19+ FUN things to do in Cusco, Peru

Last updated on December 21st, 2024

Cusco is one of the ultimate destinations in Peru. And we’re sharing over 19 fun things to do in Cusco, Peru to help you plan your own adventure!

Located in the Andes Mountains, at 3,399 meters (11,152 feet) above sea level, lies the historic city of Cusco. Once the capital of the Inca empire, Cusco is now home to Spanish Colonial architecture, Inca ruins, narrow cobblestone streets, and a taste of Andean cuisine. Including one item that was a bit out of our comfort zone.

Plus, it’s the perfect launching point to visit Machu Picchu, see the Sacred Valley, hike different multi-day treks, and go on other fun day trips!

There are countless things to do in the area and in this guide we’re sharing 19 fun things to do in Cusco. As well as helpful logistics, including how to get there, where to stay, and tips for a safe and fun visit!

19 FUN things to do in Cusco, Peru

During our one month in Peru, we spent 2.5 weeks in the Cusco area. While some people visit just to go to Machu Picchu, this extended time gave us the chance to experience so much of what it has to offer. From day trips, to 6 day treks, to popping into local cafes in the city!

Below are 19 fun things to do in Cusco, based on our experience. Whether you’re looking for things to do in town while you adjust to the altitude or you’re ready to get out and explore the Andes, we’ve gotcha covered!

1. Admire the Plaza de Armas

One of our favorite things about Cusco was the architecture! And one of the best places to experience it is at the Plaza de Armas. This is the main square of Cusco and is where history, culture, and architecture collide. 

Back in the early 15th century, Cusco was founded by the Inca ruler Pachacuti and became the capital of the Inca empire. But in 1533, Cusco fell to Spanish conquistadors, marking the beginning of Spanish colonial rule. The Spanish demolished many Inca structures and built their own colonial buildings on their ruins.

Today Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Plaza de Armas is bursting with life. Here you’ll find tourists, vendors, and locals enjoying the day, plus gorgeous buildings, like the Cusco Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus. As well as tons of cafes and restaurants, hotels, shops, and museums. 

Plus if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see some traditional events taking place in the square with music and dancing! 

2. Go on a free walking tour

One of the best things to do in Cusco is to go on a free walking tour. When first arriving in Peru, we took a free walking tour in Lima and we highly suggest doing the same in Cusco. Our tour in Lima was with Inkan Milky Way (it was awesome!), they offer a Cusco tour as well!

This tour will take you to many of the plazas and other important sites in the city like the Plaza de Armas, La Calle del Sol, San Pedro Market, and more. 

We recommend booking your tour in advance to secure your spot. Also keep in mind, even though the tour is free you should tip your guide. They suggest around S/50 (~$13) per person, which was well worth it, in our opinion.

3. See the city from a viewpoint

Since Cusco is set in a beautiful mountain valley and to get the best views of the city, you’ll want to head higher up! 

A few of the best viewpoints of Cusco are the Mirador de San Blas, Cristo Blanco near Sacsayhuaman, and Mirador de Sán Cristobal. Just keep in mind that all of these will require lots of steps, which can be tough at the higher altitude.

Beyond viewpoints, another great way to see a great view of the city is from some of the restaurants perched up high. Siete y Siete Restocafe, Q’enco Restobar, and Limbus Restobar all offer food and drinks with a side of an amazing view!

4. Shop at the San Pedro Market

San Pedro Market is Cusco’s main food market and the oldest market in the city. And fun fact, the oldest part of the market was designed by Gustave Eiffel. Yes, like the Eiffel Tower! 

At the market you’ll find clothing, souvenirs, trinkets, household items, fresh and raw ingredients, cooked food, and so much more. It’s a great place to try traditional foods and purchase handicrafts. 

