🇵🇪Cusco
The Inca capital with a Spanish city built on top of it — colonial arcades sitting on stonework nobody can replicate. The gateway to Machu Picchu, at 3,400m, where the altitude is the first thing you'll notice.
Prices checked · how we work these out
In photos
Quick facts
Money & what things cost
Cash matters more here than in most places on this site. Cards work in hotels, tour agencies and better restaurants, but markets, colectivos, small comedores and most of the Sacred Valley run on soles. Withdraw from bank ATMs (BCP, Interbank, BBVA, Scotiabank) inside branches or malls rather than street machines, and take smaller notes — nobody can change a S/200 bill for a S/8 lunch. US dollars are accepted in some tourist businesses at poor rates, and torn or marked dollar bills are routinely refused. Cusco is more expensive than the rest of Peru because of tourism, but 'expensive' here still means a good restaurant meal for $12.
What locals earn
| Average monthly salary (national) | ≈ S/2,200–2,700 ($590–720) | Lima earns roughly double the national median; regional Peru earns well below it. |
| Cusco region average | ≈ S/1,900 ($520) | Tourism-dependent and highly seasonal. |
| Minimum wage | S/1,130/month ($301) | The national floor as of 2026. |
| Typical tour guide / porter | S/1,200–2,500 ($320–670) | Trek porters are legally weight-limited and their pay is set by the operator. |
Food & drink
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Menú del día (set lunch) | S/10–20 | $2.70–5.30 |
| Market meal | S/8–15 | $2.10–4.00 |
| Casual restaurant, per person | S/30–55 | $8.00–15 |
| Mid-range dinner, per person | S/70–130 | $19–35 |
| Coffee | S/8–14 | $2.10–3.70 |
| Pisco sour | S/20–35 | $5.30–9.30 |
| Coca tea | Often free at hotels | Free |
Transport
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| City bus / combi | S/1–2 | $0.27–0.53 |
| Taxi within the centre | S/8–15 | $2.10–4.00 |
| Colectivo to Sacred Valley | S/10–20 | $2.70–5.30 |
| Train to Aguas Calientes (return) | S/250–600 | $67–160 |
| Bus up to Machu Picchu (return) | S/90 | $24 |
| Flight from Lima | S/200–500 | $53–133 |
Sights
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu entry | S/152–200 | $40–53 |
| Cusco tourist ticket (boleto turístico) | S/130 | $35 |
| Rainbow Mountain day tour | S/60–150 | $16–40 |
| Inca Trail, 4 days (licensed operator) | S/2,200–3,400 | $590–910 |
Where to sleep & what it costs
| Tier | Per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | S/25–55 ($7.00–15) | A large backpacker scene around San Blas and the centre. |
| Budget hotel | S/80–150 ($21–40) | Family-run hostales, often in colonial buildings. Ask about heating — nights are cold. |
| Mid-range hotel | S/170–360 ($45–95) | Restored colonial houses around the centre and San Blas. |
| Luxury | S/700–2,000+ ($185–530+) | Former monasteries and Sacred Valley lodges. |
Trip cost calculator
$146 per person per day · 4 nights of lodging (Mid-range hotel)
A rough estimate from this page’s daily budget and hotel prices — not a quote. Lodging assumes one room for the group.
Getting around
- From the airport
- Alejandro Velasco Astete is 10 minutes from the centre. Take an official airport taxi (S/25–35) or a booked hotel transfer. Do not overexert yourself on arrival day — you have gone from sea level to 3,400m in a couple of hours.
- On foot
- The historic centre is compact and best walked, but it is steep and cobbled and you are at altitude. Everything takes longer and costs more breath than it looks. San Blas in particular is a proper climb.
- Taxis & colectivos
- Taxis are unmetered — agree the fare before getting in; S/8–15 covers most journeys in town. Shared colectivos to Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo leave when full from fixed streets and cost a few soles.
- To Machu Picchu
- There is no road. You take the train from Cusco (Poroy) or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then a bus or a steep 90-minute walk up. Trains are expensive by Peruvian standards and must be booked well ahead in high season.
- Trekking
- The classic Inca Trail requires a permit through a licensed operator and sells out months in advance; it closes each February for maintenance. Salkantay, Lares and Choquequirao are alternatives that don't need the same permits.
Neighborhoods to stay in
- Plaza de Armas & centre
- Everything within a few blocks, colonial arcades, most restaurants and agencies. Noisy at night in places.
- San Blas
- The artists' quarter up the hill — narrow lanes, viewpoints and better cafés. Beautiful, and a genuine climb at altitude.
