Cusco, Peru is situated in the Andes Mountains and attracts many travelers because of it’s beautiful landscapes and close proximity to the mountains. While for many it’s just a stopping point, we have really fallen in love with this city! Here is our travel guide to Cusco, Peru including everything to do and see while you’re there.
Many visitors going to Machu Picchu base themselves in Cusco in order to acclimatize before hiking and thats just what we did! We spent 5 days in Cusco before starting the Inca Trail trek. However, over those days we found ourselves saying over and over how Cusco really has such an amazing feel to it. It’s smaller than Lima but still has everything you want. It has culture and history along with a view of the mountains wherever you look!
The Altitude in Cusco
Cusco sits at 11,152 feet in altitude. In case you’re not quite sure how high that is Philadelphia, Boston and New York all sit at under 150 feet in elevation.
Neither of us have been to elevation anywhere close to Cusco before so we weren’t sure how we would react. Some people experience headaches, tiredness, dizziness, difficulty breathing and rapid heart rate. Altitude affects some people while it doesn’t affect others and can be easily mistaken for other symptoms such as a simple headache.
- Walking around Cusco our first night we noticed we were both huffing and puffing more than usual while walking up a small hill.
- I had a mild headache for the first day that we tried to combat by just relaxing that first day and not exerting ourselves too much before we got used to it.
- The biggest tip is to hydrate the day before you come and then your first couple days in high altitude! We tried really hard to drink a ridiculous amount of water to make sure our bodies weren’t dehydrated. If you plan to do any hikes around Cusco hydrating and getting used to the elevation is key.
Walk around Cusco
Walking around the streets of the historic center of Cusco our first night we both kept how happy we were to be there. The cobblestone streets are filled with people, both locals and visitors, stopping to admire the beauty of this place. Every street is a little bit different and it’s honestly hard to put the camera down when you’re walking around.
During the day it’s warm and comfortable but as the sun sets theres a chill in the air and it feels so amazing. We felt really safe walking around all of Cusco both during the day and night. There were always other people around. Our hotel was about 3/4 of a mile to the main plaza and we never had a problem.
Read More: How to Spend 2 Days in Lima, Peru
Travel Truth: Close by to the main plaza and throughout the city you will see women dressed in traditional outfits with goats and alpacas. They will ask if you want a picture with the alpaca and then after the picture they will demand money in exchange for the photo. If you’re willing to pay for it then no big deal but if not just know ahead of time this happens.
San Pedro Market
San Pedro Market is large market a few minutes walk from Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It is an experience in itself walking through the rows of the San Pedro Market. It’s open every day so you can easily pop over for a walk through if you’re close by. You will find things from fresh fruit to prepared local food and lots of options for souvenirs.
- While it is awesome to try local food, we were warned not to try anything the day before our trek to Machu Picchu for the risk of getting sick. Just be careful if you’re leaving for a big hike the next day as your stomach may not react well.
Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas is the main square in the center of Cusco. You will find the Catedral de Cuzco or the Cusco Cathedral which stands impressively on one end of the plaza. Lining the other sides you will find cafes, restaurants and shops selling tours and souvenirs. If your budget allows there are plenty of restaurants that have 2nd floor balconies that have amazing views of the whole plaza.
You will almost always find people simply sitting and enjoying the plaza. Often you’ll see school groups performing near the Cathedral. It feels lively and a place to just sit and enjoy where you are.
Even if you don’t sit, simply look around the plaza. You can see mountains topped with houses of surrounding villages all around. It is so beautiful to be that immersed in the mountains!
Day trip to Humantay Lake
Humantay Lake sits at Humantay Mountain about 3 hours from Cusco. It is a popular day trip from Cusco if you’re looking to get outdoors. After a winding bus ride, we hiked up a very steep hill to Humantay Lake. Even though it was an incredibly challenging hike, the view at the top was so worth it! If you’re considering a day trip from Cusco we would highly recommend this one!
There are a lot of day trips from Cusco that you will see offered. You can go to Rainbow Mountain, Maras Salt Flats and so many more of the Sacred Valley. Even if Humantay Lake isn’t your thing, consider one of the day trips to see even more of the surrounding area.
Travel Truth: We did both the hike to Humantay Lake and the 4-day hike to Machu Picchu and we actually felt like the Humantay Lake hike was physically harder for us. We had been in Cusco for only 1 full day so less time to acclimatize meant we were out of breath really quickly. While it’s definitely a challenging hike, it was absolutely beautiful! But just remember to give yourself time to get used to the altitude before attempting hikes like these.
Plaza San Cristobal
Plaza San Cristobal is a park featuring the San Cristobal church north of the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It is a bit of a climb to get to but the views at the top are definitely worth it! From Plaza San Cristobal you get panoramic views of Cusco including the main Plaza and all the surrounding mountains.
To get there walk to Organika Restaurant on the corner of Resbalosa and Huaynapata streets. You will see a small walkway leading up which is actually still Resbalosa street. Walk up the walkway to the top and you’ll get to a main road. Cross the street, walk up the stairs and you’re there!
- It took us about 15-20 minutes to walk up to Plaza San Cristobal from the Plaza so while there are some stairs it’s definitely doable!
Read More: How Much Does It Cost to Travel In Cusco, Peru? Budget Breakdown
Dinner at One of Cusco’s Amazing Restaurants
Our favorite meal during our time in Cusco was at Yaku Cocina de Altura. Located north of the Plaza de Armas in the San Blas neighborhood is this delicious restaurant. It’s a modern take on Peruvian cuisine and was one of the best meals we’ve had in Peru.
- We got the quinoa chaufa, which is like vegetable stir-fry, and the lomo saltado, which is a typical Peruvian dish of steak and potatoes. Both dishes were amazing and we found it surprising affordable for being so good!
- If you’re looking for a more familiar option, Nonna Trattoria is an Italian restaurant close to the main square that has really good pizza and is also very affordable.
- If you are craving asian cuisine, we also went to UFO Asian Food and had amazing udon noodles for very cheap!
Machu Picchu
If you’re in Cusco it goes without saying that visiting Machu Picchu is a must. We chose to do the 4-day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu and it was such an amazing experience! We got to Machu Picchu with such a sense of accomplishment and would HIGHLY recommend doing it if you are able to. The Salkantay Trek is another popular choice that many people do. Even if you don’t want to hike, you can take the train to the top of Machu Picchu and still experience this Incan phenomenon.
- If you are planning to trek, make sure you book it ahead of time as there are limitations for trekking permits. We went with Alpaca Expeditions and had a really positive experience from booking online to the actual trek. We booked ours around January, about 7 months before going, to ensure we had a permit for the date we wanted.
- There are plenty of tour companies in Cusco selling day trips to Machu Picchu if you want to take the train.
Whatever your onward plans are from Cusco, make sure to take some time and give this city the time it deserves! We thought we would just lay low and acclimatize before Machu Picchu. But there really are so many amazing things to see and do in Cusco before jumping off to other destinations!