One of our favorite parts of the market was the long aisle of identical fruit juice stands. There are at least 20 vendors selling fresh squeezed juices, smoothies, and milkshakes. All the ladies in the stands are very friendly and it’s hard to decide who to go to, but we enjoyed our lúcuma and mango with milk at Jugueria de Janet!

Another market we recommend to check out is the San Blas Market. It’s a lot smaller, but offers many of the same items.

5. Walk around the San Blas neighborhood

San Blas is said to be the most beautiful neighborhood in Cusco. And we agree! We stayed here and we loved walking around its colorful, narrow, and steep streets.

Located just a short walk from Plaza de Armas, here you can find great coffee and food options, plus picturesque streets. With the most famous being Calle Siete Borreguitos! 

This is a long, pedestrian-only street with lots of stairs, lined with buildings that have planters full of colorful flowers. It has become a popular photo spot, so it can get quite busy with people trying to get photos. We recommend going early (we went just after sunrise) if you want to take photos without others in them!

While there, make sure to see the Sapantiana Aqueduct. Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, this colonial hydraulic aqueduct was once used to transport drinking water to the town of Cusco. Nowadays it offers a little dose of nature in the city, with a small waterfall.

Another popular spot in the San Blas neighborhood is the Mirador de San Blas. From this overlook you’ll have wonderful views of the sprawling city of Cusco!

6. Learn about the Inca at the Inka Museum

As a city loaded in history and culture that goes back many decades, visiting a museum is easily one of the best things to do in Cusco!

And if you can only pick one, the Inka Museum is a great choice! This museum shares the history of the Inca, including art and artifacts from the Inca Period to the 1900s.

You’ll see artifacts like metal and gold work, mummies, pottery, textiles, and other exhibits that interpret Inca history. There is a lot to see in the museum, so give yourself a couple hours.

Some other popular museums include the Museo de Arte Precolombino and Regional Historical Museum of Cusco. 

7. Make chocolate at the ChocoMuseo

For the chocolate lovers, head to the ChocoMuseo! This museum shares the history, nature, and production process of making chocolate from bean to bar. 

At the museum you can not only see and touch cacao beans and pods, but you can also have a hands-on experience in the Bean to Bar Workshop. During this experience you’ll create custom handmade chocolates!

Even if you don’t want to visit the museum, this is a good spot to buy chocolate souvenirs!

8. View the cosmos at the Cusco Planetarium

If astronomy mixed with a bit of Peruvian history interests you, then definitely check out the Cusco Planetarium. At this family owned planetarium you’ll get to learn about the significance of the stars to the Inca, plus peer through the telescopes to spot different constellations and stars. 

Keep in mind that viewing the stars at the Planetarium is weather dependent, but if you visit during the dry season, you will have much better luck!

9. Qorikancha Temple and museum

The Qorikancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun, was the most important religious building for the Inca people.

This temple was built around 1200 AD and at one point had walls surrounding it covered in sheets of gold, silver, and precious stones. When the Spanish arrived, they looted the building and the precious metals and stones were used to pay the ransom for the captured Inca ruler Atahualpa. 

After this, the building was demolished and rebuilt as the Temple of Santo Domingo. Then it was damaged by several earthquakes over the centuries. Finally, in 1956 it was rebuilt as a reconstruction of the Temple of the Sun. The reconstruction focused on displaying the original foundation laid by the Inca, which you can still see. 

Today you can tour the archaeological site, building, and see the other enclosures dedicated to Incan gods. It’s recommended to hire a guide to help understand what you’re looking at inside the site. 

10. Take a photo with the Twelve Angled Stone

One of the hallmarks of the Inca Empire was its exquisite architecture and masonry work. They built their fortresses and temples with massive boulders so precisely fit together without mortar that you can’t even slide a piece of paper between them. It is mind blowing how they were able to be so intricate! 

One popular example of this detail is the Twelve Angled Stone in Cusco. This large stone, which was once part of the wall of an Inca palace, has twelve sides. 

