21 Best Sights in Cusco, Cusco and the Sacred Valley

Built to honor the sun god, the empire’s most important deity, Qorikancha translates as "Court of Gold." Walls and altars were once plated with gold, and in the center of the complex sat a giant gold disc, positioned to reflect the sun and bathe the temple in light, while terraces were once filled with life-size gold-and-silver statues of plants and animals. Much of the wealth was removed to ransom the captive Inca ruler Atahualpa during the Spanish conquest. Eventually, the structure was passed on to the Dominicans, who constructed the church of Santo Domingo using stones from the temple and creating a jarring imperial-colonial architectural juxtaposition. An ingenious restoration lets you see how the church was built on and around the temple. In the Inca parts of the structure left exposed, estimated to be about 40% of the original temple, you can admire the mortarless masonry, earthquake-proof trapezoidal doorways, curved retaining wall, and exquisite carvings that exemplify the artistic and engineering skills of the Inca. The S/15 entrance allows you to visit the Monasterio de Santa Catalina and Qorikancha's ruins and church; a free prerecorded tour is available, but hire a guide to get the most out of the site.

Dominating the Plaza de Armas, the monumental Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin (or Cusco Cathedral) is one of Cusco's grandest buildings. Built in 1550 on the site of the palace of the Inca Wiracocha and using stones looted from the nearby Inca fortress of Sacsayhuamán, the cathedral is a perfect example of the imposition of the Catholic faith on the Indigenous population. The grander the building, went the theory, the more impressive (and seductive) the faith. With soaring ceilings, baroque carvings, enormous oil paintings, and glittering gold-and-silver altars, the cathedral certainly seemed to achieve its aim.

Today, Cusco's Catedral is one of the town's star attractions, noted mainly for its amazing collection of colonial art that mixes Christian and non-Christian imagery. Entering the Catedral from the Sagrada Familia chapel, head to your right to the first nave, where you'll find the famous oil painting (reputed to be the oldest in Cusco) depicting the earthquake that rocked the town in 1650. Among the depictions of burning houses and people fleeing, you'll see a procession in the plaza. Legend has it that during the earthquake, the citizens removed a statue of Jesus on the cross from the Catedral and paraded it around the plaza—halting the quake in its tracks. This statue, now known as the Señor de los Temblores, or Lord of the Earthquakes, is Cusco's patron, and you'll find him depicted in many Cusqueñan paintings.

To see the famous statue, head across the Catedral to the other side, where in the nave and to the right of the passage connecting the Catedral to the adjoining Iglesia del Triumfo, you'll find El Señor himself. The dark color of his skin is often claimed to be a representation of the Indigenous people of Cusco; actually, it's the effect of years of candle smoke on the native materials used in its fabrication.

Those interested in the crossover between Indigenous and Catholic iconography will find lots to look at. Figures of pumas, the Inca representation of Earth, are carved on the enormous main doors, and in the adjoining Iglesia del Triumfo you'll see an Andean Christ in one of the altars flanking the exit. No one should miss the spectacular painting of the Last Supper, by the Indigenous artist Marcos Zapata, where you'll see the diners tucking into a delicious feast of vizcacha (wild chinchilla) and chicha (a corn beverage).

The cathedral's centerpieces are its massive, solid-silver altar, and the enormous 1659 María Angola bell, the largest in South America, which hangs in one of the towers and can be heard from miles away. Behind the main altar is the original wooden altar primitivo dedicated to St. Paul. The 64-seat cedar choir has rows of carved saints, popes, and bishops, all in stunning detail down to their delicately articulated hands.

If you're interested in a more in-depth look, enlist the services of a guide—you'll find them right outside the Catedral. Agree on a price before you start; it will cost a minimum of S/30 per group. Alternatively, there is a free audio guide.

Set seven blocks northeast of Plaza de Armas, this charming spot perched high within the cobblestoned pedestrian streets of hip San Blas is one of the best spots to observe Cusco from above—and try to make out its original puma shape. A great time to visit is at sunset, when the city starts turning on its lights and locals start packing the district's little bars and bistros.

For a different perspective on pre-Columbian ceramics, head to this spectacular museum, known as MAP, where art and pre-Columbian culture merge seamlessly. Twelve rooms in the 1580 Casa Cabrera, which was used as the convent of Santa Clara until the 17th century, showcase an astounding collection of pre-Columbian art from the 13th to 16th centuries, mostly in the form of carvings, ceramics, and jewelry. The art and artifacts were made by the Huari and Nazca, as well as the Inca, cultures. The stylish displays have excellent labels in Spanish and English that place the artifacts in their artistic and historical context. On the walls is commentary from European artists on South American art. Swiss artist Paul Klee wrote: "I wish I was newly born, and totally ignorant of Europe, innocent of facts and fashions, to be almost primitive." Most Cusco museums close at dark, but MAP remains open every evening. For a break after a walk around, find your way to the on-site café, one of Cusco's best restaurants (reservations are required for dinner).

