Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Looking like a strange alien aqueduct, these remains were once part of one of the holiest shrines in the Inca empire. Twenty-two columns made of stone…
Must-see attractions in Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Chinchero
The Chinchero market, held on Tuesday, Thursday and especially Sunday, is less touristy than its counterpart in Pisac and well worth a special trip. On…
Pisac
Traditionally dressed locals descend from the hills to attend mass in Quechua, including men in highland dress blowing horns, and varayocs (local…
Ollantaytambo
It's a very steep climb up the hillside, but views are magnificent. You will see the Ollantaytambo ruins from the best vantage point, and it's nice to…
Choquequirao
The first area of the ruins you approach coming from the campground, these include the great terraces, topped by a plaza area that leads to a Hall of…
Chinchero
Among the most beautiful churches in the valley, this colonial church is built on Inca foundations. The interior, decked out in merry floral and religious…
Cuzco
The church of Santo Domingo is next door to Qorikancha. Less baroque and ornate than many of Cuzco’s churches, it is notable for its charming paintings of…
The Inca Trail
Translating to the Hummingbird, this little-visited site sits just along the Inca Trail. (If you start from Km 88, turn west after crossing the river to…
Choquequirao
While no one is sure about the use of these two walled-off buildings, their excellent structure and dominating location, off to one side of the usnu,…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Also called El Baño del Inca (The Bath of the Inca), this ceremonial stone bath with spring water through fountains was created in Inca times. It is…
Choquequirao
Visible as you approach the ruins from Marampata, these steep terraces are only partially excavated. They are worth exploring for a closer look at the…
The Inca Trail
Beyond Paq’amayo on the Inca Trail, at an altitude of about 3600m, the trail crosses the river over a small footbridge and climbs toward Runkurakay; at…
Machu Picchu
If you head straight into the ruins from the main entry gate, you pass through extensive terracing to a beautiful series of 16 connected ceremonial baths…
Machu Picchu
Below the Temple of the Sun, this almost hidden, natural rock cave was carefully carved by Inca stonemasons. Its use is highly debated; though known as…
The Inca Trail
A spectacular terraced ruin along the Inca Trail, best visited on the day you arrive to Wiñay Wayna: consider coordinating it with your guide if you are…
Machu Picchu
This ‘temple’ is named for a carving of the head of a condor with rock outcrops as outstretched wings. It is considered the centerpiece of the Prison…
Choquequirao
This huge leveled platform was likely a ceremonial center. Enjoy the spectacular 360-degree views of the Vilcabamba range from here.
Pisac
A private enterprise with a huge courtyard full of beautiful specimens and a resident cat.
Machu Picchu
The plaza separates the ceremonial sector from the residential and industrial areas.
Cuzco
The charmingly modest Museo Inka, a steep block northeast of the Plaza de Armas, is the best museum in town for those interested in the Incas. The…
Cuzco
More austere than many of Cuzco’s other churches, Iglesia San Francisco dates from the 16th and 17th centuries and is one of the few that didn’t need to…
Cuzco
This eclectic museum is housed in the colonial Casa Garcilaso de la Vega, the house of the Inca-Spanish chronicler who now lies buried in the cathedral…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Meaning ‘the Place of the Flea,’ Piquillacta is the only major pre-Inca ruin in the area. Built around AD 1100 by the Wari culture, it’s a large…
Ollantaytambo
The 6km hike to the Inca quarry on the opposite side of the river from the main ruins is a good walk from Ollantaytambo. The trail starts from the Inca…
Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara
Cuzco
This 16th-century church, part of a strict convent, is difficult to visit but it's worth making the effort to go for morning services, because this is one…
Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón
Aguas Calientes
This museum has superb information in Spanish and English on the archaeological excavations of Machu Picchu and Inca building methods. Stop here before or…
Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo
Cuzco
The small collection of contemporary Andean art on display at this museum in the municipality building is really one for the fans. Museo Quijote has a…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
Twenty minutes past Sicuani – just before Abra la Raya, the high pass that marks the boundary between the Cuzco and Puno departments – are these hot…
Iglesia y Monasterio de Santa Catalina
Cuzco
This convent houses many colonial paintings of the escuela cuzqueña (Cuzco school), as well as an impressive collection of vestments and other intricate…
Aguas Calientes
Weary trekkers soak away their aches and pains in the town’s hot springs, 10 minutes’ walk up Pachacutec from the train tracks. These tiny, natural…
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
The huge Inca gate of Rumicolca is built on Wari foundations. The cruder Wari stonework contrasts with the Inca blocks. It’s interesting to see indigenous…
Pisac
Huge clay ovens for baking empanadas and other goodies are found in many nooks and crannies, particularly on Mariscál Castilla. But this is the town’s…
Cuzco
Housed inside a bank, this privately owned museum of contemporary art houses a diverse, thoughtful collection of painting and sculpture ranging from the…
Cuzco
A good primer on Andean culture, this is a wonderful and kitschy little museum that traces the uses of the coca leaf, from sacred ritual to its more…
Cuzco
This university-run natural history museum houses a somewhat motley collection of stuffed local animals and birds and over 150 snakes from the Amazon. The…
Cuzco
Cuzco’s oldest church houses a vault containing the remains of the famous Inca chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, who was born in Cuzco in 1539 and died in…
Chinchero
The most extensive ruins here consist of terracing. If you start walking away from the village through the terraces on the right-hand side of the valley,…
Choquequirao
On the truncated peak, follow the water channel up from the lower plaza to these ruins that include a niche house and carved upper fountain.
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley
The eclectic Museo Ritos Andinos has somewhat-random displays including a mummified child, an impressive number of deformed craniums and possibly an alien…
