City Rating: Cusco
Population: 350’000
Date of visit: May 2018
Attractions & sights: 5/5 (including all day trips)
Nightlife: 4/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Cusco is the heart of Inca culture and therefore the most touristy place in Peru. It is one of the most interesting cities I’ve been to so far and has a few good things to offer, such as beautiful scenery and interesting colonial architecture. It’s also a city which is a bit demanding, as altitude is a real issue here (elevation is around 3’400 metres). Temperatures rapidly change during a day so that you can witness four seasons in just one day.
Where to stay:
Near Plaza de Armas, as most the action takes place there. Most of the hotels/hostels are near the square anyway, but make sure that it doesn’t take more than a five minute walk to the Plaza.
The Good:
You could easily spend 10 days or more in Cusco without getting bored. Most of Peru’s famous sights such as Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley or the so called Rainbow Mountain are near Cusco. The highlights of the city are not within the city borders but in the surrounding area.
The city itself is also beautiful though and offers everything a tourist needs: restaurant, bars, souvenir shops, massage salons, spas etc. As Cusco is a backpacker’s haven, parties take place every night in the nightclubs and in the hostels. The best nightclub I found was Chango.
All in all, Cusco is a great place and you have not seen Peru if you didn’t make it to Cusco.
The Bad & The Ugly:
Cusco’s elevation is around 3’400, which affects most travellers. Altitude sickness is a real issue here. Take it slow and don’t start the Inca Trail just when you arrive. It might 2-3 days to acclimatise. The elevation makes the city quite cold too. Although Cusco is hot and sunny during day, temperatures fall to 4-5° at night. Bring warm clothes!!
Another minus are the touts. Cusco is one of the most touristy cities I have ever seen. Especially on Plaza de Armas, the touts can be very annoying. I remember a situation when I was having coffee near the main square and got approached at least 20 times by annoying vendors in just 30 minutes.
The city is also more expensive than Lima or Arequipa. It’s still not really expensive, but expect to pay 30-40% more for food and drinks than in other Peruvian cities.
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