How many days in Cusco?

When traveling to Peru, how many days in Cusco do you need?

This stunning Peruvian city is located within the towering Andean mountains and is full of unique sceneries, ancient ruins and some old yet still thriving traditions.

How Many Days in Cusco?

This guide will look at why you should visit Cusco, how many days are needed here, the best time to visit, and much more.

Is Cusco Worth Visiting?

First, let’s take a look at some of the best reasons why you should visit Cusco.

How many Days to spend in Cusco

For any travelers who are currently backpacking Peru and thinking of visiting Cusco, spend a minimum of 7 days here.

This will give you plenty of time to see the best sites in the city, and to get an authentic feel for the place. You’ll also have a good amount of time for some solid day trips into the stunning Sacred Valley region.

Is Cusco Safe?

Of all the big cities in Peru, Cusco ranks as one of the overall safest to travel too. Despite being full of bustle, locals are also pretty friendly, so it’s just a case of avoiding the dodgy areas (which are far from a traveler’s need anyhow) and you’ll be fine.

The overall best area to stay in Cusco is within the Historic Centre, around the Plaza de Armas or in San Blas.

Here are some of our top safety tips for Cusco:

• Avoid walking alone late at night.
• Drink Coca Leaf Tea to avoid altitude sickness-related problems.
• Only head on tours with a reputable, proven company.

Also, get the correct travel insurance that will cover you in South America.

How to get to Cusco from Lima?

There are two main ways to get to Cusco from Lima.

The first, and most popular way, is to take a flight. The airport of Jorge Chavez in Lima has dozens of direct flights heading to Cusco daily, with a one-way trip starting anywhere from $45 upwards (not including baggage fees). The flight only takes an hour so you won’t lose any time exploring.

The bus from Lima is, well, a more adventurous option to say the least. Taking a hearty 22 hours, you’ll pass through everything from deserts to mountains on your pilgrimage to the imperial city. Whilst it’s a long trip, it is cheaper and better for backpackers, with a one way costing roughly $35.

Best time to visit Cusco?

Overall, the best months to visit Cusco are between August to September.

Well within the dry season, there’s very little chance of rains, with anywhere from 0-0.5 of trickle falling within each of these months. The advantages of this are that it won’t impact your day-to-day exploring, nor cancel any tours you have planned.

Average daily temperatures range between a chilly 49-51°F, so you’ll want to bring some layers regardless! Although daytime highs can reach a warm 65°F at times too.

Although it’s a popular time to visit, you’ll find that prices won’t differ too much from if you were to visit in an off-peak month such as February. Anyhow, Cusco has a very festive vibe to the place, and we actually found the mix of locals and tourists awesome!

How many days in Cusco?

And that’s all for our travel advice for Cusco.

This city continues to be a heavyweight among the top Peruvian destinations, and you may even find a week isn’t enough time here!

In this guide, we’ve explored why you should visit Cusco, our top safety tips, the best time to visit as well anything else you’ll need to know.

See our backpacking Cusco itinerary for more advice.

👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.

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