Itineraries for Your Trip to Cusco
2 Days in Cusco for First Timers
If you don't dedicate your first day to a Machu Picchu tour, spend your morning getting to know Cusco. Wander the UNESCO-listed Cusco Historic Center, presided over by the Cusco Cathedral. Then, delve deeper into the city’s history on a tour of four Inca ruins—you don’t have to head to the Sacred Valley. Archeological sites such as Sacsayhuaman and Qorikancha are nearby. Or, upgrade to a private tour.
If you only have time for one thing, make it the Sacred Valley, with its ancient ruins amid the Andean Mountains.
Cusco can feel freezing in the evening, even in summer—alpaca or llama sweaters from the markets are the perfect antidote.
If you don't dedicate your first day to a Machu Picchu tour, spend your morning getting to know Cusco. Wander the UNESCO-listed Cusco Historic Center, presided over by the Cusco Cathedral. Then, delve deeper into the city’s history on a tour of four Inca ruins—you don’t have to head to the Sacred Valley. Archeological sites such as Sacsayhuaman and Qorikancha are nearby. Or, upgrade to a private tour.
Now that you know the city, spend the afternoon exploring Cusco’s natural landscapes on a horseback riding tour to the Devil’s Balcony. On this rugged, reddish rock, the Incas performed rituals and ceremonies. Canter through Andean villages and Inca ruins, and enrich your knowledge of these spiritual sites with your guide.
Peru is often hailed as Latin America’s culinary capital, so spend your first evening sampling street food on a tour that lets you sample local delicacies such as ceviche, tamales, choclo con queso (corn cobs with fresh cheese), and anticuchos (grilled meat). If you want to continue the party, join a Cusco bar crawl to dance late into the evening.
Today, take a cooking class and learn to make local dishes. Grab your ingredients at a bustling Cusco market, which offers great insight into local life, before mastering dishes such as lomo saltado (stewed beef) in the kitchen. If you haven’t satisfied your sweet tooth, complete the morning with a chocolate-making workshop.
Head out into the mystical Sacred Valley on an ATV tour of the Maras Salt Pools, 2,000-year-old salt pools in geometric shapes, and vivid green spirals at the Agricultural Terraces of Moray. Cusco ATV tours let you get off the beaten path and take you deeper into the Andes than you can get with a traditional tour vehicle.
Conclude your trip in Peru’s Inca capital with a tour that includes stargazing at Cusco Planetarium, eating a traditional Peruvian dinner, and seeing landmarks illuminated against the night sky. Finally, toast your time in Cusco with a traditional pisco sour, a cocktail made with egg white and Peruvian grape brandy.
