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Cusco

Country:
Peru
State:
San Martin
City:
Cusco
Type of Location:
Multiple
About Location

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Places to Visit
How to Reach

By plane

The airport is at the edge of the city (taxi ride). There are daily internal flights to and from Lima, Arequipa and small jungle airstrips in the Amazon basin. Lan Peru has the most flights between Cuzco and Lima, followed by Star Peru and Taca. It is best to book the earlier flights to avoid weather delays and overbooking.
The closest major international airport is Lima. The cheapest one-way flights to Lima cost around US$70. StarPeru generally has the cheapest flights. Frequently, bad weather conditions can cause flights to be canceled, often up to two days on end. If you are flying straight into Cuzco, beware of altitude sickness for the first couple of days. Drink mate de coca (coca tea), the local remedy for this. Many hotels and hostels provide it to guests upon arrival. However, if you expect to be drug tested upon your return home, be aware that coca leaf products will very likely cause you to test positive for cocaine use (1 cup of tea prepared with 1oz of coca leaves contains approximately 4.21 mg of cocaine). As an alternative to help adapt, Diamox/acetazolamide can be obtained from a pharmacy and taken prophylactically. Also be sure to rest and drink plenty of water, most guidebooks and locals suggest minimal activity during your first day in the city. Altitude sickness (soroche) tends to sneak up on you and although its symptoms may not be apparent at first, it has the potential to develop into something extremely dangerous.

By rail

Cuzco is connected to Machu Picchu and Puno by rail. Rail service was recently discontinued to Arequipa. This service is operated by PeruRail

By bus

The Terminal Terrestre is about a 20 minute walk down the Av. Sol. You can also take a taxi for a few soles.
Buses are plentiful from other Peruvian cities like Lima, Puno, Arequipa (10 hr, 20 soles), Nazca (14-16 hr), but are quite long and slow, although the views can compensate. The main roads are mostly quite good, but some can be bad, making trips take longer than expected.

Key places to visit
Machu Picchu, Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Coricancha and Convent of Santo Domingo, Qoricancha, Museo Historico Regional, Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha

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Places to Visit

Machu Picchu

The major nearby Inca sites are Pachacuti's presumed winter home, Machu Picchu, which can be reached on foot by an Inca trail or by train and the "fortress" at Ollantaytambo. Sacsayhuaman was expanded by the Inca.
Machu Picchu  is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.

Cathedral of Santo Domingo

The Cathedral of Santo Domingo, also known as Cusco Cathedral, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco. The cathedral is located on the main road of Cusco, Peru, called the Avenida de Sol . Building was completed in 1654, almost a hundred years after construction began. It was built on the foundations and incorporated the remains of Corichancha, an Incan temple torn down by Spanish colonists. Both sections are visible at the back of the cathedral.

Coricancha and Convent of Santo Domingo

The Coricancha was the most important sanctuary dedicated to the Sun god Inti at the time of the Inca Empire. This temple was named the site of gold because all its walls were covered with gold leaf by the Incas.With this structure as a foundation, colonists built the Convent of Santo Domingo, in the Renaissance style. The building, with one baroque tower, exceeds the height of many other buildings in this city.

Qoricancha

Qoricancha is the Sun Temple, was the central site of worship for the Incas. Like so many other testimonies of fantastic Inca architecture, it was severely devastated by the conquistadores, the Spanish conquerors, who built their Christian church, Santo Domingo, on top of the ruins. Yet most of the bottom part of the temple is fairly well preserved and makes the site worth several hours of your time. The site is one of the best in Cuzco, or Qosqo in the Quechua language, containing both Catholic and Inca heritage with stunning views of the surrounding area. Looking at the outside from Avenida del Sol, you get a perfect view of the church standing on the temple and you see the differences of the Inca and the Spanish way of building. Qoricancha also is the starting point of the yearly processions at Inti Raymi, the Sun Festival, in the rememberance of the Inca tradition of celebrating the winter solstice. This procession then moves all the way up to Saxayhuamán. In order to understand, especially the remarkable remains in the Inca section, a guided tour is advisable. Located 4 blocks from Plaza de Armas on Av. El Sol. Admission 10 soles.

Museo Historico Regional

Museo Historico Regional is located in the home of the Inca historian Garcilaso de la Vega. Many paintings from the 17th and 18h century.

Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha

Museo del Sitio del Qoricancha is museo With information about the different pre-Columbian cultures and fragments of ceramics and textiles of the Inca culture. A very small museum, the showcase room includes three mummies and skulls modified by the Incas with holes or sloped foreheads. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. English explanations are present but lacking.

Right Time to Visit

March - June

Temperature

Information not available


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