While planning my trip to Cusco, but more specifically Machu Picchu, I found a whole lot of information on the altitude (elevation? – I still don’t know the difference), and how you could die from altitude sickness especially if you’re out of shape like me. My mom liked to remind me of that a lot leading up to our trip. Everyone spoke of the importance of drinking lots of coca tea and coca candies. But as one learns, there are things that you learn while traveling. Things that I think would have helped me to know in advance. So today we’re covering tips for visiting Cusco, Peru and Machu Picchu.

Tips for Visiting Cusco, Peru

1 ) Wait to book your day trips until you get to Cusco.

If you’re planning to stay in Cusco a couple of days, which I highly recommend, you’ll want to plan some day trips to spots like the Salineras de Maras and Rainbow Mountain. As we were a big group, we planned to book our guided day trips once in Cusco. And good thing we did!! All over Cusco there are people selling day trips, and they’re 50-75% cheaper than what’s offered online. FOR THE SAME EXPERIENCE. And don’t forget to haggle, and talk to you a few different vendors as tours can vary slightly depending on the company.

2 ) Book your Machu Picchu guides in advance if you’re planning to hike the Inca Trail

What you should book in advance is your Inca Trail tour if you are planning the 2 or 4 day hike. We went with Alpaca Expeditions, which I 150% would use again. The guides were so friendly and knowledgable, and the food was some of the best I had the entire trip! We booked this almost 8 months out right after booking our flights.

3 ) Give yourself time to acclimate to the elevation before hiking the Inca Trail or Rainbow Mountain. 

This is in every guide book or blog you’ll read EVER about visiting Cusco. I will say that the altitude sickness is a real thing, but don’t get too nervous about it. Take it easy the first couple of days, load up on coca tea and you’ll be good. If you do plan to visit Rainbow Mountain, give yourself 3 days to acclimate to Cusco. We only waited 2 and despite me riding a horse most of the way, I felt SO SICK on the way back. Another one of my friends got so sick he almost didn’t make it to the Inca Trail part of the trip!

4 ) Haggling is a must – and strategize with your friends.

Our whole group wanted to get the typical Peruvian sweaters, and we all ended up buying them at different stalls. I’d recommend being strategic and planning to buy in bulk at one spot for the best deal! Looking to brush up on your haggling? This article has great tips for what to know before you start shopping.

5 ) Be prepared for changes in temperature.

Similar to the advice I gave for visiting Ecuador, the weather can be unpredictable. One day it was super sunny and hot and another day it was raining and humid. I opted to bring a rain jacket, a heavy jacket, and some clothes that could work for layering. Worst case scenario, you can shop some new pieces if you’re unprepared.

6 ) Get your passport stamped at the entrance to Machu Picchu. 

At the entrance to Machu Picchu, there is a stand where you can stamp your passport which we stumbled upon. It was a great memory and a souvenir that is often overlooked by tourists.

7 ) Want the city to yourself? Walk around at about ~7 AM

This is my rule of thumb everywhere. For good pictures, get there early to avoid the crowds. Some cities I would recommend getting there as early at 6 AM, but in Csuco the city wakes up pretty late. 7 AM is a good time to walk around and get the city to yourself.

8 ) US dollars are accepted in most places, but you’ll receive change in soles.

Money is my least favorite thing to deal with whenever I travel. Exchange rates, ATMs, etc etc. It’s all very confusing and time-consuming. So here’s the low down on $$ in Cusco –

• Any bill that is too faded, wrinkled or ripped will be rejected. This actually happened to me and it was my last 20. * sigh *
• Bring enough USD with you so you can avoid paying the expensive ATM fees and avoid going on a hunt to find one. At one point I spent 45 minutes looking for an ATM because I ran out of cash.

9 ) Take the directions you get with a grain of salt. (Use your phones GPS when possible)

Oh man do I have a story for you. So bae sprained his ankle the night before we were heading back to the US. His brother and I spent 3 hours looking for a store that sold crutches. Why 3 hours you ask? Because everyone we talked to gave us different directions to the same place! “Oh down the street a bit, near the tree.” ” Walk three blocks left.” “Walk two blocks right.” You get the idea. I later learned from a Peruvian friend that this problem is quite common. When possible, just use your GPS.

10 ) Forget your rain gear or get cold? Buy a “North Face” rain jacket or a “Patagonia” fleece for $20 USD. 

I’m not, nor have ever been a fan of buying fake goods. That being said, if you arrive unprepared, most fleeces and rain jackets are branded with North Face and Patagonia. You’ll have a hard time finding one that doesn’t have a “designer label” on it. And of course, don’t forget to haggle 🙂

11 ) Take a photo with someone dressed traditionally? You’ll need to pay.

There are many people roaming around the center in traditional Peruvian clothing and alpacas. They make for a great photo op, but remember that this is their job, so they expect to be paid. $1-2 USD is considered acceptable. On another note, if you do want one of those photos, take it when the chance arrises. I had a whole plan of the background I wanted, the alpaca I wanted… and almost left without getting the picture!

12 ) Carry your coca candy with you everywhere & drink lots of coca tea.

Again, this is pretty obvious, and you can easily find these things everywhere. This one was hard for me however, as I’m not one to drink tea obsessively. Even if you feel okay, be sure to keep drinking tea and sucking on the candies. Once you get a headache, it’ll be too late to do anything other than sleep it off.

13 ) US electrical sockets are 120 volts while those in Peru are 220 volts.

I discovered this at the last second, and had to run to pick up a converter. You don’t want to short circuit any of your electronics.

14 ) Be careful when visiting Cristo Blanco

The view from “Cristo Blanco” is beautiful, and the statue is extremely imposing. However – the area around it is questionable at best. Have a taxi take you there and pick you up.

15 ) Pack light and double check the carry on dimensions. 

This wasn’t a problem on the way to Lima. From Lima to Cusco it’s another story. The planes are pretty small, and the carry on dimension requirements are significantly smaller than the US carriers. Double check before starting packing.

And there you have it! My tips for visiting Cusco, Peru. Have you been? What tips would you have?

More Cusco & Peru Articles

https://www.palmtreesandpellegrino.com/cusco-peru/

https://www.palmtreesandpellegrino.com/salineras-maras-peru/

https://www.palmtreesandpellegrino.com/rainbow-mountain-peru/