First things first: Coca tea and oxygenated rooms may be required for a trip to this ancient capital city in the high Andes of southern Peru. But to experience a living monument to one of the world’s most powerful ancient empires and the Spanish Colonial conquistadors who attempted to override them, it’s worth getting a little winded.
Cusco is everything you’ve seen in the pictures—the timeworn cobblestone streets and clay-tiled roofs that climb hillsides, chiming grand cathedrals, Quechua women with alpacas on lead, and still-standing Inca-laid temples and foundations made with impossibly perfect hand-cut stone. But it’s also its modern-day additions, like nightclubs that blast reggaeton until the sun comes up, high fashion shops that bring new takes to alpaca wool, fusion restaurants run by Michelin-starred chefs, luxury hotels with candlelit opera dinners, and hostels with attached Franco-Peruvian creperies.
All of this to say, there’s a lot to Cusco’s petite and puma-shaped frame. Our mission in this travel guide to Cusco is to point you to some of its very best places—the gems and experiences nestled under the stuff most often talked about.
Where to Stay
The One in a Monastery: Monasterio, a Belmond Hotel
Monasterio, by the luxury hotel brand Belmond, is a five-star hotel inside of a 16th century Jesuit monastery. Its oxygen-enriched rooms, once the priests’ quarters, now feature a few upgrades like marble baths, handwoven alpaca blankets, and original artwork from The Cuzco School. At the hotel’s center is its cloistered courtyard, a true pièce de résistance with a massive 300-year-old cedar tree casting shadows over manicured gardens, Spanish archways, and a mood-setting fountain. Monasterio’s newest and Michelin chef-helmed restaurant OQRE makes good use of it with tables that spill out from the cloisters into the atmospheric open-air courtyard, while El Tupay, Monasterio’s other restaurant in the former refectory, offers a romantic candlelit dining experience paired with performances from Cusco’s finest opera singers three times a week.
The One That Will Spoil You: Antigua Casona San Blas
Nestled in the artistic heart of Cusco’s San Blas neighborhood, Antigua Casona San Blas is an independent boutique hotel with a B Corp certification and a mission rooted in sustainability and community. Every detail, from the locally crafted wood furniture to the ethically sourced Café Orígenes coffee served at breakfast reflects a commitment to Pachamama (Mother Earth in Andean cosmology). Three suites, designed in collaboration with the non-profit Xapiri Ground, showcase curated Indigenous art and artifacts, while other thoughtful touches include candlelit dinners at the in-house Piedra y Sal restaurant, nightly turn-down service with hot water bottles and herbal tea, a mini-spa featuring a hyperbaric chamber for altitude acclimatization, and a heated yoga studio offering daily classes.
The One Made for Backpackers: La Bo’M
La Bo’M in San Blas is a backpacker’s gem, known for its welcoming vibe, colorful dorms, homey atmosphere, and irresistible on-site Franco-Peruvian creperie. During Cusco’s cooler nights, a fire crackles in the fireplace, while the year-round mild days have guests spilling into the leafy courtyard to snag a hammock or lounge chair. It’s all about community at La Bo’M, and you’ll notice that. The shared spaces, filled with books and games, are made for relaxing and mingling, making this the perfect spot for solo travelers or those looking to team up and explore Cusco with some new friends.
The One That Supports Local Children: Niños Hotel
Niños Hotel is more than just a charming boutique hotel in Cusco—it’s a way to give back. With two locations on Calle Fierro and Calle Meloc, both just minutes from the Plaza de Armas, the hotel directly supports the Niños Unidos Peruanos Foundation and uses all of its profits to support more than 600 underprivileged children in Cusco and nearby villages, providing them with healthy meals, medical and dental care, homework support, and a creative space to grow and thrive. While not a luxury hotel, its beautiful rooms each have a unique hand-painted floral mural on the wall and a miniature terrace for enjoying you latte from the on-site café.
Where to Eat
For Freshly Baked Bread and Dessert: Cercanía Pan y Café
Cercanía Pan y Café is a tiny but mighty bakery cafe off the Plazaleta Santa Catalina, where the waft of freshly baked bread and pastries pulls passerby in. All of their products are carefully curated from local producers who work with them directly, be it the chocolate almond croissant made with butter from Ancahuasi and chuncho cacao from Quillabamba or the sourdough loaf made with wheat from El Fundo Orccococha in Ollantaytambo.
