I design journeys to places of power for those who want to travel deeper

Cusco and the Sacred Valley travel guide

Cusco

The Inca capital, rebuilt as a colonial city on top of its own foundations, at 3,400 metres. Walls the Spanish could not dismantle still carry the churches built above them.

Cusco and the Sacred Valley

Cusco rooftops and hills seen beside the Peruvian and Cusco flags

Cusco in brief

Cusco, in short

Cusco is two cities occupying the same ground. The Inca laid out the capital of Tawantinsuyu here in stonework so precise that the Spanish could not take it apart, so they built on top of it — Santo Domingo sits directly on the Qorikancha sun temple, and the joint is visible.

At 3,400 metres it is also the place where badly planned trips come apart. Arriving from Lima at sea level and starting a trek two days later is how people spend their Machu Picchu morning with altitude sickness. The Sacred Valley below the city is 600 metres lower, which is why the sensible order is to sleep down there first and come up to Cusco afterwards.

Football supporters parading through a crowded street in Cusco — AlexJourney designer

Designer's note

How I use Cusco

Cusco earns its days on the route rather than being a box to tick.

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People walking past stone buildings and street vendors on Calle Santa Clara in Cusco

Alex

Journey designer

I design private Peru journeys around altitude, season and the people who still farm the terraces.

01
Build altitude as a gradient
Each stop on the route is a deliberate step upward, which is what makes the high days enjoyable rather than survivable.
Lima - Arequipa - Colca - Titicaca
02
Sleep low before you go high
The Sacred Valley sits 600 metres below Cusco. Sleeping there first is the single change that most improves how people feel on the high days.
Valley first - Cusco after
03
Let the permit calendar lead
Inca Trail permits are capped and sell out months ahead, and the trail closes every February. That one date fixes everything else.
Permits - February closure

What to do

Things to do in Cusco

Llamas grazing above the green terraces and stone buildings of Machu Picchu

Inca heritage and living Andean cultureTerraces still farmed, royal estates on cloud-forest ridges, and Quechua communities for whom none of this is history.See Inca heritage journeys

Cusco journey ideas

Journeys through Cusco

18–24 days journey

Epic Peru18–24 days · Inca Trail · Altiplano · Cusco

A private line across Peru from the Pacific fog desert to the Amazon headwaters, taking the Andes slowly enough that the altitude becomes part of the journey rather than an obstacle to it.

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When to go

Best time to visit Cusco

Ollantaytambo's Inca terraces, village and green fields viewed from above

May to September

The Andean dry season

High passes open

Cold, bright mornings above 3,000 metres and reliable trekking weather. This is the only dependable window for the high passes and the Inca Trail, and the reason most of the route is planned around it.

Temp: Near freezing at dawn to about 20 °C by day in the highlands
Crowds: Cusco and Machu Picchu busy
Good places: Cusco · Sacred Valley · Colca Canyon · Lake Titicaca

Evening light over Lima's Pacific coastline and sea cliffs

December to March

Highland rains, open coast

Inca Trail closed in February

Heavy afternoon rain across the highlands makes the high roads unreliable and closes the Inca Trail every February. The desert coast and the Amazon stay workable, so the journey changes shape rather than stopping.

Temp: Mild but wet inland; warm and humid in the Amazon
Crowds: Quietest months inland
Good places: Lima · Arequipa

Cusco questions

Short answers about Cusco

Q01How long should I give Cusco?

On the Epic Peru route Cusco holds its own block of days; the exact number depends on the season and how the altitude is treating you.

Contact

Plan it with me

Every journey is planned individually; there is no fixed departure calendar.