Things to do in  Cusco

The lost city of Machu Picchu is the most famous tourist attraction in Peru, if not all of South America. The UNESCO World Heritage–listed collection of temples, terraced hills, and plazas was once the mountaintop citadel of the ancient Inca empire. Although Machu Picchu is now world-famous, questions remain about the mysteries behind its construction, function, and eventual demise.

The indigenous Quechua villages in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Inca provide a view into the past. Inhabited by descendants of the ancient Inca people, these communities—such as Pisac and Chinchero—have preserved handicraft traditions, speak in the original Quechua language, and live in harmony with the mountains they regard as sacred.

Most Peru trips include the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, and that means you'll spend at least a little time in Aguas Calientes, a tiny town encircled by lush mountains that's near the archeological treasure. Its name translates from Spanish as “hot waters,” thanks to its hot springs, which provide the perfect place to soak muscles aching from completing famous hikes such as the Inca Trail.

In a remote pocket of the Sacred Valley is an ancient agricultural laboratory. Encircled by terraces and a complex system of irrigation aqueducts, the site’s gigantic natural bowl-shaped hole was once filled with fertile soil, growing more than 250 vegetal species. Resembling an ancient Roman amphitheater, the concentric circles are not only a wonder of science but a vision of beauty.

The largest and arguably most impressive of the four archaeological ruins on the outskirts of Cusco, Sacsayhuaman was built by the Incas from massive stones weighing up to 300 tons. A critical military site in the battle with the Spanish for the Inca empire in 1536, the ruins offer impressive views over the city below. Architecture and engineering buffs will be most impressed by the 3-tiered zigzag fortifications that exemplify innovative Inca engineering.

South America's most famous trek is an unforgettable way to reach the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The 4-day trek takes hikers past mountain passes, Inca ruins, and views of the snow-capped Andes. Arriving at the iconic archaeological site via the Inca Trail also means you’ll be one of the first to glimpse a stellar sunrise over Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate.

Perched at the northern end of Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Ollantaytambo Ruins were once the administrative center of the Inca Empire. At this well-preserved and partly rebuilt archeological park, learn the secrets of Inca urban planning, admire the ceremonial temple, see masterful Inca stonework, and set off on the legendary Inca trail. In the adjacent town of the same name, the Ollantaytambo Heritage Trail guides you to more ancient wonders.

Located five miles from Cusco, Tambomachay is also known as “the Baths of the Inca”. For the Inca, water was a sacred element, and due to the scattered pools here, historians believe the temple was reserved for Inca royalty. Throughout, the spring waters are masterfully diverted into aqueducts, pools, and stone-carved waterways.

A symbol of both Incan cosmology and their brutal conquest at the hands of the Spanish, Qorikancha (Coricancha) is one of the most important sites in Cusco. The sacred temple—which the Incas created to worship their sun deity and then swathed in gold—was looted and destroyed by conquistadors, who built a colonial church atop the temple ruins.

Maras, a remote Andean town deep in Peru’s Sacred Valley of the Incas, is a favorite of photography buffs and gourmands alike for its famous salt pans (Salinas de Maras). Fixed in geometric shapes on terraced hills, the surreal, photogenic pools were created by the Incas 2,000 years ago, and the mines are still harvested for their pink salt.

Between Cusco and Machu Picchu lies the mystical Sacred Valley of the Incas, home to some of Peru’s most interesting pre-Columbian ruins. Nestled among the spectacular scenery of the Andean highlands are exquisitely preserved archaeological sites that offer insight into the innovative Inca civilization. Highlights include the concentric Agricultural Terraces of Moray, the powder-pink Maras Salt Pools, and Ollantaytambo, a former administrative center featuring intricately decorated temples.

The Pisac Indian Market is one of the most popular and picturesque of the indigenous markets in the Cusco region. Travelers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to this mountain town to purchase all manner of textiles, ceramics, jewelry, ponchos, rugs, alpaca and llama wool clothing, Andean instruments, ceramics, and a host of other lovely souvenirs.

Built atop the Inca palace Viracocha, the Cusco Cathedral was a triumphant statement for conquering colonists who laid the foundation stones in 1559. Now Plaza de Armas’ showpiece, the cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco and a significant cultural monument holding the largest collection of Cusco School paintings.

Nearly 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above sea level, the sky high Q’engo temple features some of the best examples of intact Inca carving. The name Q’enqo, which means labyrinth in Quechua, refers to the zig-zagging channels the Inca carved into a single rock monolith, used for mysterious death rituals not yet fully understood.

Once the shimmering capital of the entire Inca Empire, Cusco is the gateway to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the ruins of Machu Picchu. Bearing its original Inca name, meaning “Navel of the Earth,” Cusco pulsates with a unique and magical energy rivaled by few other South American cities, most notably in its historic center.