Cusco, Peru

Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. Cusco was the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost 2 million visitors a year.

Cusco is a starting point from which to visit Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and other Inca sites in the region. The colonial architecture is also a highlight of a visit to Cuzco. The city is surrounded by a number of ruins, the most interesting being Sacsayhuaman.

Things to see and do

* Inca sites - Machu Picchu
* Colonial Architecture and ruins
* San Pedro Market
* Museums & galleries
* Walk the city centre including Calle Hatun Rumiyuq (most visited street)

General Information

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Nuevo Sol (PEN)
Language - Spanish
Land Area - 70,015 km²
Population - 359,000 approx
Electricity - 2 round pins European style and 2 angled pins and 1 flat pin centered below Australian style
Time - GMT minus five hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 51

Travel Links - The city is served by Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport. There are daily internal flights to and from Lima, Arequipa and small jungle airstrips in the Amazon basin. Lan Peru has the most flights between Cuzco and Lima, followed by Star Peru, Peruvian Airlines and Taca.

Buses are plentiful to and from other Peruvian and Bolivian cities like Lima (about 24 hr), Puno (6-8 hr, 25 soles), Arequipa (10 hr, 50 soles), Nazca (14-16 hr), Copacabana (9-12hr, 60 soles) and La Paz.

Cuzco is connected to Machu Picchu and Puno by rail. Rail service was recently discontinued to Arequipa. This service is operated by PeruRail.