BEST THINGS TO DO IN CUSCO CITY

Top Things to Do in Cusco City: Unmissable Experiences in the Heart of the Andes

Cusco is one of Peru’s most traveled destinations, located in the Andes at 3,400 meters (11,154 feet) above sea level. Cusco is city offers history and culture very much alive today. Formerly the magnificent capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is now a UNESCO World Heritage-listed city and one of the most beautiful and visited destinations in South America. It is regarded as the gateway to Machu Picchu, and many pass through visiting as they make their way to the impressive site, but the city is a destination in itself and warrants a few days of discovery. Let’s discover together the incredible things to do in Cusco city.

Exploring the best things to do in Cusco

Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a foodie, an art lover, or simply someone in search of authentic local encounters, Cusco’s cobbled streets, colonial architecture, and lively plazas won’t disappoint. Here’s a detailed guide to the best things to do in Cusco City.

The best way to explore this city is walking. More of the hotels, restaurants, and hostels are located around the city center, so visiting those highlights will take more or less 10 to 15 minutes.

1. Explore the Historic Center

The beating heart of Cusco is its historic center. The Plaza de Armas (main square) is a lively space surrounded by colonial arcades, fountains, and historical buildings. Dominating the square is the Cusco Cathedral, a magnificent example of colonial architecture built atop the ruins of an Incan palace. It’s home to religious art, including a famous rendition of The Last Supper featuring a traditional Andean dish—cuy (guinea pig).

Nearby, you’ll find the Church of the Society of Jesus (Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús), a Jesuit church that rivals the cathedral in beauty and detail. A walk through the narrow cobblestone streets reveals old colonial mansions and Inca stone walls, especially along Hatunrumiyoc Street, where you’ll see the famous 12-angled stone—an engineering marvel that showcases the precision of Incan masonry.

2. Visit San Pedro Market

Only a few blocks from the Plaza Mayor is the San Pedro Market, a bustling, colorful market that provides an immersion into the local. Here, you can buy fresh fruit juices, Andean cheeses, traditional textiles, and herbal medicines, just about everything. A great place to try local dishes, such as choclo con queso (corn on the cob with cheese), and buy souvenirs made by local artisans.

Wandering through the market also provides insight into Andean spirituality and cuisine, as many stalls sell ceremonial items, coca leaves, and local herbs used in indigenous rituals.

3. Discover Sacsayhuamán: The Inca Fortress Above the City of Cusco

This is one of the best things to do in Cusco. Get there by a short walk of 20 to 30 minutes from the main square of Cusco. Also, you can take a taxi for 20 soles to Sacsayhuamán, which is among the most important Incan ruins in Cusco. It was constructed of enormous stones, some of them more than 100 tons, and it is believed to have been a religious and military complex. The walls zigzag about and the view over Cusco is rather spectacular, making it a must for every visitor.

Many visitors choose to visit Sacsayhuamán as part of the Four Ruins Tour, which includes Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay, each offering unique insights into Incan spiritual life and engineering.

4. Visit San Cristobal View Point

The Mirador de San Cristóbal has one of the best views of Cusco, Peru. This viewpoint is a one of a kind. From here you can see the terracotta roofs, cobblestone streets and the Andes Mountains that surround the city. On clear days you can see the sacred mountains of Ausangate and Pachatusan in the distance . The viewpoint is a 15 minute walk from the Plaza de Armas, up the streets of Cuesta Suecia or Don Bosco . At the top the 16th century Church of San Cristóbal is the perfect backdrop.

5. Marvel at Inca Stonework on Hatunrumiyoc Street: The Twelve Angles Stone

Cusco is known for its stone walls that are supposedly built with such tight joints that no paper would be able to squeeze between the stones. This can be seen nowhere better than in Hatunrumiyoc Street, where stands the world-famous 12-Angled Stone, embodying Incan engineering prowess.

Just a short way off from the main plaza by walking, local artisans and street performers line the street. One can have photos here and appreciate how the ancient architecture still makes up the base of the buildings today.

6. Visit Qorikancha: The Temple of the Sun

Definitely, thi should be in the top best things to do in Cusco during your trip. Once the most sacred temple in the Inca Empire, Qorikancha (or Coricancha) was dedicated to Inti, the Sun God. The original walls were once covered in sheets of solid gold.

