Updated Date:
Author: Yapa Explorers Editorial Team
Quick Summary: Cusco is one of the most historically rich cities in South America, and most travelers only see a fraction of it. This guide covers the best things to do in Cusco before or after your Machu Picchu trip — from free walks and colonial architecture to Sacred Valley day trips and high-altitude hikes — with honest advice on sequencing activities around altitude so you actually feel good while doing them.
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Most travelers treat Cusco as a staging post: arrive, acclimatise, rush to Machu Picchu, leave. That’s understandable — Machu Picchu is the headline — but it means missing a city that is extraordinary in its own right. Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire, the largest empire ever to exist in the Americas at its height, controlling territory from present-day Colombia to Chile. The city’s layered history — Inca foundations overlaid with Spanish colonial architecture, with Quechua culture still very much alive underneath it all — gives it a depth that reveals itself slowly, not in one rushed afternoon.
Cusco sits at 3,399 metres above sea level. That altitude is the one logistical reality that should shape everything. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 1–2 days of acclimatisation at moderate altitude before strenuous activity. In practice, that means your first day or two in Cusco should be light: city walks, markets, museums, and relaxed meals — not Rainbow Mountain. That’s not a waste of time. It’s what makes the rest of the trip physically enjoyable.
Altitude logic should drive your Cusco itinerary more than anything else. Here is the sequence that works:
The Sacred Valley sits 400–600 metres lower than Cusco. Spending Day 3 there while your body continues adjusting to the altitude is not just logistically smart — it’s one of the best days you’ll have in Peru.
Cusco’s historic centre is genuinely walkable and rewards slow exploration more than any tour can. The Plaza de Armas — the main square — is the hub: colonial arcades, the Cathedral, the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, and street life that runs from early morning to late evening. It’s best in the early morning before tour groups arrive, and in the golden-hour afternoon light.
The Cusco Cathedral is one of the most culturally layered buildings in Peru. Built directly over the Inca palace of Viracocha and completed in 1654, it took 100 years to construct and contains one of the most remarkable collections of colonial-era religious art in South America, including the famous “Last Supper of Cusco” painting by Marcos Zapata — in which Christ and his disciples are eating cuy (guinea pig) and chicha (corn beer). Even if colonial churches aren’t normally your thing, this one earns the visit.
San Blas is the neighbourhood above the Plaza de Armas: narrow cobblestone lanes, art workshops, small cafés with rooftop terraces, and the finest viewpoints over the city’s red-tiled rooftops. Go slowly, take breaks, and don’t expect to rush it — the hills are real at this altitude.
If you only have time for one paid site in the city, make it Qorikancha. The Temple of the Sun was the most important religious structure in the entire Inca Empire — its walls were once covered in gold sheets, and its main courtyard contained a life-sized golden garden. Spanish colonisers stripped the gold and built the Convento de Santo Domingo directly over the Inca foundations, which remain perfectly preserved underneath. The architectural contrast — tight-fitting Inca stonework versus Spanish baroque construction — is one of the most visually striking layerings of history anywhere in South America.
Entry costs approximately 15 soles. Go in the morning. Add a café stop in the San Blas direction afterwards.
Sacsayhuamán (pronounced — and yes, this is its actual spelling — roughly “sexy woman” by most visitors, which locals find predictably amusing) is the Inca fortress complex on the hills directly above Cusco. The massive zigzag defensive walls are constructed from limestone blocks weighing up to 300 tonnes, fitted together without mortar to within millimetres of tolerance. Even after visiting Machu Picchu, these walls stop people in their tracks.
The walk up from central Cusco takes 30–45 minutes depending on your altitude adjustment. A taxi costs around 10–15 soles if the altitude hasn’t been kind. Once there, budget 2–3 hours to also walk through Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay, which are included in the Boleto Turístico (Tourist Ticket) and require only 15–20 minutes each. The panoramic views over Cusco from the upper levels of Sacsayhuamán are spectacular in both morning and afternoon light.
The Mercado de San Pedro is best visited in the morning, before the tourist souvenir section takes over the energy. The inner aisles sell fresh juices, emoliente (an herbal hot drink made with barley, flaxseed, and herbs that’s genuinely restorative at altitude), freshly baked bread, and hot meals that cost 5–10 soles. The outer sections sell textiles, alpaca goods, and souvenirs at prices that are negotiable and generally lower than the artisan markets in the historic centre.
Keep your phone and wallet secure in the crowd — the market is lively and distracted tourists are easy targets. Don’t flash cash when paying. Walk one full circuit before buying anything so you can calibrate prices.
Cusco’s museum circuit is underrated. Museo Inka (managed by the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco) contains one of the largest collections of Inca artefacts in the world: textiles, ceramics, metalwork, mummies, and the famous collection of kero cups. Casa Concha houses artefacts repatriated from Yale University’s Machu Picchu excavation collection — seeing these objects before visiting Machu Picchu itself makes the site significantly more meaningful.
Both are altitude-friendly (you’re sitting or standing inside, not climbing) and can be paired into a half-day circuit. Entry is 15–20 soles each. Pair with a coffee stop and call it your deliberate slow day.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas stretches between Cusco and Machu Picchu along the Urubamba River, sitting 400–600 metres lower than the city at around 2,800–3,000 metres above sea level. That altitude drop is meaningful for acclimatisation, and the valley itself is full of things that are genuinely impressive rather than just ticking boxes.
