What to do in Cusco Region

Activities, attractions and tours

Cusco featuring tranquil scenes, landscape views and wild flowers
Cusco Region
Urubamba featuring tranquil scenes, landscape views and mountains
Peruvian Highlands which includes heritage architecture, a square or plaza and a city
Cusco featuring a ruin, heritage architecture and a house
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Top places to visit

1. Aguas Calientes Hot Springs

Aguas Calientes sits below Machu Picchu and is the last train stop before the sacred Inca city. The small town lies in a deep valley enclosed by mountains and forests. With restaurants, thermal baths, hiking trails and a market, Aguas Calientes is more than just a gateway to the ancient ruins. It is worth spending a day or two here before going onto Machu Picchu.
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Cusco featuring landscape views and a small town or village

2. Plaza de Armas

Head to where the action is at the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, a large landscaped square bordered by shops, restaurants and ancient churches. For more than 500 years, the square has been at the heart of city life. Come to the plaza nowadays and you might see festivals, concerts and religious processions. Enjoy the lively atmosphere, admire the ornate lampposts and colonial archways and relax with a drink.
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Plaza de Armas featuring a park and a church or cathedral

3. San Pedro Market

Cusco San Pedro Market is a sprawling, open-air market, with everything from produce and meat to clothing and incense. Popular with locals and visitors, the market is an entertaining destination for shoppers and anyone curious about local culture.
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Cusco San Pedro Market showing markets as well as a small group of people

4. Cusco Cathedral

Standing over Cusco’s main square is Cusco Cathedral, an impressive Gothic-Renaissance structure built on the site of an Inca palace. Explore the interior, filled with more than 400 canvases, woodcarvings and a silver altar.
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5. Huayna Picchu

Rising more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) above the ancient plazas and palaces of Machu Picchu is the rhino horn-shaped peak of Huayna Picchu, also called Wayna Picchu. The mountain is believed to have been a home for high priests and virgins. Hike up to the summit for the views and to see ancient temple ruins.
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Huayna Picchu

6. Sacsayhuaman

Venture into the archaeological park just outside Cusco’s city center to explore the ruins of Sacsayhuaman. This colossal stone fortress and temple sits on a steep hill overlooking the city and attests to the brilliance of Incan engineering. Come to observe traditional Incan ceremonies and to admire how the structure was built, noting the large limestone blocks that lock together without mortar.
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Inca fort at Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru

7. Coricancha

Qorikancha was the most important and elaborate temple of the Inca Empire. Qorikancha means golden courtyard and at the time of the Incas, the walls were covered in solid gold sheets. When the Spanish colonized the area, they demolished and looted parts of the temple and constructed the convent of Santo Domingo on top of it. The convent is still there today. Marvel at the original stonework, walk down corridors and through the chambers of Qorikancha and find clues to its former splendor.
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Qorikancha, located in the city of Cusco in Peru, is so unique because the original Inca walls were used as the foundation for the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo. Thus, the site has a beautiful mix of Inca and Spanish architecture.

What to do in Cusco Region

Popular places to visit

Cusco featuring street scenes and café scenes

Aguas Calientes Hot Springs

3/5(1 review)

Known for its thermal baths, trekking routes and beautiful scenery, this deep valley village is an attractive stopover for those waiting to climb up to Machu Picchu.

Aguas Calientes Hot Springs
Plaza de Armas featuring a park and a church or cathedral

Plaza de Armas

4.5/5(22 reviews)

Cusco’s busy main square has been the center of public life for centuries. Enjoy its spacious layout, ancient churches and restaurants.

Plaza de Armas
Cusco San Pedro Market which includes food and markets as well as a small group of people

San Pedro Market

4.5/5(13 reviews)

Get caught up in the chaos of this intriguing attraction and enjoy a uniquely Andean experience.

San Pedro Market
Inca Trail

Inca Trail

4.5/5(3 reviews)

You can take time to visit Inca Trail during your travels to Machu Picchu. While you're in the area, stroll along the riverfront.

Inca Trail
Cusco Cathedral

Cusco Cathedral

4.5/5(18 reviews)

An imposing building constructed with stones from an Inca fortress is celebrated for its beautiful architecture and artwork that spans three centuries.

Cusco Cathedral
Huayna Picchu featuring heritage elements, tranquil scenes and animals

Huayna Picchu

The distinctive mountain that towers over the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu has its own temple ruins and archeological sites.

Huayna Picchu
Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site

Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site

4.5/5(19 reviews)

Learn about the local history of Ollantaytambo with a stop at Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site. Visit the shops and top-notch restaurants in this relaxing area.

Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site
Sacsayhuaman featuring a ruin and heritage elements as well as an individual child

Sacsayhuaman

4.5/5(14 reviews)

The colossal stones of Cusco’s hilltop fortress are a powerful testimony to the ingenuity of Incan construction techniques.

Sacsayhuaman
Cusco - Machu Picchu featuring a church or cathedral and heritage architecture

Coricancha

4/5(12 reviews)

Discover the remains of an important Incan temple dedicated to the sun, admire its construction and learn about its fascinating history.

Coricancha

Explore areas of Cusco Region

La Merced Church showing a city

Cusco Historic Center

4.5/5(62 area reviews)

Cusco Historic Center is known for its popular shops, and with sights like Santa Catalina Convent and Coricancha, you won't get bored spending a day wandering around this part of Cusco.

Cusco Historic Center
San Blas showing a city

San Blas

Take a walk through the heart of Cusco’s artisan district, one of the city’s most beguiling and lively areas.

San Blas
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San Cristóbal

While visiting San Cristóbal, you might make a stop by sights like Pre-Columbian Art Museum and Plaza de las Nazarenas.

San Cristóbal
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Santiago

If you're looking for some top things to see and do in Santiago and surrounding area, you can visit Ttio Market and Santiago Plaza.

Santiago
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Santa Monica

While Santa Monica may not have many sights to explore, venturing just a little farther will lead you to top things to see and do like Real Plaza Cusco and Ttio Market.

Santa Monica
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Primavera

Though Primavera may not have many top sights, you can venture to the surrounding area to see attractions like Garcilaso de la Vega Stadium and Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo.

Primavera

Day trip destinations from Cusco Region

Cusco featuring a ruin, heritage architecture and a house

Cusco

Machu Picchu showing building ruins and mist or fog

Machu Picchu

Quillabamba

Quillabamba