Cusco | Peru’s Most Walkable City Worth Exploring 🌟
TL;DR Brand-new Spanish colonial churches stand beside the crumbling temples of the Inca Empire. 👑 Women in traditional dress mingle with foreign tourists clad in hiking gear. 🎒 Vendors in narrow alleys hawk unfamiliar snacks from their baskets, while the clinking of cutlery echoes from upscale restaurants. 🍽️ This is Peru’s most stroll-worthy city! ⚠️ Altitude Sickness Warning Cusco sits at 3,100+ meters above sea level, and most arrive by plane. ✈️ Be sure to take altitude sickness meds in advance + take it easy. 😮💨 US travelers can get a prescription for Diamox, or you can buy the local altitude meds shown in Figure 15. Need oxygen? Search for "Boticas" on the map. 📸 Must-See Attractions • Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun) ⛅ – Hire an English guide at the entrance. Features stunning courtyards, a large grassy area outside, and access to the church’s rooftop (extra 10 soles, great portrait spot 📸). • Saqsaywaman 🏰 – A hilltop fortress outside the city. Guides are available at the entrance. Offers panoramic city views, a fun stone slide , and a pitch-black tunnel in the Water Temple—plus an echo wall! Pro tip: The ticket here is part of a combo pass covering Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Ollantaytambo attractions. • Mirador desde el Cristo Blanco ✝️ – Free viewpoint with the giant Jesus statue, perfect for cityscape shots . Keep an eye out for locals with alpacas! 🦙 • Plaza de Armas ❤️ – The heart of Cusco, surrounded by historic sites (Fig. 7). Packed with shops and restaurants—ideal for leisurely strolls and souvenir hunting! The nearby alleys are super photogenic. 📷 • Chocolate Museum 🍫 – More of a commercial spot than a museum, selling chocolate-based lip balms, creams, liquor, and… adult toys (yep, you read that right 😅). Book a chocolate-making workshop online in advance. • Machu Picchu + Inca Museum 🏔️ – Great for pre-trip research before visiting the ruins. • Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain, etc. 🌈 – Check other guides for details. 🍽️ Food Guide Tried the purple-marked spots (all hyped on Xiaohongshu). Discovered grape-sized corn , tried alpaca (so tender! 😋) and guinea pig (meh, not my thing ). As the birthplace of potatoes and corn, Peruvian cuisine is delicious—just carbs overload! Feels a lot like Chinese food, honestly. #CuscoTravelGuide #Photography #OutdoorAdventure #Travel #SouthAmerica