15 Unique Things To Do In Cusco, Peru

Don’t have time to read it now? Save it for later!

Are you looking for unique things to do in Cusco, Peru? If you are, you came to the right spot!

Cusco, Peru is an absolutely stunning and historical city situated high in the Andes Mountains.

I stayed in Cusco Peru for two weeks, exploring all of the top spots in and outside of the city.

This blog post will go over my top 15 favorite things I did while in Cusco, Peru!

[toc]

1. Explore The Square

One of my favorite things to do in Cusco was explore the Plaza de Armas and smaller neighborhood squares

The Plaza de Armas square routinely has festivals going on and is always lively and filled with people. There is also tons of shopping and restaurants in this area so it is a great place to start your exploration.

You can also explore the San Blas square and many others!

2. Drink A Pisco Sour While Watching The Sunset

Since Cusco is on a hill you can find many bars that look over the city at night. My favorite was the Limbus Restobar!

Order a pisco sour (a Peruvian margarita type drink) and enjoy watching the sun dip below the hills.

3. Shop and Explore Cute Boutiques

In San Blas on the street C. Carmen Alto you will find a wonderful assortment of the cutest little boutique shops. This is a great way to spend an afternoon in my opinion!

I personally loved Concepto Raiz and Pushka.

READ MORE: Cusco Peru Travel Guide

4. Go To Brunch At Jacks Cafe

Missing American breakfast? Jack’s cafe is a fun place to go to get a little taste of home. The food is better than any American diner I have ever been to and the portions are ginormous. Do yourself a favor and try the banana pancakes and huevos rancheros.

Check Out My Peru Wall Art!

5. Eat Dinner Under The Trees

If you are looking for somewhere a little different to go out to dinner look no further than Green Point. This stunning restaurant is open for brunch and dinner and is one of the most popular places in Cusco.

The entire menu is vegan and they serve it to you while you dine next to trees and under vines. The vibes (and vegan sushi!) are immaculate.

6. Explore the Ruins

There are tons of ruins near Cusco that differ from the famous Machu Picchu.

The one that was the most recommended when we were there was Saqsaywaman. While we didnt make it there ourselves I hear so many good things about it!

Check Out My Entire 3 Weeks In Peru Itinerary!

7. Go Poncho Shopping

While in Cusco it basically impossible to walk around without running into a shop selling ponches.

It is definitely a touristy activity but shopping for ponchos was SO fun! We went from store to store trying to find the perfect one for our trip to Machu Picchu. I highly recommend playing tourist for the day and participating in this fun shopping spree.

READ MORE: Explore Peru’s Secret Desert Oasis: Huacachina Peru

8. Sip Peruvian Coffee On A Patio Or Balcony

Peru isn’t necessarily known for their coffee but that doesnt mean they don’t have surprisingly good coffee drinks! There were some really cute coffee shops in Cusco that boasted beautiful patios and balconies.

My two favorites were Three Monkeys Coffee Cusco and L’atelier Cafe Concept.

9. Take A Photo With An Alpaca

I was delighted to find, when I arrived in Cusco, that on each street there were women dressed in traditional outfits walking with their alpacas. The alpacas were SO cute that when they approached me and asked if I wanted a photo with them I couldn’t say no!

I will say that you do have to pay them for the photo (around 10 soles each) but it was more than worth it for the cute photos I left with!

10. Treat Yourself To A Fancy Dinner

The one thing I was the most surprised by on my trip to Cusco was the quality of the food there. Every single restaurant blew my mind.

It was also ridiculously cheap by US standards so we were able to go out to fancy dinners, order an appetizer, entree, drink, and desert while looking at the twinkly lights over the square and only spend $30.

I would highly recommend Morena Peruvian Kitchen, it was by far my favorite meal on the trip!

11. Stay In A Dome Under The Stars

Only an hours drive from Cusco you can have the once in a lifetime experience of sleeping in a geodesic dome. Stardome is a luxury hotel up in the mountains of the Sacred Valley and is an absolute bucket-list destination.

I can honestly say staying at Stardome was the highlight of my trip. We experienced a traditional Peruvian ceremony, wonderful food hand picked from the valley and an absolutely mind bending night under the stars.

12. Take A Day Trip

Cusco is the perfect place to jump off from, if only for the day!

Since Cusco is situated in the Andes Mountains there are tons of places within a couple hours drive that are absolutely stunning. You can hike to an alpine lake, walk next to alpacas at a rainbow mountain or explore the Pisac ruins.

You can arrange these day trips with a company like Salkantay Trekking or take a taxi to them yourself!

READ MORE: Humantay Lake Day Trip

13. Embark on A Trek

If you are an adventurer looking for something a bit more intense than a day trip I would highly recommend embarking on a trek through the Andes mountains! You can schedule these with tons of different companies in Cusco but I loved going with Salkantay Trekking!

Some of the most popular ones are the Salkantay Trek, Ausangate Trek, Trek to Rainbow Mountain, and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

READ MORE: Check out the 5 Day Ausangate Trek we did while in Cusco!

14. Visit Machu Picchu

If you are already in Cusco then you would be missing out HUGELY if you didn’t make it a point to take a trip to see Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is one of the seven wonders of the world and it does not disappoint!

To get to Machu Picchu from Cusco you will need to take a train there and then bus or hike up into the ruins. The train tickets and entrance tickets are highly regulated so I would recommend planning far in advance to make sure you get to see this amazing place!

what to do in cusco besides machu picchu

15. Go On A Photo Walk

If you are into photography then you will be thrilled at all of the photography options in Cusco. From small side streets, to people watching in the squares and even stunning sunsets over the city from high up vantage points you will easily be able to find some wonderful places to take photos.

Conclusion

Cusco, Peru is one of the most amazing cities I have ever visited. From the food to the cultural experiences that are embedded so deeply in this cities history.

I can’t wait for you to fall in love with Cusco, Peru just like I did.

Other Destinations In Peru!