It’s located down a popular narrow alleyway, across from some shops. We passed by the stone several times and there was always at least a few people waiting to take a photo of or with it. So be prepared to wait a little bit! And while waiting, make sure to stand to the side so people who are wanting to walk by can do so easily.

11. Check out the local restaurants

12. Try Cuy

One must-try dish in Cusco is cuy, which is guinea pig. While guinea pigs may be pets in the United States, in Peru, they have been considered a sacred animal to the Incas and staple of Andean cuisine for hundreds of years.  And Cusco is one of the best places to try it…if you’re brave enough. 😬

The toughest part of this dish is that it is served whole at most places, which means you see the guinea pig itself. This may not be for everyone, but if you can get past its appearance, it actually isn’t half bad. The seasoning was delicious and the meat tasted like chicken thighs to us. We may not ever have it again, but we wanted to try it on our first visit to Peru and we are glad we did!

Many places sell cuy in town, but our top pick to try it is KUSYKAY Peruvian Craft Food. They also have other popular Andean food items, like Alpaca and quinoa based dishes!

14. Check out a local coffee shop

Besides eating Peruvian foods, another one of the best things to do in Cusco is check out a local coffee shop! Cusco is loaded with super nice cafes to choose from, but here are a few that we highly recommend.

Florencia y Fortunata

Our absolute favorite coffee shop in Cusco is Florencia y Fortunata. The design of this spot is gorgeous! It has a beautiful mix of traditional and modern, with the white walls, wood and stone accents, and touches of blue. Plus, the flat whites are 10 out of 10!

But what makes this place even more amazing is that it is a women owned and run coffee shop. Their goal is to close the gender gap for women in coffee, which we think is incredible!

Cercanía Pan y Cafe

Another spot with great coffee is Cercanía Pan y Café. We only got flat whites to go, but they also have some delicious looking bread. The sandwiches that others were ordering looked SO good and had we not just eaten, we would’ve grabbed some.

Organika Bakery & Coffee

Besides delicious food, Organika Bakery & Coffee also has some great coffee and is a nice spot to hang out for a bit, with a good amount of seating.

Some other popular cafes in Cusco are Flora, Three Monkeys, La Rabona, and L’atelier.

15. Visit Sacsayhuamán

Sacsayhuamán is an Inca site constructed in the 15th century during the reign of Pachacuti. Over the years it functioned as both a ceremonial space, as well as a defensive military fortress, especially during the battle of Sacsayhuamán. This battle led to much of Sacsayhuamán being destroyed and its stones being used by the Spanish to build new buildings in Cusco.

We visited several Inca sites during our time in Peru and every visit we were blown away by the ingenuity, resourcefulness, and construction abilities of the Inca. Sacsayhuamán is no exception! 

For us, a highlight of these ruins are the chincanas, which are tunnels in the rock. Sacsayhuamán was said to have at least two of these tunnels. One that is believed to be connected to the Qorikancha in town and another shorter one you can walk through! 

Walking through this tunnel was much more of an adventure than we thought it would be! It twists and turns so it actually gets completely dark in there, which we weren’t expecting. Don’t worry about bringing a headlamp, you can walk through with the light on your phone just fine. 

Another fun feature of this Inca site is the rodadero, which is a natural rock slide! Apparently Inca children would play on this many years ago. And you can still slide down it! We both slid down it and it was a lot of fun. Be warned: you can get some good speed!

How to get to Sacsayhuamán

You can get to Sacsayhuamán by walking from town, which will take about 45-60 minutes. It is all uphill, but makes for a great way to get acclimated to the altitude, especially if going on a trek while in Cusco. Or you can grab an Uber or taxi to take you for S/10-15. 

Cost to enter Sacsayhuamán

To enter Sacsayhuaman you’ll need to purchase the Cusco Tourist Ticket. This ticket cost S/70 for Sacsayhuaman and 4 other sights in the area or S/130 for 16 sights for 10 days. To learn more about this pass, check out our tips for visiting Cusco section. 

