Take an intimate tour of the Cusco Cathedral and get to know this superb symbol of the city closely, including its 11 chapels, 1 vestry, 7 altarpieces and 1 lower chorus completely carved in cedar wood from Cusco, more than 300 paintings, and a variety of carvings and sculptures. The highlight of all these is the Main Altar, covered entirely with layers of silver and the Silver Chariot, mounted on a pedestal, still used for procession during the religious festival of Corpus Christi.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Architecture and Photos
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

Visit Cusco’s most impressive Inca fortress, which was dedicated to the Sun cult, to understand the forces that guided the Incas to be powerful in the region during 14th and 15th centuries. This archaeological site is one of the most astounding Inca constructions with tons of enormous stones carved and built together to a minute precision. It is probably the most important ceremonial center dedicated to the sun, and not just a fort, where every 24th of June, the Inti Raymi festival is celebrated to honor the Sun god.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Archaeological Site and Photos
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

See the best Pre-Colombian art and archaeological pieces set in a beautiful Viceroyalty house with a large inner courtyard, located in the Plazoleta Las Nazarenas right beside La Casona Inkaterra. This museum used to be the convent of Santa Clara until the seventeenth century. In 2003, it opened its doors as the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art - MAP. This extraordinary Cusco historic monument holds the only museum in Peru dedicated to recover the arts of ancient Peruvian cultures. The collection of 450 master pieces dates from 1250 B.C to 1532 A.D. The exhibition uses texts in Spanish, English and French to emphasize the artistic context of the collection displayed in 11 showrooms. Its galleries were designed to meet the highest standards of modern museography enabling the visitors to admire Pre-Columbian art in its best expression. Map Café is on the main patio where novo-andino cuisine is offered.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Archaeological Site
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Visit one of the most important temples in the Incan Empire dedicated to Wiracocha, Sun god or creator. This temple became Catholic when the Spanish conquerors built over it the convent and church of Santo Domingo. Its former pre-Inca construction of adobe and unpolished quartz lasted until the 12th century and when the Incas took over, they call it Koricancha ("courtyard of gold"). The Church of Santo Domingo was built using the ruined foundations of the temple that were flattened by the Spanish in the 17th century and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to its sophisticated stone masonry.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Archaeological Site, Architecture and Photos
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

Visit San Blas, one of Cusco’s most picturesque communities, characterized by steep narrow streets that zigzag among old colonial houses constructed with walls of Inca stone. From colonial times to the present day, the arts and crafts tradition of San Blas has been passed from one generation to the next. The people of Cusco are justly proud of the great wealth of arts found here, where you will discover sculpture, pottery, paintings, jewelry, textiles, woodcarvings, stonework, religious art and antiques.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Architecture, Photos and Handicrafts
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

Discover one of the most visited museums of the imperial city, birthplace of the renowned mestizo author Garcilaso Inca de la Vega. The grand colonial house was converted into Regional Historical Museum in 1946, a reliquary of colonial arts, located less than two blocks from the Plaza de Armas. Browse its thematic displays of history rich eras and get to know the life of the famous mestizo son of Cusco, Garcilaso. The Museum also houses a collection of paintings from the Cusco School of Arts, wood sculptures by Bernardo Bitti, historical documents, pre-Inca and Inca textiles, agricultural tools and musical instruments, as well as valuable art from the colonial and Republican periods.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Handicrafts
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Built by the Spanish between 1601 and 1610 on top of Aqllawasi, Inca house of chosen women (House of Virgins) dedicated to the sun cult, the Santa Catalina monastery was founded by Isabel Rivera de Padilla the same originator who established the first in Arequipa. The church and the convent house an interesting collection of colonial and religious art such as paintings from Cusco School of Arts, emphasizing the union of both Inca and Spanish culture. In addition to baroque frescoes depicting Inca flora, the chapel also houses macabre statues of Jesus, beautifully painted arches, and 17th century tapestries. Perhaps the highlight of this site is a trunk of 3D nativity figurines.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Architecture and Photos
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

The Church of San Blas located right next to the district’s plaza was one of the first churches in Cusco, built over an Inca sanctuary devoted to cult of the "Illapa" god (Thunder) and possibly opened for the first time in 1544 by the city's second Bishop Juan Solano. Its simple structure of adobe walls and a rectangular floor plan was devastated in 1650 was partially reinforced with stone walls. However, its interior arts works made up for its plain façade and outstanding of all is one of the greatest jewels of colonial art in the continent: the magnificent pulpit of an unsurpassable baroque carving, which represents the finest creation of the regions’ best genre of sculptors and captivates the visitor's attention. Likewise, the church's High Altar is imposing, carved in cedar wood and gilded with gold with baroque twisted columns. Among its outstanding religious images are typical works of the 17th century San Blas craftsmen: sculptures and altar pieces.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Architecture and Photos
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

The Church of the Society of Jesus was founded by the Jesuits in late 16th century on the site of Amarukancha, the palace of Huayna Capac. Originally to rival the cathedral, its imposing façade is one of the finest examples of colonial baroque style. Among the outstanding religious art works, stand out the ornately carved gold leafed High and side altars, canvas paintings of Saint Ignatius of Loyola by Marcos Zapata, Christ’s crucifixion by Burgos and wedding paintings of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s nephews, one a true mestizo symbol, the union between Inca royalty and Spanish conqueror.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Architecture and Photos
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Recommended for children

Mysticism and the Andean cosmic visions are very important subjects in Cusco and the Andes. You can learn from their deities, rituals, visions and sacred places.

When the Catholic religion was imposed, they had to handle this mixture and adjust to a new religion, and to this day the ancient rituals and their cultural and religious backgrounds remain.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Mysticism and Quechua
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Like all Cusco beliefs, coca leaves help see the future, past and present.

You may know prophecies on topics such as love, work, health or family by way of coca leaf reading. It is a ritual that lasts 45 minutes per person in individual sessions.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Mysticism, Medicinal Plants and Quechua
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra

Take part in an ancestral “Pay the Earth” Ceremony, a mystical custom of indigenous Andean cultures. Led by a shaman, the ceremony involves making an offering of small amounts of native Andean cereals, grains and fruits, together with coca leaves. The ceremony invokes the Apus, spirits of the sacred mountains and the four elements: the three levels of life (hanan pacha — the world above; kay pacha —this world; and ukhu pacha — the underworld) represented by the components of the offering; and a ritual toast (challa) of chicha de jora (native corn beer). The service ends with the ritual burning of the offerings so these, as the belief goes, go back to where they came from, into the sky, while the remaining ashes are buried under the ground to complete the cycle.

Difficulty Level: I
Duration: ¼ day
Frequency: Daily
Schedule: Morning and Afternoon
Attractions: Mysticism and Quechua
Transport: Provided by Inkaterra