10 Things to do in Cusco Peru → when you arrive at Cusco you will realize the importance of the city becoming from ancient times and modern times still the history alive at every step.
Cusco considered the Capital of the ancient kingdom during the 13 centuries when the Inca civilization expanded their domains over South America, to show the power over south American civilization they had built temples and palaces to worship their god and royalty leaders by offering to the mother earth with produces and kids to keep the gods calm and be grateful for such important develop just like building Inca trails to create the best communication system to deliver their messages all over 27,000 miles approx. Cusco nowadays is the American Archeology Capital establish by Unesco to discover the history you can visit the temples and palaces under the catholic churches walking through the narrow streets still shreds of evidence of a city of the ancient Gods.
1. Walking Tour San Blas Neiborghood
The most colorful and historical part of Cusco city you will find in San Blas those narrow streets are still showing the evidence of an ancient urban system design by the Incas, at every street you will see little shops related to the colonial traditions handicraft with their Museums telling their history and traditions.
2. Explore Sacsayhuman and Qorikancha
On of the most outstanding sites to discover are located downtown Cusco and the surrounding, Sacsayhuaman located 6 kilometers Northwest of Cusco explore the impressive archeological site with massive megalithic stone building it a piece of evidence that the ancient Incas were capable to move and cut with such precision every stone that fits perfectly to every Inca wall, Qoricancha at the simple view is a colonial Dominican church built with Fundacion of the Ica remind stone but once you walk inside the church you are going to realize that the lost temple of the sun still there with an impressive architecture design to worship the Sun God and created to make offers from all over South America.
3. San Pedro Market
Worlds famous San Pedro Market designed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel in 1925 was opened for the first time to the Public, its location is part of the ancient Inca Trail that connects the Incan Temples and Palaces, the first time the Market was created in the 14 centuries by the Spanish colonizers establish in front of the Basilica cathedral while people were crowded to get their supply the priest using the Quechua native Language was doing the mass and getting locals into the catholicism, further through the time the Market was opening more out of the Plaza de Armas main square finally decided by the local governor to built where its located now 5 minutes away walking from the main square.
San Pedro Market nowadays offers the most colorful variety of produces from food, fresh juices, vegetables, fresh fruits, and the handcraft enjoy visiting the local medicinal herbs and the traditional items to worship the Mother Eart on ceremonies.
4. The Booming Gastronomy
On every street, while you explore Cusco many restaurants offer such great gastronomy and a variety of vegetarian Peruvian and international cuisine that includes cooking class best restaurants in the world are in Cusco; walking out of downtown you are going to find Pollo a la Brassa rotisserie chicken with french fries most common food for locals. same us pizza places at night.
5. Cusco by Night
Immerse in the fun Cusco full of bars and nightlife begins at 06 pm with famous traditional Te Macho for the cold temperatures of Cusco made with local Pisco and hot water and orange mixture for a good flavor many of those places offer snacks and live music show for all kind of pleasures bars from heavy metal to Andean Latino Music, in the heart of downtown Cusco you are going to find a place called Rock House that offers the greatest food and heavy metal live music many of those can be found downtown Cusco’s nightlife.
6. Cusco Museums
The top museums in South America are located in Cusco with all the ancient reminds pieces discovered during the excavations and left pieces by the Spanish Inca Museum the most complete and recommended to see the history from the beginning of the human evolution and the Pre-Colombian Museum with amazing gold pieces from all over the cultures in South America before the Incas and after, and many others located downtown Cusco.
7. Basilica Cathedral of Cusco
Normally the tour to the Basilica last for 45 minutes but it feels that you need more time because once you start the tour amazing altarpieces are showing up with gold plated decorations with Baroque and plateresque style the history of Adean Baroque are documented by a famous local artist on a painting made on oil on canvas the most interesting was made by Marcos Zapata the last supper and many others that will take your interest us you explore including many other churches that surround downtown Cusco.
8. Walking the Inca Trail Cusco
Morning to explore the surrounding of Cusco according to the history many of the Inca Trails were meeting in Cusco it’s because was the Capital of the ancient Kingdom when you have time to explore Cusco find the Inca Trails that goes along the Archeological sites and many others that goes to undiscovered places those options are for beginners and professional hikers with a Map you will find the options for full-day and half-day Hike with all the safe places to go that Cusco offers.
9. Alpaca farms Cusco
Just on 30 minutes driving out of Cusco, many social projects involve local people bringing them from all the highlands to show their skill with textile and makes unique experience because they are still doing the way it was back in the ancient time textiles with an amazing design all hand made with natural colors dyed with herbs and mountain minerals from the Andes at the same time, the Andean camels get an alpaca selfie by feeding them with alfalfa.
10. Botanical Garden of San Francisco Square Cusco
The San Francisco square was part of the Cusco surrounded by temples and palaces when the INCAS created the capital of the kingdom nowadays it is a place of the most extensive botanical garden where you can find the iconic flora native to the Andes.