About Cusco & Peru

If you want to discover the Inka Empire, Cusco is the right place. Cusco is high up in the mountains (more than 3,000 meters); you will definitely fall in love with the landscape, its cobblestones streets and artcraft.
To visit the Sacred Valley and all the important Inka sites, you can buy the ‘Boleto Turístico’ (70 soles for students/present an International Student ID Card-ISIC) and have access to a great amount of cultural, archaeological and historical places during 10 days.
Here is a non exhaustive list of place you can visit in many ways (horse riding, trekking, organized tour, etc) :
- the Machu Picchu, one of the new 7 wonders of the world
- the Inca ruins around Cusco: Saqsayhuaman, Quenqo, Pucapucara and Tambomachay.
- 'El Valle Sagrado’: Pisac, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero
- Moray and Salinas
- Choquequiraw
... A lot more !

Moreover, Cusco is a great place to start travelling around the whole country. Lots of agencies offer to organize your trip - according to your schedule - (check before the prices and offers in a few agencies and negotiate the price; make sure every service included in your travel package, like a profesional guide or pick up from your hotel, is being written in your voucher). But, you can easily plan it yourself:
- Puno, Titicaca lake and its islands (Taquile, Uros and Amantani)
- Arequipa
- Nazca (famous for the Nazca mysterious lines)
- Chachapoyas
- Amazonia
Etc.

Cusco is ‘lively’, not only talking about nightlife but also about all the different kinds of food you can eat (Peruvian, Italian, French, Chinese…) and all the places you can visit by walk inside the city: Plaza de Armas and its cathedral, Qorikancha, various museums (Museo Inka, etc.)…

A FEW TIPS :

Normally, you should not pay more than 3 Soles for a taxi (for the airport, it is around 6 soles); always ask for the price before going into the car (and prefer the taxis with a yellow and black logo sign).

If you want to relax, feel free to enjoy all what Cusco has to offer: massage, spa, manicure, etc. But do not expect the Western standard.

About your hostel or hotel, you can book it in advance (just like your trekking for the Machu Picchu) and negotiate a discount if you are staying quite a long time. Always check before making your reservation that the hotel has hot water and a heating system, especially if you plan to stay at a cheap hostel.
You should know that booking a hostel in San Blas (a nice and cheerful quarter) means that you are going to walk up the hill everyday (you might find it hard during the first few days due to the altitude).
Do not drink tap water and bring with you some medication; also check in advance all the vaccines you might need (if you plan to do a ‘jungle trip’ you will have more vaccines to do). If you suffer from a headache due to the altitude, do not hesitate to drink the local ‘maté de coca’.

Cusco is not a dangerous place (like Lima) but always keep your money in a safe place. You can bring cash (dollars or euros) and travellers checks, you will be able to change them easily downtown (check the change rates with a few agencies) instead of paying a high fee every time you withdraw cash with your credit card.

Here are a few places the previous volunteers liked to go to:

LOS PERROS $$ (around 20 soles)
Calle Tecsecocha (at the intersection with Calle Tigre)
This Australian wine couch bar is nice if you want to enjoy a great juice or try one of their enormous sandwiches. They also offer ethnic food. For big groups, do not forget to book!

JUANITO’S $
Calle Carmen Alto, 227 (San Blas)
If you are in a hurry or want to enjoy a homemade sandwich, ask one of the cookers to make one for you! You can choose all the ingredients and eat it there or take it away.

MACONDO – Food and Art $$
Cuesta de San Blas, 571 (at the intersection with Tocuyeros)
You feel like eating a homemade soup in a sophisticated place? Here it is! The place is full of artworks (for sale) and the service is great.

LA CAVERNE DEL ORIENTE $
Plaza San Blas (right down the stairs)
If you like French food, you will definitely end up eating in San Blas in this small quite affordable restaurant. Try the ‘Salade de chèvre chaud’ as an entrance (quite big, share it!) and the ‘Ratatouille’ on a bed of quinoa as main course. Try to go early because the owner does not seem to open really late.

LA BODEGA DEL WAIKY $
Calle Carmen Alto, 146 (San Blas)
A very neat and quite place in which you can enjoy a romantic dinner. The service is perfect and you will be able to try all varieties of food (Peruvian, Italian, etc). We recommend the menu (a small appetizer, a soup and a main course).

AMARU $
Plateros 325
This restaurant near Plaza de Armas offers the best breakfast in town with the bonus of enjoying the sun if you are sitting on the balconies! The menu offers quite a variety! Our favourite is the ‘Panqueque’ (normally 11 soles): fresh bread with homemade marmelade, fruit salad, panqueque/crêpes with honey or chocolate. The service is absolutely perfect and you will probably benefit from free refill of tea/maté/coffee and your fruit juice.

MUNDO HEMP $$ (desserts: 10 soles and more; usually more than 20 soles to eat)
Calle Carmen Alto
This small place feels like home! We recommend you to enjoy a nice break inside or in the charming patio, reading your favorite book or borrowing one (from the shelf inside the room). They usually serve enormous pieces of apple crumble or other homemade pastries, like lemon tart or chocolate brownie; you can also share the tea because they are quite generous!

Bar EL NOMADE $
Calle Choquechaka
If you want to hang out in a cosy place, then you’d better have a drink at El Nomade. The friendly atmosphere will relax you and if you get lucky, you might end up listening to a small local group playing music and heating up the place! (they usually give you a flyer of the weekly program down the street)

NORTON’S PUB $
Loreto 115 (Plaza de Armas)
A typical pub where you can stand next to the bar and enjoy a drink (famous cocktails or the local Pisco Sour). They also have some of the best hamburgers in town !

RUNTUS $
Choquechaka 152
Come early and enjoy the happy hour offer while the band is rehearsing. Later, the bar is packed and you will feel like attending a rock concert.

MYTHOLOGY
Portal de Carnes 298 (Plaza de Armas)
Clubbing in Cusco is a must if you are willing to stay up all night long. In this club, the music will keep you awake till morning. The place is basically full of tourists just like you. Do not forget to grab a few tickets around Plaza de Armas to have free drinks inside. Salsa classes are also given before 11pm (check the day and time).