Although the Spanish built the Santo Domingo Church over the site, many Incan stone structures remain intact. The blend of Incan and colonial architecture here is striking and symbolic of Cusco’s complex history.

Inside, you’ll find an on-site museum and access to beautifully preserved Incan walls, temples, and astronomical alignments.

7. Visit the Neighborhood of San Blas

This is one of the most charming and artistic nightborhoods. located just a few minutes from the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, San Blas is also known as artisan quarter, it is filled with narrow cobblestone streets and whitewashed buildings with blue balconies and stunning views of the city below

Historically, it was home to skilled Inca craftsmen, and today it continues that legacy with numerous art galleries, craft shops, and workshops where you can see traditional Andean techniques in action. It’s also a hub for bohemian culture, with cozy cafés, live music venues, and relaxed restaurants serving everything from Peruvian classics to vegan options.

8. Take a Cooking Class

Peruvian cuisine is a vibrant and diverse fusion of indigenous Inca and Spanish, African, Chinese, and Japanese culinary traditions, resulting in unique dishes with a mix of flavors and textures. Key aspects include a focus on fresh seafood, potatoes, corn, and a variety of spices and herbs.

Cooking classes in Cusco offer immersive experiences where participants learn to prepare traditional Peruvian dishes, often with a visit to a local market to source ingredients. These classes typically include hands-on instruction from a professional chef, covering popular dishes like ceviche, lomo saltado, and aji de gallina, as well as the preparation of Pisco Sours.

9. Visit the Cusco Cathedral: A Sacred Jewel of the Andes

Built in 1560 and took almost 100 years to finish Cusco Cathedral is the main feature of Cusco’s main square – Plaza de Armas. In 1928 Cusco Cathedral was declared Minor Basilica and became the seat of the diocese (under the supervision of a bishop).

The full name of the Cathedral is “Cathedral Basilica de la Virgen de Asunción”. Also Cusco Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the City of Cusco listing in 1983. This is a must see in Cusco: go and enjoy the architecture in the high Andes of Peru.

10. Visit Museo de Arte Precolombino

The Pre-Columbian Art Museum is an art museum in Cusco, Peru, dedicated to the display of archaeological artifacts and examples of pre-Columbian artworks drawn from all regions of pre-Columbian Peru. The museum is situated on Plazoleta de las Nazarenas in Cusco’s San Blas district and has on permanent display exhibitions of some 450 individual representative artifacts that are drawn from the wider collection of its parent museum, the Larco Museum in the Peruvian capital Lima.

The Formative Gallery houses pieces from many diverse cultures. Among these are Cupisnique, Salinar, Vicus, Viru and Paracas in its older phase or “cavernas”. During this period (1250 B. C – 1 A. D.) there is a remarkable advance in ceramic art. Painting and sculpture take in place; there are beautifully naturalistic and symbolic representations, many of them enriched by the use of incise decoration in which the Cupisnique artist get to a high level of development.

11. Taste the best Chocolate in the Choco Museo of Cusco.

It is no missed things to do in Cusco. In the center of the city of Cusco, there are three boutiques (two ChocoMuseums and one chocolate factory) where you can live a fun and special experience. In our ChocoMuseos, you can learn the whole process of the chocolate manufacture and everything you need to know about the cacao bean, its cultivation and what kinds exist in Peru. In addition, you will learn its fascinating history since pre-Columbian times and its passage through the last centuries.

We highly recommend.

After descriptingh the best things to do in Cusco. Honestly, Cusco’s not just some pit stop on your way to Machu Picchu, it’s a whole vibe. The city’s got layers, you know? You’re wandering past Spanish cathedrals plopped right on top of old Inca stonework, and the ghosts of empires are basically hanging out at every corner. Tourists snap selfies, but locals are living and breathing their culture, selling rainbow-bright stuff at the markets and just—existing. There’s food that’ll blow your mind (hello, alpaca steak), ruins everywhere you look, and this buzz in the air that’s just… different.

Don’t just speed through Cusco like you’re ticking off some travel checklist. Stick around, let it get under your skin a bit. You’ll leave with more than just some photos for Instagram—you’ll carry a piece of the place with you. And trust me, it’s gonna leave a mark.