Discover Cusco: The Capital of the Inca Empire
Cusco. A mysterious, mountainous city hidden deep within the Andes. If you are going to Peru, you will most likely find yourself walking the streets of this ancient place at some point during your trip. In fact, with more than 1.5 million visitors each year, Cusco continues to be the main tourist hub in all of Peru, largely thanks to its strategic location close to breathtaking archeological and natural wonders. Of these, the most famous is of course the legendary Machu Picchu, but the area around Cusco is indeed densely packed with tourist attractions such as the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the ancient town of Ollantaytambo, the Rainbow Mountain or the Humantay Lagoon. However, did you know that Cusco in itself is quite an attraction? Indeed, as the former capital of the Incan empire and with a history that goes back more than 3000 years, it is safe to say that this city will not leave you bored. Don’t believe us? Then have a look at this list we have compiled of some of the many things you can do during your stay and discover Cusco.
Explore the architecture of Cusco on a free walking tour
Cusco is a lovely mix of ancient Incan architecture and buildings from the later Spanish rule. We therefore highly recommend doing one of the free walking tours offered by various tourist companies. Starting from the Plaza de Armas, the main square in Cusco, these will take you for an enjoyable walk around the center to discover Cusco stopping at noteworthy architectural sights as well as the mysterious Twelve Angle Stone.
Visit Sacsayhuaman and enjoy the view over Cusco
A 30 minutes’ walk from the center of Cusco will take you to Sacsayhuaman – a pre-Incan, UNESCO-listed archeological site. You can easily spend an afternoon exploring this fascinating site and conveniently combine it with a visit to the nearby Christ statue from which you will get spectacular views over the city of Cusco.
Go market shopping
A great way to try out local food and products of the Andean region is to visit one of Cusco’s markets. The most popular of these is the San Pedro market, which is located only a few minutes’ walk from the Plaza de Armas. Here, you can try out a wide variety of exotic fruits in delicious smoothies, purchase alpaca sweaters and ponchos or try out a range of delicious Peruvian dishes.
Go museum hopping
Because of its fascinating archeological and cultural history, Cusco has no shortage of museums. Indeed, whether your main interest is exploring the Incan history in the Museo Inka, ancient Peruvian art in Museo de Arte Precolombino, modern Andean artwork in Museo de Art Contemporáneo or the history of the coca plant in Museo de la Coca, you can easily spend several days touring the many museums in the city.
Enjoy the culinary scene and nightlife
Peru is crowned as the best culinary destination in all of South America, and it is not hard to understand why. With a fascinating cuisine influenced by countries as far away as Japan, you simply have to try out its many exotic dishes such as ceviche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina, cuy (guinea pig). All of these can be ordered in the many restaurants scattered around the center of Cusco. And if eating is not enough for you, you will be happy to hear that Cusco is likewise home to a great nightlife scene with bars being packed literally every day of the week.
