Cusco: a first-timer's guide to the old Inca capital

Why go

Few cities show their layers as clearly as Cusco. You can touch Inca masonry so precise that a knife blade will not fit between the stones, then step into a baroque church built on the same foundations. Quechua is spoken in the markets, and festivals fill the streets through the year.

Getting your bearings

The **Plaza de Armas** is the heart of the city, framed by the **Cathedral** and the Jesuit church of **La Compañía**. Uphill to the northeast, **San Blas** is the artisans' quarter of steep lanes, white walls and blue doors, with workshops, cafés and small guesthouses. South of the plaza, Avenida El Sol leads to **Qorikancha**, the Inca Temple of the Sun, now partly covered by the Santo Domingo convent. The street **Hatun Rumiyoc** holds the famous twelve angled stone.

What to do

Buy the **Boleto Turístico**, a combined ticket that covers many sites around town, then visit **Sacsayhuamán**, the zigzag fortress walls above the city, along with **Q'enqo**, **Puka Pukara** and **Tambomachay**. In town, see Qorikancha, the cathedral's paintings of the Cusco School, including a Last Supper with guinea pig, and the **Museo de Arte Precolombino**. The **San Pedro Market** sells fruit, juices, cheese, bread and set lunches. Climb to the **San Cristóbal** viewpoint for sunset over the rooftops.

Day trips

**Rainbow Mountain** (Vinicunca) and **Humantay Lake** are popular full day trips that start before dawn and reach well over 4,000 metres, so do them only after you have adjusted. Gentler options include the salt pans of **Maras** and the circular terraces of **Moray**, and the colonial churches of **Andahuaylillas** on the road south.

Festivals

**Inti Raymi**, the Inca festival of the sun on 24 June, fills Sacsayhuamán and the city with ceremony and crowds. **Corpus Christi** in June and **Qoyllur Rit'i** in the mountains are powerful religious events. Book early for June.

Altitude and health

Many travellers sleep their first night or two in the lower Sacred Valley and come up to Cusco afterwards. Either way, rest on arrival, drink water, eat lightly and avoid alcohol at first. Coca tea is widely offered. Talk to a doctor before travel about altitude medication, and descend if symptoms are severe.

Safety

Cusco is generally safe for visitors, but watch for pickpockets in markets and crowds, use registered or app taxis at night and be careful with drink spiking in nightlife areas. Strikes and protests occasionally block roads and the railway, so keep an eye on local news.

Getting there

Flights from Lima take about an hour and a half and land close to the centre. Buses and the scenic train link Cusco with Puno, and overnight buses run to Arequipa. A ride-hailing app or a taxi booked through your hotel is the easiest way into town from the airport.

Where to stay

Stay near the Plaza de Armas for convenience, in San Blas for charm and views (with steep walks), or around San Pedro and Santa Ana for a more local feel. Ask for a room with heating, as nights are cold.