Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

The Inca capital, the Sacred Valley below it, and Machu Picchu at the end of the rails.

Cusco was the capital of an empire that stretched from Ecuador to Chile, and it still stands on Inca walls: Spanish churches and mansions rise from stones fitted so perfectly that no blade slips between them. Below the city, the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba opens into terraces, weaving villages and quiet haciendas, and at the end of the valley, reached by one of the most beautiful train rides on earth, Machu Picchu waits in the clouds. This is the heart of any trip to Peru, and it rewards those who give it time.

Highlights

• The City of Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983
• The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983
• Koricancha and Sacsayhuaman, masterpieces of Inca stonework
• The Sacred Valley: Moray, the salt mines of Maras and Ollantaytambo
• Legendary train journeys, from the Hiram Bingham to the Andean Explorer

Best time to visit

May through September is the dry season, with clear skies and cold nights; June to August is the busiest period. April, October and November are quieter shoulder months. December to March brings the rains, heaviest in January and February, when the Inca Trail closes for maintenance (every February). Machu Picchu can be visited all year.

Getting there

A flight of about an hour and a quarter from Lima lands at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ), fifteen to twenty-five minutes from the historic center. Machu Picchu is reached by train from Cusco (Poroy) or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then by bus up to the citadel.

Hotels in Cusco

• Belmond Monasterio – A former 16th-century monastery on Inca foundations, with cloistered courtyards and a centuries-old cedar, steps from the Plaza de Armas.
• Belmond Palacio Nazarenas – An Inca temple, a palace and a convent, now an all-suite Belmond hotel with a heated pool and the Mauka restaurant.
• JW Marriott El Convento Cusco – A restored 16th-century convent with Killke-period ruins on display, oxygen-enriched rooms and an indoor spa pool.
• Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco – A restored colonial mansion two blocks from the Plaza de Armas, with a fountain courtyard and a modern wing behind it.
• Hilton Garden Inn Cusco – Hilton reliability, with a rooftop view over Cusco's historic center.
• San Agustin El Dorado – A colonial-Andean hotel on Avenida El Sol, three minutes on foot from Koricancha and two blocks from the Plaza de Armas.
• San Agustin Plaza – A 4-star hotel across the street from Koricancha, with early breakfast for Machu Picchu train days.
• Inkarri Cusco Hotel – An 18th-century colonial house with a garden courtyard and fountain, a short walk from the Plaza de Armas.
• Hotel Arqueologo - Casa Peralta - Exclusive Selection – A restored colonial house on Inca stone walls, with a terraced garden and views of Cusco, five minutes from the Plaza de Armas.
• Terra Andina Colonial Mansion – A restored colonial mansion near San Pedro Market, a short walk from the Plaza de Armas.
• Sonesta Posadas del Inca Sacred Valley - Yucay – A remodeled 18th-century monastery in the Sacred Valley, with gardens, a chapel and four places to eat and drink.
• Hotel Hacienda del Valle – A quiet country estate ten minutes from the Machu Picchu train.
• Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel – A cloud-forest reserve of orchids and birds, directly across from the Machu Picchu Pueblo train station.
• Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel – Family-run luxury on the Vilcanota River, at the foot of Machu Picchu mountain.
• El MaPi by Inkaterra – A contemporary 4-star Inkaterra hotel in the center of Machu Picchu Pueblo, minutes from the bus to the citadel.

Tours in Cusco

• Cusco City Tour & Sacsayhuaman – The Inca capital, from the Temple of the Sun to the walls above the city.
• Moray & Maras Salt Mines – Inca terraces in concentric circles, and a hillside of salt pans still worked by hand.
• Machu Picchu Full Day from Cusco – The citadel in the clouds, with the train ride through the valley as prologue.
• Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain – Rainbow-striped ridges in the high Andes, reached by an easy, scenic walk.
• Q'eswachaka, the Last Inca Rope Bridge – A bridge woven from grass, rebuilt by hand every year for five centuries.
• Ruta del Sol: Cusco to Lake Titicaca by Road – From the Inca capital to Lake Titicaca, with the Andes in between.
• Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun – Once a year, the Inca capital celebrates the sun as it did five centuries ago.

Restaurants in Cusco

• MIL Centro – A tasting menu of the Andes, at the edge of the Moray terraces.
• Mauka – Pia Leon's tasting menu of Cusco, inside Palacio Nazarenas.
• MAP Cafe – Dinner in a glass pavilion, inside a colonial courtyard.
• Chicha por Gaston Acurio – Gaston Acurio's tribute to the kitchens of Cusco.
• Cicciolina – A Cusco institution, with a tapas bar and a serious wine list.
• LIMO Peruvian Nikkei – Ceviche, sushi and a pisco sour, looking over the Plaza de Armas.
• Pachapapa – Traditional Cusco cooking from a clay oven, in a San Blas courtyard.
• Morena Peruvian Kitchen – Relaxed, modern Peruvian cooking, steps from the Plaza.
• Green Point – Plant-based cooking in a San Blas garden.
• Huacatay – A hidden garden restaurant in the heart of Urubamba.
• El Albergue – Farm-to-table, right on the Ollantaytambo train platform.
• Hacienda Huayoccari – Lunch in a family hacienda full of colonial art.
• Cafe Inkaterra – Andean cooking under a thatched roof, beside the river.
• Indio Feliz Bistro – A quirky French-Peruvian bistro, the favorite of Aguas Calientes.

Trains in Cusco

• Hiram Bingham, A Belmond Train – The most elegant way to arrive at Machu Picchu: a 1920s-style Pullman, live music and fine dining along the way.
• PeruRail Vistadome – Windows to the sky: the panoramic train that turns the ride to Machu Picchu into a scenic experience.
• PeruRail Expedition – The smart, comfortable way to Machu Picchu: panoramic windows and Sacred Valley views at an easy pace.
• Andean Explorer, A Belmond Train – Two unhurried nights across the roof of the Andes, from Cusco to Arequipa by way of Lake Titicaca, in a luxury hotel on rails.

Transfers in Cusco

• Private Airport Transfer, Cusco
• Private Transfer, Cusco to the Sacred Valley

Attractions in Cusco

• Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) – The cloud-forest town at the foot of Machu Picchu, reachable only by train or trail.
• Plaza de Armas de Cusco – The old ceremonial heart of the Inca capital, ringed by colonial arcades, the Cathedral and the golden facade of La Compañía.
• Sacsayhuaman – The Inca fortress-temple above Cusco, with giant zigzag walls of stones fitted without mortar.
• San Blas – Cusco's artisans' quarter: steep cobbled lanes, blue balconies, workshops and a church with a pulpit carved from a single tree.

Festivals in Cusco

• Inti Raymi – The Inca Empire's greatest festival, reborn each June on the hills above Cusco.
• Corpus Christi – Fifteen saints and virgins parade through Cusco's Plaza de Armas in the Andes' grandest Catholic-Andean feast
• Q'eswachaka Bridge Renewal – Four days each June when Quechua communities reweave the last Inca grass-rope bridge by hand.