Cusco is known for being the gateway to Machu Picchu and other amazing wonders like Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake. Cusco deserves to be explored and appreciated on its own as well! Sitting at almost 11,000 feet, Cusco has so much charm and culture to be discovered.
If you haven’t heard about cacao tea yet, you will hear about it in Cusco. It’s a tea made from cacao leaves that helps with altitude sickness and dates way back to the Incas. Altitude sickness is a real concern! After all, it is one of the highest cities in the world. If you’re curious, La Rinconada, Peru, is the highest at over 16,000 feet. We all felt a little dizzy upon our first few hours there, but nothing the tea couldn’t fix.
We took a mid-day flight from Lima and arrived at our hotel, Esplendor Cusco. The lights, decor, and ambiance of the hotel was so charming and inviting. It ideally located on a quieter street but still walking distance to the main attractions like Plaza De Armas, San Balas, and a ton of restaurants and shopping. They had a vast selection for the free breakfast and room service, which was pretty good! Plus, the hotel had a hot tub. Overall, we were happy with everything! I booked through hotels.com, and we paid $617 for five nights for two people.
Day 1 – Macchu Picchu
If you can, do Machu Picchu first to get used to the elevation because it’s lower at about 8,000 feet. This way, you can get used to the elevation of Peru before the highest elevations in Cusco. Read the full post on Machu Picchu here.
Day 2 – Explore Cusco
While the actual city of Cusco is pretty small, there is still a lot to explore.
What to do:
– Walk around San Balas, one of Cusco’s most charming and artsy areas
– See the Plaza de Armas and Cathedral of Santo Domingo, two of the most iconic buildings in Cusco
– Explore San Pedro Market, authentic Peruvian dishes, produce and shopping
– Learn to make your own Pisco Sour, Peru’s national drink, at the Museo Del Pisco
– Take a Peruvian cooking class
– Go on a walking tour to learn about the history of the Cusco (not for everyone, but I love experiences like this)
Where to eat/drink:
– Patty’s Irish Pub, the highest Irish owned pub in the world
– Morena Peruvian Kitchen, cozy and cute lunch/dinner spot
– Pachapapa, authentic Peruvian dishes
– Limbus Restobar, a really popular restaurant with the best view of Cusco
– Organika, healthy and plant-based food
– Ceviche Seafood Kitchen, a trendy seafood spot
– JC’s Cafe, traditional American food and breakfast
Day 3 – Salinas de Maras
We booked tours through Cusco Trekking Adventures for Rainbow Mountain and Salinas de Maras. Since we booked two tours together, we were able to swing a discount. For four of us, it was about $24 USD each for the Salinas de Maras tour which included private transportation.
We stopped at Salinas de Maras, which are huge salt evaporation pools in Maras, Peru. Fun fact: it’s one of the only places in the world where pink salt is extracted.
On the way back, we stopped at Andean Colors, a small outdoor shop where they do a little show to demonstrate the differences between and alpaca and llama. They sell hats, gloves, scarves – a ton of stuff and have the alpacas and llamas to pet and take pictures with!
Day 4 – Rainbow Mountain
Once you’re fully acclimated, take on the 17,000-foot elevation of Rainbow Mountain. Read what to expect here!
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