Things to Do in Cusco

Inca street and town planning at its finest is preserved in the village of Ollantaytambo, surrounded by neatly terraced hills.

Soaring above the town’s cobbled streets, which have been lived in since the 13th century, is the massive Inca fortress and the monolithic stones of the Temple of the Sun. Built by Pachacuti in the 1400s, the huge complex features fine stonework and a ceremonial temple hill area topping the stepped, fortified terrace.

Climb more than 200 steps to the top for fabulous views and an up-close look at the impressively hewn masonry. You’ll also see the remains of several temples and ceremonial fountains.

To see where the huge blocks of stone were quarried from the mountainside, follow the 6km (3.5 mile) trail to the quarry on the other side of the river - the water was diverted to flush the stones down to the construction site.

Ollantaytambo was the site of a rare Inca victory over the conquistador forces in 1536, led by Manco Inca, the leader of Inca resistance. The museum here will tell you more about the incident and the eventual repercussions.

The colorful Sunday market in the traditional Andean town of Chincheros attracts stallholders and browsers from near and far. Known as the 'birthplace of the rainbow,' Chincheros has the full range of photogenic attractions: Inca ruins, Andean village houses, an elaborate colonial church built on Inca foundations, and, of course, the lively weekly market.

Nestled in the Sacred Valley of the Incas is the remote town of Maras, known throughout Peru for its thousands of worked salt pans.

Salt has been collected here since before the time of the Inca, rising to the surface from a subterranean stream and evaporating in the Andean sunshine.

You can gather your own handful of salt or buy some packaged to take home from Maras’ gift store.

The terraced saltwork pools dotting the Andean hillsides look quite stunning, glittering like bright white snow in the sunshine, so bring your camera.

The town of Maras was quite important in colonial times, and you’ll see some out-of-place ornate Spanish homes and the mud-brick colonial church.

Cusco’s Cathedral of Santo Domingo is a colonial gem, boasting an altar of silver and a magnificently carved choir.

The building stands on the site of an Inca palace, and was built from stone blocks removed from the nearby Inca city of Sacsayhuaman by the triumphant conquistadors.

The elaborately decorated cathedral was built from 1559 to 1654 on the city’s main square, Plaza de Armas, and is filled with colonial artworks, artifacts and richly decorated chapels.

The most famous artwork is a Last Supper painting by Marcos Zapata featuring a meal of local guinea pig served with an Inca corn beverage.

The highly ornamental facade features two domes flanking the chapels and nave, built in a Gothic-Renaissance hybrid style.

South America's most famous trek is an unforgettable way to reach the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. Along the way, the four-day trek takes hikers past three Andean mountain passes, Inca ruins, and views of the snow-capped Andes, culminating in a stellar sunrise over Machu Picchu—a UNESCO World Heritage site—from the Sun Gate.