Nearly every person who visits Peru will stop in Cusco. It’s the historic capital city of the Inca Empire and it’s the current gateway to Machu Picchu. Since Cusco sits at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, it’s typically recommended to spend a few days in the city acclimatizing before heading out on your treks.
So if you’re looking for a way to spend one day in Cusco, here’s what I recommend. Note that you if you do this on your very first day in Cusco, you may have to adjust the itinerary. You won’t know how the altitude will affect you until you are in Cusco. I had no problems (though I had been at high elevations for the last month), but others have definitely been affected.
Given that, this is an introduction and a starting place to plan one day in Cusco. Adjust and cut things if you aren’t feeling well. You can always try to visit some of these sites another day.
One Day in Cusco
This is not the only way to spend one day in Cusco, but it’s what I would do if I were to visit again. You’ll get an introduction to the city as well as get the chance to visit a few museums.
Note that this itinerary requires you to pick up the Cusco Tourist Ticket. It’s not cheap, at 130 soles for the full ticket, but can be a great value if you plan to visit sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. I’ll cover more information about the Cusco Tourist Ticket later in this post, as well as giving some suggestions for visitors who don’t want to get the pass.
9:00 – Pick Up Tourist Ticket and Museum of Popular Art
After breakfast, start your day by picking up your Cusco Tourist Ticket. This ticket is valid for ten consecutive days and will get you into 16 sites in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. While not cheap (it’s 130 soles per adult for the full ticket), it is the only way to visit some of the Inca sites in the Sacred Valley. Depending on your itinerary for the Cusco region, you may need this ticket anyway.
Annoyingly, many sites, especially in Cusco, don’t actually sell the Cusco Tourist Ticket. They’ll accept it, as it’s the only way to enter these museums, but they won’t sell it. This is incredibly frustrating, so stop and pick up your ticket first. I found the easiest place to do this is right near the Museum of Popular Art. Enter the building and turn left (before you go downstairs). There’s a small office where you can purchase your ticket.
With your ticket in hand, head down the stairs and visit the Museum of Popular Art. It’s a small museum and it doesn’t take long to visit. Since you’re here and the entrance is included with your ticket, I think it’s worth a quick stop.
As the name suggests, this is an art museum, but it’s not an art museum that you’re likely picturing. Rather that paintings, you’ll find three dimensional sculptures that blend art techniques with traditional Andean motifs. It’s a small museum and you only need about 15 or 20 minutes to walk through the entire space, but it can be a nice stop.
9:30 – Plaza de Armas and Surroundings
Next, head to Plaza de Armas. This is the main hub for tourists visiting Cusco. Everything that the tourists need is typically contained within this area of the city. Lining the streets, you’ll find shops, restaurants, and tourist agencies, but on the main square itself, you’ll find plenty of benches and a gorgeous view.
There’s churches flanking two sides of the square and shops lining the other two. In the center is the fountain. Basically, no matter which direction you turn, you’re sure to have a great view.
My only complaint with Plaza de Armas is that it’s difficult to find a spot to just sit and people watch. To be clear, it’s not difficult to find a spot to sit. Rather the issue is that every two minutes, someone is approaching you to try to sell something. I know this happens in big tourist cities, but it was just obnoxious here in Cusco. So as beautiful as the area was, I ended up limiting my time here. I compared that to Arequipa, Peru where people only approached every 10 minutes or so, meaning I could really sit and enjoy.
Oh well.
10:00 – Cusco Walking Tour
The more I’ve traveled across South America, the more I’ve enjoyed taking walking tours to get an overview of the city. From Plaza de Armas, you’ll find many guides offering free walking tours. If you stand around long enough (particularly by the fountain), someone will approach you for a free guided tour.
I used Real Cusco Free Walking Tours, which met right in front of the fountain. Check the schedule on their website, but at the time of writing, their tours departed at 10:30, 1:00, and 3:30. I realize that these times don’t exactly line up with this itinerary, but if you have to adjust your itinerary due to timing or altitude, I’ll still give them as a reference.
The tour I took left at 1:00 pm and covered the Plaza de Armas, San Pedro Market, some cute neighborhoods, and a great viewpoint of the city. Note that we also received a free llama keychain, a chocolate tasting, and a pisco sour. The tour lasted about two and a half hours and it was recommended that we give 30 soles.
Regardless of if you use Real Cusco Free Walking Tours or another company, I do recommend taking a tour of Cusco to learn a bit about the city. You’ll also inevitably get an introduction to Inca culture as well.
12:30 – Lunch
I’m slowly getting better at remembering to include a stop for lunch in these itineraries, so take a break from sightseeing and enjoy some lunch. If you just finished your walking tour, ask your guide for some recommendations of places nearby.
