The special city Cusco is located in Southern Peru with appr. 350,000 inhabitants. The center of it, is where you can find small lively streets swarming with tourists. Our 10-days journey begins here at an altitude of 3400 meters. The altitude takes getting used to, but you can acclimatize well.

However let’s start our journey in Cusco. Since we are both pilots, we are used to some turbulence, but the flight from Lima to Cusco was quite an experience. A sudden drop down of the aircraft shortly before landing took our breath away for a moment. During the altitude and the low air density, this can happen.

Explore another world – welcome to the world of the Incas. A great history.

Cusco was the power center of the Incas until the Spaniards came and brought the Christian faith the country and into the city. We noticed here that the people are extremely religious. The doors of the churches were wide open and people kept praying. In addition, the locals are always in an extremely celebratory mood and usually celebrate their festivals for several days as a mix between Catholic faith and Inca customs. There is a lot of dancing, singing and l-i-v-i-n-g.

Here are the following activities that you should do in Cusco

Museo y Catacumbas del Convento de San Francisco de Asis de Cusco

•   Aa beautiful church and a beautiful garden in the middle. Take a guided tour of the place and learn more about the history of the church and San Francisco itself.

San Pedro market

• Next to the church above, this huge market is perfect for souvenirs, snacks, grocery shopping, and so much more!

Inka museum.

• Before you set out for the Sacred Valley, you can find out about the culture and history in the Inca Museum

• This huge square in the heart of the old town is breathtaking and perfect for people watching. Visit one of the churches and learn how these buildings were built over Inca ruins, what the buildings were before they became churches, the Spanish conquerors and the Catholic faith in Peru, and how the Incas had their own point of view

Písac

Pisac is about 45 minutes away from Cusco. This place was first on our list of activities. Here you can get a first impression of the way the Incas built which ist. And that’s unbelievable. Firstly, however, you meander through a market, where typical souvenirs are sold to tourists and a few Peruvian delicacies. The hike on the terraces is not to be underestimated and quite exhausting, but doable. The Inca ruins of Pisac are located on a mountain ridge with a wonderful view of the valley.

Macchu Picchu

Macchu Picchu is one of the most picturesque places on earth and is one of the most visited places in the world with around 1 million people per year. An incredible number.

The Macchu Picchu is actually 75 km from Cusco as the crow flies. However, in order to get to Machhu Picchu, we arranged to meet our guide Wilfredo at 5:00 a.m. to get the train to Aguas Calientes in time. Aguas Calientes is the closest place to the UNESCO site and also a meeting point for tourists. From there you can either hike to Machhu Picchu on foot or wait for the bus. Due to the altitude, we opted for the more comfortable option and took the bus. I have a lot of respect for the people who decided to walk. The number of visitors is strictly controlled and only 2500 people are allowed to visit Macchu Picchu every day.

Then suddenly we were there at Macchu Picchu, which was discovered in 1911, research is still being carried out even today. It is an insanely interesting and magical place. To this day we ask ourselves how the Incas created this structure at this height. An absolute masterpiece.

Of course, we weren’t alone. Lots of tourists wander around here just to take that one famous photo. In between, an alpaca crosses the path, because they are simply part of the overall picture and are also a popular photo object.

Moray

We are fascinated by the circular terraces of the Incas. Potatoes and barley were actually grown here until 50 years ago. Now this place counts as a purest tourist attraction.

But why were these terraces created in a circle? The Incas wanted to test where you can best grow which crops or vegetables and have carried out a kind of agricultural experiment. Due to the different ecological conditions, a temperature difference of 15 ° C could be shown.

Salt Terraces Maras – Salinas De Maras

Wow what a view. Maras is a small town about 40 km from Cusco. These salt basins were probably built around 200-300 BC. Built in BC. About 5000 of them exist and every family in the area has a salt basin and is passed on from generation to generation. Also known as “the white gold of the Andes”

Each basin is approx. 5 square meters and 30 cm deep. To this day, salt is extracted from these special pools and is an absolute back-breaking job.

Back to Cusco…

We stopped in the small town of Chinchero, where local women demonstrated the intricate weaving process. Chinchero also has an incredible hand icraft market with lots of beautiful, vibrant handi crafts to buy.

Peru is known for its craftsmanship in textiles. Colorful ponchos or the champas, the thick jackets made of alpaca wool with various motifs typical of the country are partly produced here and offered to tourists for sale.

The best way to buy these products is in the villages of the Andean region, as the majority of them are made there. For example, in the small hand icraft shops in Arequipa, Huaraz or Cuzco, where many women display these colorful pieces of jewelry. Tapestries are also one of the most sought-after products among travelers. You can find them in many of the mountain villages.

This picture exudes so much joy. The hospitable children proudly showed us their craft and their home.

 Impressions

Alpacas in perfect peruan style

haha 😀

Infobox

Visa

Visa free for 90 days

Transport

Private with our guide Wilfredo

Currency

PEN

Language

Spanish

Local time

You can read the local times here

high season

The best time for Panama here

Private Guide

Name:

Wilfredo

Language:

English

Spanish

Contakt:

Whats App +51 984 260 865

About Wilfredo

We can warmly recommend Wilfredo to you. A great guide who fulfilled our every wish and tried every day to show us the most beautiful corners of his country. No matter what time, he is always available and looks for a great route for you.

Support him and experience an individual journey with a unique great guide.

#support the locals