Updated September 2022.
The Navel of the World
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Cusco was once the capital and geographic center of the Inca Empire. Legend has it that the Inca migrated from Lake Titicaca following the Sun God. Formerly inhabited by many native tribes, the Inca language, Quechua, has its roots with the assimilated groups that once resided in this region. In Quechua, "Cusco" means "navel of the world" as it represents the gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Cusco was also an ideal location due to the plentiful water sources and arable soil (check out the Sacred Valley section for more information)
There are a lot of rainbow flags flying around Cusco, which can be surprising, given that Cusco is not the friendliest to the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, it isn't the pride flag, but the flag of Cusco, honoring the god of rainbows. |
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Click the star to add the map to your Google Maps! To view it, simply open Google Maps, navigate to the Menu, choose “Your Places,” click "Maps", and voila, the map should be added.
1-Day Plan
6:00 - 6:15 AM: Plaza de Armas
Statue of Túpac Amaru II
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Since this plaza is usually quite crowded and the center place of the city, coming here avoids other tourists and the numerous peddlers. Out of all the cities I visited in Peru, Cusco had the most salespeople on the streets trying to sell their wares and different tour packages. As the historic center, the Plaza de Armas is surrounded by beautiful Spanish architecture and at its center is a fountain with a gleaming statue of Inca King Pachacutec. Historically, it served as a meeting place for the Inca and the pivotal execution of Túpac Amaru II, who led the famous 18th century uprising against the Spanish. The square was once divided in half by the Saphy river to create the Cusipata (rejoicing square) and the Huacaypata (crying square). The Cusco Cathedral is in the northeast of the plaza. Built from 1559 to 1669 over a Wiracocha Inca temple, the Spanish aimed to impose Catholicism through this church. It boasts a Baroque exterior and a Renaissance interior. While it doesn’t open until 10 AM for tourists, there are masses early in the morning, for which one can peek their head in. |
6:30 - 6:40 AM: San Cristobal
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Providing a great view of Cusco, this Catholic Church once belonged to the Qolqampata, an ancient Inca Palace before being converted to a royal cemetery for the nobility. It is less decorated than other churches around the city, but it does have a giant sculpture of San Cristobal, a silver-embossed high altar, and an Ushnu Inca, which is where Incas made payments to Pachamama, mother earth. One can climb the bell tower, but the view of the city from the steps suffices. |
7:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Sacsayhuaman Archaelogical Complex (S/70)
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NOTE: These four sites are quite far from Cusco and will require a roughly 7.5 mile/12 km round-trip to the farthest site of Tambomachay. This will take a large portion out of one’s day and could be a whole day trip instead.
One could skip these sites and see all four religious buildings instead. Consisting of four archaeological sites combined into one archaeological park, these ruins provide information on the history of the Incas and the other indigenous groups who formerly resided in this area. Tickets for all 4 can be bought at the Sacsayhuaman ticket counter or online. It is called the Circuit I and is valid for 1 day of seeing all the archaeological sites for S/70. Note that if one buys them in-person, they only accept Peruvian soles and not card. This is a package deal and requires all of them to be bought at once. |
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The four areas are Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, PukaPukara, and Tambomachay.
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12:30 PM - 12:45 PM: Cristo Blanco
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One might compare this to the Statue of Christ in Rio. The one in Cusco was gifted to the city from the Palestinian-Arab community in 1945 for Peru’s hospitality during WWII. The 26-foot tall Christ statue is made of marble and plaster and strong lights light it up each night. |
Statue of Christ
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View from the Statue of Christ
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Twelve-Angled Stone
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12:45 PM - 1:00 PM: Twelve-Angled Stone An architectural marvel in which a stone has 12 perfectly carved angles that fits into the Inca wall of Hatunrumioc street. It is part of the Archbishop's Palace, but due to conservation efforts, it is prohibited from touching the stone. It is a little hard to notice which stone is the right one, but there is usually a local photographer before it to take photos.
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1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch around Plaza de Armas
Check out the restaurants section for some suggestions!
