View of Cusco with the Plaza de Armas, La Compañía and the cathedral from Qolqampata hill
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Cusco in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 4.2 km on foot
  • 16 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is the right amount of time for Cusco without rushing: the first to acclimatise with short walks and Andean textiles, the second for Inca and colonial history with two museums, and the third to climb to the hilltop shrines before signing off with legends. It suits anyone who wants to get under the city's skin or use it as a base before the Sacred Valley.

Day 1Acclimatising among the looms

Day one is for letting your body adjust, so keep the morning gentle with "Cusco in a morning": San Pedro Market, the San Francisco square, Regocijo and the Plaza de Armas, with plenty of sit-down breaks. Lunch on chicharrón in Calle Pampa del Castillo, shared, with a coca tea. The afternoon stays easy: the Center for Traditional Textiles is a few steps away on Avenida El Sol, and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art awaits on Plazoleta de las Nazarenas. Eat dinner early and skip the alcohol.

  1. Morning

    Cusco in a morning: market, squares and the famous stone

    Mixed · 1.3 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. San Pedro MarketCusco’s pantry since 1925: juices, giant loaves, medicinal herbs and steaming soups under an iron roof.
    2. Arch of Santa ClaraA neoclassical triumphal arch honouring a country that lasted only three years: the Peru-Bolivian Confederation.
    3. Plaza and Church of San FranciscoA leafy square presided over by an austere Franciscan church that hides crypts, a carved choir and a gigantic canvas.
    4. Plaza Regocijo, the old KusipataThe other half of the great Inca square, with the town hall and the house where Inca Garcilaso de la Vega lived.
    5. Plaza de Armas, the beating heart of CuscoPeru’s most photographed square: two Baroque churches, carved wooden balconies and the great festival of Inti Raymi.
    6. The Twelve-Angled StoneThe most famous block of Inca masonry: twelve edges fitted to their neighbours without mortar.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Cusco-style chicharrón at Chicharronería Los Mundialistas. Calle Pampa del Castillo 371

  3. Afternoon

    Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco

    A non-profit that works with weaving communities across the region. It has a small museum on Andean dyes and techniques, and weavers usually work in full view. You'll find it on Avenida El Sol, right next to Qorikancha.

    Directions

    Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (MAP)

    In a colonial mansion on Plazoleta de las Nazarenas, it brings together ceramics, metalwork and carvings from cultures that predate the Incas, displayed as works of art. Small, calm and indoors: ideal for your arrival day.

    Directions

Day 2Two empires on one street

Better acclimatised now, spend the morning on "From the Temple of the Sun to the Cross": Qorikancha, where Santo Domingo church rises on top of the Inca temple, the Loreto alley, the Plaza de Armas, Hatun Rumiyoc and San Blas with its workshops. Head down for lomo saltado near the plaza. In the afternoon, two museums close together fill in what you've seen on the street: Museo Inka, on the Admiral's slope, and the Machu Picchu Museum at Casa Concha, perfect if the citadel is your next stop.

  1. Morning

    From the Temple of the Sun to the Cross: Cusco of two empires

    History · 1.4 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Qorikancha and Santo DomingoThe Inca Temple of the Sun, turned into a Dominican convent, where Inca stonework survived the earthquakes that brought down the colonial walls.
    2. Calle Loreto: the alley of Inca wallsA narrow alley between two Inca walls: on one side, Huayna Cápac’s palace; on the other, the house of the chosen women.
    3. Plaza de Armas: the old HuacaypataThe great ceremonial square of the Incas was also the stage for the conquest and for the execution of Túpac Amaru II.
    4. Hatun Rumiyoc and the palace of Inca RocaThe wall of the palace attributed to Inca Roca, now the Archbishop’s Palace, with the Twelve-Angled Stone set into its base.
    5. San Blas: the neighbourhood and its churchThe artisans’ quarter at the top of a steep slope, with a plain-looking church that holds one of the most celebrated pulpits in the Americas.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Lomo saltado at Inka Grill. Portal de Panes 115, Plaza de Armas

  3. Afternoon

    Museo Inka

    In the Admiral's House, a stone's throw from the Plaza de Armas, it gathers ceramics, textiles, keros and mummies that bring everyday Inca life into focus. Weavers often work in the courtyard. Check opening hours before you go.