With park benches, green lawns, and splendid views of the Catedral, Cusco's gorgeous colonial Plaza de Armas invites you to stay awhile. Take a seat on one of those park benches, and the world will come to you—without moving an inch, you'll be able to purchase postcards, paintings, and snacks, organize a trip to Machu Picchu, get your photograph taken, and get those dirty boots polished.

What you see today is a direct descendant of imperial Cusco's central square, which the Inca called the Haukaypata (the only name indicated on today's street signs) and which extended as far as the Plaza del Regocijo.

According to belief, this was the exact center of the Inca Empire, Tawantinsuyo, the Four Corners of the Earth. Today, continuing the tradition, it's the tourism epicenter. From the plaza you'll see the Catedral and Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús on two sides and the graceful archways of the colonial portales, or covered arcades, lining the other sides. Soft lighting bathes the plaza each evening and creates one of Cusco's iconic views. Many of the city's frequent parades (and some protests) pass through the plaza, especially on Sunday. Enjoy the views of colonial Cusco, but note that any attempt to sit on one of those inviting green lawns will prompt furious whistle-blowing from the police.

Thanks to an urban rejuvenation projected initiated by locals in 2020, this narrow San Cristóbal’s stairway strewn with hanging potted plants, murals, and flowers has become Cusco’s most celebrated Instagram spot. Come for a stroll and to partake of the famed photo op. You can also enjoy artisanal ice cream from El Descanso del Borrego, a shop tucked in the middle of the stairway, or stop by Taller Leon, where artisans carve beautiful and intricate wooden furniture and frames. 

You'll find a bit of everything in this spot, which may leave you feeling like you've seen it all before. Colonial building? Check. Escuela Cusqueña paintings? Check. Ancient pottery? Check. Inca mummy? Check. This is the colonial childhood home of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the famous chronicler of the Spanish conquest and illegitimate son of one of Pizarro's captains and an Inca princess. Inside the mansion, with its cobblestoned courtyard, is the Museo de Historia Regional, with Cusco School paintings, pre-Inca mummies—one from Nazca has a 1½-meter (5-foot) braid—ceramics, metal objects, and other artifacts.

This museum provides a delicious introduction to the history and process of chocolate making, from cacao bean to bar. Workshops allow you to make your own sweets; they are offered three times a day for a minimum of three people at an additional cost of S/75, and advance reservations are required. There is an additional museum location in Ollantaytambo near the archaeological site and in Pisac near the main square. An on-site shop is a great place for gift shopping, if you want to give the museum a pass.

Built in 1945 by cusqueño sculptor Ernesto Olazo Allende, the large white statue of Cristo Blanco towers above Cusco atop Cerro Pukamoqo (elevation 11,811 feet). The statue, which was donated by the local Palestinian colony, stands in proximity to Sacsayhuamán and can be reached either on foot from the upper reaches of the San Blas and San Cristóbal districts, or by hailing a cab (S/10–S/15) or Uber. The views from here span all over Cusco and the valley and are beautiful throughout the day. Sunsets are especially dramatic, after which the Christ sparkles with radiant lighting. 

With its ornately carved facade, this Jesuit church on the Plaza de Armas gives the Catedral a run for its money in the beauty stakes. The Compañía, constructed by the Jesuits in the 17th century, was intended to be the most splendid church in Cusco, which didn't sit too well with the archbishop. The beauty contest between the churches grew so heated that the pope was forced to intervene. He ruled in favor of the Catedral, but, by that time, the iglesia was nearly finished, complete with a baroque facade to rival the Catedral's grandeur. The interior is not nearly so splendid, however, although it's worth seeing the paintings on either side of the entrance depicting the intercultural marriage between a Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess. Tourists are admitted to masses under the condition that they participate in them; start wandering around and taking photos, and you'll be shown the door.

The church may be overshadowed by the more famous Catedral and Iglesia de la Compañía, but La Merced contains one of the city's most priceless treasures—the Custodia, a solid gold container for Communion wafers that's more than a meter high and encrusted with thousands of precious stones. Rebuilt in the 17th century, this monastery, with two stories of portals and a colonial fountain, gardens, and benches, has a spectacular series of murals that depict the life of the founder of the Mercedarian order, St. Peter of Nolasco. A small museum is found to the side of the church.

