Cuzco is definitely on our list of destinations we would return to! Just a short one hour flight from the capital, Lima, it’s a beautiful tourist town. We were there in August which was their winter time and it was definitely a bit chilly. The first couple days were close to fall weather and we were fine with sweaters. But later on we did break out a light jacket to wear over them and a winter hat as well. So be sure to bundle up!
One well known characteristic of Cuzco is also its high altitude. Sitting at 11,000 feet it’s not uncommon for visitors to experience headaches or some dizziness. That’s why most hotels will have coca tea waiting for you upon arrival! Not only does it assist with warming tourists on chilly days, it’s supposed to help them acclimate to the high altitude as well. Choosing a hotel can be overwhelming as Cuzco is a popular destination but there are a few things to take into consideration for this process.
First of all, the main square of Cuzco is named Plaza de Armas. We stayed a little off the main square where it was a bit cheaper, but we were still within a 10 minute walk. Getting taxis around the city is never a problem either and usually cost 10 soles if you’re just staying within the city. Expect about 30 minutes to get from the airport to the city center and that costs about 20 soles. Plaza de Armas has some nice churches to see and lots of restaurants spread all around. We didn’t find a market while in Cuzco, but there was some small streets around the Plaza to walk down where it was easy to find outdoor vendors.
Cuzco is very clean and tourist friendly- we felt safe at all times, even when walking around at night. There’s also a wide variety of food options available wherever you look. And best of all there are TONS of vegetarian options! Cuzco is seriously the most vegetarian friendly destination I’ve ever been to, I was very impressed. Everywhere you look restaurants advertise as vegetarian or vegan and decent meals can cost 15-25 soles ($5-$9).
The only down side I could find is that street are very, very narrow. And the same goes for sidewalks. So if you’re not walking down the main streets be prepared to be hugging the walls very closely, especially when trucks, cars or taxis pass by. This could make some people nervous but as long as you’re careful there really shouldn’t be a problem.
Cuzco is usually used as a launching town for a whole lot of excursions. The most popular of course would be to see Machu Picchu (approximately 4 hours away via bus and train). Seeing Moray and Maras, ruins and salt mines, are also a popular day trip and you can read about us going there. There’s also some whitewater rafting options, mountain biking and lots of others. It’s not hard at all to find tour agencies as you’ll see signs for them wherever you look. While I like to book our excursions ahead of time so that I know exactly where we’re going it didn’t look too tricky to book them day of or even a day or two in advance at any of these agencies.
We definitely recommend a trip to Cuzco if you find yourself in Peru!
Looking out over Cuzco from our hotel
Fire Round the World 