here on a walking tour as it was his favorite place for ceviche. If you’re trying ceviche for the first time go here! I am NOT a fan of seafood but I really enjoyed the food here!
  • Ofrenda Peruvian Healthy Food
  • KusyKay Peruvian Craft Food

Machu Picchu

If you’re going to Cusco there’s a very likely chance that you’re also planning on visiting Machu Picchu. If you’re wondering if it really lives up to the hype – yes, absolutely! It was my second Wonder of the World and it absolutely took my breath away. It is probably the most difficult Wonder to get to as well, so here are some options.

 

1. Day trip to Machu Picchu from Cusco

 

This was the option that I decided to take as I had limited time in the country. While my experience doing a day trip was great, I do have to warn you that it will be a VERY long day, AKA 3AM-4AM wake up calls and several long van, bus, and train rides. You’ll have about an hours ride to Ollantaytambo where you will then get on a train to Aguas Caliente. From there there are buses to take you up the windy road to Machu Picchu citadel. The tour guides then brought us around various locations at Machu Picchu for a few hours and we make the several hour long journey back.

 

2. Hike to Machu Picchu from various locations

 

For the more adventurous travellers with a bit more time on their hands, there is the option to trek to Machu Picchu, of which there are multiple places that pepole start from. Some start at Aguas Caliente while others hop off the train to Aguas Caliente on one of it’s stops and go from there. I am sure that some people do this trek by themselves but I would recommend finding a tour guide to bring you! The altitude is no joke and takes a few days to adjust to (I never did after four days there!) and don’t assume that you’ll be okay if you’re athletic because everyone is impacted by it. Go with a tour guide to assure you’re as safe as possible.