AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN CUSCO
There is no shortage of things to do in Cusco, the lovely cobblestone city located in the center of Peru.
With an altitude of 3,600 meters high (11,811ft), I recommend you spend a few days in the city exploring it before attempting to do any of the hikes, which are at a higher altitude than the city. I especially recommend this if you come from an altitude near sea level.
When visiting Cusco, my friend and I started with the easy activities first and left the harder ones last.
In reality, Cusco is just a base city for all the popular hikes in the country, but everything is actually a bit far from the city itself. Most tours will last all day long because driving distances take a while. However, all the tour shuttles leave from the city, and there is an abundance of options for picking a tour company.
Awesome Things To Do In Cusco
Table of Contents
Booking A Tour In Cusco
The best thing you can do is shop for prices when you arrive at Cusco. However, I recommend you do not book your tours online ahead of time. They cost double and sometimes triple the price. When I would see those prices online, I thought Cusco would turn out to be very expensive. However, after leaving Peru, I felt the tours I booked while in the city were quite cheap and included a lot for the price.
Most of the tours will include transportation, breakfast, lunch, and a guide. Most of them average about 70 soles and only exclude the entrance charge you pay when you arrive. To me, that’s a pretty good deal. I booked my tours with Machu Picchu Sol and Ms. Teresa gave us some great deals.
Although you can do some of these things on your own to save money by taking a local bus or taxi, we found the prices so low that we chose the convenience of having it all, transportation and food included.
This is the itinerary we followed while in the city:
- Day 1: Land in Cusco
- Day 2: Explore Cusco in the morning and Afternoon ATV Tour
- Day 3: Sacred Valley Tour (Pisac, Chincheras, Ollaytantambo)
- Day 4: Machu Picchu
- Day 5: Machu Picchu
- Day 6: Explore Cusco/Rest
- Day 7: Lake Humantay
- Day 8: Explore Cusco/Rest
- Day 9: Rainbow Mountain
- Day 10: Explore Cusco/ATV Tour Balcon del Diablo
- Day 11: Cusco City
- Day 12: Cusco City
- Day 13: Laguna de 7 Colores
- Day 14: Cusco/Massage/Overnight bus to Arequipa
Things to Do In Cusco
1. ATV Tour
Let me start with one of the activities I enjoyed a lot. The ATV tour is actually quite fun. It is probably the easiest to start with, considering you won’t be doing much walking. You’ll be riding and having fun. This tour is also the shortest, meaning you won’t leave at 4 am and return at 10 pm. Actually, you choose to go on the morning 8 am tour or the 1 pm tour.
We chose the afternoon tour, which took us to Salineras de Maras and then to ride the ATV. If you want to see Moray Ruins, you must pay an extra ticket that gives special access to the ruins.
Unfortunately, few people chose to add Moray Ruins because the ticket is an extra 70 soles, so we ended up being the only two on our tour who drove our ATVs to the ruins. The other people got to ride in the area near Salineras de Maras.
The tour was amazing because beautiful snowy mountains surrounded us. One was Nevado Chicon, and the other was Nevado Victoria. Seeing their beauty surround us was probably the highlight of driving the ATVs.
2. Salineras de Maras
Salineras de Maras is an activity you can do independently, but we visited it as part of the ATV tour. Maras is a town located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It’s only 40 kilometers from Cusco and is mainly known for its salt ponds. The salt from these salt ponds comes from underground streams.
The workers who run these ponds harvest the salt when it is ready. Much of it is sold nearby. Since 2019, tourists are no longer allowed to walk by the salt ponds due to contamination, but you can still view them from above.
3. Moray Ruins
We visited the Moray Ruins as part of the ATV tour, but as I mentioned above, we had to pay an extra 70 soles entrance fee since it’s an archeological site. The 70 soles are part of a ticket that allows entrances to four Sacred Valley sites and is valid for 2 consecutive days.
The full ticket includes entrance to 16 sites and at 130 soles. We only got the limited pass. Moray is near Salineras de Maras, and to get there, we drove the ATV that was part of the tour.
