If you’re planning a trip to Peru (like Machu Picchu), you’ll have to make a stop in Cusco first. Originally the capital of the Inca Empire, it is now also a UNESCO heritage site. It is recommended that you spend 2-3 days in/ around Cusco before attempting Machu Picchu. Luckily there is SO MUCH TO DO…and eat and see. We spent about 3.5 days in Cusco and surrounding areas, and I felt like I got a great feel for the sights, culture, and food.
TO SEE & DO
1 – 3 ) PLAZA DE ARMAS
Plaza de Armas is hopping with history. Not only is the square itself an attraction, there are also two churches, and various restaurants facing the plaza. Pro tip: the plaza is also where you can find lots of people selling tours. Talk to a few different sellers before booking anything and make sure to haggle!
Attractions:
- Cusco Cathedral
- Hours: Mon – Sun 10 AM to 6 PM , including public holidays.
- Admission: Adults 30 soles (~ $10 USD), Children 13.50 soles (~$4 USD)
- Iglesia De La Compañia De Jesús (Church of the Society of Jesus)
- Hours: Schedule: Mon – Sat 8 – 11 AM, 1 – 5 PM, Sun 9 – 10:30 AM & 1 – 5 PM
- Admission: 10 soles (~ $3 USD)
Please note, if you are interested in visiting multiple churches, you will want to look into the “Religious Circuit Ticket.”
4 ) SAN PEDRO MARKET
Ah… San Pedro Market. Where you can go to get your Instagrammable alpaca sweater, snack on a tamale, pick up a huge round of cheese, and sip on a juice. Looking for a typical market? A walk through San Pedro is a must. Guides suggesting stopping for a meal at one of the stands or even picking up a snack. I didn’t have a chance, but everything looked great.
More good information:
- Hours: Mon- Sun 9 AM – 6 PM
- Haggle: There are a lot of stands. If you’re looking for a good deal and if you’re going as a group, I’d recommend picking one spot and trying to ask for a group deal. (i.e. I’ll buy X sweaters for X price)
- Photos: A couple of vendors got upset at us for taking photos. I would either be quick about it or buy something from a stand before taking a photo.
5 ) PLAZA SAN BLAS
Plaza San Blas is one of those spots that you might miss if you didn’t know where to look for it. It is located above the rest of Cusco and is a bit of an uphill walk. If I’m being honest, the plaza itself isn’t all that interesting. That being said, the walk up has some beautiful views, and there are some cute shops and restaurants. It doesn’t get as many tourists as Plaza de Armas and is known as the “artisan’s quarters.”
Attractions:
- Iglesia San Blas
- Hours: Mon to Sat 10 AM – 6 PM, Sun 2 – 6 PM
- Admission: 15 soles ( ~$5 USD), *is included in the religious circuit ticket*
Pro Tip: Locals recommend not going TOO far up, as the farther up you walk the sketchier it can get.
6 ) VIEW FROM SAN BLAS
What I loved about the San Blas neighborhood was just getting lost in the winding streets. Right when you think you’re in a residential area, you come across an amazing view or a little cafe. I’d spend a morning or early afternoon just aimlessly walking.
7 ) CRISTO BLANCO
The Cristo Blanco is pretty impressive and has a nice view of the city. That being said, I wouldn’t hang out there after dark. It is located near to the Inca Ruins Saqsayhuman and you can visit both at the same time.
Getting there:
- On foot – a 40 minute walk uphill (I’d skip that one! Feel free to walk back down to Cusco though)
- By Taxi – 15 minutes
TO BUY & EAT
8 ) BUY: An alpaca sweater and scarves
Great for gifts, photo ops, and for supporting the local economy. But don’t forget to haggle!
9) PHOTO: Take a picture with a llama and traditionally dressed women
When you walk around Cusco, you’ll noticed that there are a lot of women traditionally dressed with llamas. It makes for a great photo op. That being said, don’t forget to tip, they expect around 1-3 soles in exchange for a photo per person.
10 ) EAT:
Below are a list of places we tried (& would recommend), as well as other recommendations I’d received from other travelers.
- La Feria
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: Peruvian food
- Area: Plaza de Armas
- Cappuccino Cafe
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: coffee, breakfast, desserts
- Area: Plaza de Armas
- Manka
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: Peruvian food & dancing
- Area: Cusco Historical Area (~5 min walk from Plaza de Armas)
- Chez Maggy Pizzerias
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: Wood fired pizza
- Area: ~10 min walk from Plaza San Blas, ~2 min from Plaza de Armas
- La Valeriana
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: Breakfast, coffee shop & bakery
- Area: Plazoleta Espinar (Cusco Historical District)
- Papachos
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: American, Peruvian, bar
- Area: Plaza de Armas
- PER.UK
- Price: $$ – $$$
- Food Type: Peruvian Fusion (probably my favorite meal in Cusco)
- Area: Calle Plateros 344, Cusco, Peru
- Restaurant La Cicciolina
- Price: $$$$
- Food Type: Vegetarian, Vegan
- Area: Calle Triunfo 393
DAY TRIPS
11 ) Salineras de Maras
I LOVED the Salineras. The “Salineras de Maras” also known as salt pans, are located in the Sacred Valley (about a 1.5 hour drive from Cusco). The local community own the different pans and many make their livelihood off the salt. I’ll be writing a whole blog post about the experience but here is some basic info in a nutshell:
- Book a tour: Many tours combine a visit to the Salineras with the Inca ruins of Moray. I would recommend booking a tour once you’re already in Cusco ( cost is about 30-40 soles, then another 10 soles to enter the salineras). We booked this tour in advance because we wanted to ride ATVs which was very unique.
- Getting there: About 1.5 hours by car.
- Entrance: 10 soles, ~$3 USD
- Pro Tip: Don’t forget to buy salt on your way out – you won’t find it anywhere else in Cusco
12 ) Rainbow Mountain
You can read all about Rainbow Mountain in this post, so I’ll leave it at that. 🙂
13 ) Machu Picchu
Visiting Machu Picchu requires its own blog post (which is coming soon!) All I can say for now is that it’s a must-visit!
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