How to Spend a Magical 3 Days in Cusco

Are you planning a trip to Peru and passing through Cusco on your way to Machu Picchu? If this is you, then I highly recommend spending a few days in Cusco before or after you see Machu Picchu.

Cusco is one of my favourite cities in the world and if I had the chance, I would go back a third time. It is full of history, cute cafes and restaurants and the most beautiful cobblestone streets.

I have been to Cusco twice now, once before I did the Inca Trail with Dave back in 2017 and again in 2025 when I did the Salkantay Trek on a girls trip. Each time I was there, I spent around 3-4 days in Cusco and so now I feel like a bit of a Cusco expert.

Personally, I think that 3 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Cusco before visiting Machu Picchu or to acclimatise before doing one of the big treks like the Inca Trail. This itinerary will give you a mix of exploring the town itself (I could explore the magical streets of Cusco FOREVER) and incorporating essential days trips to nearby ruins that you shouldn’t miss.

San Blas Neighbour in Cusco. Yellow building with blue door and windows

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3 Day Cusco Itinerary

Table of Contents

girl standing next to wall in Cusco which shows the difference between the way the Inca's built vs the Spanish

Quick Tips for visiting Cusco

Best time of year to visit: June / July for the best weather

Where to stay: El Virray Boutique – this is where we stayed right in the main square!
Casa Cartagena Boutique Hotel & Spa is an amazing choice if you have a larger budget. It is GORGEOUS!

Top things to do in Cusco: 1. Join a tour to the Sacred Valley – this is the one we did which I loved!
2. Visit the San Pedro Markets and get some souvenirs
3. Explore Saqsaywaman (the ruins above Cusco)

My favourite restaurants: Kusykay Peruvian Craft Food & Yaku Restaurant

3 Days in Cusco Summary

Day 1

Arrive in Cusco and check into your hotel
Do a free walking tour of Cusco
Catch the sunset at Cristo Blanco
Dinner at Yaku Restaurant

Day 2

Sacred Valley Tour (Chinchero, Moray, Ollantaytambo & Pisac)
Dinner at Kusykay Peruvian Craft Food

Day 3

Explore Saqsaywaman
Visit San Pedro Market
Visit the Inka Museum
Dinner at Organika Restaurant

Tip for this Itinerary (to save money)

If you follow this itinerary and do both the Sacred Valley and visit Saqsaywaman, it’s worth getting the Boleto Turístico (the full tourist ticket) which is 130 soles, valid for 10 days, and includes both as well as a bunch of other places and museums in Cusco.

You can purchase it when you buy your ticket during the Sacred Valley Tour at the entrance to Centro Arqueológico de Chinchero or purchase it online before you go here. Just make sure you choose Circuit 3 – 10 day pass.

Day 1

Arrive in Cusco and check into your hotel

One of the best things about Cusco is that the hotels are super affordable so you can stay somewhere really nice that won’t break the bank! I recommend staying in or close to Plaza de Armas.

I stayed at Loki Hostel the first time I visited Cusco with Dave and we got a private room. The downside to this hostel was that it was a little noisy but the vibes were awesome and our room was HUGE with an incredible view of all of Cusco!

The second time I was in Cusco, I decided to stay closer to Plaza de Armas because Loki was a little bit of a walk. My friend and I stayed at El Virrey Boutique which was literally RIGHT in Plaza de Armas. It was one of the more affordable hotels in the area but had everything we needed and was clean and cozy with all you can drink cocoa tea in the lobby.

If I were open to spending a little more money (maybe next time😉), I would stay at the Casa Cartagena Boutique Hotel & Spa.

Join a free walking tour

Once you have checked into your hotel and hopefully been able to have a shower, it’s time to head out on a free walking tour (or you could explore the city yourself if you prefer).

girl in purple sweater on the Cusco free walking tour with Guru walk

I must admit, I’ve always been a get out and explore the city on my own typa gal, but my friend found this 2 hour free walking tour which started at 3:30pm and it was great! It really gave us a good feel of Cusco’s layout and we learned a lot too. It’s not entirely free because you should be tipping the guide at the end (we tipped around 25 soles each) but it’s still very affordable.

Our guide even took us to an incredible restaurant overlooking the city at the end for a Pisco Sour tasting! So worth it!

girl sitting at restaurant overlooking Cusco at sunset

Plaza De Armas Water fountain Cusco Peru

Streets of Cusco in San Blas Neighbourhood

Catch the Sunset at Cristo Blanco

Depending on what time of the year it is and how much daylight you have left after your walking tour, you could either just chill out and find a nice bar for a drink with a view of the city or you could catch an Uber or walk up to Cristo Blanco (aka the statue of Jesus) to watch the sun set over Cusco. It’s such a great view from up there.

Walking will take you around 30 minutes and because you are at 3,400m in Cusco, you will feel breathless (especially because it is your first day there). I took an Uber and it cost me 15 soles.

Dinner at Yaku Restaurant

The food in Cusco is amazing and you will find yourself spoilt for choice, but Yaku Restaurant was one of my favourites. I ordered the Chaufa Con Chancho and it was DELICIOUS. Highly recommend.

