Easter Week in Cusco: price of tours, tickets, stay, tourist spots and more

Cusco is one of the cities with the greatest promotion of tourism and Easter is an ideal date to get to know this majestic city. Also known as the “navel of the world”, Cusco has unparalleled landscapes and places. That is why we will show you the tourist places you can visit, the tickets, stays and more so that you can organize your visit to Cusco.

HOW TO GET TO CUSCO

To get to the Inca city there are 3 options for all tourists who wish to travel to this city in southern Peru. These are the approximate times and modes of travel: by plane (1 hour and a half), by interprovincial bus (20 hours) and by private car (18 hours). Take into account that Cusco is 1,100 km from Lima.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND PRICE OF TOURS

Cusco has many places to visit and has several tourist wonders and you'll probably need more than a week to get around each of these places.

1. Machu Picchu

The citadel of Machu Picchu is located just over 100 kilometers from Cusco. Machu Picchu is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and is also a must-see stop in the city of Cusco.

This ancient Inca city was discovered in 1911 by explorer Hiram Bingham. Machu Picchu stands out for its 15th century ruins and is undoubtedly the Intihuatana stone, the Temple of the Sun, the Main Temple, the Temple of the Condor and the Room of the Three Windows.

Schedule: There are three shifts to enter and it takes place from Monday to Sunday. Entry times are as follows:

- Turno 1: 06:00 a.m. a 07:00 a.m.

- Turno 2: 07:00 a.m. a 08:00 a.m.

- Turno 3: 09:00 a.m. a 10:00 a.m.

Price: currently there are promotional rates and for adults the cost is S/ 64 soles. For students of higher university and/or technical education it is S/32 soles and for minors (between 3 and 17 years old) the price is the same. To learn more you must visit the official website of the tickets www.machupicchu.gob.pe. Keep in mind that the cost for foreign tourists is different.

2. Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is in the heart of the historic center and is one of the places you must visit in Cusco. In the past, this square was a swamp that was dried up by the Incas to make it the center of administration of the entire Empire, but with the arrival of the Spaniards, numerous buildings and churches were built around the square, above the Inca temples and palaces.

Here you can visit the Cathedral and main church that are located in front of the Plaza de Armas.

Visiting hours of the Cathedral: every day from 10:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m.

Church Visiting Hours: Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and from 13:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.

3. San Blas Neighborhood

San Blas is located in the historic center, it is one of the most beautiful and striking neighborhoods in Cusco. Strolling through the narrow and steep cobblestone streets, seeing the old colonial houses or looking for some original souvenir in one of the shops and craft workshops, are some of the best things to do in the Imperial City.

The Church of San Blas is part of the oldest buildings in the city and the Spaniards built it on an Inca temple. That is why, your internal visit is indispensable.

4. Qorikancha and the Santo Domingo Convent

Qorikancha was built by the Incas as an offering to the Sun god, which over time was expanded and embellished to become the most important place of worship in the Inca Empire. One of the most outstanding elements that remain of the temple is the large blocks of solid rock that were joined without any type of mortar, until they formed large walls. These walls, which were covered with gold sheets, delimited several temples within Qorikancha, such as that of the Sun, the Moon and that of the Stars.

Hours: Monday to Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. and Sundays from 14:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m.

5. Sacsayhuaman

It is 40 minutes north of the historic center. There you can find the ruins of the Sacsayhuamán fortress, and it is one of the must-see places in Cusco. This complex began to be built in the 15th century by order of Pachacutec, who was one of the most important Incas that the Empire had.

Hours: every day from 7:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m.

6. Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Qenqo and the White Christ

Tambomachay is an archaeological site dedicated to the worship of water and is located 8 kilometers from the city of Cusco, where a magical and natural panorama stands out where there was an Inca hydraulic system consisting of fountains, canals and aqueducts.

5 minutes from this archaeological site is Pukapukara, which is also known as the Red Fortress. In these ruins you can see the different rooms and walls of the old fortress, which were used as a hunting shelter or guard post.

Continuing towards Sacsayhuamán, you will reach Qenqo (located 1 hour away), which is a religious complex where you can see the remains of several Inca buildings such as an amphitheater, two columns with astronomical functions, a canal and an underground room.

Qenqo is also very close to the White Christ which is an 8-meter statue from which you can have a fantastic view of the city of Cusco.

The basic recommendation is that you book tourist tickets for these areas of Cusco.

To read also: Easter in Peru: the emergency phones that you should always carry with you

Read also: Easter in Cusco: discover the best Cusco food you should try

7. Rainbow Mountain

It is one of the best excursions and places to visit in Cusco. This place is also known as the Mountain of Seven Colors. Located more than 5000 meters high in the Andes Mountains, it also presents one of the most incredible geological phenomena on earth, which has made it one of the most attractive places in the area in a short time.

This explosion of colors is the result of the combination of different minerals, which give the feeling that a rainbow hugs the mountain, when viewed from afar.

The ideal dates to see the shades better is in July and August, which is the dry season.

Cost: the entrance to this place is S/ 10 soles. In the case of tours, but keep in mind that getting to the place will incur additional costs.

There is also a tour that starts at $30.

8. The Sacred Valley

The magical Sacred Valley of the Incas , located 15 kilometers from Cusco, is one of the most impressive places to visit in Peru. In this valley of the Andes, where several rivers pass, you will find archaeological sites of the ancient Incas, indigenous and colonial peoples and landscapes that will leave you speechless

Among the essential places to see in the Sacred Valley are:

Pisac: The impressive Inca ruins located on a hill, the cultivation terraces and the handicraft market are reasons enough to visit Pisac.

Ollantaytambo: This is one of the masterpieces of Inca architecture in which a huge multi-storey complex built on two mountains that had defensive, religious and administrative functions stands out.

Moray: In this place you can see perfect circular terraces that would have been used by the Incas to experiment with different crops.

Salinas de Maras: Thousands of small pools filled with water form this old salt mine that will leave a postcard image on your retina.

Chinchero: This indigenous village is one of the most beautiful in the Sacred Valley. Don't miss the square sitting on what used to be an Inca palace and the stalls to buy handicrafts that are mounted in the surroundings.

PRICE OF TICKETS TO CUSCO

Travelers will be able to find bus tickets from 185 soles, as part of a basic service per person. If you want to travel by plane, you will find flights from 746 soles per section, making the transit directly without stops. A round trip can cost approximately S/ 1500 soles.

PRICE OF STAY

According to the hotel booking platforms that are available in the country, we can find a wide variety of prices for the stay. If you want to make a separation for four people (2 adults and 2 children), the cost of the room goes from S/. 315 soles (per night) to stay from 14 to 17 April. Depending on the services you want to receive, this amount will increase. As a matter of interest, many banks offer benefits to their users in relation to the tourism sector, so you can access discounts and special promotions.

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