Stand on Hatun Rumiyoc and run a hand along the wall: the stones fit so tightly that no mortar holds them, and one block turns twelve times before it closes. A few minutes away, the arcades of the Plaza de Armas fill with vendors and the sound of shoes on flagstone. This is a city where Inca masonry and colonial churches share the same street, and where the altitude asks you to slow down whether you planned to or not.
Cusco suits travellers who want museums, markets and archaeology within walking distance of each other, and who are willing to give the first day over to acclimatisation. It rewards curiosity about living traditions as much as about ruins.
This guide covers the sights and experiences in the city itself, drawn from what is documented about Cusco and its central districts. It does not cover the wider Sacred Valley or Machu Picchu.
Top things to do in Cusco
1. Qoricancha
Qoricancha, also called the Sun Temple or Qorinkancha, was the central site of worship for the Incas. The Spanish built the church of Santo Domingo directly on top of it, so the site holds Catholic and Inca heritage in one building, and the contrast between the two ways of building is visible from the outside on Avenida del Sol.
Most of the lower part of the temple is well preserved, and the site can occupy several hours. A guided tour is advisable if you want to understand the Inca remains. Qoricancha is also the starting point of the yearly processions at Inti Raymi, the Sun Festival, which move up to Saxayhuamán.
2. Plaza de Armas
The square is surrounded by churches, shops, restaurants and bars, and is a good place to spend an afternoon. The historical centre around it is the reason many visitors stay in this part of the city.
Expect street vendors and hawkers selling cheap paintings and souvenirs throughout the square and its edges, which can wear down the experience. Pair a walk here with the Cusco Cathedral, which stands in front of the plaza.
3. Piedra de los doce ángulos
The Twelve-angle stone on Hatun Rumiyoc is a large block with twelve sides and twelve angles, and has become almost a symbol of Cusco. It is a striking example of the precision of Inca stonework.
The stone walls of the city, particularly near the Plaza de Armas, are Inca rather than colonial, and are recognisable by stones with very straight lines and no mortar. Walk the surrounding streets to see more of the same masonry.
4. Cusco Cathedral
The Catedral Basílica de la Virgen de la Asunción is the biggest church in Cusco and sits in front of the Plaza de Armas. It is full of colonial-era religious paintings.
Photography is not allowed inside. If you attend a mass in the morning, entry is free, and you can combine the visit with the rest of the plaza.
5. Museo Histórico Regional
Housed in the home of the Inca historian Garcilaso de la Vega on Calle Garcilaso, this two-storey museum holds many paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries along with displays on the pre-Hispanic Inca civilisation, the Spanish invasion and the role of Christianity after the conquest.
A tour is unlikely to take much more than an hour, which makes it easy to fit alongside other sights on the same street.
6. Museo Machu Picchu (Casa Concha)
On Santa Catalina Ancha, this museum holds the largest collection of Machu Picchu artifacts in the world, collected by Yale University researcher Hiram Bingham beginning in 1912 and returned to Peru in 2011. It is housed in a late 18th-century house called Casa Concha.
It closes on Saturdays and Sundays, so plan it for a weekday. Foreigners pay S/20, international students and Peruvians with ID S/10, and Peruvian students S/5.
7. Museo Inka
On Cuesta del Almirante, this is an extensive museum of pre-Inca, Inca and colonial artifacts. Labels are in English and Spanish, though the English descriptions sometimes differ from the Spanish ones.
Admission is S/20. It is a short walk from the Plaza de Armas, so it works well as an afternoon stop between the square and the surrounding streets.
8. Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha
On Avenida El Sol, this small museum covers different pre-Columbian cultures and displays fragments of ceramics and textiles from the Inca culture. The showcase room includes three mummies and skulls modified by the Incas with holes or sloped foreheads.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half. English explanations are present but limited. It pairs naturally with a visit to Qoricancha itself, a short distance along the same avenue.
9. Museo del Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco
Inside the El Centro textile store on Avenida Sol, this free museum has a gallery of traditional Quechuan and Andean textiles and explains their historical significance and the techniques used to make them.
