City of Cuzco

The 1950 earthquake that struck Cusco at magnitude 7.0 did something the Spanish had spent four centuries trying to prevent: it collapsed the colonial masonry of the Church of Santo Domingo and exposed the Inca walls underneath. The structure that emerged was not ruins but something close to intact, a precisely fitted stone interior that had absorbed centuries of seismic activity without mortar while the Spanish construction above it crumbled. The walls of Qorikancha, the most sacred temple of the Inca Empire, had outlasted the architecture built to replace them. The earthquake was a disaster for the city, but archaeologically it was the most instructive event in modern Andean history.

Cusco sits at 3,399 metres (11,150 feet) above sea level in the southern Peruvian Andes. UNESCO inscribed the city in 1983, recognising the layered result of two great architectural traditions occupying the same streets: Inca stonework foundations topped by Spanish colonial buildings, the full historical overlay still legible in a walk across the historic centre.

Altitude

Altitude sickness (soroche) affects a significant proportion of visitors, including those who are otherwise healthy and fit. The standard medical advice is to spend at least 24 to 48 hours in Cusco doing very little before any strenuous activity. Fly in, check in, drink coca tea (widely available in any cafe or from hotel reception), eat lightly, and do not attempt Sacsayhuaman or a long walking day on your first afternoon. Alcohol should be avoided for the first 48 hours. If symptoms beyond mild headache appear (persistent nausea, confusion, difficulty breathing at rest), descent to a lower elevation is the only reliable treatment; acetazolamide (Diamox) can help but requires a prescription and is best obtained before travel.

Sacsayhuaman, the Inca fortress north of the historic centre, sits at 3,700 metres, several hundred metres higher than the Plaza de Armas. The walk up from the centre takes around 40 minutes and feels considerably harder than the elevation gain suggests if you are not acclimatised.

The Inca Sites

Qorikancha is the essential starting point. Pachacuti, the Inca emperor who built the empire into its full extent in the 15th century, constructed the Temple of the Sun here as the axis of Inca cosmology. At its height it held gold sheets on its walls, golden statues, and a garden of gold and silver plants. The Spanish removed everything portable in 1533. What remained was the stonework: curved walls of perfectly fitted granite blocks, each shaped individually with stone tools to interlock without mortar, and assembled to flex rather than crack under seismic stress. The Dominican Convent of Santo Domingo was built on and around the existing structure, and the 1950 earthquake revealed exactly which parts had survived: the Inca walls, intact. Entry to Qorikancha and the adjoining museum costs approximately S/.15 (around $4 USD). Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 08:30 to 17:30, Sunday 14:00 to 17:00.

Sacsayhuaman is a fortress or possibly a ceremonial centre, and serious archaeologists argue about the distinction. The stones in its outermost walls weigh up to 300 tonnes and were transported from quarries up to 15 kilometres away. The largest stone on the site stands 8.5 metres high. How the Inca moved and fitted stones of this size without wheeled transport or iron tools remains a genuine engineering question. Entry is covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico), which costs S/.130 (around $35 USD) for a partial ticket covering the main city circuit or S/.70 for a day ticket covering Sacsayhuaman alone. The site is open daily from 07:00 to 18:00. Go early: by 10:00 the site fills with tour groups and the altitude + sun combination becomes tiring.

The 12-Angled Stone on Hatunrumiyoc Street is in the Inca wall along the street itself, not inside a building. The stone has twelve sides, each fitted precisely against eleven neighbours with no mortar and no gap you can slide a sheet of paper through. The street is often crowded; early morning before 08:00 is when you can actually examine it without being jostled.

Cusco Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas was built between 1559 and 1654 on the foundations of the palace of Inca Viracocha. Entry costs approximately S/.25 (around $7 USD). The interior holds over 400 pieces of colonial religious art and a celebrated painting of the Last Supper in which the disciples are eating cuy (guinea pig) and drinking chicha. Photography is not permitted inside.