Guided tour of Sacsayhuamán

It is recommended to hire a guide to understand what you’re looking at while walking through, as there are no signs. Since we did a bit of research beforehand about Sacsayhuamán and were going to be visiting several other Inca ruin sites the following day with a guide, we opted not to have one here.

If you want to hire a guide, there are usually guides at the entrance that you can hire once arriving. Or you can book a Cusco tour, which includes Sacsayhuamán, plus other nearby sites.

Bonus stop: Mirador desde el Cristo Blanco

And while you’re at Sacsayhuamán don’t miss out on admiring the view from Mirador desde el Cristo Blanco. This viewpoint is located just outside the ruins and is a short hike to the top. It makes for a great spot for sunset!

16. Morada de los Dioses

Located just 30 minutes outside of Cusco is Morada de los Dioses, which is a sculpture park that celebrates Andean culture. At the park you’ll learn more about the Inca and its gods, while being able to take photos with the impressive massive hand carved sculptures. 

To get there, you can either take a taxi from Cusco or go on an ATV tour!

17. Visit Machu Picchu

99% of visitors to Cusco are there to visit Machu Picchu. It’s the most popular tourist destination in Peru and for good reason! It’s one of the 7 New Wonders of the World, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the most impressive archaeological ruin in South America. And on top of all the worldly recognition, it also boasts majestic mountain views. 

It’s possible to visit Machu Picchu as a day trip from Cusco, but it will be a very long day and feel rushed. Instead, we suggest going for at least one night. And to get there, you can either hike the Inca Trail or Salkantay Trek, take a guided group tour, or ride the train (or bus + train combo) from Cusco.

To learn everything you need to know about visiting Machu Picchu check out our detailed Machu Picchu guides. We cover how to get to Machu Picchu, when to visit, and break down the different tourist circuits inside the site. Including the hike to Huayna Picchu!

18. Take a day trip from Cusco

One of the best things to do in Cusco is to visit one of the many nearby attractions on a day trip! From epic day hikes to interesting ruins, there are tons of options to choose from. Here are some of our top picks, but to learn even more, check out our guide to the best day trips in Cusco!

Note: Many of these day trips, specifically the hikes, are located at a higher altitude than Cusco. Between the altitude and the physical effort they require, they can be challenging. Do not attempt these on your first day in Cusco. Give yourself a couple days to acclimate first. And make sure to stay hydrated!

Sacred Valley

Divided by the Urubamba River, the Sacred Valley lies just north of Cusco. This area was one of the most important for the Inca Empire because of its agricultural qualities and defensive positions. 

The best way to visit the Sacred Valley is through a guided day trip from Cusco. We went on a tour with AB Expeditions and it was awesome! The trip we went on included a visit to the textile center of Chinchero, Inca site of Moray, the Maras salt mines, and Ollantaytambo. Plus lunch at a local buffet! You can watch the full experience in this video.

There are a variety of destinations and combinations of stops when it comes to a Sacred Valley day trip. You can see more tour options here!

Pisac Archaeological Site

Another popular site to see in the Sacred Valley is the town of Pisac and the Pisac Archaeological Site.

Findings at the Pisac ruins indicate that people have lived in the area for centuries, even before the Inca. This site is one of the best preserved Inca sites in Peru. It’s a large complex that includes terraces, towers, temples, an Inca cemetery, and more. 

The town of Pisac is also worth a visit. In town there is a traditional handicraft market, local museum, and a botanical garden. 

You can visit Pisac and the ruins on your own by taking a taxi or public transportation. But it’s often part of a Sacred Valley tour, which is how we recommend visiting. AB Expeditions offers an itinerary that includes Pisac, as well as Ollantaytambo and Chinchero.

Note: to visit Pisac you’ll need the Cusco tourist ticket which includes several other popular sites in the area. Other sites include Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, several museums in Cusco, and more. 

