Banks & Exchange Services in Cusco & Machu Picchu

Banks & Exchange Services

Most banks will exchange U.S. dollars, the only real useful foreign currency here. Many of the storefront money-exchange places on the Plaza de Armas and Avenida El Sol do change euros, pounds, and Canadian dollars, but at unfavorable rates. Traveler's checks are becoming easier to change for soles in Cusco, but virtually no business accepts them as payment. Try the downtown branches of Banco de Crédito (BCP) and Banco Wiese Sudameris. (The lines only look horrendous, they move quickly.) Casas de cambio bear a yellow money exchange -- travelers cheque sign and populate the side of the Plaza de Armas opposite the cathedral and the first block of Avenida El Sol between Mantas and Almargo. Casas are open well into the evening, and rates are similar to those of banks, but they charge a 2% commission. American Express and Diners Club both have offices in Cusco. An ATM in the luggage-claim area of Cusco's Velasco Astete airport gives cash against Plus, Cirrus, and American Express cards, as do those at Banco de Crédito offices.

Take care of all financial matters (money exchange, traveler's checks, and ATM transactions) here in Cusco before heading farther afield to the Sacred Valley or Machu Picchu. There are few places to do so once you leave the city.

Banks

American Express (Procuradores 351. 084/239-372). Banco de Crédito (Av. El Sol 189. 084/235-255). Banco Wiese Sudameris (Maruri 315. 084/264-297). Diners Club (Av. El Sol 615. 084/234-051).