Plan Your Trip to Cusco, Peru

From the moment our plane touched down in Cusco, Peru, we fell in love with the city. It was such a change from the giant city of Lima. There are so many awesome things to do in Cusco and incredible sights to see. Not to mention, after spending a week in cloudy Lima, it was refreshing to see the blue skies and sun shining in Cusco!

Cusco lies within the Sacred Valley of Peru and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and now sees millions of visitors each year! With Cusco being the capital city of the Inca Empire until the 16th century Spanish Conquest, there is such a unique (and sad) history and mix of ancient city ruins and historic Spanish architecture.

Unfortunately, we did not have as much time in Cusco as we would have loved because there is so much to do, but we mainly used Cusco as a launching point to get to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu). We wanted to make sure we had time for Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, two of Peru’s most famous attractions. We ended up with 3 full days in Cusco.

If you wish to visit the sites in the Sacred Valley, as well as many of the museums in Cusco, you will need to purchase a Cusco Touristic Ticket. There are many different options, so you can purchase the ticket that best fits your travel plans! Visit the link above to learn more about it.

Planning a trip to Lima, Peru? Read: The 15 Best Things to do in Lima

Altitude Sickness

Cusco sits at an elevation of 11,200 feet (3,400 meters) above sea level , which is a great elevation for altitude sickness! The first day in Cusco, we were definitely all feeling the effects of the altitude. I mean we were out of breath just walking down the street! Our apartment was on the 4th floor and it was quite the chore carrying all of our bags up those flights of stairs.

Altitude sickness can cause a headache, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, fast heart rate, tiredness, trouble sleeping, and even a loss of appetite. Luckily for our group, no one experienced severe symptoms.

Some ways to avoid or lessen the effects of altitude sickness are to stay hydrated, which means plenty of water and to keep clear of alcohol. Another way, which the locals swear by, are all things coca. One of the first things we did in Cusco was buy a bag of coca leaves. You can find it everywhere in all types of forms. Use the dried leaves for chewing on, drink a cup of coca tea, or buy some coca infused candies. Just don’t try to fly home with it because it is illegal and were were told that the airport drug dogs will sniff it out!

Things to do in Cusco, Peru

Plaza de Armas

Cusco has a charming historical square and it is a great starting point to walk around the beautiful streets. Our hotel was within walking distance to the Plaza de Armas and we were all very impressed with our first sight of the beautiful and historic square.

Cusco Cathedral

While walking around, you can visit the Cusco Cathedral. It is the main temple of the City of Cusco and houses the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Cusco. The cathedral was built between 1559 and 1654, and was built on Quishuarcancha, the ancient palace of the Inca Viracocha.

Walk the Historical Streets

One of our favorite things to do was simply walk around the quaint historical streets and find cute hidden corners of the city. There is so much to see and the best way to truly explore the hidden gems is on foot.

Paddy’s Irish Pub

Right in the town square, there was an Irish Bar called Paddy’s Irish Pub on the second floor, so we decided to try it out and get a nice view of the Plaza de Armas while we were at it. It is the self-proclaimed “highest elevation Irish Pub in the World.” I can’t speak for the food, but we had a great time getting a couple beers and even some Irish car bombs. Yeah, we didn’t do too good at avoiding alcohol for altitude sickness…

BarDen Lounge

One of our favorite memories in Cusco was going to the BarDen Lounge. There ended up being a live band playing, and they were fantastic. We danced and sang all night,and maybe even drank a little too much. The band even let my brother, Jonah, play a song with them!

Where to Eat in Cusco, Peru

La Bodega 138

The pizza at La Bodega 138 was good, though like a typical South American pizza, it did not have a lot of sauce. They also have a pasta menu which was quite delicious as well. We ended up ordering a pizza and a pasta dish to split.