Rainbow Mountain 

Right after Machu Picchu, the second most popular tourist attraction in Peru is Rainbow Mountain. The actual name of this mountain is Vinicunca, which means “colored mountain” in Quechua. 

It is famous for its vibrant, multicolored layers of sediment, which give it a distinctive striped appearance. These colors, including shades of red, yellow, green, and blue, are the result of 14 different mineral deposits. 

You can visit Rainbow Mountain through a day trip, hiring a taxi, or on a multi-day trek. We got to visit the colorful mountain twice on our 6 day Ausangate trek, for sunset and sunrise. Both times we were either the only ones or just one of a few people there!

While Rainbow Mountain is the most popular, it’s not the only colorful mountain in the Cusco area. Another option is Palccoyo Mountain which can also be visited through a guided tour from Cusco. 

7 Lakes of Ausangate

One of our favorite days of our Ausangate Trek was our final day, when we visited the seven lakes of Ausangate. This is an area with, as the name implies, seven gorgeous lakes all right next to each other beneath Ausangate. Each lake is different, with different shapes, sizes, and colored water.

But similar to Rainbow Mountain, you don’t have to go on a multi day trek to reach this lake filled wonderland. The seven lakes can be visited through a day trip from Cusco as well, which also includes a soak in the hot springs at Pacchanta!

Humantay Lake

19. Go on a multi day trek

Cusco makes a great starting point to go on several of the popular multi-day treks in the region. These treks can be as short as two days and as long as six days.

The most popular is the Inca Trail which leads you to Machu Picchu. The most common trek is the 4 day Inca Trail which includes the last day at Machu Picchu and a train ride back to Cusco. There is also a two day option for those who do not want to hike as far. You are required to have a guide for the Inca Trail and they have daily limits for hikers, so make sure to book in advance.

While the Inca Trail is the classic option, we really enjoyed the Salkantay Trek. It offered more diverse scenery, a climb up the epic Salkantay Pass, and the option to hike to Humantay Lake. While you can do this with a guided tour, it is not required. Instead, we hiked it on our own, which was very straightforward. We wrote a full guide on our experience hiking the Salkantay Trek without a guide, which includes where we stayed every night.

Another amazing trek you can do in the area is the Ausangate Trek. This trek circles Ausangate, which is the fifth tallest mountain in Peru (6,384 meters/20,945 feet tall) and one of the most important mountains to the Inca. Along the trek you’ll see tons of glaciers, lakes, and have the chance to visit Rainbow Mountain. 

The Ausangate trek can be done over 2-6 days, with the itinerary varying depending on the length. And while it technically could be done without a guide, we highly recommend booking AB Expeditions for this trek. They offer great campsites, a wonderful crew, delicious meals, and have a lot of knowledge of the area.

Planning your trip to Cusco

How to get to Cusco

Cusco is located in southeastern Peru, near the Andes Mountains, and you can reach Cusco by plane, bus, or car. 

Flying to Cusco

Flying is the easiest and best option to get to Cusco! A flight to Cusco from Lima is under 1.5 hours, while a bus or car ride is 20 hours, due to mountainous roads. 

Cusco is home to the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport, which has lots of daily flights from Lima, Arequipa, and other areas around Peru. The airport is less than 30 minutes from the city center by taxi or Uber.

Getting to Cusco by bus or car

You can also take a bus to Cusco from many areas around Peru. This will be the cheapest option, but will take much longer. Domestic flights aren’t very expensive so we don’t recommend traveling by bus when there are flight options. But if you prefer to take a bus, Cruz Del Sur is a popular and reliable option. 

You could also take a car, but we personally would not recommend this. Not only is the driving a bit intense in Peru, but it will take significantly longer to get there than by plane.

Getting around Cusco

The main tourist areas of Cusco are very walkable. In fact, we walked everywhere in Cusco! With the only time we used transportation being getting to and from the airport.