The Moray site consists of circular terraces that are believed to be used for farming by the Incas. The different levels create different temperatures; therefore, the Incas grew crops according to their needs. We thought this site was quite cool, and we especially loved the views from this area.
4. Sacred Valley Tour
There are many different options for the Sacred Valley Tour, but we took the one with the three sites included in our archeological ticket. The tour started with a stop at a viewpoint, and then it went to Pisac. After Pisac, it stopped in the city at a jewelry store to show us the process of creating it.
We then went to lunch, followed to Ollantaytambo, which we loved, and it ended with the town of Chinchero, where they took us to learn the process of making handcrafted clothing. Below, I’ll share about three of the sites we saw.
5. Pisac
Pisac is actually the most popular destination of the Sacred Valley. It has become the hippie town where many backpackers choose to stay a few days. This small Andean city is a traditional community that offers visitors the chance to see how textiles are made. There is souvenir shopping, and the views of Inca ruins in the mountains are beautiful.
Then, you also have the ruins, which is one of the main reasons visitors stop by. The architecture of the Incas is something to admire. They built the ruins on the side of the mountains with a view of the canyon and the town down below. This site has lots of history, and it was definitely a nice place to visit.
6. Ollantaytambo
Also part of the Sacred Valley Tour, Ollantaytambo quickly became one of my favorite sites near Cusco. The town and the ruins are both absolutely stunning. The ruins had many steps to get to the top, but once we reached the summit, we had incredible views of the landscape all around.
The history behind it is rich, but mainly the terraces (or the fortress known as Temple Hill) were built for religious purposes. However, years later, these fortresses once helped the Inca defeat the Spanish. Although years later, the Spanish conquistadores were able to capture the area.
Ollantaytambo is famous for Temple Hill, where the train to Aguascalientes to visit Machu Picchu leaves from. It is also the starting point of the popular Inca Trail Hike that goes to Machu Picchu.
7. Chinchero
This small town of Chinchero that sits at 3,762 m above sea level (15,623 ft), is mainly known for its textile, and you can visit it to get a tour and see the Peruvian weaving.
However, the town also has ruins nearby that are believed to have been used for farming and agricultural practices by the Incas. Today, the land is used to produce potatoes, fava beans, quinoa, and other products sold at the local markets.
There is a colonial church built on the plaza near the ruins. My favorite part was the weaving demonstration where ladies dressed in traditional clothes taught us the process while we drank coca tea they gave us to keep warm while they spoke.
8. Machu Picchu
That bucket list dream item many of us want to cross of finally got checked off on my mental list of places I wanted to visit. It’s not just the hype. It truly is a stunning view and place you have to see once in your lifetime.
You can do Machu Picchu in various ways. You can go on a two-day tour that includes a one-night stay in Aguascalientes, or you can get there yourself and decide how many days to stay in Aguascalientes. The other mountains that surround Machu Picchu are absolutely stunning and one that you should see!
9. Lake Humantay
I think Lake Humantay was one of my favorite sceneries in the district of Cusco. This gorgeous blue lake surrounded by glacier mountains was a treat to the eye. It’s one of those places that looks unreal and leaves you breathless because of its beauty.
It is located at 4,200 meters above sea level (13,779 ft), therefore hiking it can be challenging. The first 20 percent of the hike is fairly flat, but the other 80 percent is a steep uphill climb. The hike can take up to two hours, but every gasp of air and breathlessness will be well worth it when you look out into the lake.
10. Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley
This is the mountain I was most proud of conquering! Sitting at 5,200 meters above sea level (17,060 ft), this mountain is no joke! Compare that to the Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal that sits at 5,362m (17,598 ft). That’s seriously mind-blowing to me!
The hike itself is quite easy, with only the last 10% being steep. But it’s the altitude of the mountain that you can feel while hiking. We had to take short 1-2 minute breaks every 5-10 minutes. Our hearts would race, and our breathing got harder with every step.
