Explore Cusco best Tours, Peru is currently known as the cultural capital of the country, but its significant history goes back much further. As the oldest living city in the Americas, Cusco has been inhabited continuously for over 3,000 years. It was the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th to 16th century until Spanish conquest, and now is a major tourist destination– receiving nearly 2 million visitors per year.
The City of Cusco, at 3,400 m above sea level, is located in a fertile alluvial valley fed by several rivers in the heart of the Central Peruvian Andes of South America. Under the rule of Inca Pachacuteq (Tito Cusi Inca Yupanqui), in the 15th century, the city was redesigned and remodelled after a pre-Inca occupation process of over 3,000 years, and became the capital of the Tawantinsuyu Inca Empire, which covered much of the South American Andes between the 15th and 16th centuries AD.
The Imperial city of the Incas was developed as a complex urban centre with distinct religious and administrative functions which were perfectly defined, distributed and organized. The religious and government buildings were accompanied by the exclusive abodes for royal families, forming an unprecedented symbolic urban compound, which shows a stone construction technology with exceptional aesthetic and structural properties, such as the Temple of the Sun or Qoricancha, the Aqllahuasi, the Sunturcancha, the Kusicancha .
Wondering what to do in Cusco? Check out our list of the best things to do in Cusco to discover the best Cusco activities and attractions on your trip.
With so many things to do in Cusco, the options are endless. Not only is this ancient Inca capital one of the top travel destinations in Peru, but it is also the main jumping-off point for tourists and trekkers on their way to Machu Picchu. Those who spend some time in this vibrant city may find the list of archaeological sites, museums, marketplaces, viewpoints and so on, can be hard to choose from.
With the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, the urban structure of the Inca imperial city of Cusco was preserved and temples, monasteries and manor houses were built over the Inca city. They were mostly of baroque style with local adaptations, which created a unique and high quality mixed configuration representing the initial juxtaposition and fusion of different periods and cultures, as well as the city’s historic continuity. The city’s remarkable syncretism is evident not only in its physical structure but also in the Viceroyalty’s artistic expression. It became one of the most important centres of religious art creation and production in the continent. It is also important for its population’s customs and traditions, many of which still keep their ancestral origins.
From its complex past, woven with significant events and beautiful legends, the city has retained a remarkable monumental ensemble and coherence and is today an amazing amalgam of the Inca capital and the colonial city. Of the first, it preserves impressive vestiges, especially its plan: walls of meticulously cut granite or andesite, rectilinear streets running within the walls, and the ruins of the Sun Temple. Of the colonial city, there remain the freshly whitewashed squat houses, the palace and the marvellous Baroque churches which achieved the impossible fusion of the Plateresco, Mudejar or Churrigueresco styles with that of the Inca tradition.
Manu National Park, in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and ancient tangle of trees and waterfalls in Peru. Giant otters swim in the lakes and spider monkeys swing through the canopy. Blue-headed macaws, brightly coloured parrots and parakeets chatter away in the trees; ornate hawk-eagles circle above. Manu National Park consists […]
If you are planning on traveling to Machu Picchu, you have to know that there are numerous ways to experience it. If you wonder about how to get to Machu Picchu, there are at least two main ways to get to know the citadel. One of the ways to experience Machu Picchu is on a […]
Cusco offers you so many things to do and experience that we’d wish we could add a few more days to our itinerary to explore even more. The Sacred Valley of the Incas, for example, is one of the most sought after destinations within the region and comprises several archeological sites and activities that you […]
Treks in Cusco. As you may know, the Andes was the birthplace to many ancient civilizations, where some of them influenced the development of the succeeding cultures, while the latest ones left a prevailing legacy in the heart of each region. We know, Machu Picchu is basically the synonym of Peru but that doesn’t mean […]
If you love outdoor activities as much as we do, then you’ll surely be glad to know there is a magical place waiting for you right at the heart of the Vilcanota mountain range. The Vinicunca mountain, also known as the Vinicunda Rainbow Mountain of Peru is the most sought after day trek near the […]
EXPLORE THE CUSCO INCA RUINS The Cusco Inca Ruins of Sacsayhuaman is the most significant ruin in Cusco, and is close enough to the historic center that you can walk there. Many tourists stop to see it on the way to Pisac. Sacsayhuaman is thought to have both military and religious significance. Cusco Inca Ruins […]
The San Pedro Market is one of the most popular spots in Cusco not only for tourists but for locals as well since it actually is the central market of the Imperial City. For those looking for a glimpse at the traditional way of living in Cusco, this is the way to start! Besides, it […]
EXPERIENCE THE GRANDEUR OF THE PLAZA DE ARMAS Equally important is visiting Cusco’s most famous plaza located in the heart of the city. The Plaza de Armas boasts spectacular architecture and views of the surrounding mountains. Once the main center for both the Spanish conquistadors and Inca empire, the plaza is now the main hub […]
Explore the Manu Amazon Rainforest & Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu, you will enjoy the best adventures in Peru, exploring amazing inca trail routes and the best amazon wildlife with our local tour guides, in small groups.
