To enjoy and know Cusco to the fullest we suggest that you reserve five days of your vacation so that you can do all the activities that this magnificent city has to offer. Although some tours may take all day, it is important to know how to organize yourself in order to have a considerable amount of time for all the planned activities.
For example, we suggest that you use part of the first day to rest as you may experience dizziness, heavy limbs and even loss of oxygen. These are common symptoms since Cusco is located almost 3,400 meters above sea level; however, they are manageable with a good rest. It is recommended to drink coca leaves or muña tea and rest for an average of 2 to 3 hours during the first day, this will allow you to continue enjoying the city.
On this first day, you can buy tickets to get to Machu Picchu and other tourist destinations. The most requested place to buy your tickets is the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, there you can find different places with a variety of prices and destinations to visit the city.
The cost to move from one point to another is considerably cheap, they are between three and four soles, while longer distances would cost ten to twelve soles.
You will also find places to change different currencies into soles, the local one since all the establishments accept it. In the Plaza de Armas, you can visit different restaurants that will give you the opportunity to enjoy panoramic views, which will guarantee you a pleasant evening.
We recommend going to the Ollantaytambo station and enjoy your experience from Cusco to Machu Picchu. In Cusco, you should go to Pavitos Street, from there take a cab or a kind of minibus and the trip will take you about an hour and a half or two.
Although you may feel a slight dizziness, so do the movements and the change of latitude, do not take away the possibility of enjoying the wonderful views that decorate the route.
The station of Ollantaytambo is the one that has the greater amount of schedules in Cusco; the different types of trains that leave and arrive at this station in the morning, noon and night are connected in and arrive in connection with the station of Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, this is the closest to Cusco.
Train tickets can be purchased at these points of sale located in Lima and Cusco. As well as in the stations of Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu
Among the activities that can be carried out, it is essential that you visit the ancient Sacsayhuamán. Built with stones of 128 tons and located 2 kilometers from Cusco, this fortress is the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, and whose walls keep an extensive Inca history.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is a place not to be missed, located 30 kilometers from the city of Cusco and formed by the Vilcanota River (also known as the Urubamba River), is a place that besides having a comfortable climate, has a soil that allows the development of different species of plants and animals thanks to the climate that makes the soil humid.
The territories of Cusco allow many additional activities to the usual tourist trips. You can do hiking, rock climbing, descent, paragliding and Peruvian Paso horse riding.
All these activities that we are mentioning can be done in five days full of adventures and great moments that will allow you to know everything about the city of Cusco.