3 days in Cusco

Day by day

1. Day 1: Plaza de Armas and Cusco Cathedral

   Plaza de Armas, Cusco Cathedral and Qorikancha and Santo Domingo, then Planetarium Cusco in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Plaza de Armas

      Cusco's main square was the Inca city's ceremonial plaza, Huacaypata.

   2. Late morning

      Cusco Cathedral

      Use the audio guide to find the Last Supper painting and the Señor de los Temblores, Cusco's patron crucifix.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cuy al horno

      Traditional restaurants (picanterías) in Cusco and towns such as Lucre and Tipón known for it.

   4. Afternoon

      Qorikancha and Santo Domingo

      The Inca Empire's most important temple, dedicated to the sun god Inti, was once covered with sheets of gold.

   5. Evening

      Planetarium Cusco

      Book a spot for the evening session and dress warmly; nights are very cold.

2. Day 2: Sacsayhuamán and Cristo Blanco

   Sacsayhuamán, Cristo Blanco and Ollantaytambo archaeological site, then Plaza de Armas in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Sacsayhuamán

      Walk up from San Cristóbal early in the morning; the site is included in the Boleto Turístico.

   2. Late morning

      Cristo Blanco

      A white statue of Christ, donated by Palestinian Christians who settled in Cusco, stands on a hill next to Sacsayhuamán with open arms over the city.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Alpaca

      Restaurants across the historic centre.

   4. Afternoon

      Ollantaytambo archaeological site

      Visit early in the morning or late afternoon, before or after the tour buses from Cusco.

   5. Evening

      Plaza de Armas

      Clubs and pubs around the plaza and on Calle Plateros and Calle Tecsecocha, busy late into the night.

3. Day 3: Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone and Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús

   Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone, Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús and Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP), then San Blas in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone

      This narrow street between the Plaza de Armas and San Blas is lined by the wall of an Inca palace, later the Archbishop's Palace.

   2. Late morning

      Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús

      Climb to the choir loft or bell tower for a view straight over the Plaza de Armas.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Chiri uchu

      Around Plaza San Francisco and the Plaza de Armas during Corpus Christi celebrations.

   4. Afternoon

      Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP)

      In a colonial mansion on the Plazoleta de las Nazarenas, this museum displays a selection of pre-Columbian ceramics, gold, silver and woodwork from the Larco Museum's collections, shown as art in well-lit rooms.

   5. Evening

      San Blas

      Smaller bars with live Andean and folk music and a quieter atmosphere.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (Historic Centre): Visit before shopping for textiles elsewhere; you will know how to judge quality.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Historic Centre keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, San Blas ($$) suits couples, culture, solo travellers and food lovers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 11–12 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.3 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.

More or fewer days

• One day in Cusco
• 2 days in Cusco
• 5 days in Cusco

Questions travellers ask