An extensive collection of Cusqueñan religious art is the draw at this still-working Dominican convent, which incorporates a 1610 church with high and low choirs and baroque friezes. Although there's not much to show of it these days, the convent represents another example of the pasting of Catholic religion over Indigenous faiths—it was built on the site of the Acllawasi, the house of some 3,000 Inca chosen women dedicated to teaching, weaving Inca ceremonial robes, and worshiping Inti, the Inca sun god. The entire complex was given a face-lift in 2010.

The building may be on the dark and musty side, but this San Blas museum has a remarkable collection of religious art. Originally the site of the Inca Roca's Hatun Rumiyoq palace, then the juxtaposed Moorish-style palace of the Marqués de Buenavista, the building reverted to the Archdiocese of Cusco and served as the archbishop's residence. In this primary repository of religious art in the city many of the paintings in the collection are anonymous, but you'll notice some by the renowned Indigenous artist Marcos Zapata. A highlight is a series of 17th-century paintings that depict the city's Corpus Christi procession. Free audio guides are available.

The former home of San Blas's most famous son, the 20th-century Peruvian religious artist Hilario Mendívil (1929–77), makes a good stop if you have an interest in Cusqeñan art and iconography. Legend has it that Mendívil saw llamas parading in the Corpus Christi procession as a child and later infused this image into his religious art, depicting all his figures with long, llama-like necks.

In the small gallery are the maguey-wood and rice-plaster sculptures of the Virgin with the elongated necks that were the artist's trademark.

There's also a shop selling Mendívil-style work.

Everyone comes to "ooh" and "eeww" over this archaeological museum's collection of Inca mummies, but the entire facility serves as a comprehensive introduction to pre-Columbian Andean culture. Packed with textiles, ceramics, and dioramas, there's a lot to see here, and displays bear labels in Spanish and English. One room is dedicated to the story of Mamakuka ("Mother Coca"), and documents Indigenous people's use of the coca leaf for religious and medicinal purposes. The building was once the palace of Admiral Francisco Aldrete Maldonado, the reason for its common designation as the Palacio del Almirante (Admiral's Palace).

Artifacts that Hiram Bingham unearthed during his 1911 "discovery" of Machu Picchu and brought back to Yale University resided with the university for a century. After a hotly contested custody battle, an agreement was reached between Peru and Yale, and the artifacts began to be returned to Peru in 2011. Some can now be seen on display at this small but fascinating museum housed in a colonial mansion built atop the palace of Tupac Yupanqui. While the artifacts are interesting, the real reason to go is for the video, which presents research findings on these pieces. If you have time, visit the museum before your trip to Machu Picchu for a deeper understanding of what is currently known, and still unknown, about this world wonder.

Take a refreshing turn back toward the present in this city of history. As is typically the case in Cusco, the museum is housed in a colonial mansion. But the art exhibits, which rotate constantly, display some of the best work that contemporary Peruvian artists have to offer.

Inca Roca lived in the 13th or 14th century. Halfway along his palace's side wall, nestled amid other stones, is a famous 12-angled stone, an example of masterly Inca masonry. There's nothing sacred about the 12 angles: Inca masons were famous for incorporating stones with many more sides than 12 into their buildings. If you can't spot the famous stone from the crowds taking photos, ask one of the shopkeepers or the elaborately dressed Inca figures hanging out along the street to point it out. Around the corner is a series of stones on the wall that form the shapes of a puma and a serpent. Kids often hang out there and trace the forms for a small tip.

Close to the Plaza de Armas, the Plaza de San Francisco is a local hangout. There's not a lot to see in the plaza itself, but if you've wandered this way, the Templo de San Francisco church is interesting for its macabre sepulchers with arrangements of bones and skulls, some pinned to the wall to spell out morbid sayings. A small museum of religious art with paintings by Escuela Cusqueña artists Marcos Zapata and Diego Quispe Tito is in the church sacristy.

Austere from the outside, this incredible 1588 church takes the prize for most eccentric interior decoration. Thousands of mirrors cover the interior, competing with the gold-laminated altar for glittery prominence. Legend has it that the mirrors were placed inside in order to tempt locals into church. Built in old Inca style, using stone looted from Inca ruins, this is a great example of the lengths that the Spanish went to in order to attract Indigenous converts to the Catholic faith.

The little square in San Blas has a simple adobe church with one of the jewels of colonial art in the Americas—the pulpit of San Blas, an intricately carved, 17th-century, cedar pulpit that is arguably Latin America's most ornate. Tradition holds that the work was hewn from a single tree trunk, but experts now believe it was assembled from 1,200 individually carved pieces. Figures of Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Henry VIII—all opponents of Catholicism—as well as those representing the seven deadly sins are condemned for eternity to hold up the pulpit's base. The work is dominated by the triumphant figure of Christ. At his feet rests a human skull, not carved, but the real thing. It's thought to belong to Juan Tomás Tuyrutupac, the creator of the pulpit.