W E L C O M E TO TH E
G O O D L I F E
I N
C U S C O
P L A N N I N G
Cusco is both a city and a high-altitude experience, and planning well makes all the difference. At 3,399 metres (11,152 feet) above sea level, altitude acclimatisation is essential — not only to enjoy your visit, but to avoid soroche (altitude sickness). We'd highly recommend that you plan at least two nights in Cusco before attempting major hikes or high-altitude excursions, and even a gentle walking pace is wise on the first day.
The historic centre is compact and walkable, but the cobblestones and hilly terrain can be deceptively tiring. Private transport is highly recommended for reaching sites above the city, such as Sacsayhuamán or Qenqo, and certainly for anything outside the urban area.
Cusco serves as the gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
While it’s tempting to treat it as just a stopover, it deserves at least two full days on its own. The cultural and historical density is as rich as anywhere in Latin America, and a good guide will help you read the city like a layered manuscript.
The best time to visit Cusco is during the dry season, from May to September, when skies are clear and daytime temperatures are pleasant. The wet season (November–March) brings lush green hills, but also muddy trails and occasional travel disruptions. June sees Inti Raymi, the Inca Festival of the Sun — a powerful cultural event, but one that requires advance booking for both accommodation and guided access.
Staying in the historic centre (around the Plaza de Armas or San Blas) offers a deeply immersive experience, with easy access to museums, churches, and local restaurants.
For those looking for a little more quiet or more luxurious accommodation, some of the former monasteries and colonial estates turned hotels in the surrounding hills offer peaceful retreats just outside the bustle.
M U S E U M & S I T E B O O K I N G
Qorikancha & Santo Domingo – No pre-booking needed, but a guide is essential for understanding the dual history of the Inca temple and the Dominican convent. Go in the morning for better light on the stonework.
Cusco Cathedral – Tickets are available at the entrance. Visit early to avoid crowds. If you have a guide, they’ll help decode the syncretic elements in the artwork — look for the local interpretation of the Last Supper featuring roast guinea pig.
Sacsayhuamán – Tickets are part of the "Boleto Turístico del Cusco," a combined entry pass covering multiple sites in and around the city. Best visited in the late afternoon for golden-hour light and fewer crowds.
Museo Inka – No pre-booking necessary. The museum is a bit old-fashioned in presentation but excellent in content. A guide is recommended for context, particularly regarding the Andean cosmovision.
San Pedro Market – Free to enter and open daily. For those interested in food and textiles, a short tour with a local expert can deepen your understanding of the ingredients and symbolism behind many of the crafts.
ChocoMuseo or Museo del Pisco – While somewhat more commercial, both offer tastings and workshops worth considering, particularly for families or food enthusiasts. Short classes often need to be booked in advance.
Textile Workshops – Appointments are essential for meaningful visits to weaving co-operatives. Let your guide help select an artisan centre focused on cultural preservation rather than tourist sales.
S U G G E S T E D I T I N E R A R Y P O I N T S
DAY I
Inca Foundations & Colonial Contrasts
Morning: Begin your day at Qorikancha, once the most sacred Inca temple in the empire. Though much of its gold was stripped by the Spanish, the original Inca walls remain, along with their uncanny stonework. The Dominican convent above it tells the story of colonisation in physical form — two cosmologies in one site.
Continue on to the Cusco Cathedral. Within its grand baroque façade, you’ll find paintings of the Cusco School, where Andean artists reinterpreted Christian iconography with local symbolism. Look for angels with rifles, tropical fruit at the Last Supper, and a Virgin Mary shaped like a mountain.
Lunch: Have lunch at a quiet spot near San Blas or along Calle Carmen Alto. Dishes like trout ceviche or stuffed rocoto peppers make for a lighter meal while the altitude is still in question.
Afternoon: Visit the Museo Inka to better understand the world of the pre-Columbian Andes. The collection includes ceramics, textiles, and ceremonial objects that predate the Incas and help anchor their cultural legacy within the broader arc of Andean history.
Finish the afternoon with a slow walk through the San Blas district — a peaceful maze of cobbled alleys, artisan studios, and a small plaza perfect for an afternoon coffee or coca tea.
Evening: Dine on local specialties — quinoa-crusted alpaca or a vegetable tacu-tacu, perhaps — and if you're up for it, end the night with a pisco cocktail.
The altitude means you’ll feel the effects more quickly, so moderation is part of the wisdom here, as indeed it generally should be. Be that as it may, just do your best to behave halfway.
DAY II
Sacsayhuamán, Markets & Andean Textiles
Morning: Start the day with a short drive (or a gentle hike if you’re well acclimatised) up to Sacsayhuamán. The sheer scale of this site is staggering — massive stone walls, zigzag terraces, and ceremonial platforms that once formed the northern edge of Inca Cusco. It’s said that Cusco was designed in the shape of a puma, with Sacsayhuamán as its head.
Continue to Qenqo and Tambomachay — nearby sites often skipped by larger groups, but rich in ritual significance. With a knowledgeable guide, these smaller places come to life with stories of water cults, astronomical alignment, and offerings to Pachamama.
Lunch: Descend back into the city and have lunch near the San Pedro Market. If you're feeling adventurous, try chairo (an Andean soup with lamb, potatoes, and chuño), or keep it simple with a tamal and juice made from lucuma or chirimoya.
Afternoon: Wander through San Pedro Market, or take a guided walk focused on local foodways, traditional medicine, and the culture of the highland kitchen.
Then head to a weaving workshop or co-operative, either within the city or just outside, where you'll learn about the symbolism behind the patterns and the meaning of alpaca, vicuña, and llama fibres in Andean life. Good excuse to scoop something up if you fancy, but don't feel obligated.
Evening: Enjoy a quiet final evening in Cusco. For those interested in music or performance, ask your guide about local venues offering traditional Andean song and dance — often geared to visitors, yes, but sometimes unexpectedly beautiful and heartfelt.
Or settle in at a warm café, order a glass of chicha morada or a local beer, and enjoy the strange, beautiful elevation of it all.
DAY III PLUS
You Might Also Want to Stay Longer, and Here’s Why We Think You Should:
Cusco is the starting point for so much more. If time allows, extend your stay to include one or more of the following:
The Sacred Valley – Stretching from Pisac to Ollantaytambo, this fertile valley is scattered with Inca ruins, highland villages, and outstanding views. It’s also lower in altitude, making it a good spot to rest pre- or post-Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu – Many visitors arrive here via train from Cusco or the Sacred Valley, or as part of a longer hike (Inca Trail, Salkantay, or Lares). Entry requires advance booking, and timed entry tickets now help preserve the site. Our guides can help secure tickets, and the right transport for your travel style.
Moray & Maras – These neighbouring sites — one an ancient Inca agricultural laboratory, the other a stunning array of salt pans still in use today — are perfect for a half-day excursion.
South Valley – Less visited than the Sacred Valley, the South offers archaeological sites like Tipón and Pikillacta, plus quieter village life and some excellent food.
Chinchero – Known for its Sunday market and artisan co-operatives, this highland town also boasts spectacular views and a colonial church built on Inca foundations.
Lake Titicaca – A longer extension, but a magical one. The lake is considered the birthplace of the sun in Inca mythology, and the islands — especially Taquile and Amantaní — still follow age-old traditions.
M E E T Y O U R G U I D E
All of our guides can offer you a spectacular experience. As each person has a slightly different look at the world, due to their own unique interests and specialties, we'd encourage you to read a few profiles.