Textiles can be bought as you come in, and a large majority of the money goes to the women who produce them. The quality is much higher than the synthetic and machine-woven textiles sold elsewhere in the city.
10. ChocoMuseo
On Calle Garcilaso, this shop and museum explains the history of cacao at no cost, and offers chocolate workshops and cacao farm tours for a fee. Recipes from around the world are made with chocolate from the factory inside the building.
The artisanal, organically sourced hot chocolate is worth trying. It sits on the same street as the Museo Histórico Regional and the Piedra de los doce ángulos area, so it fits easily into a walking route.
11. Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo
In the Municipal Palace at Plaza Regocijo, this museum holds exhibitions of contemporary art.
It is included in the boleto turistico, so it is a low-cost addition if you already hold that ticket. Plaza Regocijo is a short walk from the Plaza de Armas.
12. Santa Catalina Convent
The Monasterio de Santa Catalina de Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios on Santa Catalina Angosta also holds a collection of religious art.
Admission is covered by the boleto turistico. It is close to the Plaza de Armas and can be visited in the same stretch as the cathedral.
13. Museo de Arte Popular
In the basement of the OFEC office on Avenida El Sol, this museum displays a collection of popular art featuring handcrafts of the modern era.
It is included in the boleto turistico. Avenida El Sol also holds Qoricancha and the Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha, so the three can be done together.
14. Palacio Inka del Kusikancha
On Calle Maruri, these are the ruins of an Inca palace, the home of 15th-century Inca emperor Pachakuti Inka Yupanki, which you can walk around. The Inca and colonial stonework and architecture are the draw.
There is no admission fee, but the attendant who lets you in and shows you where to go expects a S/5 tip. It is a short walk from the Plaza de Armas.
15. Plaza de San Francisco and the market
A few blocks southwest of the centre, this plaza is a good place to visit one of Cusco's coffee shops. Next to it is the main market, which is fairly traditional and worth a visit.
The market mixes stalls selling food and household items with clothing and souvenirs. Come here when you want a break from the hawkers around the Plaza de Armas.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Qoricancha on Avenida El Sol, where the Inca temple and the church built over it are best seen with a guide. Walk a short way along the same avenue to the Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha to see the ceramics, textiles, mummies and modified skulls, allowing an hour to an hour and a half.
Afternoon. Continue to the Plaza de Armas and visit the Cusco Cathedral, remembering that photography is not allowed inside. From there, walk to Hatun Rumiyoc to see the Piedra de los doce ángulos, then follow Calle Garcilaso to the Museo Histórico Regional and stop at ChocoMuseo for hot chocolate. If time remains, the Museo Inka on Cuesta del Almirante is a short walk away.
Evening. Return to the Plaza de Armas, where churches, shops, restaurants and bars surround the square, and spend the evening there. Expect vendors and hawkers throughout the square and its edges.
Frequently asked questions
What is the boleto turistico and which sights does it cover?
Several sights in Cusco are included in the boleto turistico: the Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo, the Museo Histórico Regional, the Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha, the Museo de Arte Popular, Santa Catalina Convent and the Monumento Pachacuteq. Other sights, such as Qoricancha, the Cusco Cathedral, the Museo Machu Picchu and the Museo Inka, charge separate admission.
When is the best time to visit the Cusco Cathedral?
The cathedral is open daily. Entry is free if you attend a mass in the morning, while tourist entry is charged at other times. Photography is not allowed inside.
Which museums close at weekends?
The Museo Machu Picchu (Casa Concha) on Santa Catalina Ancha is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The Museo Inka is open on Saturday mornings but not on Saturday afternoons or Sundays, and the Palacio Inka del Kusikancha is open on weekdays only.
Where can I buy traditional textiles that benefit the makers?
The Museo del Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco on Avenida Sol is free to enter and sells traditional textiles, with a large majority of the money going to the women who produce them. The quality is much higher than the synthetic and machine-woven textiles found throughout the city.
Decide which day suits you for the museums that close at weekends, check whether the boleto turistico covers the rest, and start mapping your walk between the Plaza de Armas, Avenida El Sol and Hatun Rumiyoc.