Cusco sits at 3,399m above sea level. This lofty city was the capital of the Incan Empire and is home to amazing ruins, food & a strong culture. I lived here for 5 weeks, so can definitely say the top places to see & eat.
Top places to see
There is so much to see in Cusco and around that it is hard to decide what to see first.
- Machu Picchu + one of the hikes to Machu Picchu
- Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley (need boleto turistico)
- Salt mines near Moray, Sacred Valley
- Puka Pukara, Cusco (need boleto turistico)
- Moray, Sacred Valley (need boleto turistico)
- Típon, South Valley (need boleto turistico)
- Qoricancha, Cusco (need boleto turistico)
- Saqsayhuaman (need boleto turistico) Incan ruins that offer a great view of Cusco
- Plaza de Armas, Cusco
- San Pedro Market, Cusco
- Chocolate Museum, Cusco – see how they make chocolate & have fun taste testers
- Pikillacta, South Valley (need boleto turistico) one of the only pre-Incan sites near Cusco
- Plaza San Francisco + the San Francisco Church, Cusco – it has fun markets & performers on the weekend
- Shopping! There are great hand made crafts & locally sourced produce to buy
Sites worth seeing that do not require boleto turistico
- Salt mines near Moray
- Macchu Picchu
- The Devil’s Balcony
How to see touristic sites
You need to purchase a boleto turistico for 130 soles ($56 AUD) which will allow you access many sites in Cusco and around.
What to eat/drink
- Organika – a restaurant with all locally sourced produce. Try the amazing ceviche (raw fish cured in citrus juice)
- San Pedro Market – try the fresh fruit juice here (without ice or water to avoid stomach bugs)
- Cuy – guinea pig (the local delicacy)
- Pisco sour – Chile & Peru both lay claim to being the creators of this delicious cocktail made with lemon, pisco, sugar & egg white. Beware that pisco paired with high altitude can lead to killer hangovers
- Chocolate – Peru sends their best chocolate to Belgium…truly top quality
- Coffee – it can be hard to get your coffee fix in South America. Cusco is an exception, and offers up great locally sourced coffees
- Corn! Peru has all types of corn & corn produce, such as “chicha morada”. A sweet purple corn drink
What not to eat/drink
- Stick to more touristy restaurants (it can be fun to eat street food & at local markets, but your stomach won’t thank you later…trust me)
- Don’t overdo it with alcohol in your first few days. Altitude sickness is real & alcohol can exacerbate your symptoms. Don’t spend your 2nd day in Cusco with a bad hangover or “con caña“
- Stay away from tap water – again your stomach will thank you for this
What not to do
- Rainbow Mountain is not as you see in Instagram photos + at over 5000m above sea level you will not feel your best. Don’t be fooled by heavily edited photos.
- All the museums included in the boleto tursitico are a bit lack lustre. If you have nothing else to do, sure go visit them. But if you have limited time spend it elsewhere