If you do need a ride, Uber is available and very affordable in Cusco. You can also get a taxi, but we avoid hiring taxis as much as possible when traveling abroad, as there is a higher risk of getting scammed. If you do hire a taxi, we suggest doing this through your hotel.

When to visit Cusco

Rather than having four seasons, Cusco (and Peru in general) have two seasons: dry season and rainy season. 

The best season to visit is during the dry season, which is between the months of mid-April to November. While the scenery will be a bit more brown, you will have better weather for Machu Picchu, any treks, plus day trips, like Rainbow Mountain.

It is possible to visit during the rainy season, but keep in mind that the Inca Trail is closed during February and some treks are not as safe or enjoyable during this time. Plus, you may get greeted with lots of fog at Machu Picchu.

How much time do you need in Cusco?

We suggest spending 3 days in Cusco itself. Not only so you can experience many of the best things to do in Cusco, but also to get acclimated to the altitude. During these 3 days you can explore the city, go for an easier day trip (like Sacred Valley), and have time to let your body rest if needed.

If you are visiting Machu Picchu or want to go on a multi-day trek, we suggest giving yourself between 4-9 days in the area. This will give you 3 days to acclimate in Cusco, 4 days to go on a trek, and 1-2 days at Machu Picchu itself.

For ideas on how to organize the best things to do in Cusco into 3 days, check out our 3 days in Cusco itinerary! And ton see how we spent one full day exploring the city, check out this video!

Where to stay in Cusco

Being one of the most popular destinations in Peru there are tons of places to stay in Cusco. We personally suggest staying at a hotel or hostel. The prices are very affordable, many offer free breakfast, and they’ll store your luggage for you while you go on treks (just make sure to also stay there upon returning).

During our time in Cusco we stayed at Hotel & Mirador Los Apus, which is a great, affordable option! Since our time in Cusco was broken up by treks, we had three different rooms here, all with private bathrooms (some do have a shared bathroom, so keep that in mind). Each room had a different layout, but all were very comfortable, plus had a nice wood and Peruvian design.

They also have a great free breakfast, with coffee, tea, bread, juices and smoothies, fruit, avocado, and a couple other small items. Plus, the staff is very helpful and they even stored our luggage for us for two different treks. 

Some other hotel options that look great are:
Amaru Colonial
Amaru Inca
Hotel Encantada
Huascaran Casa Boutique San Blas
Casa Matara Boutique

Tips for visiting Cusco

Tourist ticket (Boleto turistico)

Many of the attractions in and around Cusco require the Cusco Tourist Ticket, also known as boleto turistico. The ticket includes 16 museums and archaeological sites like Sacsayhuaman, Qorikancha, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac, to name a few.

You can either choose the General Comprehensive ticket, which includes all sites and is valid for 10 days. Or you can choose from 3 circuits that include a limited number of sites and are only valid for 1 or 2 days depending which you choose. 

During our visit, we visited Sacsayhuaman, Moray, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero over multiple days. So we needed to purchase the General Comprehensive ticket, which costs S/130 ($34.50) per person. 

To learn more and decide which is best for you, check out this website.

Street vendors 

In the main popular areas of town, specifically Plaza de Armas, you’ll encounter lots of vendors trying to sell you souvenirs and tours. If you aren’t interested just tell them “no gracias” and they’ll leave you alone. While Cusco definitely had the most vendors compared to other places we visited, no one was pushy with us.

Sun exposure

Since you’re at high altitude, the sun is a bit more intense. Be sure to cover up, wear a hat, and apply sunscreen. Plus drink lots of water!

Depending on when you visit, the temperatures can vary throughout the day. The mornings and evenings were chilly, but as soon as the sun came up, it warmed up quickly. Make sure to pack layers so you can adjust your clothing as needed. To see everything we suggest bringing to Peru, check out (and download) our FREE Peru packing list.

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