Shopping · Cusco · Peru
Shopping in Cusco
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cusco is one of Peru's best places to shop for alpaca knitwear, textiles and crafts, from fair-trade cooperatives to sprawling markets. Best souvenirs: Alpaca knitwear, Handwoven textiles and Chullo hats.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 3
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Alpaca knitwear
Where to shop
San Blas
Workshops and galleries selling ceramics, religious figures and artworks.
Avenida El Sol
Craft markets and the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales with fair-trade textiles.
Calle Triunfo and Hatun Rumiyoc
Boutique shops selling alpaca, silver jewellery and design items.
Markets
San Pedro Market
Food, produce and some crafts in Cusco's central market.
Pisac market
The Sacred Valley's best-known craft market, busiest on Sundays.
Chinchero market
A Sunday market in the village, with weavings and local produce.
What to buy
Alpaca knitwear
Sweaters, scarves and gloves; check the label, as many 'alpaca' items are blends.
Handwoven textiles
Traditional weavings from cooperatives, made with natural dyes.
Chullo hats
Colourful knitted hats with ear flaps, worn in the Andes.
Silver jewellery
Silver pieces with Inca motifs from boutique jewellers.
Andean chocolate and coffee
Chocolate and coffee from the cloud forests of the Cusco region.
Streets and markets worth a wander
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Street · Historic Centre
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.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · San Blas
San Blas quarter
Cusco's artisan quarter has cobbled lanes, workshops making religious images, and the small San Blas church, which holds one of the finest carved wooden pulpits in the Americas.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Couples
- Shopping
Market · San Pedro
San Pedro Market
Cusco's central market, in a large covered hall near San Pedro station, sells potatoes, maize, fruit, bread, cheese and herbs, with fresh juice stalls and lunch counters serving soups and stews.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Museum · Historic Centre
Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco
This non-profit centre on Avenida El Sol works with weaving communities around Cusco.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Historic site · Sacred Valley
Chinchero
A high village at about 3,750 metres on the road between Cusco and Urubamba, with Inca terraces, a colonial adobe church built on Inca foundations and weaving cooperatives where women demonstrate natural dyeing and weaving.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Pan chuta, Coca tea and Chicha de jora. Bakeries in Cusco and on the road through Oropesa. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $$ | Hillside area above the plaza, on the way to Sacsayhuamán |
| San Pedro | $ | Market district near San Pedro station with local food stalls and budget hotels |
| Urubamba | $$$ | Central Sacred Valley town surrounded by countryside resort hotels |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in PEN. Around 10% is usual in restaurants when no service charge is included. Tip trekking guides, cooks and porters on multi-day treks, and guides on day tours.
- Bargain politely in markets, but do not push too hard; small amounts matter more to sellers.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in February; the busiest months are June–August.
- June: Inti Raymi — Inca festival of the sun at Sacsayhuamán (24 June)
- July: Virgen del Carmen festival in Paucartambo (around 16 July)
- December: Santurantikuy — Christmas craft market in the Plaza de Armas (24 December)
Staying near the shops
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Cusco?
Alpaca knitwear, Handwoven textiles, Chullo hats and Silver jewellery.
+Where is the best shopping in Cusco?
San Blas: Workshops and galleries selling ceramics, religious figures and artworks.
+What are the best markets in Cusco?
San Pedro Market, Pisac market and Chinchero market.