Cusco
Perfect Inca walls beneath colonial balconies, cobbled lanes climbing towards the ruins: the empire's former capital is the world's most beautiful altitude waiting room.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
You don't pass through Cusco, you tame it: at 3,400 m, the first two days play out in slow motion — coca-leaf tea, a nap, and a wander along the cyclopean walls of Calle Hatun Rumiyoc (the twelve-angled stone), the Qorikancha where the Temple of the Sun literally carries the Santo Domingo church on its Inca foundations, and the bohemian San Blas quarter, its artisan workshops and tiled rooftops at eye level.
Once your breath returns, the heights call: Sacsayhuamán and its hundred-tonne blocks fitted to the millimetre overlook the city twenty minutes on foot, extended by Q'enqo, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay along the Pisac road. Come evening, the San Pedro market's juice stalls and Cusco's dining scene (novoandina cuisine, from reinvented guinea pig to high-altitude ceviche) make peace with the temperature that plummets at nightfall.
Don't miss
- The Qorikancha, Temple of the Sun with Inca foundations beneath the colonial church
- Sacsayhuamán at sunset, when the giant blocks catch fire
- The San Blas quarter, its artisan workshops and rooftop viewpoints
- San Pedro market early morning: fruit juices, highland cheeses and real local life
Our tips on the ground
- Arrive via Cusco but sleep lower if you can: the Sacred Valley (2,800 m) is a far better acclimatisation chamber — many head straight to Ollantaytambo on landing and save Cusco for the end.
- The boleto turístico (~130 soles, 10 days) is near-unavoidable: it bundles Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Moray — no point buying the sites one by one.
- Don't drive inside Cusco: one-way lanes, kamikaze taxis and scarce parking. Collect the rental car on the day you leave for the valley.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Peru on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Cusco
How do you handle altitude sickness in Cusco?
Soroche strikes athletes and couch-dwellers alike: for the first two days, walk slowly, eat light, zero alcohol, plenty of water and coca-leaf tea. If headaches persist beyond 48 hours or worsen, go down — the Sacred Valley, 600 m lower, works wonders. Preventive acetazolamide is a conversation to have with your doctor before departure.
How long should you plan for Cusco itself?
Two full days cover the city and the four nearby ruins, but Cusco is the logistical hub of the whole region: most travellers return between the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and the Puno road. Plan it as two short visits rather than one long one — and keep an evening for a good novoandino restaurant.