History · Cusco · Peru
8 historic sites to see in Cusco
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: PoolPs, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Plaza de Armas, Cusco Cathedral and Qorikancha and Santo Domingo. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 8–9 hours across 3 areas; 2 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 8–9 hours
- Areas
- Historic Centre, San Cristóbal and Ollantaytambo
Historic sites in Cusco
Landmark · Historic Centre
1.Plaza de Armas
Today it is framed by the Cathedral, the Jesuit church of La Compañía and arcades with balconies, with the hills around the city as a backdrop. Locals and visitors gather on the benches and steps.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- After dark
- Photo spot
Religious site · Historic Centre
2.Cusco Cathedral
Built from the 16th century on the site of an Inca palace using stones from Sacsayhuamán, the cathedral holds hundreds of colonial paintings of the Cusco School, including a Last Supper by Marcos Zapata in which Christ and the apostles eat roasted cuy (guinea pig).
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · Historic Centre
3.Qorikancha and Santo Domingo
The Spanish built the Convent of Santo Domingo on top, and its cloister now reveals the temple's inner chambers with some of the finest Inca stonework anywhere.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · San Cristóbal
4.Sacsayhuamán
It is the stage for the Inti Raymi festival every 24 June, and its hillside gives views over Cusco.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
Historic site · Ollantaytambo
5.Ollantaytambo archaeological site
Its Temple of the Sun has six huge pink granite monoliths, hauled from a quarry across the river.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Views
- Iconic
- Active
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Street · Historic Centre
6.Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone
Its most famous block, the Twelve-Angled Stone, fits so tightly with its neighbours that a knife blade cannot be slipped between them.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Religious site · Historic Centre
7.Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
Inside are gilded altarpieces and colonial paintings, and the choir loft gives a view over the plaza.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Art
Museum · Historic Centre
8.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.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Historic Centre | Plaza de Armas, Cusco Cathedral, Qorikancha and Santo Domingo, Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone, Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús and Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP) | 1 hour + 1 hour + 1 hour + 30 minutes + 45 minutes + 1 hour |
| San Cristóbal | Sacsayhuamán | 1.5–2 hours |
| Ollantaytambo | Ollantaytambo archaeological site | 1.5–2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 2 low cost, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Sacsayhuamán; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Historic Centre): Plaza de Armas → Cusco Cathedral → Qorikancha and Santo Domingo → Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone → Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Historic Centre, San Cristóbal and Ollantaytambo): Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP) → Sacsayhuamán → Ollantaytambo archaeological site, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 15 rainy days, very quiet crowds. The wettest month; the classic Inca Trail usually closes for maintenance in February.
- November: highs of 21°C (70°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. The wet season begins with afternoon storms; mornings are usually clear.
- March: highs of 19°C (66°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Rain begins to ease late in the month and the valleys are very green.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Historic Centre — Plaza de Armas, Inca walls, churches and the busiest streets for restaurants and agencies
- San Blas — Hillside artisans' quarter of whitewashed houses, blue doors and small cafés
- San Cristóbal — Hillside area above the plaza, on the way to Sacsayhuamán
- Ollantaytambo — Living Inca town of original street grid and the main station for Machu Picchu trains
More of Cusco
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cusco?
Plaza de Armas. Cusco's main square was the Inca city's ceremonial plaza, Huacaypata.
+Which of these are free in Cusco?
Plaza de Armas and Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone.