15 Things to do in Cuzco Travel Guide

Many travelers to Cusco use the city as a launching pad to hike the Inca trail, visit Machu Picchu and/or explore the Sacred Valley. With so many travel options just outside of the city it is easy to forget that Cuzco has a lot to offer in and of itself. The following Cusco travel guide is our attempt to showcase what the city has to offer in terms of attractions, things to do, shopping, dining, museums and nightlife. In our opinion, you'll want to budget several days to take it all in and acclimatize to the higher altitude if you're thinking of going on hiking excursions afterwards.
Our visit Cuzco travel guide covers some of the top attractions including the best in arts, entertainment, museums, nightlife and restaurants. We also cover off-the-beaten-path activities that you won't find in your typical tourism brochure or Cusco city guide.
1) Cusco Cathedral (Viracocha) - Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin (Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus)
2) Inca Wall
3) Traditional Peruvian Folk Dance at Centro Qosqo
4) Barrio de San Blas Neighborhood
5) Artisan Market on Ave del Sol
6) Cuzco Food (Alpaca meat skewers - alpaca a la parrilla
7) Pisco Museum (Museo del Pisco)
8) Plaza de Armas (Square of the warrior)
9) Inca Museum (Museo Inka)
10) Chocolate Museum (ChocoMuseo)
11) Temple of the Sun (Qurikancha)
12) Templo de la Compañía de Jesús (Jesuit Church)
13) Cuy - eating Guinea pig for dinner
14) El Templo de la Merced del Cusco
15) Nightlife in Cusco - drinking a pisco sour
Alternate Cuzco/Cusco spelling: (Quechua: Qusqu or Qosqo)
15 Things to do in Cuzco, Peru | Top Attractions Travel Guide:
If you're planning to walk the Inca Trail or visit Machu Picchu, you'll likely end up spending at least a few days in Cuzco. With it's lively square, quirky museums, artisans markets and traditional performances, this is exactly the type of destination you'll want to linger in...plus let's not forget, it's also a good place to adjust to the altitude! The following video will showcase 15 things to do in Cuzco:
Cuzco Cathedral is a place you shouldn't miss. The cathedral sits on the site of Viracocha Inca’s palace, and it was also built using blocks from the nearby Inca site of Sacsaywamán. Inside you'll find impressive works of art done in the cuzqueña style.
In the evenings, you can go watch a traditional dance performance at Centro Qosqo.
San Blas
San Blas is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Cuzco and it is a great area to explore on foot. The neighbourhood is known for its bright blue doors and window shutters, and it has a nice little square with a church and a water fountain. The neighbourhood has some really cool lookout points with great panoramic views of Cuzco, so you'll want to bring your camera.
Plaza de Armas is the beating heart of Cuzco. The square is flanked by a Jesuit church and cathedral, and there are also plenty of bars, restaurants, and tour agencies around the perimeter. During the day you'll find locals and tourists hanging out in the square, and if you get lucky, you might just encounter a performance followed by a demonstration like we did.
The Inca Museum is one of the main museums in town and it has rooms dedicated to different periods of Inca and Spanish history. You can also see women weaving rugs and tapestries by hand in the central courtyard.
Qurikancha was an Inca temple built to the Sun God, Inti, and it is believed that the walls of this temple were once covered in sheets of gold. If the temple looks like it has various layers of construction, that's because when the Spaniards arrived, they demolished the original temple and used the foundations to build the Church of Santo Domingo on the site.
The Church of the Society of Jesus is a historic Jesuit church. It's worth a quick visit if you're in the area.
Templo de la Merced is another church located one block from Plaza de Armas, and it contains the tomb of two famous conquistadors.
And that's a wrap for Cuzco! We hope you enjoyed this video and that it showed you a few of the places you can visit while you're in the city. We recommend spending at least 3 days here, or perhaps a few more if you also want to tour the Sacred Valley. As always, if you have any other suggestions of things to do in Cuzco, feel free to share those in the comments below.
This is part of our Travel in Peru series. We're making a series of videos showcasing Peruvian culture, Peruvian arts, Peruvian foods, Peruvian religion, Peruvian cuisine and Peruvian people. All things Peruano. The best of Comida Peruana and Cocina Peruana.
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All photos and video taken by Samuel Jeffery (Nomadic Samuel) and Audrey Bergner (That Backpacker).
Music in this video courtesy of Audio Network