    Directions

    Machu Picchu Museum (Casa Concha)

    It displays objects found at Machu Picchu during Hiram Bingham's excavations, which Yale University began returning to Peru in 2011. It's the best preparation for visiting the citadel and sits on Calle Santa Catalina Ancha.

    Directions

Day 3Shrines in the hills

After three nights at altitude you're ready to climb: take an early taxi to Q'enqo and walk down to Sacsayhuamán, which looks its best in the morning light. Descend the San Cristóbal steps and carry on to San Pedro Market for caldo de gallina. Rest in the afternoon, then at dusk follow "Tunnels, tremors and serpents": the Chinkana at Qorikancha, the Lord of the Earthquakes in the cathedral and Siete Culebras street. Round off the trip with roast cuy, if you're feeling brave.

  1. Morning

    Q'enqo

    A large limestone outcrop carved by the Incas, with zigzag channels and an underground chamber holding an altar cut into the rock, thought to be linked to rituals and offerings. It lies on the road through the hills and is usually included in the tourist ticket.

    Directions

    Sacsayhuamán

    The Inca complex overlooking Cusco, with zigzag walls of gigantic stones fitted without mortar and a vast esplanade where the Inti Raymi is celebrated every 24 June. It's usually covered by the tourist ticket; check before you go.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Caldo de gallina at Mercado Central de San Pedro (puestos de comida). Calle Túpac Amaru 477

  3. Early evening

    Tunnels, tremors and serpents: legendary Cusco

    Mysteries & legends · 1.5 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Qorikancha: the golden garden and the ChinkanaA golden garden described by the chroniclers, and a tunnel that, according to tradition, ran underground all the way to Sacsayhuamán.
    2. La Compañía and its quarrel with the cathedralA façade that, so the story goes, tried to outshine the cathedral and sent a complaint all the way to the Pope.
    3. Cusco Cathedral and the Lord of the EarthquakesA dark Christ that Cusco credits with calming the 1650 earthquake, and a bell with a woman’s name.
    4. Plazoleta de las Nazarenas and Siete CulebrasA quiet little square, a former religious house on Inca walls, and an alley with serpents carved into the stone.
    5. San Cristóbal: Manco Cápac and the puma of CuscoFrom the forecourt of a church linked to a baptised Inca prince you see the city that, according to an old idea, was shaped like a puma.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Roast cuy at Kusikuy. Calle Amargura 140

The map

Cusco in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Cusco in 3 days

  • Save the hardest part for last: short walks and museums on day one, the hills on day three once you've acclimatised. That way the altitude won't spoil your trip.
  • The Cusco tourist ticket (boleto turístico) usually covers Q'enqo, Sacsayhuamán and the Sacred Valley sites; the cathedral, Qorikancha and private museums are paid separately. Check what each version includes.
  • Many travellers swap day three for a trip to the Sacred Valley (Pisac and Ollantaytambo) or to Moray and the Maras salt pans. If you do, move the legends walk to the evening of day two.

Questions

Cusco in 3 days: your questions

Can I fit Machu Picchu into these 3 days?

Better not to squeeze it in: Machu Picchu deserves its own one- or two-day trip, ideally with a night in Aguas Calientes. Entry tickets and trains sell out, so book weeks ahead and keep these three days for acclimatising in Cusco.

What about Rainbow Mountain?

Vinicunca rises above 5,000 m, and tours leave before dawn with several hours on the road. Don't do it in your first days: if you want to go, add it at the end of your trip once you're acclimatised. Moray and Maras make a much gentler day trip.

How far will I walk in three days?

About 4.2 km on the tours, spread over three mornings and one evening, plus the walk between Q'enqo and Sacsayhuamán and the descent to the centre. The distance is short, but altitude and hills make it feel longer, so don't go by the numbers alone.

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