Lima vs. Cuzco
 

One more question to through out to the group. I have a an option of spending a day in Cuzco or a day in Lima. Can anyone give me the +/-'s of each location? Thank you so much!

Cusco has a nicer Plaza del Armas and more native sites to see. Good food.

Lima has more colonial sites to see, many more restaurants.

It depends on what you'd enjoy seeing more of.

Are you just flying in for a day? Or choosing between them for the tail end of another trip?

If you are flying in and out, the altitude in Cusco might diminish your pleasure. Even if you don't get altitude sickness, the thin air takes a lot out of you. If you are coming from machu Picchu though, you'll have acclimated somewhat already.

Lima is on the ocean so no altitude issues. It's a big modern city with lots of interesting sites and great places to eat. Cusco is a much smaller city that feels very old. it also has lots of interesting sights.

www.culturalimmersion.org

Cusco for me of the 2 the "navel of the world" far prettier

But 11000 ft do adjust to altitude or take the preventive

www.mdtravelhealth.com Peru for details on Altitude Illness

If you have a couple of hours connecting through Lima

take a quick city tour with www.limacabs.com very easy to do

Go to Cusco - at least it will give you another day to acclimatise

Another vote for Cuzco .... provided of course, you're coming from someplace at elevation. OR, on your way to another destination at high(er) altitude.

Lima is a bustling metropolis with endless options for restaurants, nightlife, and more. There's also the oceanside malecon boardwalk that lingers on the edge of Miraflores and Barranco districts where you can enjoy a nice view, perhaps even with a meal or snack. In Lima's downtown, you get to see all the colonial architecture including the impressive Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Miguel. There's even a Chinatown which is a neat little anomoly! Shopping locally, head to the mass market of Polvos Azules next to Parque de la Exposicion to find anything you could ever want for Peruvian prices, or check out the Magic Circuit Watershow in Parque de la Reserva which features the largest fountain in the world. It's cheap too: just 4 soles ($1.50) entrance! If you're there on a Sunday, entrance to the Mali modern art museum is only 1 sol ($0.40). Tons of restuarants everywhere.

Cusco is more "cultural" in that it's a little city nestled in the mountains. You can find "local" life, but these days it's also very touristy. However, it is still immensely beautiful especially at night when the lights illuminate the charming colonial buildings. The environment is also completely different from Lima's flat desert.

All in all, Lima is a gritty city with all that that entails; Cusco is more aesthetically beautiful but also more touristy kitsch to get around if you don't like that kind of stuff.

Connie
Latin America For Less

Above poster has accurately described two cities ..... both places have lots to offer. As I said in my previous comment, the elevation may factor into your decision.

Cusco is possibly the "prettiest" city in Peru and offers lots to do in town, plus day trips to countless towns and sites in the surrounding Sacred Valley. I was there for several months and never ran out of new places to visit and sights to see.

If you step literally just 2 or 3 blocks away from the central tourist area of Cusco you can actually see and experience more of the real city that many tourists never bother/ have time to do. I put together of list of some of my favorite things/places/foods in my Cusco Top Ten list here:

http://blog.dojoklo.com/2011/09/20/t...o-do-in-cusco/

Lima, well, is not necessarily as pleasant an experience. You can't as peacefully walk around town like in Cusco and see everything. Lots more hustle, bustle, pollution, etc. But there are great things to do there as well. Don't miss the Larco museum, and Miraflores can be a pleasant area to stay.