The city of Cusco is the favorite tourist destination for many travelers. And here we give you some recommendations to travel to Cusco and thus be able to enjoy this beautiful city and make your trip something unique and memorable.
Here we give you all the tips to travel to Cusco.
Recommendations for traveling to Cusco
Here we offer some recommendations that you should always take into account to visit the city of Cusco. A good organization can make an incredible and unique trip.
1. Choose the best time to visit Cusco
Although it may not seem so important, it may be helpful to choose the date of your trip to Cusco well. The best time to visit the city of Cusco is from the end of April until September when there is not much rain. And undoubtedly the best season to visit Cusco is in the month of June, where the city of Cusco is partying and so you can see typical dances of the city, the famous Inti Raymi and how not to taste his signature dish “El Chiriuchu ” You can also take advantage of the good weather for that season.
If you do not plan to travel any of those Months do not worry, Cusco is a city that although this month of Rain you can appreciate beautiful landscapes.
2. Plan how many days you will be in Cusco
As every traveler always on a vacation we would like to know everything, but sometimes time plays against us, that is why if you have a few days, you should look for the tours that are most attractive for you. And if you have more time you can make the most of it and get to know every tourist place that Cusco offers.
Among the most visited tours in Cusco are: the Inca city of Machu Picchu, Humantay Lagoon, Mountain of 7 colors, Salt Mines Maras Moray and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. These are the most visited tourist destinations daily.
3. Buy your plane ticket to Cusco in advance
The airplane ticket is undoubtedly very important, because if you buy in advance of insurance you can find it at a lower price, and if you are going to try to buy at the last minute (close to the day of your trip) it is safer than expensive. So if you want to save a little, always buy your plane ticket in advance.
4. Buy your ticket to Machu Picchu
If you are going to visit Machu Picchu, the ideal is to buy your ticket in advance, you can do it online from www.machupicchu.gob.pe or www.bookinghuaynapicchu.com (Accept PayPal), in both pages you can buy your ticket to Machu Picchu. Also now if you wish you can do it from the same city in Cusco, visiting his office at: Casa Garcilaso. Garcilaso Street SN. Cusco – Peru.
Now if you want to buy your entrance to Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu there if you have to buy several months in advance as the tickets to Huayna Picchu are sold out quickly. The purchase is only via Internet.
5. Book your accommodation
To book your accommodation you can do it directly from Booking or Airbnb in both portals you will find number of hotels at the best prices, always check that they have a good opinion from their users. You can also search on your own in the city of Cusco, but the ideal is always online so take advantage of discount codes.
If you travel in the months of June and July in most cases hotels are completely booked, that is why you must book in advance.
6. Visit Cusco with a Travel Agency or on your own
This is a great question that every traveler is asked, whether to make your trip on your own or with a travel agency. Both options are definitely valid, but remember that there are tours that do need to be done with a travel agency, mostly because of security issues. Among the tours you must do with an agency: Mountain of 7 colors, Humantay Lagoon, Mountain Palcoyo, Waqrapukara and Puente Inca Checacupe, are tours that can be done on your own but the best and for safety with a travel agency, since they will provide you with oxygen ball and first aid kit.
The visit to Machu Picchu, you can do it on your own and without any problem, to go from Cusco to Machu Picchu there are two options.
• Cusco – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes (Town of Machu Picchu) via Train.
• Cusco – Hydroelectric – Aguas Calientes (Town of Machu Picchu) via auto / bus.
Machu Picchu by train can be visited in 1 day, but if you go by car / bus / car it is necessarily 2 days and 1 night.
Now another question is Where to buy the tours, online or directly in the city of Cusco?
Here are some recommendations:
Several travelers make their reservations via internet, here some important information. The agencies that are online and come out in the top positions of google are the ones that invest their time in advertising, that is, they are a little more reliable. In social networks Facebook there are also several very good agencies and usually they are those that have a good number of followers, for example 7000 thousand followers to +. If you want to hire an agency by Facebook look at their page and if they have 10, 50, 100, 200 followers do not trust much since those fans can only be their friends.
It is better to hire an agency that has several followers and a good number of opinions. So you will have a confidence level of 7 out of 10.
Buy tours directly in Cusco, many travelers choose this option. In the square of arms of Cusco and surroundings you will find a lot of travel agencies that offer tours in Cusco, you can find the same tour at different prices, but I do not mean that the service is the same. There are many factors that differentiate in the price, one of them the quality of service (The attitude of the service staff (kindness, courtesy, help, initiative) in the sale and during the provision of service). Sometimes going for the cheapest one does not guarantee a good service (Cheap is expensive), so always look for something good, comfortable and safe. Always ask them to show you their website, if they do not have it then do not trust much of them. A web page is the letter of introduction of any travel agency.
7. Beware of altitude sickness
Altitude sickness (Soroche) is one of the problems that some travelers have, the recommendation is: Drink mate de coca or buy some pills for altitude sickness in an apothecary and / or pharmacy.
How to treat altitude sickness:
• Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.
• Breath deeply.
• Take it easy.
• Acclimatize 1 day in Cusco.
• Take Coca Mate: Natural Remedy
• Take a pill for altitude sickness (Soroche)
• According to the experience of many travelers, it is also good to put a few drops of chlorophyll in the water you drink every day. This increases the amount of red blood cells in your system, allowing you to absorb more oxygen through your blood.
8. Take your personal documents with you
It is always necessary to carry your personal documents. VISA and / or Passport, or if you are from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay or Venezuela, you will only need your National Identity Document “DNI”.
If you are a student, bring your updated student card to benefit from some discounts, especially in entrance tickets.
9. Bring money in cash or debit card and / or credit
The most advisable thing is to take Dollars and here in Cusco to change it to Soles, to visit the different tourist destinations and buy some crafts and / or extra expenses, it is better to take soles. You can also carry a credit card and / or debit card as there are a lot of ATMs in Cusco and also travel agencies, restaurants and jewelry stores accept cards, so you will not have any problems.
10. You bring appropriate clothes
It is always good to bring suitable clothes. In Cusco you will always need a coat for the cold of the night and for the first hours of the morning. Bring very necessary trekking shoes, sun glasses, sunscreen, rain poncho, cold gloves, light clothing and long-sleeved polo shirts.
11. Taste the typical food of Cusco
Cusco is one of the cities where you can find all kinds of food, national and international. The typical dish of Cusco is the Chiriuchu, this dish is found mostly in the parties of Cusco. You can also choose to try other typical dishes such as chicharon de chancho, cuy al horno, adobo, etc.
In the Plaza de Armas and surroundings you will find good traditional food and full of flavor and color. So, you will not have problems to find foods of your liking.
12. Stay connected always
It is always good to be in touch with the family, so in most hotels, hotels have Wi-Fi only you have to request it. In the same square of arms of Cusco there is also free Wifi, so you will not have any problem with communication.
13. Always watch for your safety
• Your safety is important, so you should not go far from the center of Cusco.
• If you take a taxi / car, always check your license plate and license plate.
• Be careful with opportunists and bad people.
• Do not give your personal information to strangers.