A well-structured Sacred Valley day includes:
Yapa Explorers runs Sacred Valley as part of the 2-Day Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley Combo, which combines the valley and Machu Picchu across two days with a maximum group of 8 people and a local guide who grew up in the region. Groups stay capped at 8 — the strictest enforced limit in the Cusco market — which means the Pisac ruins don’t feel like a crowd management exercise.
“The Sacred Valley day with our Yapa guide was honestly the highlight of the whole trip — and I say that having also been to Machu Picchu the next day. The guide knew everyone at the salt mines and explained the irrigation channels in a way that made the whole Inca water engineering click. I’ll be thinking about that day for a long time.” — SophieB_London, United Kingdom, April 2026
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) at 5,200 metres is one of the most visually spectacular day trips in South America — a ridge of striped mineral sediment in reds, yellows, greens, and purples that looks genuinely surreal. It is also genuinely high. Arriving at the viewpoint involves a 2–3 hour trek from the trailhead at roughly 4,300m, and many travellers feel the altitude acutely on the climb.
The rules for Rainbow Mountain:
For Rainbow Mountain specifically, Rainbow Mountain Travels is the specialist operator worth knowing — they focus exclusively on this trek and are well-regarded for pacing, early departures, and consistent oxygen availability.
Humantay Lake sits at approximately 4,200 metres — lower than Rainbow Mountain but still requiring acclimatisation — and rewards a half-day trek with a turquoise glacial lake set against the snow-capped Humantay glacier. It’s steep (about 45–60 minutes up from the trailhead at 3,900m) and genuinely beautiful. For travelers who want high-altitude scenery without the full Rainbow Mountain commitment, it’s the better choice.
Book as a standalone day tour from Cusco. Lead time is flexible — most operators can confirm within 24–48 hours.
Travellers who sequence Machu Picchu first and have time remaining in Cusco often make better use of it because the altitude adjustment is done and energy is higher. Good post-Machu Picchu days:
For travellers arriving overland from Lima, Peru Hop offers the most intelligent approach to the journey. The hop-on, hop-off network connects Lima, Paracas, Huacachina, Arequipa, Puno, and Cusco — with hotel pickups, bilingual hosts who share genuinely entertaining local stories (the kind you’ll be repeating for years), and curated stops at places like the Secret Slave Tunnels near El Carmen and the Nazca Lines viewing tower that public buses simply don’t include.
The practical altitude benefit: arriving in Cusco via Arequipa (2,335m) rather than flying directly from Lima (sea level) gives your body a partial acclimatisation step on the way up. You’ll feel meaningfully better on arrival day than someone who flew. Peru Hop‘s 15,000+ TripAdvisor reviews reflect a service that has genuinely earned its reputation on this route.
Public buses are cheaper and valid for travelers who speak Spanish and are comfortable with terminal logistics — but they don’t provide hotel pickups, proactive communication during disruptions, or the social atmosphere that makes the overland journey feel like part of the adventure rather than just a transit.
How many days should I spend in Cusco?
For a first-time visit that includes Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, 4–5 days in Cusco is the minimum that allows you to see the city properly and acclimatise before the big days. Five to six days is more comfortable, especially if you want to add Rainbow Mountain or spend time in the Sacred Valley independently. If you’re doing the Classic Inca Trail, the trail itself adds 4 days before your Machu Picchu arrival day, so plan your Cusco time accordingly around the trail start.
What should I do on my first day in Cusco?
Keep it genuinely light. The historic centre walk — Plaza de Armas, Qorikancha exterior, San Blas — is perfect for a first afternoon. Eat something small and early, drink coca tea (it’s served at virtually every hotel and hostel in Cusco and genuinely helps with the adjustment), and sleep early. Avoid alcohol on Day 1 — it hits harder at altitude and disrupts the sleep you need most. Your body is doing real physiological work adjusting to 3,399m, even if you feel fine on arrival. Give it the evening off.
Is Cusco safe for solo travellers?
Yes, with normal precautions. The historic centre and tourist areas are well-patrolled and generally safe in daylight. At night, keep to well-lit streets and use official taxis or ride-hailing apps rather than hailing from the street. The San Pedro Market area requires normal vigilance around your belongings. Solo travellers joining group tours like those run by Yapa Explorers consistently report that the small-group format (8 people maximum) is one of the better ways to meet fellow travelers and feel immediately settled.
What’s the best time of year to visit Cusco?
Dry season (April–October) offers the most reliable weather, the clearest skies for Rainbow Mountain, and the safest trekking conditions. June, July, and August are peak season — busiest, most expensive, and requiring the most advance planning. May and September are the sweet spot: reliably dry, better value, and less crowded than peak months. Rainy season (November–March) has significantly more cloud cover and some trail limitations but brings lush green landscapes and far fewer tourists at major sites. The Classic Inca Trail closes in February.
Can I do Cusco city sights without the Boleto Turístico?
Yes — many city attractions have individual entry. Qorikancha, the Cathedral, and San Pedro Market do not require the Boleto Turístico. The BTC is required for Sacsayhuamán and the nearby ruins circuit (Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay), plus Sacred Valley archaeological sites. If you’re doing 3+ sites that use the BTC system, buying the full circuit pass (70 soles) is usually better value than individual entries. If you’re only visiting one or two, individual entry can be simpler.
Tour pricing, site entry fees, and Boleto Turístico costs cited in this article are based on information available as of May 2026 and are subject to change by the Peruvian government and local authorities. Always verify current entry requirements and prices directly with site offices or through your tour operator before visiting. Opening hours and site conditions can vary during the rainy season and around Peruvian public holidays — check ahead if your visit falls near a national holiday date.
