Things to Do in Cusco

Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and sits at 11,150 feet (3,400 meters) above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the Americas.

The city's Spanish colonial architecture was built directly on top of Inca stone foundations, which proved so earthquake-resistant that the original walls still stand while buildings above them have been repeatedly rebuilt.

Cusco's Plaza de Armas is surrounded by four churches, each positioned at a cardinal direction, reflecting the Inca cosmological principle of Tawantinsuyu (the four quarters).

The Sacred Valley near Cusco produces over 3,000 varieties of potatoes, more than any other region in the world.

Machu Picchu, the most visited archaeological site in South America, is accessible via a train journey of about 1.5 hours from Cusco's Sacred Valley.

Cusco's name derives from the Quechua word 'Qosqo,' meaning 'navel of the world' in Inca cosmology.