Get to know the majestic city of Cusco, cradle of the greatest civilization in South America, the Incas and their great works of engineering, the citadel of Machu Picchu by train.
Enjoy an incredible vacation, in the heart of the Inca empire, Cusco, our travel program will take you to the most famous tourist attractions of Cusco, such as the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu, in very cozy hotels.
Sublime landscapes, wildlife, history, culture - Peru has more than its fair share. Its famed snow-capped Andean peaks shelter the temples and fortresses of the Inca and other pre-Columbian cultures, linked by a network of paved trails.
Travel to Peru to retrace the steps of the Inca, Peru's fascinating ancient civilization. Travel from Cusco, through the fertile heartland of the Sacred Valley and to the magnificent Ollantaytambo ruins, hike the best inca trail to Machu Picchu.
The top sights of Peru will leave all the family thrilled by the scenic grandeur, ruined temples, colonial cities, amazing inca trail to Machu Picchu, the Inca Lost City, once buried under the tropical forest which surrounds it.
Colours of Peru calls to you with all the allure of the ancient and the mysterious. From the soaring peaks of the Andes to the lush Amazon Rainforest, from the pre-Colombian ruins in the mountains to the Spanish colonial mansions on the coast, 14 Days in Peru offers you exciting adventures and unique experiences.
Manu National Park is an excellent way to experience an intense amazon wildlife.Is the biggest Amazon rainforest in the Americas, its incomparable natural wealth, host the greatest amount of flora and fauna of the world.
The 2-day Inca trail to Machu Picchu, is the shortest version of the Inca trail circuits to the sacred citadel of Machu Picchu. Andean Great Treks organize this trek with the best local guides and hotels in Machu Picchu. We work only in small groups, the premium service for your delight in Cusco.
Peru’s unique combination of geographic and topographic conditions results in various climates, making it impossible to find the perfect time with the best weather for the entire country.
While you can expect the perfect, warm, and sunny weather during the southern hemisphere summer from December to March along the Peruvian coast and in Lima, that’s surely not the ideal time to travel to the Andean highlands including Cusco and Machu Picchu as it’s rainy season.
On the other hand, the best time to travel to the Peruvian Andean highlands and the Amazon rainforest is during the dry season between April to October which sees sunny days, bright blue skies in the Andes, and chilly nights, in the southern hemisphere winter; but during this period the weather along the coast and in Lima is not really inviting as it’s cool, damp and foggy.
JANUARY
20 °C / 7 °C
FEBRUARY
20 °C / 6 °C
MARCH
20 °C / 5 °C
APRIL
21 °C / 4 °C
MAY
21 °C / 0 °C
JUNE
20 °C / -5 °C
JULY
21 °C / -3 °C
AUGUST
21 °C / -1 °C
SEPTEMBER
21 °C / 3 °C
OCTOBER
22 °C / 5 °C
NOVEMBER
23 °C / 6 °C
DECEMBER
21 °C / 7 °C
