Bucket list destination:
Cusco, Cusco Region, Peru
Cusco was the Inca capital, laid out in the shape of a giant puma, sitting at the heart of an empire that stretched to Ecuador and Bolivia. It was from Cuzco that the Incas administered their vast empire and the city centre’s tight grid, laid out in the 1400s, still bears their mark – as well as that of their conquerors, the Spanish.
Inca foundations are capped with Mediterranean-style structures, and the sun temple has an adjacent baroque church. Inca ruins litter the city – the bell-shaped Qoricancha temple, hulking Sacsayhuaman fort with its massive ramparts and Inca walls everywhere – jigsaw-pieced together from huge boulders, cut into bewildering geometric shapes. There are Spanish treasures too – magnificent churches and convents decorated with art made by indigenous Peruvian artisans.
Today, Cusco is the official ‘historic capital’ of Peru and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet many visitors use Cusco merely as a base for Machu Picchu – don’t miss out on all these sights.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this destination, plus helpful tickets and transfers
Cusco
Price $25
Min age 3
Rating 4.53 / 5 [195 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Cusco
Price $15
Min age 1
Rating 4.41 / 5 [173 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Lima
Price $815
Min age 0
Rating 4.52 / 5 [139 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Cusco
Price $59
Min age 0
Rating 4.34 / 5 [128 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Cusco
Price $719
Min age 0
Rating 4.78 / 5 [114 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Temperatures are consistent year-round in Cusco, however May-September sees the least rainfall and is the best season to visit.
The nearest airport to the city is Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport which receives both international and domestic flights. Lima is a one-hour flight. From the airport, take a taxi (around 20 minutes) or a local minibus (around 40 minutes).
Alternatively, there are overland buses from Lima (20 hours), or arrive in style on the luxurious Andean Explorer, which connects Cusco with Puno and Arequipa.
The historic heart of Cusco is compact and easily navigable on foot. Its main points are clearly mapped on the tourist ticket (boleto turistico), which provides admittance to all the major sights and can be bought at the first site you visit.
Note that Cusco sits at an elevation of 3,400m, so mild altitude sickness can be problem. Allow plenty of time to acclimatise and avoid racing around the sites on your first day. Pickpocketing can be a problem in crowded areas, especially in the blocks around the central market.
