Cusco Department · Peru
Cusco travel guide
Cusco is a city in Cusco Department, Peru, home to about 428,000 people.
- Best months
- October and November
- Nearest airport
- CUZ5 km · Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
- Currency
- PENNuevo sol
- Time zone
- America/Lima
- Language
- Aymara, Quechua, Spanish
About
About Cusco
Cusco or Cuzco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range, and the Huatanay and Urubamba rivers. It is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Cusco Province and Cusco Department.
Cuzco is a beautiful city with well-preserved colonial architecture, evidence of a rich and complex history. The city is the center of indigenous Quechua culture in the Andes, and walking the streets you see the layers of history. Spanish colonial buildings erected directly atop Inca walls line the square, while the modern tourist nightlife flourishes in their midst. The city is surrounded by a number of ruins, the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman, the site of the 1536 battle in which dozens of Pizarro's men charged uphill to battle the forces of the Inca.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Cusco
See
- Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo
- Museo Histórico Regional
- Machu Picchu Museum
- Museo del Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco
- Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha
- Museo de Arte Popular
- Santa Catalina Convent
- Qoricancha
- ChocoMuseo
- Museo Inka
- Natural History Museum
- Piedra de los doce ángulos
Do
Cuzco and its vicinity have many other smaller and less popular but still interesting Inca ruins, ranging from reasonably well-known (Amaru Markawasi/Templo de la Luna) to very obscure and difficult to find (Chuspiyoq).
- Plaza de Armas
- Plaza de San Francisco,
- Salseros Cusco
- Planetario Cuzco
- Sacsayhuamán
- Qenko
- Pukapukara
- Tambomachay
- Amaru Markawasi/Templo de la Luna
- Chuspiyoq
- Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary
- Rainbow Mountain
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Cusco to stay in
Loads and loads of options in Cuzco to suit all budgets. Most won't need to be booked beforehand. San Blas, many new hospedajes/hostales have opened in this area 4 blocks up the hill from the Plaza de Armas.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Cusco
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Cusco are October and November. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C; January is the wettest, with about 148 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Cusco: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ), about 4.8 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
The center of Cuzco is small enough to walk around, although you will probably need to catch a bus or taxi to the bus station, Sacsayhuamán or the airport. Beware about walking around at night alone or drunk as robberies have often been reported. There are several smaller bus terminals in Cuzco that travel to other destinations around the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
CUZ · Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Cusco
Eat
The Cuzco area has some extremely good international food with tasty options for all budgets. Excellent at the end of the Av. La Cultura. Be sure to try an alpaca steak (don't forget a llama/alpaca is normally kept and used for its wool - so only old animals will be slaughtered). You can get alpaca pizza as well. Most of the mercados listed in the "Buy" section have vendors selling prepared food. Usually this is authentic regional cuisine such as traditional Inca foods. The food is often among the lease expensive places to eat in the city. The soups are amazing. Try sopa de zapallo, a type of pumpkin soup.
Drink
There are many clubs and pubs in Cuzco, and there are always people handing out flyers around the Plaza de Armas. These usually include free drinks. The clubs are almost always busy, even during the week, do not usually have cover charges, and most are open until 03:00 at the earliest and 17:00 at the latest. The hot spots change nightly; ask around and you will quickly find the crowds of travellers.
Stay safe
Law enforcement related to drugs is very severe in Peru - that is, years in prison and no pleasure. Consider that many "long resident tourists" are part of the scene. It is already a felony that you "consider to maybe accept" an offer to buy. Although Cuzco is, in general, relatively safe, as in any urban area, muggings and petty thefts do occur. Use common sense and you should be fine. Don't wander alone away from the Plaza de Armas late at night. Don't flaunt your valuables around. Be conscious of what is going on around you. As Peru's main tourist attraction, Cuzco is a magnet for thieves and scammers. Pickpocketing (especially by children) is a major problem.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Cusco: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Cusco?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Cusco are October and November. October is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C; January is the wettest, with about 148 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Cusco?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ), about 4.8 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Cusco?
Nuevo sol (PEN).
Nearby
Destinations near Cusco
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.