Peru
Cusco
Take two to three days here to acclimatize: colonial center and Inca walls, San Blas cafés, and the ruins above town. Below: 5 sights, 3 places to eat and 1 bar or café, plus how Cusco fits into a longer trip.
- Places
- 9
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- May – Sep
- Warmest month
- November
- Coolest month
- April
- Wettest month
- December
5 See · 3 Eat · 1 Drink
Cusco & Machu Picchu
from our route notes
18°C / 64°F avg high
16°C / 60°F avg high
about 137 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Cusco
9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
5 sights worth building a day around across Centro Histórico and San Blas. 2 of them are free.
Photo: Renzo Gabriel · GoogleSeePlaza de Armas
Main square framed by the Cathedral and La Compañía church, built over the Inca plaza.
Photo: PoolPs · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeCusco Cathedral
16th-century cathedral with Cusco School paintings, including a Last Supper with guinea pig.
Photo: A T · Google
Photo: GERARDO RODRIGUEZ · Google
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeSacsayhuamán
Inca fortress of massive fitted stones above the city; covered by the tourist ticket.
Tip Walk up from San Cristóbal church; go slow at altitude.
Eat
Where we would book a table in Cusco across San Pedro and Centro Histórico.
Photo: Leonardo Leoncini · GoogleEatMercado Central de San Pedro
Cusco's main market for fruit juices, soups, breads and local produce.
Tip Juice stalls are best; watch your bag.
Photo: Cicciolina · GoogleEatCicciolina
Long-running upstairs restaurant and tapas bar blending Peruvian and Mediterranean cooking.
Tip Book ahead for dinner.
Photo: Jacky Zhu · GoogleEatChicha por Gastón Acurio
Gastón Acurio's Cusco restaurant for regional Andean dishes in a colonial building.
Drink
Our picks for a drink in Cusco in Centro Histórico.
Photo: Andre Lucas Ribeiro · Google
How to fit Cusco into a trip
Cusco is stop 1 of 3 on our Cusco & Machu Picchu route. Follow it as-is or lift Cusco into your own plan.
Stop 1 of 3
Cusco & Machu Picchu
Inca stonework, Andean markets & the lost city
- Trip length
- 7 days
- Best season
- May – Sep
- Pace
- challenging
- Next: Sacred Valley
Getting here and onward
- Cusco to Sacred ValleySacred Valley is about 25 km / 16 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Cusco month by month
Average daily highs run from 16°C / 60°F in April to 18°C / 64°F in November. December is the wettest month, with about 137 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan16° / 61°F average high
- Feb16° / 61°F average high
- Mar16° / 61°F average high
- Apr16° / 60°F average high
- May16° / 60°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jun16° / 60°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul16° / 61°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug17° / 62°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep17° / 63°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct17° / 63°F average high
- Nov18° / 64°F average high
- Dec17° / 62°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Cusco weather and the best time to visit →
Near Cusco
2 other destinations from our guides within about 100 km (62 mi), measured in a straight line.
Cusco questions, answered
How many days do you need in Cusco?
Our route notes suggest 2–3 days in Cusco. On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route it is stop 1 of 3 in a 7-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 12 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Cusco best known for?
Take two to three days here to acclimatize: colonial center and Inca walls, San Blas cafés, and the ruins above town. Standouts on our list: Plaza de Armas (Main square framed by the Cathedral and La Compañía church, built over the Inca plaza); Cusco Cathedral (16th-century cathedral with Cusco School paintings, including a Last Supper with guinea pig); Qorikancha (Inca Sun Temple with precise stonework inside the Santo Domingo convent).
When is the best time to visit Cusco?
Our Cusco & Machu Picchu route is best May – Sep. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in November (18°C / 64°F), the coolest in April (16°C / 60°F) and the most rain in December (about 137 mm).
What are the best things to do in Cusco?
Start with Plaza de Armas, Cusco Cathedral, Qorikancha, San Blas and Sacsayhuamán. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 5 sights, 3 places to eat and 1 bar or café.
Where should a group eat in Cusco?
Our picks: Mercado Central de San Pedro; Cicciolina (Centro Histórico); Chicha por Gastón Acurio (Centro Histórico). Juice stalls are best; watch your bag (Mercado Central de San Pedro).
What is near Cusco?
The closest destinations in our guides are Sacred Valley (about 25 km / 16 mi) and Machu Picchu (about 75 km / 46 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Cusco with your crew
Open the Cusco & Machu Picchu route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.