For a Taste of Peruvian Chinese Fusion: KION
For a taste of Peruvian-Chinese fusion, known locally as chifa, KION is the place. Its sophisticated and soft-lit dining room feels like stepping out of Peru and inside the Cantonese influences that created the cuisine on KION’s menu centuries ago. Familiar Chinese fare like dim sum, stir-fried noodles, fried rice, and roast duck are plated with Peruvian touches like gooseberry, ají amarillo, and cilantro.
For Your First Bite of Alpaca: Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse
Uchu is a classy Peruvian steakhouse in the historic center of Cusco with rib-eye, T-bone, and barbecue ribs sharing the menu with alpaca tenderloin, ceviche, and papas rellenas (Peruvian stuffed potatoes). The passion project of Peruvian-American couple Erick Paz Gallegos and Elizabeth Schumacher over a decade ago, Uchu has become a mainstay in the Cusco dining scene and, for many, where that first deliciously tender bite of alpaca tends to take place.
For a Market Meal Experience: Mercado San Blas
While any market in Cusco will do for a cheap menu meal surrounded by locals, Mercado San Blas’ small size makes for a less overwhelming market meal experience. Take your pick from the stalls dishing up what’s called the menú del día. They’ll have the day’s soup, entree, and refresco (usually tea or the purple corn drink called chicha morada) written out on a chalkboard in front. Alternatively, you could go for a hearty juice at one of the market’s fresh juice stalls. Don’t forget to ask for your llapa at the end to get a little extra free of charge.
Where to Drink
For the Best Cup of Coffee Around: Three Monkeys Coffee
Recently named to The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops shortlist, Three Monkeys Coffee is a Cinderella story for coffee lovers. Started by three childhood friends from Cusco’s coffee-growing regions, this central cafe spent years as a coffee stand inside the Centro Cultural Rica Chicha and only became a brick-and-mortar in June of 2024. Their sleek new home, which is currently up for a Sprudge Design Award, offers eight unique coffees sourced from different latitudes of Peru and options to enjoy them in whichever brewing method or espresso style you choose.
For Pisco-Spiked Herbal Tea: El Duende Resto Bar
When the temperatures drop, there’s no better place to grab a drink in Cusco than El Duende Resto Bar. Known for their té macho, a hot herbal tea spiked with pisco and anise-flavored liquor, this is both a way to warm up and participate in local culture. The interiors are an experience in and of themselves as well, like stepping inside a dark fairy tale where it wouldn’t feel out of place if an actual dwarf, the bar’s namesake, wandered over to your table to pour you a refill.
For a Cocktail with a View: Limbus Resto Bar
Some of the best after-dark views in Cusco can be found at Limbus Resto Bar, a popular happy hour and late night spot that hovers above San Blas and all of Cusco. While it’s a bit of a climb to get to, it’s worth it when you catch a glimpse of its panoramic views and the twinkling street lamps of Cusco laid out before you. Order a chilcano, pisco sour, or local craft beer and take the city in from its picturesque perspective. If you time it right, there may even be some live music to go with it.
For a Sampling of Peru’s Craft Beer Culture: Cholos Craft Beers
Nestled inside an heirloom 17th-century Spanish colonial casona, Cholos Craft Beers is Cusco’s tap room. Here, you’ll find some of Cusco’s and greater Peru’s best craft beers on its 20 rotating taps, as well as a few of Cholos’ own brews too, like their newly released Chaschaschay IPA. Order a pint at the bar and grab a seat in the tavern-style interiors or out in their open-air courtyard.
For a Fully Female Pick-me-up That Gives Back: Florencia y Fortunata Cafe
This social enterprise cafe, also on The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops shortlist, is as much about brewing specialty coffee as giving women a space to shine in the male-dominated coffee industry. All of Florencia & Fortunata Cafe’s beans and batches come from various coffee-growing regions of Peru, including Cusco and Cajamarca, and from all-female producers paid directly and fairly for their beans.
Where to Shop
For Souvenirs that Support Amazonian Artisans: Xapiri Ground
Situated in the artsy San Blas neighborhood of Cusco, Xapiri Ground is a multi-purpose cultural space with an indigenous art gallery, concept store featuring products from Amazonian artisans, and cafe-bar with a menu of Amazon-inspired drinks and ingredients. The very purpose of the project is to explore how business and cultural collaboration can revive new perspectives about the reality of indigenous people today for all who step inside.