While I don’t go out of my way to recommend restaurants since I’m not a foodie traveler, I will say I enjoyed Pisco, which is just off the Plaza de Armas and has three balcony tables with a view and a good menu del dia. Pirwa is just two blocks away from Plaza de Armas and had great food for unbeatable prices (in the historic, touristy part of Cusco).
1:30 – Museum of Regional History
Now that your walking tour is over, it’s time to get back on track with trying to get as much use out of that expensive Cusco Tourist Ticket as possible. There’s a few more museums you can do in Cusco, but in my opinion, the best museum on the Cusco Tourist Ticket is the Museum of Regional History. While many of the museums on the Cusco Tourist Ticket can feel lackluster, this one felt like it had some substance.
Of course you’ll learn a bit about the Incas, but the museum also talks about the people who lived in this region before the Incas came. The first floor is dedicated to their story. On the upper floor, you’ll find some religious art that blended traditional European styles with Andean and Christian motifs.
2:30 – Taxi to Saqsaywaman
Now let’s go and visit an Inca ruin right here in the city of Cusco. While you can walk to Saqsaywaman (I did and I wouldn’t call it too difficult), I’d suggest taking a taxi if it’s your first day. The site sits on a hill overlooking Cusco so if you’re still adjusting to the altitude, take a taxi to go a little bit easier on yourself.
3:00 – Saqsaywaman
Saqsaywaman is one of many Inca sites you can visit with your Cusco Tourist Ticket. It’s also conveniently located in Cusco. Is it the most impressive ruins? No, Machu Picchu is definitely better. However, Saqsaywaman has something that Machu Picchu doesn’t. It has fewer tourists and less restrictions. While at Machu Picchu you need timed entries and have to follow specific routes, at Saqsaywaman, you are free to explore at your own pace. Hire a guide if you want to learn more (there’s hardly any informational signs about the place) or just wander.
Don’t miss out on Cruzmoqo for a great view of Cusco.
4:00 – Q’engo
From Saqsaywaman, it’s a 10 to 15 minute walk to Q’engo. This Inca site is also covered by your Cusco Tourist Ticket, but it’s less exciting than Saqsaywaman. This site is small and takes just a short time to walk through. Q’engo was important for religious and astronomical purposes and if you want to get the most out of your visit, I’d hire a guide.
Is Q’engo exciting? Honestly, not really. But I firmly believe in trying to get as much use out of your Cusco Tourist Ticket as possible. If you’re already at Saqsaywaman, it seems silly to not swing by Q’engo.
4:30 – Back to Cusco & Traveler’s Choice
When you’re done exploring the Inca ruins, head back to Cusco. Either use a taxi or hike down what feels like never-ending stairs to reach the historic center of Cusco.
The rest of the evening is yours to explore how you see fit.
More Information About the Cusco Tourist Ticket
I built this itinerary around the idea that you will be spending some time in Cusco, but also exploring part of the Sacred Valley. If you’re also planning a visit to Pisac or Ollantaytambo (two of the most popular places to visit), it’s worth it to just pick up the full Cusco Tourist Ticket.
If you’re not planning a visit to Pisac or Ollantaytambo or any of the other major Inca sites covered by the Cusco Tourist Ticket, I don’t think it’s worth it to get the ticket. The museums within Cusco are not enough to justify the price of the ticket. In that case, continue reading for some suggestions of how to spend your time in Cusco without the tourist ticket.
What if You Don’t Get the Cusco Tourist Ticket
So let’s say you’ve decided that the Cusco Tourist Ticket isn’t worth it for your particular itinerary. What else do you do?
Keep your visit to Plaza de Armas and the Cusco Walking Tour. After lunch, there are numerous museums you can visit that are not part of the Cusco Tourist Ticket. Your walking tour will have likely pointed some of these out and given you some ideas of what you might want to see. If not, I’d recommend checking out the Inca Museum as your starting point.
Is One Day in Cusco Enough
One day in Cusco is enough for just the city of Cusco, but you’ll need more time in the region. Of course, there’s Machu Picchu, but there are so many other great sites nearby.
With More Time
With more than one day, I’d start looking at day trips from Cusco. I did four day trips from Cusco during the nearly seven days I spent in the city. Three were guided tours that took us on some awesome day hikes to Huamantay Lake, the 7 Lakes of Ausangate, and Rainbow Mountain. On another day trip, I visited Pisac on a solo day trip. The rest of the time was spent in the city of Cusco relaxing, preparing for my Inca Trail trek, or visiting more sites on the Cusco Tourist Ticket.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to see and do in Cusco. The day trips are great, but you could spend a few days just inside the city itself. There are loads of museums and a ton of history, so even with one day in Cusco, you’ll just be scratching the surface of everything this city has to offer.