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Religious Buildings
Given that each one takes a long time to walk through and see, during this hour, one will most likely only have a chance to visit one of these buildings, unless one decides to skip the Sacsayhuaman Archaelogical Complex.
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Triunfo/Cusco Cathedral (S/25)
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Church of the Society of Jesus (S/10)
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The Triunfo is the church built to the south of the Cusco Cathedral and is considered the oldest church in Cusco. In 1536, after the Inca siege by the Spaniards, the Spanish used this church to pray to Virgin Mary to win the war (which they eventually did).
Basilica Menor de la Merced (S/10)
Convent of La Merced has a beuatiful turquoise door and old Spanish style architecture with a courtyard, cloisters, and artwork. It famously houses the Mercedarian monstrance (Custodia de Merced), a 22 kg gold ornament encrusted with diamonds, gems, and the second largest pearl in the world.
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Beautiful church that covered the Inca temple Amarucancha and is known for the beautiful stone façade and containing paintings and sculptures from the Cusqueña School of Art. One can also walk up the bell towers and across the choir balcony.
Templo del San Blas (S/10)
Part of the artisans' neighborhood, it was built in 1544 over an Inca Illapa temple and founded as an indigenous parish in 1572. It is known for its Baroque architecture and especially the pulpit carved from a single piece of cedar and considered the finest example of woodcarving in colonial America.
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3:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Plaza San Francisco A smaller plaza near the Plaza de Armas known for its fountain, nearby school (which has daily outside exercise routines), and the Convent of San Francisco. The Botanical Garden of Native Flora of Cusco was established in the gardens with indigenous plants.
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3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: San Pedro Market Incredibly lively market known for clothing, souvenirs, snacks, and produce. Recommend trying some of the juice and some of the vendors selling guinea pig.
To avoid the crowds, one could make it an early morning pit stop since it will be less crowded, although not all the stalls will be open by then. |
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4:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Qorikancha (S/15) With multiple spellings of the name (Coricancha, Koricancha, Qoricancha), it means "Golden Enclsosure or Temple" from Quechua. This was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated to Inti, the Sun God. It was destroyed when the Spanish conquistadors came in, leading to the formation of the Santo Domingo Convent.
Besides representing the heart of Cusco, it was also the heart of the sacred panther outline map of Cusco's elite sector. The complex was also laid out according to the sky with four temples surrounding a central plaza. Today, one can one still see the foundation and part of the enclosing wall, the Chasca (stars) temple, and many parts of the Santo Domingo Convent that took over. |
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Museums
Museo Inka
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Before embarking to see the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, one should first head to the Museo Inka to learn more about Inca culture. There are 24 different exhibition rooms that provide information in both Spanish and English about the Inca Empire.
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Chocolate Museum Chocolate museum with tatstings, workshops, and guided tours to showcase cacao beans cultivated in the jungled areas around Cusco. Great place to buy souvenirs.
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Regional Historical Museum of Cusco
Museum dedicated to Inca art and excavations with two-stories. The first floor is dedicated towards relics of Inca culture from clothing to agriculture and jewelry, while the second floor is focused more on the Spanish colonization and impact.
Restaurants
- KUSYKAY: Hands-down the restaurant I would recommend to any traveller in Cusco. The staff go above and beyond to help their guests and the food is delicious. Recommendations: grilled vegetables, aji de gallina, and muña tea (which is also provided as a small gift in a package).
- Yaku Restaurant: Outdoor seating with a mix of well-prepared and aesthetic dishes. Recommendations: ceviche, tres leches coca cake, and soup.
- Ceviche Seafood Kitchen: Known for having some of the best ceviche and beautiful decorations.
- Morena Peruvian Kitchen: Pervuian food with a twist that also serves some delicious ceviche.
- Abra Bistro: Delicious pizza, but also known for its Peruvian food.
- LIMBUS Restobar: Great views with great mixed drinks.
- Green Point Restaurant: Vegan restaurant with tasty food and drinks.
Sacred Valley
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Located outside the city, this area was called "Sacred" because of the highly fertile soil. There are 4 attractions within this area that can be found on the Circuit III ticket.
