Cusco, Peru: Our First Days in the Andes
Our first look over Cusco.
Cusco was our first stop in Peru, and we really had no idea how the altitude was going to treat us. At over 11,000 feet, we planned a couple of days here before heading to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Thankfully, the altitude wasn't too bad for us. We had a few headaches, drank plenty of coca tea (which is everywhere in Cusco!), and tried to take it a little easier at first.
We came back to Cusco later in the trip and had a couple of days with no real plans — just walking around, eating, stopping for coffee and drinks, and seeing where we ended up.
Cusco is such a fun city to wander. Cobblestone streets, little shops, beautiful old buildings, amazing views — and a LOT of hills and stairs.
Our First Full Day In Cusco
Our second day in Cusco was when we met Ruth, our guide for the day — and someone we'd end up spending quite a bit more time with during the trip.
We started at Coricancha, then headed to the Cusco Cathedral complex on the Plaza de Armas, which is actually made up of the main Cathedral, the Church of the Triumph, and the Church of the Holy Family.
Inside the Cathedral, one of our favorite things was the Peruvian version of The Last Supper, where Jesus and the apostles are gathered around a table with cuy (guinea pig) as part of the meal. Definitely not the Last Supper we were used to seeing.
From there, we headed outside the city center to Saqsaywaman and Q'enqo. This was our first real introduction to Inca history, and having Ruth there to explain what we were seeing made such a difference.
It was a full day, and by dinner we were ready for something easy. We ended up at Pizzeria Trattoria Casa Grande for pizza and wine. Not exactly Peruvian food, but it hit the spot.
After the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, we made our way back to Cusco. We spent some time wandering around, doing a little shopping and just taking it easy.
We thought we'd have another easy day in Cusco, but then we decided to head to Palcoyo with Ruth instead. So much for taking it easy.
Where We Stayed in Cusco
We stayed at two different hotels during our time in Cusco and honestly loved them both.
Our first stay was at the Novotel Cusco, which was in a great location and had this beautiful historic courtyard at the center of the hotel. It was a perfect base for our first few days in the city.
When we came back to Cusco later in the trip, we stayed at the JW Marriott El Convento Cusco, and this place was amazing.
The hotel is actually inside a restored 16th-century Augustinian convent, and so much of the original history and architecture has been preserved. During the restoration, remains from the pre-Inca Killke culture were discovered on the property, and some of them are now preserved and displayed right inside the hotel.
The whole place is gorgeous, especially the old courtyard. Thanks to Jerry's Marriott status, we were upgraded to a suite, which was such a nice surprise. They also left us welcome treats and little gifts, and the service was incredible. When we left for Palcoyo at 4 a.m., they even had lunches packed and ready for us, along with hot coffee and tea. It's those little things you remember.
And then there's Panchita, the hotel's resident alpaca. We got to feed her and take pictures with her, which obviously made us love this place even more.
And the food! We ate at the hotel more than once and everything we had was amazing. Normally we like to get out and eat around town, but this was one hotel where staying in for a meal was definitely not a compromise.
We loved both hotels, but the JW really was something special and ended up being part of the experience for us.
A Few Places We Ate
We didn't plan our days around restaurants in Cusco, but there were a few places we really liked.
Our first night we ate at Inka Grill on the Plaza de Armas. We were tired, just getting used to the altitude, and honestly a bowl of chicken soup sounded perfect. And it was.
After our first full day exploring with Ruth, we ended up at Pizzeria Trattoria Casa Grande for pizza and wine. Nothing Peruvian about that one, but after a long day it totally hit the spot.
We also ate at KUSYKAY, which was probably the prettiest restaurant we went to in Cusco. We had a couple of soups, ají de gallina and chicha morada, and really enjoyed all of it. The whole place was just beautiful and definitely one we remember.
We also noticed we didn't drink much in Peru. Maybe it was the altitude, but we just weren't really feeling it. We didn't even try our first Pisco Sour until Aguas Calientes.
If You Go...
Take it easy at first. Cusco is over 11,000 feet and even though the altitude wasn't too bad for us, we definitely felt it a little. Drink lots of water, try the coca tea and don't go crazy on day one.
Bring good shoes. There are hills, stairs and cobblestones everywhere. You'll walk way more than you think.
Leave some time to just wander. You don't need a plan for every minute. We loved walking around, shopping, grabbing coffee and just seeing where we ended up.
We loved having a guide for one of our days. We had already spent a day wandering around Cusco on our own, and then having Ruth with us the next day gave us a completely different experience. Obviously we liked her — we ended up calling her again for Palcoyo!