Do not think that talking about Cusco is only Machu Picchu? Since this is a great department IN Peru and an emblematic city, it has many corners to discover and enjoy.
There is much to see and do in our magnificent region. So, we will focus on the city of Cusco, from our arrival at the Velasco Astete airport and the main square of Cusco.
Is the real name of the city Cusco, Cuzco, or Qosqo?
This wonderful city is bigger than its name, and is known as Cusco, Cuzco or Qosqo (In Southern Quechua). From its beginning, the ways of writing it have varied because its native language was Quechua and soon, forcibly, Spanish.
How can I get to Cuzco?
There are dozens of land transport companies and a few airlines of all prices and quality that come to Cusco from most cities in Peru.
The great majority of tourists who travel to Cusco arrive from Lima, Arequipa or Puno. Once you are in Cusco, whether you came by plane (Velasco Astete Airport) or by bus (Terrestrial Terminal Cusco) you can take a taxi to the main square of Cusco, the focal point of almost all tourist agencies, hotels and restaurants.
What we can see or do in the city
In the city there are many attractions we can visit along the hundreds of cobbled streets each with a different history. There are crafts markets, the cathedral, the Stone of the 12 angles and several important and beautiful churches located near the heart of the center city. These places are the most crowded with tourists, but there are many more attractions with stories to tell such as:
San Pedro Market
It is the most varied and successful market of our city in terms of regional foods and products. In addition to these products we can also find here handicrafts, fruit, games, soups, and the
typical dishes of the region.
The Baratillo Market
This flea market is one of the most popular fairs in this city. In it, second-hand products such as slippers, toys, cell phones, clothes, etc. are sold. This fair covers many blocks of the district of Santiago and is realized only on Saturdays.
Natural History Museum
Located on the main square, this museum shows off the natural fauna and flora of our region, but the most striking are mutants, two-headed insects and one with too many legs.
San Blas Neighborhood
The neighborhood of San Blas is located a few blocks from the main square of Cusco. It is known as the artisans’ neighborhood. In the upper part of this neighborhood is a overlook that is a favorite of many because from there you can see much of the city.
San Cristobal
The Barrio, or neighborhood, of San Cristóbal is another tourist favorite since, like San Blas, we find here this another overlook where we can see the whole city from the heights.
What tours can we take
Before thinking about what tours we can take, we must know that to enter the museums, forts, churches and attractions of this city you need a tourist ticket that includes many of these attractions for a single payment.
This ticket allows for entry to the 16 tourist sites of the city of Cusco, Sacsayhuaman archaeological park, South Cusco Valley and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The places that we can visit with this ticket are:
• Regional History Museum
• Contemporary Art Museum
• Museum of Popular Art
• Qorikancha Site Museum
• Qosqo Native Art Center
• Monument to the Inca Pachacutec
• Sacsayhuama
• Q’enqo
• PukaPukara
• Tambomachay
• Pisac
• Ollantaytambo
• Chinchero
• Moray
• Tipon
• Piquillacta
Once you buy this ticket you can now take some of the tours that offered on the plaza or some agency nearby, among the most popular tours we have:
• City tour
• Morning city tour
• The Sacred Valley
• North valley