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Chinchero
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Within this town that overlooks where the Cusco International Airport intends to be built, one can explore how Peruvians live:
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Video of weaving process.
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When purchasing an alpaca wool product, you'll notice that the borders differ between cultures and groups. The border serves as a signature. You'll also notice that baby alpaca wool is the softest, even softer than sheep.
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Freeze-dry potatoes laying on the ground
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There are over 3,000 types of potatoes and 100 different kinds of corn in the region. In fact, a lot of the potatoes can be freeze dried for 15-20 years! There are two methods to preserve potatoes:
At Chinchero, one can see patches of potatoes undergoing the freeze-dry process. |
Agriculture serves as the most important aspect of the Inca Empire. Through controlling the production of food, they were able to ensure prosperity. When they "conquered" other civilizations, they spread their technology, food, and production methods to entice civilizations to join them, rather than obliterate. Through this method, 35% of the population in South America before the Spanish conquistadors were Inca. When the Spaniards came, they teamed up with these other civilizations, leading to the downfall of the Inca Empire.
To grow agriculture, the Inca are known for creating terraces. These terraces are built to account for 6 months of rain and 6 months of dry conditions, allowing water to flow between each layer. Floating steps are used to navigate between each level of the terrace. There were also ingenious methods of transporting water from the bottom to the top through the use of water canals. The different elevations allow the diversification of potatoes, as the potatoes undergo artificial selection and slowly adapt potatoes for different altitudes.
The rock wall design absorbs sunlight in the day and keeps the fields cool at night. Even with the bountiful earthquakes in Peru, these structures haven't collapsed due to the strong foundation.
To grow agriculture, the Inca are known for creating terraces. These terraces are built to account for 6 months of rain and 6 months of dry conditions, allowing water to flow between each layer. Floating steps are used to navigate between each level of the terrace. There were also ingenious methods of transporting water from the bottom to the top through the use of water canals. The different elevations allow the diversification of potatoes, as the potatoes undergo artificial selection and slowly adapt potatoes for different altitudes.
The rock wall design absorbs sunlight in the day and keeps the fields cool at night. Even with the bountiful earthquakes in Peru, these structures haven't collapsed due to the strong foundation.
Maras
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Employing a pre-Inca salt mining method, these salt mines are at the bottom of a ravine and a beautiful sight to witness.
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Built from more than 4,000 pools, they produce 18 tons of salt per year. Interestingly, since the site is located far from the sea (though Cusco was once underwater), they rely on a natural saltwater spring that is 30% saltier than the ocean and contains more minerals than normal salt. Through a series of well-built canals, the springwater flows into shallow pools where the water evaporates, leaving behind the salty remains.
It takes about 3 to 4 days to produce regular salt and another 6 to 7 days to produce pink salt (which contains magnesiums, calcium, zinc). Over time, as plants fell into the salt pools, they learned that the chemical composition changed. As such, they began to experiment, with the popular achupalla plant adding iodine to the salt. To collect the salt, workers use a piece of wood to scrape the salt into piles before filling them into bags. Unfortunately, one can no longer walk among the salt pools due to previous tourist destruction. Since there is only one source of water and one point of drainage, any damage to the pools or the canals can negatively impact the business. |
Moray
An agricultural laboratory, Moray was a place for the Inca to develop new types of plants.
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The four craters were created by meteorites, which were fashioned into concentric rings by moving stones from nearby quarries and using a mixture of ichu (onion grass), earth, clay to create the mortar. Like in Chinchero, these planting terraces focused on adapting different plants to different temperatures, with each level changing the temperature by one degree Celsius. Seed storage was stored in the section that resembled the number 8.
This was also an ideal location due to the environmental conditions. Wind from the glaciers kept the area cool, while the sun kept the area warm. Natural drainage systems allowed water to flow directly into the lower section of the river, while water canals connected all the terraces. Due to the removal of nutrients from the soil, every 4 to 5 years, the soil would be replaced with soil from Chinchero, while manure from guinea pigs served as fertilizer. |
As one walks around the main crater/laboratory, one will notice that sections of the wall are being propped up as parts of the structure are deteriorating. UNESCO rules state that people can’t rebuild the site without government approval or oversight, and unfortunately, the government hasn’t spent much time to rehabilitate these sites.
