Cusco Travel Guide – What To See in the Ancient Inca Capital

By Javier, local guide · Updated October 2026

By Javier, local guide at Peru Local Advisor. This guide comes from the Lima–Cusco–Sacred Valley–Machu Picchu route I plan for travellers, and from the questions that come up every time: what to see first, what to skip, and how not to lose a day to altitude. Entrance prices and rules change often, so treat the figures below as approximate and confirm them at the ticket office.

Historic Centre · 3,400 m

The Plaza de Armas stands on the Inca Huacaypata, the empire's ceremonial square, and is framed by the Cathedral and the Jesuit church of La Compañía. Inside the Cathedral, look for the Cusco School paintings, including a Last Supper with roast guinea pig.

Local tip: the Cathedral has its own ticket (around S/ 40), not covered by the Boleto Turístico. Go at opening.

Temple of the Sun · Sacred Site

The most sacred temple of the Inca Empire, once covered in gold, now topped by the Santo Domingo convent. Perfectly fitted Inca walls carry colonial arches, and they survived the 1950 earthquake.

Local tip: entry is separate from the Boleto (roughly S/ 15–20). Late afternoon light is best.

Artisan Quarter · ~3,450 m

Cusco's creative quarter: steep cobbled lanes, ceramic and textile workshops, small cafés and a church with a famous carved pulpit.

Local tip: climb slowly, only after a night or two at altitude, and take a taxi back down.

Hatunrumiyoc Street · Free

In the wall of what was Inca Roca's palace, one stone locks into its neighbours on twelve angles, with no mortar. It is the quickest lesson in Inca masonry.

Local tip: it is free and always visible. Come early or after dinner, when the lane is quiet.

Local Food Market

The best place to see daily Andean life: dozens of potato varieties, fresh cheese, bread and juice counters. It is also a cheap, quick first lunch.

Local tip: go before 11 a.m., carry small bills, and skip raw salads until your stomach has adjusted.

Inca Fortress · 3,701 m

Three zigzag terraces of limestone blocks, some weighing over 100 tonnes, fit together without mortar above the city. Every 24 June it hosts the Inti Raymi festival.

Local tip: included in the Boleto (Circuit I). Taxi up, walk down, and bring a windproof layer.

Carved Sacred Rock

A limestone outcrop carved with zigzag channels, niches and an underground chamber, probably used for rituals linked to the sun and the dead.

Local tip: allow 30 minutes, and go with a guide, since signage is thin.

Inca Water Temple

Known as the Baño del Inca, it is a set of stone fountains where spring water still runs, a reminder of how sacred water was to the Incas.

Local tip: it is the coldest stop on the route, so bring a layer.

Red Fortress

Across the road from Tambomachay, this reddish-stone complex was probably a lookout and way-station on the road into Cusco.

Local tip: it is five minutes on foot from Tambomachay, so treat the two as one stop.

Inca Water Engineering

Stone terraces southeast of Cusco watered by channels and fountains that still work after more than five centuries, and far quieter than the sites above the city.

Local tip: part of Circuit II. Combine it with Pikillaqta and Andahuaylillas on a South Valley half day, and try roast cuy in Tipón village.

Inca Citadel · 2,430 m

The citadel above the Urubamba river needs planning: entry is by timed ticket and fixed circuit, with a limited stay inside. The first view of the terraces still stops people mid-sentence.

Local tip: buy the official ticket weeks ahead, especially June to early November (about S/ 150 and up for foreign adults). Take the train from Ollantaytambo and pick an early slot.

Living Inca Town · 2,790 m

A fortress of steep terraces above a town whose Inca street grid is still lived in, and the main station for trains to Machu Picchu.

Local tip: climb at opening, before the buses arrive. Sleeping here before your train saves a very early start.

Terraced Amphitheatre · ~3,500 m

Concentric circular terraces sunk into the ground, thought to have been used to test crops at different microclimates.

Local tip: it requires the Boleto (Circuit III). Stay on the paths, and pair it with Maras nearby.

Salt Pans · ~3,300 m

Thousands of small salt pans cascade down a mountainside, fed by a salty spring and still worked by local families as in Inca times.

Local tip: not in the Boleto; a small separate fee applies (roughly S/ 10–20). The dry season gives the whitest pans.

Market & Hilltop Ruins · ~2,970 m

A handicraft market in the town and an Inca citadel high on the cliffs above. At lower altitude than Cusco, it is a gentle first excursion.

Local tip: ruins first, market afterwards. The market is largest on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Weavers & Colonial Church · ~3,760 m

A high village where weaving cooperatives demonstrate natural dyes and backstrap looms, beside a colonial church built on Inca foundations.

Local tip: it sits higher than Cusco, so save it for day two or three. Included in Circuit III.

Striped Mountain · ~5,036 m

The most photographed mountain in the region is a serious full-day hike above 5,000 m. Pickups often start around 3–4 a.m., and the last climb is steep and cold.

Local tip: not before two nights at altitude. Entry is around S/ 30 for foreigners and usually included in tours.

Quieter Coloured Mountains · ~4,900 m

Palcoyo (also spelled Palccoyo) has several coloured viewpoints and a rock forest, with a shorter, gentler walk and far fewer people than Vinicunca.

Local tip: roughly a three-hour drive from Cusco, so leave early. Allow the same two acclimatisation days.

Turquoise Glacial Lake · ~4,200 m

A turquoise lake beneath a glacier, reached by a steep walk of roughly one to two hours from the Soraypampa trailhead.

Local tip: it needs two acclimatisation days. Leave before dawn to see it before the clouds roll in.

The Other Machu Picchu · ~3,035 m

A vast Inca site reached only on foot, normally a four- or five-day round trip from Cachora, with terraces hanging above the Apurímac canyon.

Local tip: best from May to September. The route closed for landslides in early 2026 and reopened in April, so confirm access with your operator.

The dry season, from May to October, has the clearest skies and the best conditions for Machu Picchu, Vinicunca and Choquequirao. June to August is peak season and the busiest, so book Machu Picchu tickets and trains early. November to April is the rainy season, greener and quieter, with a higher risk of cloud and landslides on remote routes.

Entrance prices add up quickly, and they change, so confirm them locally. As a guide: the Boleto Turístico is about S/ 130 for the general ticket or S/ 70 for a partial circuit, Machu Picchu starts around S/ 150 for foreign adults, the Cathedral is around S/ 40, Qorikancha around S/ 15–20, and Vinicunca around S/ 30. Tours to the mountains often include their entrance fees; city tickets usually do not.

Yes, with normal city precautions. The historic centre and San Blas are busy and well patrolled, and the main risks are pickpocketing in markets and crowded sites, and taxis that overcharge. Use app-based or registered taxis at night, agree on a price before you get in, and avoid unlit streets outside the centre. The biggest health risk is actually altitude, so plan your first days carefully.