Things to do in Cuzco & The Sacred Valley
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Reserv Cusco Ltda
Offers cheap Sacred Valley mountain-biking trips and Inka Jungle Trail tours, which start with mountain biking downhill from the Abra de Malaga, then trekking to Aguas Calientes to reach Machu Picchu.
reviewed
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Amigos
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
A long-established non-profit school with an admirable public-service record.
reviewed
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Amauta Spanish School
Big, professional and popular. Also offers Spanish programs in the Sacred Valley and the Amazon jungle.
reviewed
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Los Toldos
A local favorite for abundant cheap eats, this rotisserie restaurant features a worthwhile salad bar (try the black olive sauce). Most people can’t go past the Peruvian classic cuarto de pollo (quarter of a chicken), done here to perfection.
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Samana Spa
- Cuzco, Peru
- Activities › Other
For some pampering or a post-trekking splurge, a blossoming number of spas offer massage services, one of them being the luxurious Samana Spa. Beware of cheap massages touted in the street; there are reports of massages getting much more, er, intimate than expected.
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7 Angelitos
This tiny hillside haunt is the city’s unofficial hipster lounge and late-night backup: when everything else has closed and the sun has come up, knock on the door. Happy hours are 7:30pm to 9:30pm and 11pm to 11:30pm.
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Jack’s Café
- Cuzco, Peru
- Restaurants › Cafe
A line often snakes out the door at this Western-style, Australian-run eatery. With fresh juices blended with mint or ginger, strong coffee and eggs heaped with smoked salmon or roasted tomatoes, it’s easy to get out of bed. Also has nice cafe food, soups and good service.
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Wayna Picchu
The most famous of several short walks around Machu Picchu, the climb up the steep mountain of Wayna (also spelled Huayna) Picchu is located at the back of the ruins. At first glance, it appears a difficult climb but, despite the steep ascent, it's not technically that hard. The scramble, which takes anything from 45 to 90 minutes, takes you through a short section of Inca tunnel.
The fabulous views from the top are definitely worth the huffing and puffing, even for trekkers just stumbling in off the Inca Trail. Take care in wet weather as the steps get dangerously slippery. Beyond the central plaza between two open-fronted buildings is a registration booth, where you…
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Fallen Angel
This ultrafunky lounge redefines kitsch with glitter balls, fake fur and even bathtub-cum-aquarium tables complete with live goldfish. It isn’t cheap, but the decor really is worth seeing and the occasional theme parties held here are legendary.
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Granja Heidi
- Cuzco, Peru
- Restaurants › Cafe
A cozy Alpine cafe serving healthy fare, some of it provided from the small farm of the German owner. In addition to Peruvian fare (rocoto relleno is served vegetarian, with stuffed chili and peanuts), there are crepes and huge bowls of soups and salads. Save room for dessert.
reviewed
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Green’s Organic
With all-organic food and a bright farmhouse feel, Green’s Organic oozes health. Inventive salads with options like roasted fennel, goat cheese, beets and spring greens are a welcome change of pace and the heartier fare includes pastas and alpaca dishes. Come early (or late) as it fills up fast and service is notably slow.
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Aldea Yanapay
The stuffed animals, board games and decor perfectly evoke the circus you dreamed of running away with as a child. Aldea Yanapay is pitched at families but will appeal to anyone with a taste for the quixotic. Food includes burritos, falafel and tasty little fried things to pick at, and there’s a whole separate menu for vegetarians.
Profits go to projects helping abandoned children. Highly recommended.
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Cicciolina
On the 2nd floor of a lofty colonial courtyard mansion, Cicciolina has long held its position as Cuzco’s best restaurant. The eclectic, sophisticated food is divine, starting with house-marinated olives, continuing with crisp polenta squares with cured rabbit, huge green salads, charred octopus and satisfying mains like squid-ink pasta and tender lamb.
The service is impeccable, and the warmly-lit seating will make any laid-back globetrotter feel at home. Highly recommended.
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Juanito’s
With the griddle hopping, this sandwich shop churns out made-to-order numbers. Vegetarians get big fried-egg sandwiches and new combos like chicken and walnuts prove tasty.
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Muse
Known as a good place to start your night out, this restaurant lounge, a longtime Cuzco hangout, has very cool staff and live music in the evenings. Food includes good vegetarian options.
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Inca Trail
8 days (Lima)
by Intrepid
Learn about local culture on a Sacred Valley tour , Explore Peru's mixture of colonial and Inca architecture , Explore Lima's historical centre , Trek the…Not LP reviewed
from USD$1,950 -
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Trotamundos
This coffeehouse has a dead-on view of the cathedral and sells a bit of everything, with especially good coffees and baked goods. It's also a popular late-night bar-cum-café.
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Maikhana
A friendly, comfy place to enjoy excellent, good-value renditions of all the Indian classics, including a long list of vegetarian dishes.
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Cusco Planetarium
Cusco Planetarium is a nifty way to learn more about the Inca worldview. It was the only culture in the world to define constellations of darkness as well as light, and studied astronomy seriously: some of Cuzco’s main streets are designed to align with the stars at certain times of year. Recommended before you go on a trek – you’ll feel clever pointing out the Black Llama to your fellow hikers. Reservations essential; price varies with group size, and includes pickup and drop-off.
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Lima To Cuzco
17 days (Lima)
by Intrepid
Spot penguins and boobies on the Ballestas Islands, Puzzle over the mysterious Nazca Lines, Visit the funerary towers at the Chauchilla Cemetery, Spot Andean…Not LP reviewed
from USD$2,030 Advertisement
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Intipunku
The Inca Trail ends after its final descent from the notch in the horizon called Intipunku (Sun Gate). Looking at the hill behind you as you enter the ruins, you can see both the trail and Intipunku. This hill, called Machu Picchu, or 'old peak', gives the site its name.
It takes about an hour to reach Intipunku and, if you can spare at least a half-day for the round-trip, it may be possible to continue as far as Wiñay Wayna.
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The Inca Trail: 4-Day Trek to Machu Picchu
by Viator
The Inca Trail, known as one of the most sacred pilgrimages around the world, consists of a 4-day trek through the Urubamba Valley towards the citadel of Machu…Not LP reviewed
from USD$654.50 -
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Pachapapa
Invoking a rustic highland ambience, this open courtyard with wooden tables serves up well-prepared Peruvian classics, cooked over a wood fire or in clay pots. It’s also livened by a harpist on weekends. It’s a good spot to try buttered corn in herbs, aji de gallina or oven-fired trout. Cuy should be ordered in advance.
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Birding in Peru
Englishman Barry Walker, owner of the Cross Keys Pub, is a self-confessed 'birding bum' and the best resident ornithologist to give serious birders plenty of enthusiastic advice. He has also written a field guide, The Birds of Machu Picchu, and runs a tour agency, Birding in Peru, for bird-watching trips all around Peru, as well as into Bolivia and Chile.
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Inka Panaka
Along an alleyway west of the plaza, this ambitious and artistic restaurant has just a half dozen candlelit tables at which you can fork into novoandina (Peruvian nouvelle cuisine) fare, including delicious breakfasts, steaks and desserts. There's a chill-out soundtrack and artisan crafts for sale.
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