Contents
Do a free walking tour
Visit San Pedro central market
Head to a viewpoint
Go textile and llama wool shopping
Do A Free Walking Tour
We love a free walking tour, what traveler doesn't? Cuzco is a city steeped in history so it’s a great place to jump on a tour. This way you can hit all the main sites and have a local tell you about the culture and history. We went with Incan Milky Way who were really great!
Worth it? Absolutely, such a great way to get to know a town.
Distance and time from city centre | Getting there | Time to allocate | Cost |
Starts in a smaller square located 220m away from the main square | Meeting point plazoleta Regocijo - In town easy towalk to | Approx. 2.5hrs | The guides work on tips, tip what you think it was worth and what aligns to your budget $5-15 is usually good. |
Visit the San Pedro Central market
What do we love more than a free walking tour? A market. This is a particularly good one, you’ll walk past rows of juice ladies all yelling for you to come to their stall, they are all lovely, make great juices and are always happy to chat for those wanting to practice their Spanish. Go deeper in and you’ll find rows of soup stalls, also delicious! You’ll find clothes, fresh produce, herbs and questionable medicinal products. You can even find the legendary Ayahuasca drug here. Overall it’s absolutely worth a visit
Worth it? If like us you love a market, especially a local ones like this then it's a must do.
Distance and time from city centre | Getting there | Time to allocate | Cost |
750m from the main square | Location here - Simply walk! | 1 to 2 hrs | Free (Unless you get a juice or soup!) |
Head to a viewpoint
There is no doubt Cusco is a beautiful city, to appreciate it and its red roofs properly head to a viewpoint where you can take it all in. We went to Mirador desde el Cristo Blanco which was super beautiful but it’s a steep climb and with the altitude breathing can be difficult, so take your time.
Worth it? Putting in a little effort for a fantastic view? Always.
Distance and time from city centre | Getting there | Time to allocate | Cost |
1.5KM from the main square | 1.5 hrs | Free |
Go textile and llama wool shopping
Aside from the central market the streets are full of great shopping options, the San Blas neighbourhood and Hatun Rumiyoc Street (where the famous Stone of the 12 Angles of Cusco is located) are a good place to start. This is where to buy your textiles and woollen products because you haven’t really been to Peru if you haven’t bought some kind of colourful alpaca wool poncho, jacket or hat - I know I love mine! Also as Cusco is the base for a lot of the trekking in the area there is a lot of adventure gear shops, there are a few high end brands and then a few local companies who do a good deal.
Worth it? Not a must but an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon
Distance and time from city centre | Getting there | Time to allocate | Cost |
Approx. 500m from main square | Good place to street to start your souvenir hunt here | 1-2 hrs | Up to you! |