This list of the best places to visit in Cusco will help you prepare a route through one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Latin America, which we are sure will not disappoint you.
Located on a slope of the Andes mountain range, Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire and one of the most important cities of the Spanish colonial era. Declared a World Heritage Site, it still preserves remains of Inca temples and constructions on the foundations of numerous colonial buildings where you can observe this mixture of two cultures while you walk through its cobbled streets and squares, visit the most important temples and churches as well as when trying its delicious gastronomy accompanied by a pisco sour 5 essential free places in Cusco. Let us begin!

1. Main square
   The Plaza de Armas is the heart of the historic center and one of the most important places to visit in Cusco. Formerly this square was a swamp that the Incas dried to turn it into the administration center of the entire Empire, but with the arrival of the Spanish numerous buildings and churches were built around the square, on top of the Inca temples and palaces. Today the square is full of tourist restaurants and large chains such as McDonald’s or Starbucks, travel agencies and souvenir shops, which for us have taken away a bit of the charm of past times, although it is still essential in the city. Two of the most interesting places you can visit in the square are the Cathedral of Cusco and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. The Cathedral with a mixture of Baroque, Gothic and Plateresque styles has several wonders inside, such as the chapels, the main altar and the sacristy. Adjacent to the Cathedral is the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Peru where, in addition to observing its imposing façade, it is worth entering to see the main altar, the 4 cedar altars and the golden. pulpit.
2. San Blas neighborhood
   San Blas, located in the historic center, is the most beautiful and charming neighborhood to see in Cusco. Strolling through the narrow and steep cobbled streets, seeing the old colonial houses or looking for an original souvenir in one of the shops and craft workshops, are some of the best things to do in Cuzco. Among its most interesting places is the Church of San Blas, the oldest in the city built on an Inca temple, which is worth entering to see its fantastic carved wooden pulpit. Also in this neighborhood, being in the upper part of the city, you will have good views of the city. It is advisable to finish a route through Cuzco in one day by returning to this bohemian neighborhood at night to have a pisco sour in one of its picturesque places full of tourists and locals.
3. Qorikancha and the Convent of Santo Domingo
   Qorikancha, was a temple built by the Incas dedicated to the Sun God that over time was expanded and embellished until it became the most important place of worship in the Inca Empire. One of the most outstanding elements that are preserved from the temple are the large blocks of solid rock that were joined without any type of mortar, to form large walls. These walls that were covered with gold sheets delimited several temples within Qorikancha such as the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. With the arrival of the Spanish, the Convent of Santo Domingo was built on top of Qorikancha, destroying the upper part of the Inca temple.
4. The stone of the 12 angles
   Calle Loreto, located in the historic center, is the most interesting in the city as the contrast between the Inca and colonial buildings can be more clearly appreciated. The Inca walls located in the lower part of the Spanish buildings are a true work of art where the large stone blocks fit perfectly as in a puzzle. The most famous point of the Inca walls and located among the essential places to see in Cusco, is located a few meters from Loreto Street, on Hatun Rumiyoc Street, where the Stone of 12 angles is located, famous for its great finish and bordered by its twelve angles.
5. Saint Peter’s Market
   Another place to see in Cuzco is the Mercado de San Pedro, the oldest and most well-known in the city. This market, also called Central Market, was built by the famous Gustav Eiffel, author of the Eiffel Tower, and inside you can see stalls of all kinds of typical Peruvian products such as passion fruit, pineapple, corn, cassava, Andean potatoes and others more common in all markets. It is also a good place to buy handicrafts and try typical local dishes at one of the food stalls. A good way to tour this market and try some of the Peruvian delicacies with the recommendations of an expert is to take this gastronomic tour with a guide in Spanish.