Kuskay Peruvian Fusion

On our last night in Cusco, we went to Kuskay Peruvian Fusion for dinner. The food here was fresh and delicious. I ordered the ceviche, which is a must try in Peru, as long as you can stomach raw fish. With it being our friends last night in Peru before heading back to Ohio, we decided to order and split a nice bottle of red wine too.

Day Trips From Cusco, Peru

Rainbow Mountain

The famous Rainbow Mountain, locally known as Vinicunca. If you’ve heard anything about Peru, you have probably heard about the mountain of 7 colors. Rainbow Mountain, originally known as Vinicuna, is only 3 hours from Cusco’s historical center, located in the Peruvian Andes.

Rainbow Mountain was actually just “discovered” around 2012 beacuase until then it was covered in snow and ice. Once the snow all melted, it revealed the rainbow-like appearance, which is created by the sediment of minerals.

Rainbow Mountain is located at 17,060 feet (5,200 Meters) above sea level, so do not let this be the first thing you do after arriving to Cusco. You need to give yourself time to acclimate to the elevation, and even then we still struggled a bit.

Our group left with mixed feelings about Rainbow Mountain because on one hand it really is as incredible as it appears in pictures! However, its gaining popularity creates a bit of a “Disney World” experience during the hike.

Once you reach the top, there is a long line of people waiting for a photo in the famous spot. We waited for the photo, but then discovered the most magnificent spot is if you continue the climb to the next peak!

Once you reach this summit, on one side of you there is the colors of Rainbow Mountain, and on the other side you get this brilliant view of the Ausangate Glacier and the vast Andes mountain range! It is truly breathtaking.

Despite the difficult hike due to the altitude, and masses of people, I would do the hike again because it really is an incredible and once in a lifetime sight!

We booked our trip with one of the many travel offices you find throughout the city of Cusco. A van picked us up around 3am since it is around a 3 hour drive. The tour included transportation, a guide, breakfast on the way, and lunch on the way back from the hike.

For more information about Rainbow Mountain, visit their website here.

Pisac Ruins

The Pisac Ruins ended up being the only ruins we visited in Cusco, due to lack of time, but they were definitely worth it. We hired a taxi to drive us to the ruins where we purchased our tickets. We were able to purchase the Cusco Touristic Ticket at the ruins. Once inside, you can either hire a guide or walk around on your own.

We decided we were going to do a self-guided tour. We really enjoyed walking around the ruins, and we ended up doing the trek that takes you into the town of Pisac at the end.

Humantay Lagoon

We did not end up doing the famous Humantay Lagoon hike, which is another one of the best trips to do from Cusco. We decided that we were not up for another 3am wake up call, but our friend, Dirk, did it and he said it was one of his favorite hikes that he had ever done. It is definitely worth going to!

How to Get to Cusco, Peru

We flew from Lima, Peru to Cusco. Flight tickets are very reasonable between the 2 cities and it is the easiest way to travel between Lima and Cusco due to the 20 hour drive time.

Best Time to Visit Cusco

The best time of the year to go to Cusco, Peru is from June-September. The tempetaures in Cusco are moderate throughout the year, but the winter months see the least rain showers.

With that being said, it is also peak tourist season, so be prepared to see a lot of toursits. You will want to plan things in advance to make sure there is availability.

Where to Stay in Cusco

We had a group of 7 people, which can sometimes make it difficult to find an accommodation for everyone, but we found a nice apartment on Airbnb that fit everyone quite well. In Cusco, it is best to stay in or near the historic district. It is very safe and has all the best things to do within walking distance.

Cusco Packing Guide

Bug Spray
Sun Lotion
Hiking Pants
Long & short pants
T-shirts & long sleeves
Jacket
Hat (sun & winter)
Re-usable water bottle or bladder bag
A good pair of hiking shoes
Gloves

We loved our time in Cusco, and like I said, we wish we would have had more days to spend here! We would go back in a heartbeat to explore all of the things that we did not find the time to do. What part of Cusco are you most interested in?

-Morgan

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