Day 2

Sacred Valley Tour

You can’t visit Cusco without seeing the Sacred Valley. I went to the Sacred Valley both times that I was in Cusco but the tour that I did on my recent trip was my favourite. It was a full day tour that took me to Chinchero, Moray and the Salt Flats, Ollantaytambo & Pisac.

We saw ruins and terraces, tasted chocolate and salts and visited a woman’s co’op in Chinchero where we learned about how they dye the alpaca wool different colours to make blankets and sweaters. This was the first market that I went to so I didn’t buy anything but I soon wished I did because they had some beautiful items that were actually cheaper than elsewhere.

Peruvian girl showing tour how to dye alpaca wool

Olyantaytambo streets on the sacred valley tour

You will learn a lot on this tour and visit some beautiful places. You might even see some alpacas and llamas at the ruins at Pisac like we did! A buffet lunch is also included on this tour, whereas some other tours it is an extra charge.

Dinner at Kusykay Peruvian Craft Food

Kusykay was another of my favourite restaurants in Cusco. It’s located right next to Plaza de Armas so a good choice after your big day out. I got the Lomo Rossini Kusykay and it was to die for!

Day 3

Explore Saqsaywaman

Saqsaywaman (yes I know what it sounds like out loud) is a citadel located above Cusco not too far from Cristo Blanco. If you missed out on seeing the giant statue at sunset on day 1, you could pair it with a trip to Saqsaywaman which is what we ended up doing.

To get to Saqsaywaman, it is about a 30-45 minute walk from Cusco or you can get a taxi or Uber up to the stairs and then walk the rest of the way. This is what I did because I wanted to rest as much as possible to help with acclimating.

You can explore these ruins by yourself or with a tour guide. We decided to do it ourself using a bit of google to learn about the ruins. Then once we were done at the ruins, we walked over to Cristo Blanco which was only about a 15 minute walk from Saqsaywaman.

Prefer a more comprehensive tour? Explore Cusco and nearby Inca sites like Saqsaywaman and Q’enqo on this half-day city tour.

girl climbing stairs with her hands out at Saqsaywaman

girl standing in Saqsaywaman ruins above Cusco

Visit San Pedro Market

Usually when I travel, I always find markets super intimidating, but San Pedro is the complete opposite! The people there are so lovely and way less pushy than in markets you will find elsewhere (Marrakech for example).

If you are looking for alpaca wool jumpers or blankets, you need to be a little cautious on where you purchase from because a lot of the “alpaca wool” is fake.

A couple of my friends were very close to buying blankets that were being sold as alpaca wool blankets but after feeling them against other blankets, we realised that they were fake (real baby alpaca blankets are really soft). The price tag is also a dead giveaway a lot of the time because real alpaca blankets are pretty expensive!

This time when I was at the market I just bought a cap with a little alpaca on it. These hats are literally everywhere and come in lots of different colours.

fluffy alpaca stuffys at the Cusco MArket

Visit the Museo de Sitio Qorikancha,

I’m sad that I didn’t have time for this but it’s included in the Boleto Turístico (tourist ticket that you will need for Saqsaywaman and Ollantaytambo), so if you have time, it’s worth visiting. They have real mummies that you can see! It’s only about a 10 minute walk from Plaza de Armas.

Dinner at Organika Restaurant

Organika Restaurant is was the first restaurant I went to when I landed in Cusco on my most recent trip there. It was so yummy! All of the ingredients are very fresh and all locally sourced from farmers in the Sacred Valley. I got the curry which was delicious.

frequently asked questions

There is plenty to do in and around Cusco which could keep you busy for quite a few days, however, after visiting Cusco twice, I personally think the sweet spot for number of days is 3 days. This gives you enough time to get to know the town, see the main sights and even do a day trip somewhere.

I recommend staying close to the main square Plaza de Armas. We stayed at the El Virray Boutique Hotel which was located right in the main square but very affordable. It was comfortable and had everything we needed but if you are wanting something a little more luxurious, I recommend checking out Casa Cartagena Boutique Hotel & Spa which is only 2 blocks from Plaza De Armas.

The best months for visiting Cusco are June through August because this is the dry season. This is Winter in Peru and the temperatures can be pretty cold but sunny. I have visited in both June and again in November (which is the start of the rainy season) and I definitely recommend June for dry, beautiful weather.

I have visited Cusco twice now and I would happily return again a third time if I had the chance, so yes, personally I think that Cusco is definitely worth visiting. Especially if you like history, good food and culture.

When you visit Cusco, make sure you spend some time walking around the streets because they are so beautiful and this is one of the best ways to find cute cafes and restaurants. Another thing that you should not miss when in Cusco is Saqsaywaman, the ruins above Cusco because they are a HUGE part of the history there.

I think that 3 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Cusco. If you are acclimating before doing the Inca Trail, 3 days in Cusco is also a good amount of time for this and it is the exact amount of time that I spent in Cusco when I did the Inca Trail and again when I did the Salkantay Trail.

My thoughts

Cusco is one of my favourite cities in the world! In this itinerary, I have included all of the must-do things and places to see if you have only 3 days in Cusco. I hope that you enjoy your time there as much as I did.

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