How to Spend 3 Days in Cusco, Peru (Perfect Itinerary)
Cusco, which was once the capital of the Incan Empire, was one our first stop on our Peru trip. The entire city of Cusco is actually a world heritage site because of it’s history and well-preserved architecture! Cusco is a unique city all on it’s own, but it’s also known as the gateway to Machu Picchu, The Sacred Valley, and other famous Inca sites.
Cusco sits at around 11,000 feet in altitude, and some sites in the area are even higher, so you definitely need to be cautious of altitude sickness. We were fine our whole time in Cusco, we made sure to stay hydrated and drink the local coca tea! We spent around 3 days in Cusco, before heading to Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu, and then Lima, so here is everything we did during our time in this historic and sacred city.
How to Get to Cusco
We flew from NYC to Lima, and then took a domestic flight on LATAM Airlines from Lima to Cusco. Once in Cusco, we either walked or used Uber to get around. We don’t think renting a car is necessary as Ubers are very affordable. We preferred Uber to a local taxi since we read online a lot the local taxis try to scam you, while with Uber the price is upfront.
If you are going to walk around Cusco, be sure to pack water and stay hydrated. Because of the altitude and the mountainous nature of the city, you will be walking up and downhill a ton. We walked slow and took breaks when we needed to, and never felt any altitude sickness while in the city.
Where to Stay in Cusco
We stayed at a apartment rental near the San Blas neighborhood. We loved that area because it was so calm and quiet and walkable to almost everything we wanted to do and see in the city. As Americans, we found most of the Cusco accommodations we looked at to be extremely affordable. You can find accommodations in San Blas here on Expedia.
Find other Cusco accommodation options here on Expedia!
Best Things to do in Cusco
C. Siete Borreguitos
Plaza de Armas
Mirador de San Blas
Saqsaywaman
Explore Cusco’s Historical Center - the main part of the city with famous sites like Plaza de Armas (the main square), Cusco Cathedral, Qoricancha Temple, Inca Stone Wall, and more.
Visit Saqsaywaman - a historical citadel built by the Incas in the 15th century. Here you can learn about Incan history and pet alpacas! The ticket to enter was around $30 USD pp but it was completely worth it. On the way up to Saqsaywaman, we stopped at an amazing viewpoint called Plaza San Cristobal.
Shop at the San Pedro Market - a large outdoor market with tons of local goods!
Explore the San Blas district - Known as the creative district of Cusco and away from the main tourist area. Here you’ll find cafes, clothing shops, craft stores, tons of local art, etc. Make sure you make ie up to the Mirador de San Blas for amazing views over Cusco.
Visit Cusco’s famous street - The most photogenic street in Cusco is C. Siete Borreguitos, make sure to snap a picture here!
Try some local food at the San Blas Market - they had tons of local food, smoothies, juices, and many vegan options as well! We got a vegan ceviche that was our favorite dish of the whole trip!
Check out the Chocolate Museum (ChocoMuseo) - if you like chocolate, this is for you! Peru is famous for it’s chocolate as it’s one of the places Cacao originated.
Other highlights: Try a Pisco Sour, and since Cusco is known as a a culinary hotspot, make sure to try local dishes like ceviche, saltado (Chinese/Peruvian freid rice fusion), Quinoa soup, and Picarones (local donuts handmade with spiced syrup).
You can find other Cusco tours & activities to book here on Expedia!
Where to Eat & DRink in Cusco
vegan ceviche at San Blas Market
Green Point Vegan Restaurant
Indie Cafe & Concept Store
quinoa soup at Organika Bakery
Indie Cafe & Concept Store
Green Point Vegan Restaurant - most popular vegan restaurant in Cusco!
Republica del Pisco - for cocktails
El Encuentro - local vegetarian restaurant
Organika Bakery & Coffee
San Blas Market - for local food & there are a few stands with vegan options/are all vegan including Green Falafel Cusco!
Qura - cafe with veggie options
Machu Picchu
We spent about 3 days in Cusco before heading to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu! We feel like 3 days is the perfect amount of time to see the city, and also enough time if you want to do a day trip or two to the Sacred Valley, the Moray Ruins, the Moras Salt Mines, or others. We will have a separate blog post on Machu Picchu since we feel there is so much information you need to know to plan and visit.
If you want to see what we did on our trip to Cusco, make sure you don’t miss our Cusco YouTube vlog where we share everything we did on our trip!
As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.