Once the heart of the Incan Empire, today’s Cusco is the focal point from which most travelers plan their Peru itineraries (it is the gateway to Machu Picchu, after all.) This city in the Andes is a fascinating representation of how Spanish, Incan, and pre-Incan cultures have meshed and melded in this part of the world—you could easily fill your days, and many of them, by touring grand colonial churches, cobblestoned streets, and ancient archaeological sites that sit side by side, in some cases on top of one another. It all makes the multiple flights it takes to get here worthwhile. But that doesn’t mean this city is stuck in the past, either, despite the fact that history really is around every corner. There are young artists who have taken residence in the San Blás neighborhood; transplant chefs from Lima who have been drawn by Cusco’s bountiful produce and heritage food ways; and homegrown hoteliers who have built new landmarks into the very, very old. If anything, this is a place where past and present, local and foreign, meet. It’s no coincidence that the Incas’s vast network of roads, known as the Qhapaq Ñan, once joined in this city—even while traveling today’s Peru, it can feel like all roads lead to Cusco.
Plop down at one of the food counters in the local mercado, and just as I have on many visits, you might spot a backpacker to one side, and a local shepherd on the other (I have, in fact, dined shoulder to shoulder with a woman who had a baby lamb waiting at her feet). Duck into a souvenir shop, and maybe you’ll stumble upon the same alpaca sweaters you’ve already seen a hundred times, or you’ll encounter a knitter who is passionately evolving the craft they grew up with in unimagined ways. And that’s, really, the magic of Cusco: the fact that even when you wonder if it’s too touristy for its own good—nearly a million tourists visited Machu Picchu in 2023, and they surely all passed through here—it is still a city marked by the rhythm of daily life for the people who call it home. The best way to enjoy it is to get on the beat.
Below are my favorite ways to experience Cusco–the places to rest your head, eat like a local, and shop like you have a suitcase to fill. Use them as mere jumping off points, because in all truth, the best thing to do in Cusco is walk slowly and look around.
How to get to Cusco
Cusco has an international airport, Alejandro Velasco Astete (CUZ), but travelers from the US will need to connect through Lima. Delta loyalists will be happy to know that partner LATAM flies in, though there are also low-cost airlines like JetSmart and Sky that will get you here quick and cheap from many cities in Peru (just read the fine print on those bag and boarding pass requirements). On landing, it’s easy to call an Uber as soon as you step out of the airport, or you can pre-arrange a transfer to your hotel (the usual advice is to avoid picking up a random taxi off the street).