The reward, however, comes when you reach the top and look out into the beauty of the rainbow-colored mountain and all the other mountains surrounding it.
If you are up for the challenge, you can add the Red Valley to your tour. The Red Valley requires you to walk a bit further on another challenging trail. Once again, the other challenge will be the altitude. But it’s absolutely worth it to go the extra way if you can. To see mountains so red is quite incredible.
11. 7 Lagunas de Ausangate
Another challenging but stunning hike is the 7 Lagoons of Ausangate. The trail is fairly easy, with only a few minutes of an uphill climb. What makes it hard are two things; the altitude and the distance you walk.
After a long drive from Cusco, you eat breakfast and then begin the approximately 5-hour hike through a beautiful trail with stunning views of the mountain range all around.
On the hike, we saw 7 lagoons as well as Andean birds, alpacas, llamas, and vizcachas. The tour ended with lunch and a stop at the hot springs. The highest altitude is about 5,850 meters above sea level (15,912 ft). Therefore make sure you are prepared for this hike.
12. Inca Trail
Well known as one of the most beautiful trails on Earth, the Inca Trail is most famously known for leading you to Machu Picchu. This hike takes you through the Sacred Valley of the Incas and lasts 4 days.
It is the perfect choice for those who like a challenge and enjoys hiking strenuous paths. I’ve met other travelers who have done it and absolutely loved it.
13. Salkantay Trail
An alternative to the Inca trail and at a lower price but equally beautiful is the Salkantay Trail. This trail is famous among backpackers who want to walk for several days until arriving at Machu Picchu. I heard many great things about it from friends who hiked this trail.
What they loved most was seeing the beautiful glacier landscapes that surrounded them. You can go on tours that are 4 or 5 days according to your needs. I didn’t get to hike this trail, but some of the above locations are where they stop.
14. Explore Cusco City
Because Cusco is the base city of all these tours, why not take some time to explore it? In fact, I recommend you spend the first couple of days exploring as you acclimatize to the altitude.
The cobblestone streets, the red rooftop, and the historic buildings make this city so picturesque and enjoyable to explore. There are many things to do within the touristy city center and San Blas district. So make sure to set aside a bit of time to see it.
Where To Stay In Cusco
The Cusco touristy area is small, so staying in the city center or in the district of San Blas will both be great choices. They are within walking distance of each other. The center will be flatter walking-wise and is surrounded by local shops and restaurants. In San Blas, you have social hostels and all the trendy shops and restaurants.
I stayed in both and actually preferred the flat surface in the center because trust me, walking the hills of Cusco is extremely tiring after a long day of walking on the tours. In San Blas, I stayed at Eco Home View Guest House and really enjoyed their rooftop breakfast restaurant.
In the center, I stayed at Kokopelli Hostel and enjoyed the social atmosphere they create. This wasn’t necessarily a party hostel, but definitely a social one. This is great for making friends, but also getting your sleep. In Cusco, you want to be well-rested before those early hikes. So stay where it’s best for you.
My Favorites Travel Pack Items For Cusco
Travel Booking Resources
Book Your Flight:
To find cheap flights, check Skyscanner and Google Flights. These search engines check airlines to find you the best deals. The more flexibility you have, the better flight deals available.
Book Your Accommodation:
Booking.com is my favorite booking site for hotels but it also shows great deals on hostels and apartments. Plus, when you reach Genius Level, you get special discounts, included breakfasts, and upgrades on some hotel rooms. Hostelworld is specifically for budget travelers who enjoy hostels. This is the best place for finding great options.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance and Visa Applications:
Travel insurance will protect you against theft, injury, illness, and cancellations. Sometimes unexpected things happen during a trip and protections will keep you covered. Two great options are: Safety Wing and World Nomads. Also, iVisa can help you get a visa if you need one.
Book Tours:
Sometimes the best way to see a place is through tours. I recommend checking out Get Your Guide for some fun and unique adventures wherever you go.
Check out my other travel resources to help you book your trip!
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