Ollantaytambo
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Most towns and buildings were built in high places with higher altitudes for control. Ollantaytambo represents a special case, since it was built with three surrounding valleys: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu Valley, and Urubamba Valley.
Similar to Chinchero, there are 17 terraces built against the mountain leading up to the temple. This section of the town is called the Aracama or the Fortress. Entering into Aracama, there are many fountains for people to wash up before heading up the steep flight of stairs to the top. This water is sourced from glaciers and continue to flow today. At the top of the Aracama, one will notice well-carved stones, signifying the presence of temples. It appears the temple was never completed, due to the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Since the town is right by the Urubamba River (meaning “Spider Place”), the fields would be frequently flooded. The terraces remedied the destruction of crops from flooding, but also served as a method to control food production, since food remained key to the Inca Empire. This food would then be stored in houses (qollqa) in the mountain west of Ollaytaytambo and the fields. It might appear counterproductive to store the food so far from the fields, but the main reason is to allow the west-moving wind to cool the qollqas and increase the longevity of the food’s “shelf life”. They were designed with ventilation, drainage canals, and gravel flooring for this purpose. And to protect the food, the military housing is just to south/right of the food storage houses. |
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Interestingly, the mountain that the food is stored in resembles Chunupa, the god of food production:
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Pisac
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Unfortunately, Pisac is not located on the route leading to Machu Picchu. As such, one would have to either take a day trip to all the Sacred Valley sites to see them all, or one would need to choose the route that goes through Pisac on the way to Machu Picchu.
At a lower elevation than Machu Picchu, many travelers stay here to get acclimated before heading to Machu Picchu. The site has remnants of pre-Inca settlements, specifically the Ayarmaka and Pinaguas (around the 13th century), but the current Inca ruins contain parts of other sites in the Sacred Valley, with a fortress like in Ollantaytambo, terraces like in Chinchero, a castle, observatory, and temple. The entire site is spread out across the mountain with 20 towers, a massive Inca cemetery with 1000+ Inca tombs carved onto a cliffside, and stone ruins of neighborhoods. In my opinion, while this is a well-preserved Inca site, most of the structures can be seen along the other route and at the end destination of Machu Picchu, so I would recommend skipping this one instead. |
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Source of Pictures: https://www.machutravelperu.com/blog/pisac
Rainbow Mountain
Besides the rainbow mountain located in China, climate change has revealed Cusco's rainbow mountains, which were uncovered when the snow covering the mountains melted. There are a variety of different mountains, but the most popular is the Vinincunca. Others are Palcoyo Mountain and Pallay Punchu Mountain.
Rainbow Mountain
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Palcoyo Mountain (Source: terraquechuaperu.com)
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Pallay Punchu (Source: atvcuscoadventures.com)
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Vinicunca, meaning “colored mountain” in Quechua, is located 3 hours from Cusco and is 17,000 feet above sea level (5,200 m), which is more than half the height of Mount Everest. The 14 minerals in the soil create the beautiful colors that were recently revealed after the snow melted away in 2018, so it is a fairly new tourist attraction.
From the parking lot, it’s about an hour walk to the top (about 2 miles), but it is exacerbated by the altitude conditions. One can rent a horse for roughly S/100 to ride to the “base” of the mountain, before trekking up the steps that lead to the top. At the peak, there is usually an alpaca to take pictures with. Paying S/1-5, one can take a nice picture with the alpacas with such a stunning backdrop.
NOTE: This is not a hike for the faint of heart. It can be very challenging due to the altitude. Make sure to take breaks and drink plenty of water. I chewed on two handfuls coca leaves just to make it to the top. |
I recommend Abexpeditions, since they not only have trained guides and small group tours of less than 6 people, but they start EARLY. Picked up at 3 AM, our group were the first people to make it to the trailhead, so we had exceptional views without the crowds of people that flooded in half an hour to an hour later.
Other Resources
There are a lot of ticket options for museums and sites: Check out this website for more information.
