Question 1

Cusco on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Cusco's historic center is small enough to explore on foot, but the altitude makes every hill harder, so plan a slow first day close to the Plaza de Armas. The Inca sun temple and the great walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city are the two sights most worth the effort. Plaza de Armas: Around the main square, Spanish colonial buildings stand directly on Inca walls, and the cathedral facing the square is full of colonial religious paintings. Qoricancha: The Inca sun temple, the central place of Inca worship, is four blocks from the Plaza de Armas on Avenida El Sol. The Spanish built the church of Santo Domingo on top of it, but much of the lower Inca stonework survives. Sacsayhuamán: The fortress on the hill above the city was the scene of a battle in 1536 between Pizarro's men and the Inca army. A stone footpath climbs up from town, but robberies have been reported on it in the early morning and evening, so consider a taxi. Take the altitude seriously: Walk slowly on your first day, drink plenty of water, and stay away from bars on your first night. If you have had trouble at high altitude before, arrive a day early to adjust. Keep to your tour's times: Flights and trains on a cruise-tour run to fixed times and will not wait, so keep to the meeting times your tour gives you. Political protests in Peru can close roads and stop trains, including those to Machu Picchu, sometimes with no notice. After dark: Avoid walking alone at night, as robberies have been reported.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Walking is the way to see central Cusco, with a taxi for the uphill sites and the airport. The streets themselves take some care, because many are steep, narrow and cobbled. In the historic center, cobblestones can be very slippery in wet weather. Roads climbing toward Sacsayhuamán and the higher parts of the city are steep, with gradients above 6 percent. Poroy station, where most Machu Picchu trains start, is about 20 minutes by taxi from downtown. Trains between Cusco and Machu Picchu are run by PeruRail and Inca Rail.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Andean food in Cusco includes dishes visitors rarely see at home, such as roast guinea pig, called cuy, and alpaca meat. Chicha, a corn beer, is the traditional drink of the city's old bars. Cuy and alpaca appear on menus across the city. Chicha is drunk in traditional bars called chicherías. The ChocoMuseo, at Calle Garcilaso 210, explains the history of cacao for free and runs chocolate workshops for a fee. Hotels in Cusco often offer coca tea, the traditional Andean remedy for altitude, though its effect is doubtful. Avoid coca products if you may face a drug test after you return home.

Question 4

Tipping in Peru

Accepted Answer

In Peru, tipping in basic and mid-range restaurants is not very common, though about 10 percent for good service is polite. Pay in Peruvian soles, because US dollars are accepted less often in Peru than in some neighboring countries. Tipping is not practiced in taxis. Some new, undamaged 10- or 20-dollar bills can be useful, but carry soles for everyday spending.

Question 5

Culture and Local Life

Accepted Answer

Cusco is the historical capital of Peru under the country's constitution, and Quechua tradition is still visible in its festivals and in the name Qosqo. Indigenous people in traditional clothing are a common sight on its streets, and the Inca past is celebrated each year at the winter solstice. Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun, recalls the Inca celebration of the winter solstice. Its procession starts at Qoricancha and climbs to Sacsayhuamán. Sapo is a traditional bar game in which players throw small coins at a table fitted with a bronze toad, scoring most for a coin in its mouth. Women in traditional clothing carrying baby alpacas offer photos for a small fee, and some of the supposed alpacas are young goats or sheep. The city's name appears as Cusco, Cuzco and, in Quechua, Qosqo.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Cusco grew from a small Andean kingdom into the capital of the Inca Empire, fell to the Spanish in 1533, and was rebuilt as a colonial city on its Inca foundations. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1983. Before the Incas: People of the Killke culture lived in the region in the 10th century. A kingdom's capital: The city is said to have been founded in the 12th century by Manco Cápac, as the capital of the Kingdom of Cusco. An empire's capital: Inca legend credits Pachacuti with rebuilding the city and turning the small kingdom into the empire of Tawantinsuyu, though archaeology suggests the city grew more gradually. Rivers were channeled around a planned center. Civil war: After the death of the ruler Huayna Capac in 1528, the city sided with Huáscar in a civil war, and Atahualpa's generals captured it in April 1532. The Spanish arrive: The first three Spaniards reached Cusco in May 1533, collecting gold for Atahualpa's ransom, and Francisco Pizarro entered the city on November 15, 1533. The Spanish refounded it on March 23, 1534, building much of it on Inca monuments. Sacsayhuamán, 1536: In 1536 Pizarro's men charged uphill to fight the Inca army at Sacsayhuamán. Machu Picchu's finds: Objects excavated at Machu Picchu by the Yale researcher Hiram Bingham from 1912 now form a museum collection in Cusco's Casa Concha. Heritage and status: UNESCO listed the City of Cusco in 1983, and Peru's constitution of 1993 names it the country's historical capital. To learn more ashore: The Museo Inka, at Cuesta del Almirante 103, holds pre-Inca, Inca and colonial objects, with labels in English and Spanish.

Question 7

Cusco with Children

Accepted Answer

With children, Cusco works best at a gentle pace: keep the first day short and flat, and save the climbs for later. The Inca sites, the alpacas in the streets and a chocolate workshop give each age something to remember. Younger children: The plaza and the alpaca-carrying women who pose for photos are usually enough for a first afternoon. Agree the price before anyone takes a picture. School age: At Sacsayhuamán, the sheer size of the stones the Incas moved is the attraction; go by taxi rather than climbing the path. The ChocoMuseo's chocolate workshops are a hands-on indoor option. Teenagers: The small museum at Qoricancha displays mummies and skulls the Incas shaped or pierced, which suits older children rather than younger ones.

Question 8

Accessible Travel

Accepted Answer

Cusco is a hard city for wheelchair users and anyone with limited mobility or breathing problems, because of its altitude, its steep streets and its cobblestones. Plan short outings with a vehicle, and talk to your doctor about the altitude before you travel. Altitude sickness can leave you short of breath after even small efforts, with headache and nausea, and it can become dangerous. Streets in the historic center are often narrow and cobbled, and they become very slippery in wet weather. Roads up to Sacsayhuamán and the higher districts are steep, with gradients above 6 percent. The Machu Picchu trains leave from Poroy, about 20 minutes by road from the center, so ask the rail company and your tour about boarding help well before you go.

Cusco

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Getting to Cusco