Here are some things you can do in Cusco besides Machu Picchu if you have extra days in the city, are tired of visiting ruins, or while acclimatizing.
The city of Cusco is beautiful, with its winding cobblestone streets steeped in history and tradition. In fact, it’s a perfect place to stay for several days, so I always recommend that if you travel, you spend more than one day exploring the city. I think three days just visiting the city (or more if you have more time) are perfect for enjoying and exploring.
The city of Cusco also several important archaeological sites that are worth exploring, but there’s much more to see besides the typical ruins, churches, or temples.
So here are my recommendations of the places I find most interesting and beautiful near the city center if you’re interested in visiting and getting to know a different side of Cusco.
They are perfect things to do to learn more about the culture of Cusco, but also great options to do during rainy days, or while you are taking it easy while acclimating to high altitude before a hike.
Calle 7 Borreguitos
They say this street, which translated to “7 Lambs” is the most beautiful street in Cusco, and I think they’re right. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy Cusco’s beauty and take some of the best photos you can take in Cusco.
It’s a small street, adorned on both sides with many flower pots.
In fact, for a small fee, you can also donate a flowerpot, and the flowerpot will have your name on it (there’s a WhatsApp number posted on the street for information).
Along the streets, there are a couple of cafes and an ice cream shop with a nice view. Take the opportunity to try some coca ice cream!
Just behind Calle 7 Borreguitos is the Sapantiana Aqueduct.
This is a small Inca stone aqueduct, slightly hidden behind the street, but only a few steps away. In fact, I’ve visited Cusco many times, and only on my last visit, my seventh, did I come across it for the first time. There’s no entrance fee to admire it.
San Pedro Market
This market is a classic among the most typical things to do in Cusco and something you have to include in your Cusco itinerary. Inside, you’ll find stands selling fruits, vegetables, food, souvenirs, traditional clothing, etc.
I recommend sitting at a juice stand to enjoy a juice made with typical fruits, such as lucuma or custard apple.
It’s also a good place to buy Maras salt, a pink salt from the famous salt mines in the Maras mountains, which is also a beautiful place to visit in Cusco. In fact, the price is much cheaper than if you buy it in Maras.
Other typical things you can buy for yourself or take as gifts or souvenirs are coca candies, salt candies, Peruvian coffee (in case you didn’t know, Peruvian coffee is excellent), chocolate (Peruvian cacao is also excellent), small bottles of chili peppers, etc.
They also have many food stalls, including for breakfast, where you can try some typical local breakfasts like fava bean punch or a quinoa and apple drink.
The Planetarium
If you love stars and planets like I do, and the weather is nice, I recommend a visit to the Cusco planetarium.
To visit, you must make a reservation in advance (I advice you to check the weather forecast before bookin go make sure you’ll have a clear night). They will take you to and from a central location in the city. to a relatively close point, but in the mountains.
There, you will learn about the traditional constellations projected in their dome, and you’ll be able to see a planet, star, or the moon through their telescopes.
The part I liked most was learning about the Inca constellations and the legends surrounding their stars.
I don’t have any photos because it was dark (obviously), but this is a photo I took at the Inca Museum, where you can see the Inca constellations in the Milky Way.
They also have a small shop where you can buy some T-shirts or stickers with figures of the Inca constellations.
Máximo Laura Museum
This is a private museum of the artist Máximo Laura, a Peruvian textile artist who has won many international awards for his work.
His loom-made works are very colorful and inspiring, with contemporary designs yet based on ancient traditions. Each piece can take several months to complete, as they are made with great precision and meticulousness.
It’s a stone’s throw away from the main square and admission is free.
San Blas Square
San Blas Square is a few blocks uphill from Cusco’s main square.
Although the square is small and quiet, you’ll find galleries, museums, small shops, cafes, and charming alleyways surrounding it, which, in my opinion, make this one of the most beautiful places in Cusco (although it’s hard to say this because all of Cusco is beautiful).
In the same square, I recommend visiting Xapiri Ground, the Mendivil Museum (which I mention below in this post), and the Coca Leaf Museum. Also, up the street from the square are several restaurants with beautiful views of the city and delicious food.
A restaurant I loved very close to the square was Soq’a, which is decorated with a theme of elves, characters deeply rooted in the mythology and beliefs of people from Cusco.
There’s also a viewing platform very close to the plaza where you can buy a padlock and hang it on the fence that borders it.
Xapiri Ground
If you want to learn a little about Amazonian culture and art, stop by Xapiri Ground. This is a small café-gallery in the San Blas plaza, where, in addition to having a drink, you can appreciate pieces of Amazonian art and learn a little about the people and communities behind them.
They have a room where you can sit and watch videos that teach you about some of the Amazonian indigenous peoples, the art they create, the process behind them, their stories, and their meanings.
In fact, we often see works of art—a piece of pottery, for example, or a piece of weaving—and don’t pay much attention to them because we don’t know all the work behind it, what they mean, perhaps what ritual or belief they’re associated with. And when we learn about it, the piece suddenly takes on a totally different meaning for us.
I loved spending time here.
Mendivil Museum
This is a small museum located in the Plaza de San Blas, where you can see the works of renowned Cuzco artist Hilario Mendivil (and the works and style that continue through his family).
His works are characterized by sculptures of figures with very long necks. At the museum, I learned that this style was born from the shipments that arrived in the city via llamas, which he saw in his youth. The llamas and their long necks were thus reflected in his art, which became a classic example of syncretism between Western and Andean representations.
In the museum, for example, you can find figures like the Virgin Mary and nativity scenes, all with long necks.
Catfetín
Okay, this isn’t a place of typical Cuzco culture. But if you have enough time in Cusco, want to relax, and love cats, I recommend visiting this cat café. The food is also good.
They have a regular café space, and also a space where, for a small extra charge (5 soles when I visited), you can spend time with the café’s kitties, read some of their cat books, or play a cat-themed board game.
For sure a great place to spend some time if you travel during the rainy season and are looking for indoor things to do in Cusco.
And if you live in Cusco, you can adopt one 🙂
More Things to Do in Cusco
As you see, there are plenty of places to explore in Cusco other than Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Cusco city itself has so many places to explore that you could easily spend several days there and always have something different to do.
If you’re planning your trip and want to learn more about activities to do in Cusco, I recommend checking out these other posts on my blog:
