If you want to visit a place in the world that combines history, incredible views, picturesque winding alleys and an excellent coffee scene, look no further than the Peruvian city of Cusco. Once the capital of the Incan empire, Cusco was previously considered the ‘belly button’ of the world to ancient civilisations. Sitting 3400m above sea level, it’s a marvel that the Incas managed to build such a sprawling city at such high altitude. We were warned about the effects of acute mountain sickness (AMS) and while we were spared any serious symptoms, we definitely still felt the altitude while walking up the city’s many narrow streets. Don’t let this stop you from visiting Cusco however! See below our recommendations for the best things to do in this beautiful city.
Explore the city and history with a ‘free’ walking tour
If you have the time, signing up for a walking tour early on in your visit is a good way to get a lay of the land as well as learn a little about Incan beliefs and traditions. We particularly enjoyed learning about how many of the impressive buildings around the city were built and really put into perspective just how resourceful the Incan empire was. Where possible, try and find a tour that covers not only the old walled city, but also the neighbouring region of San Blas – we’ll share a little more on this bohemian part of the city later. You can easily book these free walking tours online.. we used ‘GuruWalk’, but there are many others in both English and Spanish.
Enjoy the spectacular view points
Due to the hilly nature of the Cusco old town and surrounding neighbourhoods, there is ample opportunity for spectacular views. You will likely catch yourself admiring the views as you wander up the narrow alleyways. We have listed a few of our favourite view points from Cusco below!
- Mirador de San Cristobal: Undoubtably one of the best views in Cusco. Climb the short but steep walk up to the church and impressive mirador with views over the main square.
- Mirador de San Blas: Another excellent view point located in San Blas region. Well worth visiting!
- Espresso 18 coffee shop: A hidden gem of a view point. Head to the Espresso 18 coffee shop for a great coffee, and stunning view in their ‘hidden’ upstairs terrace.
- Viewhouse Restobar: This was one of the restaurants from our walking tour. While the restaurant itself is a little touristy, the view from the upstairs balcony is excellent!
Try to excellent Peruvian food
Cusco has a plethora of excellent food options, however not all are budget friendly, and sorting between the ‘tourist traps’ can be hard. We have listed a few restaurants below that we highly recommend.
- Morena: This is one of the best restaurants in Cusco. Don’t let the main square location scare you off thinking it’s a tourist trap.. the food, service and views are exceptional. While priced a little above many neighbouring options, the quality of the food is worth the cost.
- Nick’s Food Co: A tiny little Mexican-fusion restaurant recommended by a friend turned out to be our ‘regular’ in Cusco. With hearty, budget friendly food, this cute diner had not only excellent cuisine but also lovely service. Highly recommend.
- Indie Café: Looking for good breakfast/brunch options.. Indie Café delivers! Located close to the main square, this tiny café, restaurant and concept store is worth a visit.
Visit the historical Inca sites
The Cusco city centre is filled with Inca and Spanish history, from the impressive buildings to the 500+ year old Inca stones still standing on the alleyways. Impressive sites like Saqsaywaman (Inca ruins above the Cusco town), along with Sacred Valley towns (e.g. Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray) and of course Machu Picchu, are all impressive additions to Cusco’s history and great visiting options. However, some of the best history lies in Cusco itself, including the impressive Temple of the Sun, and our favourite street ‘Pasaje Inka Roka’ and Calle Hatun Rumiyoc. A good walking tour will take you to many of the Cusco sites, something that we enjoyed and highly recommend!
Day trips to sacred valley & Machu Picchu
While not the focus of this guide, Cusco is the much publicized entry point to sacred valley and the world famous Machu Picchu. Many day trips and tours are booked and leave from Cusco, including the day trip to Machu Picchu (we’ll post about this at some point.. 12-14hours!), sacred valley day trips (locations like Pisac, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo and more), hikes (including the famous inca trails), and more! If you’re looking to do day trips, plan in advance, and prepare for them to be quite expensive (tourist prices).. but often worth it!
