Itinerary · Cusco · Peru
One day in Cusco
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Cusco, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 6. Day 1: Plaza de Armas and Cusco Cathedral. Base yourself in Historic Centre.
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 5
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- Historic Centre
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Plaza de Armas and Cusco Cathedral
Plaza de Armas, Cusco Cathedral, Qorikancha and Santo Domingo and Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone, then Planetarium Cusco in the evening.
Morning
Plaza de Armas
Climb to a café balcony overlooking the plaza for views of the churches at night when they are lit. Allow 1 hour.
Late morning
Cusco Cathedral
Use the audio guide to find the Last Supper painting and the Señor de los Temblores, Cusco's patron crucifix. Allow 1 hour.
Lunch
Lunch: Cuy al horno
Traditional restaurants (picanterías) in Cusco and towns such as Lucre and Tipón known for it.
Afternoon
Qorikancha and Santo Domingo
Look at the curved Inca wall from Avenida El Sol below, which survived earthquakes that toppled the Spanish church. Allow 1 hour.
Late afternoon
Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone
Walk the street early or late to avoid crowds around the stone, and continue uphill into San Blas. Allow 30 minutes.
Evening
Planetarium Cusco
Book a spot for the evening session and dress warmly; nights are very cold.
Before you go
If it rains
- Swap in Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP) (Historic Centre): A compact, high-quality museum for an hour on a rainy afternoon; the courtyard restaurant is a calm place for lunch.
- 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
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture, luxury and nightlife
Historic Centre
Plaza de Armas, Inca walls, churches and the busiest streets for restaurants and agencies
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–6 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.3 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.
Getting between stops: Walking. The centre, San Blas and San Cristóbal are walkable, but the altitude and steep streets make walking tiring at first; take it slowly.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in Cusco?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 6. How many days Cusco needs.