For High-Fashion Alpaca Goods: HJK Studio
HJK Studio is a small-batch knitwear shop just off the Plazoleta de San Blas. Inside, you’ll find one-of-a-kind alpaca sweaters, cardigans, beanies, scarves, and other knitwear you’ll want to slip inside of straight away. Started by Cusco-based fashion designer Hannah Jenkinson, this shop exclusively works with local women who together bring Jenkinson’s visions to life with local 100% biodegradable materials, like wool, cotton, and alpaca, including the buttery soft baby alpaca wool. .
For Andean Herbs, Peruvian Superfoods, and Dry Goods: Mercado San Pedro
Mercado San Pedro is a one-stop-shop for all sorts of Andean products, be it an alpaca sweater, a kilo of cacao puro, or to stock up on all the Peruvian superfoods and medicinal herbs native to the Andes. Wander its every aisle and say yes to the samples of chirimoya (custard apple), queso Andino, and artisanal chocolates likely to be extended your way as you go. If you get hungry, visit one of the juice stands or grab a seat in the food hall for a very cheap multi-course lunch alongside the locals.
For Cusco-Grown Artisanal Chocolate: Chocolateria Pumatiy
For high-quality artisanal chocolates, Chocolateria Pumatiy is the best place to go. Their little shop a few blocks west of the Plaza de Armas offers chocolate bars, nibs, and even specialty coffee that comes directly from the local farmers in Quillabamba. They only use cacao chuncho, the rare variety native to the Cusco region and one that’s been cultivated for centuries by the ancient Amazonian ethnic group Matsiguenga. Stop in for samples of some of their more unique chocolate flavors like aguaymanto (golden berry), coca leaf, and muña (Andean mint).
For One-of-a-Kind Handicrafts: Pedazo de Arte
Pedazo de Arte is a charming boutique handicrafts shop just two blocks from the Plaza de Armas that sells eco-friendly and upcycled fashion, accessories, stationary, and home decor, all made by Cusco-based artists and curated by Japanese owner and artist Miki Suzuki. Her own knitwear hangs among the rest of the shop’s reasonably priced one-of-a-kind handicrafts.
Things to Do
Try Guinea Pig in the Capital of Cuy
About 30 minutes southeast of Cusco is the town of Tipón, where not only are there gorgeous Incan ruins, but guinea pigs ready to eat. That’s right: Cuy al horno is Tipón’s true claim to fame and there are cuyerias everywhere roasting this tender, rabbit-like meat in their clay ovens. Cuyeria Vallecito is a great place to give it a try. Every plate comes served with sides of pasta and rocoto rellena (stuffed peppers). If you can’t get to Tipón, Cusco’s most famous local cuyeria is Sol Mogueguano and an excellent stand-in.
Learn the History and Rituals Behind the Andes’ Most Controversial Leaf
Come to know the true story of coca before it was co-opted by cocaine at the Museo de la Coca, a small museum dedicated to the sacred role of coca in Andean culture, be it for rituals, medicinal purposes, or daily life. The museum is located in San Blas and features art, artifacts, and information about the sacred plant you’ll likely reach for when you get to Cusco and that altitude-induced headache comes on.
Play Sapo and Sip Fermented Corn Beer at a Local Chicheria
For a truly local drink that dates all the way back to the Incas, try chicha de jora at a traditional chicheria. These rustic, home-based bars serve fermented corn beer to whoever wanders inside. Look out for the red plastic bag hanging over the door to know when a batch is ready and don’t be shy to enter and order a massive glass. As you sip your tangy and earthy beverage, challenge your neighbor to a surprisingly challenging coin toss game called sapo, something you’re likely to find in most chicherias.
Explore the Ancient Inca Temple of the Moon at Night
The Templo de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) is an ancient Incan ceremonial site located in the hills near Qenqo and Sacsayhuamán. There are a few different theories about how the Incas used this moon cycle-aligned temple. Some say it was a burial site, while others say it was a space for rituals and offerings to the moon and Mother Earth. Still more say it might have been the site for priestess and shamanic initiations. Whatever its purpose, it’s even more mystical to visit at night. You can wander up on foot from San Blas or get a taxi from the center. If you’re in Cusco on a full moon, join a ceremony at the site or head up on your own for a meditative hike to soak in the undeniable energy of the place.