Enjoy the excellent coffee scene
Something that took us by surprise was Cusco’s excellent coffee scene. We sampled numerous top quality café’s in various neighbourhoods, allowing us to happily say this city has some of the best café’s in South America. We have listed some of our favourites below!
- Cercania Pan y Café: one of the best coffee’s in Cusco.. plus the bakery is excellent. Well worth visiting.
- Espresso 18: Excellent coffee with great views.. sign us up!
- Indie Café: As mentioned above, this café is excellent for coffee and brunch!
- Altura Café: Another excellent café well worth checking out!
There’s so many more good options we didn’t get to try, like ONRICA, Van Gogh Café, Dolci Dolci, Organica, Black Llama and more.
Sit in the main square and people watch
We were impressed by Cusco’s vibrant town square flanked by stunning Spanish influenced cathedrals and churches. The well preserved centrepiece of the town is hard to miss, with most main roads and alleys winding towards the square. Once split by flowing rivers, Cusco’s main square is now a hub of activity all times of the day. We particularly enjoyed finding a bench to people watch.. with locals and tourists alike wandering through. The square is the meeting place for many tours (e.g. walking tours), home to a multitude of hawkers (they’re friendly, but persistent), the site of some of Peru’s most impressive churches and cathedrals.. plus it’s extremely photogenic.
Explore the San Blas area – our favourite part of Cusco!
A trip to Cusco wouldn’t be complete without heading beyond the town’s walled city to the bohemian neighbourhood of San Blas. Scattered along the area’s narrow cobblestoned streets are small stores selling artwork and artisan wares of local and travelling artists. We also found the area was home to cheaper, but just as tasty food options and smaller boutique hotels. We wouldn’t necessarily have chosen to stay in this area given how much we enjoyed soaking up the hum of the old town’s main square, however we would definitely recommend allocating enough time to wander the areas narrow streets, stopping at the San Blas market for a more local feel (compared to the larger, more touristic San Pedro market) and pausing at some of the many viewpoints to take in Cusco’s urban sprawl from above.
Head to the bustling San Pedro market
Want a taste of local chaos combined with bargain hunting? The San Pedro market is a huge, bustling market selling everything from budget meals and fresh produce for the locals.. to touristic goods and knock off football jerseys. Whether you plan on buying something or not, the San Pedro market is definitely work visiting to sample the atmosphere!
Stay where we stayed!
Seriously, the location was awesome and the view from our window was spectacular! We stayed at Samana B&B, in particular, the double room with private bathroom with a view is worth booking. Only 3-5 minutes walk to the main square, this B&B was close enough to everything but just far enough from the main ‘party streets’. Not convinced? Check out some of the other options on the map below!
A couple of things to know about Cusco..
- The altitude with get to you! Located at 3,400m of elevation, even walking a flight of stairs caused us to get extremely breathless on the first few days. Thankfully we adjusted (took us 2-3 days), but the altitude doesn’t discriminate between old, young, fit or unfit. We did also take some prescription altitude tablets in preparation, however locals also recommend cocoa tea to help with the altitude sickness. Plan to take it slow when you arrive, and schedule at least 1-2 easy days before you head on your hikes or day trips.
- Cusco is very safe. During our stay in Cusco (and Peru as a whole) we felt very safe. This included walking at night, however we still took our usual safety precautions (like you should everywhere in South America!). The main old town part of Cusco is considered safe, with lots of police and tourists around, however locals reported outside of this can be a little more unsafe.. so keep this in mind.
- There are a lot of locals hawking their goods and services. Having visited Morocco and many Asian countries, we are accustomed to locals hawking their products as we walk past. However, be prepared, as Cusco definitely had some of the most we had experienced in any city. They are all friendly, and a firm ‘no’ is enough to send them on their way if you aren’t interested.
So should you visit Cusco? Absolutely! We loved the town and the history! Cusco is one of the most impressive cities in South America and well worth a stop on your trip! We loved our visit and would highly recommend it to everyone!
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