Cusco was the heart of the Inca Empire and still shows it — colonial churches stand on foundations of unmortared Inca stonework everywhere downtown. Most visitors use it as a base for Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, but it rewards a few slow days on its own too.
Good to know
- Cusco sits at 3,400m — spend a day or two acclimatizing (and drinking coca tea) before attempting Machu Picchu or Rainbow Mountain.
- Book Machu Picchu entry tickets and train seats (PeruRail or Inca Rail) at least 2–3 months ahead for June–August.
- A boleto turístico (tourist ticket) covers Sacsayhuamán and several Sacred Valley sites — buy it once rather than paying separate entries.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Steep whitewashed streets of silversmiths and weaving workshops above the main square — best explored slowly, altitude permitting.
Andean roast guinea pig, a special-occasion dish long before it was a tourist curiosity — order it whole and split it.
Bean-to-bar chocolate-making class using Peruvian cacao, a good low-exertion activity for the first acclimatization day.
The classic multi-day trek to Machu Picchu through cloud forest and three mountain passes; permits are limited and sell out months ahead.
Inca terraces and a working colonial-era market at Pisac, then the fortress-town of Ollantaytambo, still inhabited on its original street grid.
Inca foundations underneath colonial arcades and a cathedral holding a Last Supper painting featuring roast guinea pig.
The Inca empire's most sacred temple, once sheathed in gold, with a colonial church built directly on top of the stonework.
The Inca citadel above the Urubamba gorge — as staggering in person as in photos. Book train and entry tickets months ahead in high season.
A demanding high-altitude day hike (5,200m) to a naturally striped mineral mountainside — acclimatize in Cusco for several days first.
Cusco's central market for produce, juice stalls and alpaca-wool goods — also a good, cheap breakfast stop.
A short walk above the city for a free panorama over Cusco's terracotta roofs, next to the Sacsayhuamán ruins.
Massive polygonal Inca stonework fortress overlooking Cusco, some blocks weighing over 100 tonnes and fitted without mortar.