Machu Picchu from Cusco

Machu Picchu is not in Cusco but every visitor to Cusco goes. The logistics require advance planning:

Entry tickets must be purchased separately through the official Peruvian Ministry of Culture platform (tuboleto.cultura.pe). Tickets sell in timed circuits and the popular 06:00 to 12:00 circuit sells out weeks or months ahead during high season (June to August). Do not arrive at Aguas Calientes assuming you can buy a ticket on the day.

The train from Cusco involves either a bus or taxi to Poroy station (or preferably a shared taxi to Ollantaytambo, which gives a more interesting journey and shorter train ride). Round-trip train from Ollantaytambo with PeruRail or Inca Rail starts around $80 for economy class; the mid-range Vistadome service runs around $140 to $180 return and has panoramic roof windows. The trip from Ollantaytambo takes around 1.5 hours. From Aguas Calientes, a shuttle bus runs to the site entrance (around $12 return); it is also possible to walk up on a steep path in 30 to 45 minutes.

The alternative to train is the Inca Trail, a four-day guided trek that must be booked months in advance (permits are limited to 500 people per day including guides and porters). The Salkantay Trek is a longer, less regulated alternative that covers similar terrain and can be booked with less advance notice.

Food

Cusco’s food scene rewards exploring beyond the Plaza de Armas tourist corridor. Chicha (Av. Regocijo 261, run by chef Gastón Acurio’s group) serves modern Andean cuisine using local ingredients including purple corn, quinoa, and cuy in preparations that are genuinely interesting rather than performatively indigenous. Budget around S/.80 to S/.100 (around $25) per person for a full meal.

Mercado San Pedro is the local market where Cusco actually shops. The breakfast section on the upper floor serves plates of stewed meat, rice, and soup to market workers from around 05:00. A full breakfast costs S/.5 to S/.8. Go before 09:00 for the most genuine atmosphere; after 10:00 the tourist tour groups arrive and the experience changes.

Traditional Cusquenian dishes worth trying: cuy (roasted guinea pig, served whole, a festive dish with a flavour between rabbit and duck), chupe de camarones (prawn chowder from the southern coast, available in Cusco restaurants), chicha de jora (fermented corn beer, mildly alcoholic, served in ceramic cups at local chicherias), and rocoto relleno (stuffed rocoto pepper, a Arequipa dish that has migrated across the region).

Getting Around

The historic centre is compact and walkable. Taxis from the airport (about 10 minutes) cost a fixed S/.10 to S/.15 agreed in advance. Within the centre, walking is faster than taxis in congested periods. Combis (shared minibuses) cover routes to Sacsayhuaman and the Sacred Valley and cost S/.1 to S/.3; ask at your accommodation for the correct stop.

The Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero) is accessible by shared taxi from the Cusco terminal terrestre or with organised day tours. Pisac’s Sunday market is the most visited; the less crowded Chinchero market on Sunday mornings has better prices and a more local atmosphere.

Practical Notes

Currency: Peruvian Sol (PEN). ATMs are widespread in the historic centre; street exchange offices (“casas de cambio”) offer competitive rates for USD. Most tourist-facing businesses accept USD but give change in soles.

Safety: Pickpocketing is common in the San Pedro market, on the Plaza de Armas, and around Sacsayhuaman. Keep cash distributed across pockets and bags; leave your passport in the hotel safe and carry a photocopy. The streets between the Plaza de Armas and San Blas are generally safe during daylight; walking alone at night in unfamiliar areas is not recommended.

Seasonal timing: Dry season (May to October) has sunny days and cold nights (temperatures drop to near freezing after dark). Wet season (November to April) brings afternoon rain most days but significantly fewer tourists and greener landscapes. July is the peak month: the Inti Raymi festival on 24 June draws large crowds, the Machu Picchu permits sell out months ahead, and prices rise. If avoiding crowds is a priority, May and September are the best months in the dry season.

The one thing worth knowing before you go: Cusco is not a city you can do quickly. The altitude imposes a pace on the first day or two regardless of your intentions, and fighting it makes the experience worse. The city rewards staying still: the light in the Plaza de Armas at dawn, before the tour buses arrive, is reason enough to take a slow morning.