Things to do in Cusco: the best of what to see, do and explore in the Inca capital

If you're looking for:

• The best time to visit Cusco
• How to get there from Lima or the Sacred Valley
• Where to stay and where to eat
  👉 We have all of that in detail in our complete guide to Cusco in 7 days.

1. Plaza de Armas

It's the heart of the city, flanked by the imposing Cusco Cathedral and the Church of La Compañía de Jesús. Here you can enjoy the colonial architecture and the city's vibrant atmosphere. Around the square you'll find little cafés and narrow streets for wandering, taking photos and doing some shopping.

A good way to learn about the city's history and hidden corners is to take a free walking tour.

2. Sacred Valley of the Incas

The Sacred Valley is a key region of the Andean world, both for its fertility and for its strategic value to the Incas. All along the valley, following the Urubamba River, there are ancient settlements, farming terraces and ceremonial centers. Here's a complete guide to the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Some of the highlights are:

• Písac: famous for its archaeological complex and its crafts market.
• Ollantaytambo: a town with an Inca street plan and an incredible fortress on the mountain. From here you can take the train to Aguas Calientes.
• Chinchero: at 3,800 m (12,467 ft), it has a colonial church and stands out for its traditional textiles.

You can tour the Valley on a day trip from Cusco. Many agencies also offer to combine it with Maras and Moray.

Tip: We did it all in a single day and ended up exhausted. Looking back, splitting it into 2 days is much better if you want to enjoy it 100%.

👉 Book your Sacred Valley tour here.

3. Salinas de Maras

These salt terraces, 40 km from Cusco, have been in use since Inca times. You can buy plain, flavored or smoked salts, which make great gifts.

Good to know: You can find these salts cheaper at San Pedro Market, but the ones in Maras come in nicer packaging.

4. Moray

It's an archaeological site with circular terraces that served as an Inca agricultural laboratory. Each level has a different microclimate.

A fun way to see Maras and Moray is on an ATV tour.

5. San Blas neighborhood

One of our favorite places, full of blue doors, art workshops, galleries and cafés. You can also visit the Church of San Blas, with its impressive carved wooden altar.

6. Calle Loreto and the 12-Angled Stone

Calle Loreto is a very pretty cobblestone street with colonial architecture. On Calle Hatun Rumiyoc you'll find the famous 12-Angled Stone, Inca art at its finest.

7. San Pedro Market

The oldest market in the city. It's ideal for trying fresh juices and buying spices, fruit, textiles and local products.

8. Qoricancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo

A few blocks from the Plaza de Armas is the Qoricancha archaeological site, known as the Temple of the Sun. During the Inca Empire it was the main religious and political center. Its Quechua name, "golden enclosure," reflects its former grandeur, when it was adorned with sheets of gold and silver. Today you can see the remains of the Inca temple alongside Spanish colonial architecture in the complex, which includes the Church of Santo Domingo and the Qoricancha Site Museum.
👉 We recommend this tour, which includes Qoricancha and other temples.

9. Sacsayhuaman

It's an archaeological complex on the outskirts of Cusco. Its stone architecture is imposing, and it held great religious and military importance for the Inca Empire. It has huge carved stone blocks fitted together without mortar, and it's a major site during Inti Raymi (a celebration of the sun at the winter solstice).

10. Viewpoints

For panoramic views of the city, we recommend:

• Plaza San Cristóbal viewpoint
• Cristo Blanco viewpoint
• San Blas viewpoint
• Arco de Santa Ana

11. Machu Picchu

One of the 7 wonders of the world! Ideally, you should spend at least 1 night in Aguas Calientes (the town you reach Machu Picchu from), but if you don't have much time you can book a tour or go on your own as a day trip and come back to Cusco to sleep. Just keep in mind it will take up the WHOLE day. In this post we tell you more, so your Machu Picchu experience is unforgettable!

Here you can book the day tour to Machu Picchu from Cusco, which includes tickets, a guide in Spanish and the train ticket on the Vistadome 360.

12. Do one or more of the incredible hikes around Cusco

The mountains and landscapes around Cusco are mind-blowing, and we recommend doing at least one of the routes we list here. And if you really love the mountains, we recommend spending several days getting to know the Peruvian Andes. Some routes take 1 day, while others take several.

