Useful Information When Visiting Cusco

With Machu Picchu being one of the biggest draws to visiting Peru, almost everyone visits Cusco which makes it a great place to explore, eat, shop, party and complete your Peruvian experience. After traveling through Peru for almost two months, we concluded Cusco is a great place to end any Peruvian travel itinerary (without forgetting about a relaxing experience at Lake Titicaca afterward). Cusco would also be a great place to begin a journey in Peru, but we liked how the temples, museums and culture built up to a grand finale to Machu Picchu and other important Incan sites. In this post, find the best ways to explore ancient sites, natural wonders, shop and of course eating recommendations.

Cusco and the Tourist Ticket

The tourist ticket is pass that gets visitors into over a dozen sites around the Sacred Valley region. If you get anything from this post, it's this piece of advice, buy the tourist tickets. This ticket has 16 all inclusive sites that costs 130 SOL that expires after 10 days of purchase. It saves tourists from overpaying and sets them up for easy planning on their Cusco adventure. Most of the sites sell entry passes, but not all sell the actual ticket, so you can purchase them at Boleto Turístico Cusco, located in Cusco. Sites on the ticket can be accessed through taxi, tuktuk, public bus services and fun tours like four wheeling!

Sites on the ticket include

1. Saqsayhuaman

2. Q'enqo

3. Puka Pukara

4. Tambomachay

5. Pisaq

6. Ollantaytambo

7. Moray

8. Chinchero

9. Tipón

10. Pikillaqta

11. Monumento a Pachacuteq

12. Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo

13. Museo de Sitio Qorikancha

14. Museo de Arte Popular

15. Museo de Arte Conemporáneo

16. Museo Histórico Regional

While all the sites on the Cusco tourist ticket are worth visiting, we understand that not everyone has time to see them all, and you may have to pick and choose which sites you make it to. Below we have listed what we think are the top sites on the ticket, and the ones you should focus on if your time is limited.

Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo in our opinion is a must-see. This is a large Incan fortress with massive stone terraces. It is probably the most famous ruin in the area after Machu Picchu and you will probably see images of it everywhere around Cusco or on the internet as you are doing your research. The town of Ollantaytambo is worth a visit in itself with beautiful cobbled streets and a charming plaza. There is a secondary ruin on the hillside across from the main site. It is a steep uphill climb to reach it, but this means that it has far less people visiting, so prepare to have the entire place to yourself. Ollantaytambo is a bit farther away than most of the other sites, but still easily accessible by public transport from Cusco. Between the town, ruins, and transportation, plan for a full day excursion to Ollantaytambo.

Tambomachay - Puca Pucara - Sacsayhuaman - Qenqo

Photos coming soon!

These four sites are conveniently located close together, and not far from Cusco. It is possible to travel to the farthest one, Tambomachay, and then walk back to Cusco via the other three sites. The walk is 9-10 km and mostly downhill heading back to the historic center. You can access Tambomachay through public transport, just hop on a bus or collectivo heading to Pisac and tell the driver where you want to be let off. Alternatively, the site is close enough that a taxi or rideshare app shouldn't be too expensive either.

Pisac

Another large Incan fortress situated high up on a hilltop offering beautiful views of the whole valley and town below. The path leading up to the ruins from town will bring you past more agricultural terraces of very impressive size. This quaint town is similar to Ollantaytambo with its lovely cobblestone streets. It is also known for it's handicraft market in the plaza. The site is situated fairly close to Cusco and can be visited in a half day, as there is frequent public transport.

Visiting Machu Picchu

An experience unlike any other, Machu Picchu is definitely worth all the hype. We've learned about different tour options through personal experiences and through trustworthy friends to help discover the best way for others to visit this world famous site. There are many different options which can make booking an excursion overwhelming, so we invite you to read Choosing a Machu Picchu Tour to determine the best way for you to visit this natural wonder.

A Better Way to Visit Rainbow Mountain

Rainbow Mountain is a popular tour excursion from Cusco, but we did not take this tour from Cusco and I'm glad we didn't. We actually spent a night in Checaupe which is much closer to Rainbow Mountain and is a convenient stopover for travelers going to Puno. For a small group, we think this is the best and most affordable way to see Rainbow Mountain. Most tours from Cusco bring people to the mountain in the morning, so any visitor going in the late afternoon will find that there are far fewer or even no lines to the overlook. While the evening is the most ideal time to visit, visiting Rainbow Mountain from Checacupe requires flexibility and patience while planning.

Checacupe is by no means a luxury town with only a few restaurants, guesthouses, and taxi drivers. When booking accommodation, we recommend staying near the town square to easily access taxi drivers. After some advice from our guesthouse host, we were able to find a taxi at the town square. We met a very nice man who took us all the way to the mountain and back for a reasonable price (a little negotiation required). Overall, our experience was favorable compared to taking a long and expensive day tour, but did require more planning.

Visit the Maras Salt Falts

Maras is an incredible area of salt farms that have been in use since Incan times, and are now owned by local families around the Sacred Valley Region. A natural salt spring feeds each field, the water evaporates away, and the caretakers scrape salt from the surface. Small gift shops sell bags of salt and spices for fun souvenirs for those who like to cook. Visiting the salt flats does not take very long, so pair it with other activities like four wheeling or jump on a tour. If you decide to four wheel, some tours take guests to the Moray site which is on the tourist ticket. It is thought that this site was used as an experimental ground for different agricultural techniques and contains some very unique terraces.

The Cuy Capital

Photos coming soon!

Visit Tipon, Chocquepata which is known for its enigmatic Incan ruins and delicious, roasted rodents. Locals here have immense pride for being the cuy capital of the world, and will give some of the most friendly dining services in Peru. This quaint town has a dozen or so restaurants serving cuy, making it our top recommendation for sampling some guinea pigs.

Cusco Markets

There are several markets in Cusco, with the San Pedro Market being a personal favorite. Other markets include, Feria Artensanal De Productors El Márquez San Fransico, Centro Artesanal Cusco, and Mercado de Ttio. The market contains a large variety of genuine Peruvian goods at a fairly reasonable price. It also has local food stands throughout the center of the market, so it's a great place for a lunch or a snack. See our post Best Tourist Markets in Peru to view our favorite markets throughout the country.

Bars in Cusco

Last but not least, the section of this post we know you want to read about. Cusco has a really fun bar scene. Bars are located just north of the Plaza Mayor de Cusco. From casual drinks, live music with locals, to several clubs, this area of Cusco draws in the night life. We found that some nights are more geared toward Latin American dancing and others are pop or reggaetone. We recommend popular bar called Chango Club Cusco, which has a variety of DJs depending on the night.