- San Pedro
- Around the central market, cheaper and more local, a short walk from the plaza.
- Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo / Urubamba)
- 600–800m lower than Cusco, which makes it a much gentler place to acclimatise, and closer to the Machu Picchu train.
Things to do
Inca sites
The city
Treks & day trips
Tipping & etiquette
- Ask before photographing people, especially women in traditional dress with llamas around the plaza — many are posing professionally and expect a few soles. Agree it first.
- Coca leaf tea and chewing leaves are legal, normal and genuinely helpful for altitude here. They will, however, show up on a drug test at home, and taking leaves out of Peru is illegal in most countries.
- Bargaining is normal in markets and for taxis, not in restaurants or shops with posted prices. Do it lightly — a few soles matter far more to the seller than to you.
- Quechua greetings go a long way in the highlands. 'Allillanchu' (hello, how are you) is worth learning.
- Don't touch or climb on Inca stonework. Wardens will stop you and the fines are real.
- Dress warmly for evenings. It's the tropics, but at 3,400m the temperature falls hard after sunset year-round, and many budget hotels have no heating.
Safety & common scams
Cusco is safe by day and generally fine at night in the tourist centre, with the usual caveats about petty theft in crowds and on night buses. The real danger here is altitude, and it is routinely underestimated. At 3,400m, most visitors feel headaches, breathlessness and poor sleep for the first day or two; a minority develop serious altitude sickness that requires descent. Arriving from Lima, which is at sea level, and going straight to a 5,200m tour is how people end up on oxygen. Take the first day slowly, drink water, skip alcohol, and consider starting in the lower Sacred Valley. Also: strikes and road blockades are a normal part of Peruvian political life and occasionally close roads or the airport with little notice.
Scams to know
- Unlicensed trek operators — the cheapest Inca Trail and Salkantay quotes cut costs on porter pay, equipment and permits. Check the operator is licensed and ask directly about porter weight limits and wages.
- Fake Machu Picchu tickets — buy through the official government site or an established agency. Entry is by timed circuit and names are checked against passports.
- Taxi 'no change' — agree the fare and carry small notes; the no-change routine is common.
- Photo llamas — not really a scam, but agree the fee before the photo, not after.
- Torn dollar bills — Peruvian businesses and exchanges refuse damaged US notes outright. Bring clean ones or just use soles.
Emergency numbers: 105 police · 116 fire · 911 general. Cusco has a dedicated tourist police office near the centre, and most hotels can call an English-speaking doctor for altitude problems.
Phone & internet
Reasonable in Cusco and the main valley towns, patchy on treks and non-existent on high passes. Claro, Movistar and Entel sell prepaid SIMs cheaply (S/10–30 with data) and you'll need your passport to register one. Wi-Fi in hotels and cafés is common but slow by Korean or European standards — don't plan on video calls from a mountain guesthouse.
First-timer FAQs
Do I need a visa?
No, for most Western passports. US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian citizens get up to 183 days visa-free as tourists, granted at the border. Passport valid six months. Keep the entry stamp — you may be asked for it on departure.
How bad is the altitude, really?
It affects most people. Cusco is at 3,400m, which is higher than Machu Picchu (2,430m) and high enough for headaches, breathlessness and broken sleep in the first 48 hours. Plan an easy first day, drink a lot of water, avoid alcohol, and do the low Sacred Valley before anything high. If you can, sleep the first night in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba instead — they're 600–800m lower and it makes a real difference.
How far ahead do I book Machu Picchu?
Weeks for a standard ticket in high season, and months for the Inca Trail, which needs a permit through a licensed operator and sells out early. Entry is capped daily, on timed slots and fixed circuits. Booking on arrival in Cusco in July is how people end up not going.
How many days do I need?
Five in the region is a sensible minimum: one to acclimatise, one for the Sacred Valley, one for Machu Picchu, one for Cusco itself, one spare. Attempting Machu Picchu as a day trip from Lima is possible and a genuinely bad idea.
When should I go?
May to September is dry, sunny and cold at night, and it's peak season with the prices to match. November to March is the wet season — cheaper and greener, with afternoon rain and some trail closures. The Inca Trail closes every February. April and October are good compromises.
Is the food good?
Peru has one of the great cuisines and Cusco does the highland version — alpaca, trout, hundreds of potato varieties, and set lunches for under $5.00. The Lima guide covers the ceviche side of it. Be careful with raw fish at altitude, far from the coast.
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