A Wandering Mustache Series · Peru · Stop Four

Cusco

High Altitude Hangover

Cuzco, Cusco, or Qosqo: no matter how you spell it, you’ll still be gasping for air. Welcome to a city sitting at a breathtaking 3,400 meters above sea level. For those of us who think a meter is just a yard that went to Europe and got fancy, that’s 11,150 feet, or more than two Mile High Cities stacked on top of each other — breathtaking because of the scenery, but mostly because the oxygen is spread thinner than a budget airline’s seat cushions.

Carved wooden balconies over a stone arcade on a Cusco plaza, with tile roofs and a bell tower behind
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Cusco: tile roofs, stone arcades, and not nearly enough oxygen. (Stock photo.)
Full Disclosure
Trip Date May 2025 · Style The last stop of a three-couple Peru trip
Incentives 10% Off Hotel · Photo Creds Stache & Stock

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Arrival

The High-Altitude Welcome

Red tile rooftops of Cusco with a church tower and brown mountains behind
Cusco from above. (Stock photo.)

Upon arrival, you will be greeted by the kindest people on the planet, all of whom can tell at a glance that you are currently dying. They will patiently offer you coca tea, which you will drink by the gallon in a desperate attempt to stop your brain from trying to escape through your ears. This is the “Cusco Glow”: a mix of genuine local hospitality and the pale, clammy complexion of altitude sickness.

A confession from the tea-drinkers: the tea is lovely and mostly a warm hug. If you want it to actually do something, skip the cup and chew the leaves. It is more effective, it looks less dignified, and you will be too short of breath to care.

History

Rebranded

A colonial church interior with a gilded altar, chandeliers and a long central aisle
Exhibit A: the gold leaf. (Stock photo.)

Cusco is the historic heart of the Inca Empire, though if you look closely, you’ll notice the local Diocese did a bit of aggressive rebranding a few centuries back. It’s a city where magnificent Spanish cathedrals sit atop meticulously carved Inca foundations — a literal architectural “copy-paste” job where the bottom layer is earthquake-proof and the top layer has more gold leaf than a billionaire’s bathroom.

Around Town

Parks, Parties, and Plates

Carved wooden balconies on colonial buildings above a stone arcade An aerial view of the Plaza de Armas in Cusco with green gardens, a fountain, crowds, and two baroque churches among red tile roofs

Carved balconies, a Cusco specialty, and the Plaza de Armas from above. (Stock photos.)

Despite the lack of air, the city is vibrantly alive.

In short, Cusco is a masterpiece of history and humanity. It’s a city that will steal your heart — partly because it’s beautiful, and partly because your heart has to work twice as hard just to keep you upright.

The Stache’s tip: walk slow, eat well, chew coca leaves, and keep the oxygen tank on speed dial.

Where We Stayed

Where to Lay Your Oxygen-Deprived Head

Congratulations! You’ve finally arrived in Cusco. If you were smart and followed the Mustache’s advice, you spent your first few days acclimatizing in the Sacred Valley (about 2,800 meters, or 9,200 feet: already higher than anything Florida has ever attempted) before ascending to the “Imperial City” (3,400 meters, or 11,150 feet: roughly Denver, then Denver again, then a little extra just to be rude). If you didn’t, and instead flew straight in from sea level, please enjoy your current sensation of having a tiny, angry miner swinging a pickaxe inside your skull.

Cusco is home to some of the most spectacular hotels in the world, largely because they’re repurposed colonial convents and palaces. A note on oxygen-enriched rooms: they only drop the feel of the altitude by about 1,000 feet.

A stone hotel with arched doorways, lit at dusk A lit stone arcade surrounding a courtyard at night
The Sites

In and Out of Town

A brown stone baroque church facade with two bell towers and a dome under a blue sky, with people crossing a plaza in front
One of Cusco’s many baroque churches. Twin bell towers, zero subtlety.

Once you can walk ten feet without needing a nap, explore the layers of the city.

In town: visit Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun. It’s the ultimate example of the “Diocese rebrand,” where a Dominican priory was built directly on top of the most important Inca temple.

The outskirts: don’t miss Sacsayhuamán (pronounced “Sexy Woman” by every dad who has ever visited). The boulders are massive, the engineering is impossible, and the views of the city are unmatched. For something weirder, head to Q’enqo, a limestone labyrinth used for Inca sacrifices.

Must See

Cusco City Essentials

A steep stone staircase between whitewashed walls on a Cusco street
Cusco’s idea of a sidewalk. (Stock photo.)

The Mustache reminder: most of these entries require the Boleto Turístico (tourist ticket), which you should buy at the COSITUC office on Avenida El Sol before you start your trek. If you show up at the Cathedral with just a smile and a pisco sour, you’ll be turned away at the door.

Eat & Drink

Where to Spend the Calories

The lit courtyard of Cicciolina at night with a blue balcony and staircase
Cicciolina, our favorite table in Cusco. (Stock photo.)

Cusco is a serious food city, and altitude is a lousy excuse to skip dinner. Here is where we ate, and where we wish we hadn’t.

Street Smarts

Safety and “Dog Culture”

Cusco is generally quite safe, but don’t let the mountain air make you too breezy. Stay aware of your surroundings, keep your bags zipped, and avoid dark, empty alleys late at night — basic common sense applies here as much as it does in New York or London.

The canine communalism. You will notice a lot of dogs. Peru has a unique “free-range” dog culture: most of these pups actually have homes. They’re let out in the morning to “go to work” (mostly napping in the sun and socializing with tourists) before returning home for dinner. Cats, on the other hand, are the introverts of the Andes — fiercely protected and kept strictly indoors or in private courtyards, which makes a street-cat sighting in Cusco rarer than a cheap Belmond suite.

A Fair Warning

Baby Alpacas Everywhere

The streets of Cusco are home to a complicated social landscape involving the iconic image of indigenous women in vibrant traditional dress carrying baby alpacas. Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear two very different stories.

The “tourist trap” narrative. Critics and some NGOs argue that the women in the main plazas (like the Plaza de Armas) are essentially performers in a “photo-op” economy. They suggest that parading baby alpacas through noisy, paved city streets all day is stressful for the animals, and that the practice can perpetuate a cycle of poverty and dependency on tips rather than sustainable craft or agriculture.

The “livelihood” narrative. On the flip side, many argue this is a vital way for indigenous women from rural communities to participate in the tourism economy on their own terms. For these families, the propina (tip) from a photo is direct income that supports their households, keeping traditional weaving and clothing visible in a rapidly modernizing city.

A baby alpaca with a colorful woven collar standing in a flower-filled courtyard A white baby alpaca beside a table of yarn and woven textiles

The Mustache experience. We encountered an adorable resident baby alpaca named Panchita at the JW Marriott El Convento. Unlike the frantic hustle of the plaza, this felt calm, respectful, and arguably a bit more “controlled.” The women are subsidized by the hotel, and little Panchita ate, posed and napped all day long. She visits the hotel daily with her human companion, and it felt like a comfortable, low-stress environment for both the animal and the guest.

Our advice. While we loved our time with Panchita, we suggest you do your own research on the ethics of alpaca photography in the city. Read up on local perspectives and animal welfare, and then make a decision that respects what you learn. Whether you skip the photo or support the local women with a generous tip, doing it with awareness is the ultimate traveler move.

Good to Know

Special Considerations

Cusco will steal your heart. Then it will make it work twice as hard.

That’s the Whole Wander

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