Keep in mind that all the hiking tours leave Cusco very early, between 3 and 5 in the morning, and last all day. All of these hikes also go above 4,200 m (13,780 ft), and some, like Rainbow Mountain, reach 5,000 m (16,404 ft). Because of the altitude, most are considered moderate or hard, and the best advice we can give you is to plan them for the last days of your stay in Cusco, when you're already acclimatized. Acclimatization is KEY to enjoying these activities and landscapes.

a. Vinicunca Mountain (Rainbow Mountain)

The best known of the 3 rainbow mountains. It's 3 hours by car from Cusco, and from the parking lot it's almost 1 hour 30 minutes on foot, climbing to 5,036 m (16,522 ft). It's a hard hike because of the altitude. After seeing the mountain you can walk through the Red Valley. Here we tell you about our experience.

b. Palcoyo Mountain

This rainbow mountain is less touristy and just as mind-blowing. It's 4 hours by car from Cusco and the hike is shorter, about 30 minutes. It's rated hard because it's at 4,900 m (16,076 ft). You can book the tour here.

c. Pallay Punchu Mountain

This is another rainbow mountain, but much less known than the others (it was discovered during the pandemic). It's 3 hours from Cusco, the hike takes 2 hours and it reaches 4,700 m (15,420 ft), which makes it less demanding than Vinicunca. Since it's the least touristy, not many tour agencies offer it. In fact, we couldn't find anyone to take us, because they only go a few days a week. If you want to visit it, we recommend looking into it ahead of time. You can now book your Pallay Punchu tour here

d. Hike to Laguna Humantay

One of the treasures tucked away in the Peruvian Andes is this emerald-green lake at the foot of Humantay Mountain. It's a moderately difficult hike that climbs to 4,200 m (13,780 ft). Although it's a short walk of just 3 km (1.9 miles), it's all uphill and at very high altitude (the climb takes between 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours). Here we tell you more.

e. The 7 lakes of Ausangate

This hike takes you past the 7 green and turquoise lakes of Ausangate, the highest mountain in Cusco. It's a hard hike of about 14 km (8.7 miles), or 5 hours, and it reaches 4,700 m (15,420 ft). It was our first hike in the Peruvian Andes and we found it incredibly beautiful. Here you can read more about this hike.

f. Salkantay Trek

This is an alternative to the Inca Trail. The full route takes 4 to 5 days and reaches Machu Picchu, passing Laguna Humantay and Salkantay Mountain (the second highest in Cusco) along the way. You can also do it in 2 days, which doesn't get you to Machu Picchu but lets you combine Laguna Humantay and Salkantay Pass. Here we tell you more about our experience.

g. Ausangate Trek

You can do this trek in anywhere from 2 to 6 days. Depending on how many days you take, you pass the 7 lakes and Vinicunca Mountain and see the Ausangate glaciers and the wildlife. We did a 2-day route that included Apacheta Pass and Vinicunca Mountain.

h. Choquequirao

If there's one hike in Cusco we really wish we'd done, it's this one. Choquequirao is an archaeological site 3 times bigger than Machu Picchu and just as impressive. It's believed to have been the last city inhabited by the Incas when the Spanish conquest reached Peru. It gets very few tourists, since you can only reach it on foot, on a trek that takes 4 or 5 days. Here you can see the full tour.

i. Inca Trail

The famous Inca Trail, though as we told you earlier, it isn't the only route that ends at Machu Picchu. The classic version takes 4 days, but you can do it in fewer, covering fewer kilometers, of course. The trail crosses mountains and jungle and passes several archaeological sites on its way to Machu Picchu. Here's a 2-day route.

j. Waqrapukara

This is an archaeological site in the Cusco region. The name "Waqrapukara" comes from Quechua and means "horn-shaped fortress," a reference to the peculiar shape of the mountain it sits on. It's a moderately difficult hike of 5 km (3.1 miles) in total. You can see more about the tour here.

👉 If you're looking for where to eat and sleep in Cusco, in this other article we share our favorite areas and lodging recommendations for every budget.