Cusco Tours and Trips

Cusco is Peru’s most compelling city, combining layers of history from the days of the Incan empire, through the Spanish colonial period and right up to modern times. It is a place of grand monuments from the Spanish period juxtaposed with atmospheric Incan alleys. A city imbued with an almost tangible sense of history and a special mystical charm — a not-to-miss during a trip to Peru.

In no particular order, here are the top 12 things to do in Cusco from visiting ancient ruins to attending weaving classes!

Most visitors to Peru head straight for Cusco to visit Peru’s premier tourist attraction, Machu Picchu. Cusco was the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and is the present-day base for exploring the Sacred Valley. However, the more adventurous travellers continue on from Cusco to the jungle town of Puerto Maldonado, the gateway to the Madre de Dios region on the border with Bolivia and Brazil. Nowadays, it is not too difficult to travel from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and the two main options are a bus journey or a short flight. Before you leave, please check out some of the top things to do in Cusco.

A trip to Lima offers exciting nightlife, a vibrant culinary scene and a wealth of culture and history to discover. Cusco was the heart of the ancient Inca Empire and is one of the most visited cities in the country, serving as a base for exploration of the Sacred Valley and, of course, the world-famous ruins of Machu Picchu.

Cusco is also the starting location of many of the best treks in Peru including the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Both Lima and Cusco are firmly on the itinerary of almost any visitor to Peru and there are good transport links between them. If you are traveling from Lima, check out some of the best things to do in Lima before leaving. Also, check out our guide on the Sacred Valley to know more about the awesome things you can do while visiting.

Basically, there are two options for traveling between Lima and Cusco, either by plane or by bus. We breakdown the details for you.

Arriving in Cusco is an adventurer's paradise as there are a number of great treks and adventures to choose from. It's worth doing a little research before you arrive on where you'd like to go and what kind of trek expedition might be the best fit. Below are some of the more well-known routes along with a couple of lesser-known ones. These routes will provide an ideal starting point for your trip whether you're a pro or a novice trekker. We've graded them according to difficulty to help you understand a bit more about the challenge each one presents.

Home to the world-renowned Inca Trail and the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, Peru has a rich culture and history that is as complex as the intricate weaving of Andean textiles. The South American country has it all, from awe-inspiring landscapes and lost civilizations to vibrant festivals marking old-world rites and out-of-this-world cuisine. Ancient sites like the massive pre-Columbian ruins of Chan Chan Kuélap reflect bygone eras, while the beautiful ‘White City’ of Arequipa boasts breathtaking Baroque architecture. And if you are looking for adventure, there is a wide array of things to do in Peru, from white-water rafting on glacier-fed rivers and paragliding over the Amazon rainforest to trekking along the world-renowned Inca Trail.

Deciding where to go beyond the mystical Nazca Lines and the colonial charm of Cusco can be daunting. To simplify your journey, here is our list of the top 10 places to visit on a Peru tour.