Cusco Travel Guide
Originally the city’s name in quechua was Qosqo, meaning “the navel of earth”.
In quechua, are many symbolisms and metaphors in the common use. For The Incas, Cusco was the center of the universe, the capital of their great Empire.
It’s not surprising, this place is the prime destination for the vast majority of Peru’s visitors.
In this Ultimate Travel Guide you will find how many days is enough to stay in Cusco, a suggested itinerary and some tips!
Getting there
By air:
Most travelers arriving from Lima will do so by air. Many flight routes to Cusco are running per day. All of them depart from the international airport of Lima. The flight is short, lasts approx 01:20 min.
Air tickets costs around $USD 80.00- $ USD 120.00 and you can buy them online.
By Bus:
If you are thinking to go by bus from Lima, you should know is 20 hours approx. Read this article if you want to know the most popular bus companies in Peru.
There are many Inca ruins, scenery, great trekkings, beautiful textiles and other traditional Peruvians handicrafts. If you want to know some High Altitude Acclimatization tips, check this article.
How many days is enough to be in Cusco?
You should know Cusco Department (Departamento) is very big and sometimes the distance between the main sightseeing can be long.
I have a friend that came from France to visit me and she was thinking to stay in Cusco only 2 days. When she told me that I laughed and I explained to her it’s impossible to visit this historical place in such a short time.
After all, remember you are visiting the capital of the Inca Empire, so it is something that you will absolutely want to enjoy. So, how many days to need to visit Cusco? Well my dearest friends, I want to tell you that I went 6 times to Cusco, and everytime I went there I did something completely different. There a lot of things to do. I recommend you, if you don’t have so much time, you will need minimum 6 days to do an Express Cusco Visit (excluding trekkings and hikings).
Cusco essential Itinerary 6 days
Day 1
Try to arrive to Cusco in the afternoon. I always recommend to my closest friends to do nothing on the first day. Just chill out and walk around the main square. Why? Because you are at 3,400 meters and it is better to give the chance to your body to get used to it.
Day 2. City tour
Behind the walls of the Catholic church are remains of what was once the centre of the Inca Society in Qoricancha.
San Blas is a colorful district with a large number of shops, galleries, restaurants and coffee shops.
Sacsayhuaman is a great sanctuary and temple to the Sun. In these ruins you will see the Inca architecture and the huge rocks, perfectly built. In Sacasayhuaman local people recreates the festival of Inti Raymi where the god sun is honored every year on 24 june. Hundreds of local men and women, play the parts of Inca priests, nobles, soldiers, runners.
Day 3. Ollantaytambo
Visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo and explore this magical small town. There is a very interesting Gallery of Expresions Andinas to visit there “Alqa Galería”. They sell handicrafts of the high Andean communities which they have very strong bonds. Seriously, if you ask for anything in the store, they will tell you exactly where it comes from and its history.
Day 4. Machu Picchu
Visit The Inca Ruins and then spend the afternoon in Ollantaytambo.
If you want to know how to get to Machu Picchu, all the tickets you need to buy, please read this article.
Day 5. A tour to the Sacred Valley of Incas
Pisac – Chinchero- Maras
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a territory full of incredible landscapes and unique archeological sites to visit in Pisac and Chinchero.
The salineras de Maras is composed by 3 000 approx. salt wells that are fed by an underground hypersaline spring that probably was originated 100 million years ago during the formation of the Andes Mountains.
Currently, the salt pool belongs to local families and they sell and even export their products.
Day 6. Return to Cusco City to catch the airplane
Tips for Cusco
- You should buy a Touristic Ticket of Cusco that will allows you to visit the main archeological sites and museums such as Chinchero, Ollantaytambo, Saqsahuaman, Museem of Qoricancha and others places. A full access ticket for foreigners for 10 days costs S/130.00 – USD $ 35.00 and for students S/70.00- USD$ 19.00. It has also lower rates if you are just interested in visiting certain ruins. You can buy the tickets online, check this official website.
- Where to stay in Cusco City? You will find hotels for all the budgets, since simple backpackers to luxury hotels. The only thing that I suggest is to stay in a place near the historic center of Cusco, so you can get to all the shops and restaurants by walking.
- I always recommend to stay in Cusco City only a couple of days. If you are looking to stay in a place with a great view, surrounded by green nature, you should take a look to some hotels and Airbnbs in the sacred valley of The Incas. In Cusco City, you will see mostly constructions of hotels and restaurants.