You have chosen to travel to peru and have planned to visit Cuzco in 1 day following a walking tour.
So, here is my itinerary to discover on foot the most beautiful sites of Cuzco in 1 day. All you have to do is put the attached Google Maps in pedestrian GPS mode to follow my route and discover the emblematic monuments of the Inca capital of Peru on foot.
Obviously 1 day is not enough to visit all the museums, churches and tourist sites of Cusco but thanks to an optimized itinerary, it is possible to have an overall idea of this magnificent Peruvian city.
Now it's time to find out how to organize this walking tour of Cusco and how to make the most of it in 1 day.
Why visit Cusco in 1 day?
Peru is one of the first tourist destinations in South America because it is home to many exceptional tourist sites: The Machu Picchu, sacred valley of the incas, Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, the colorful mountain Vinikunka, the colca canyon, Arequipa, Nazca lines, huacachina desert and many others.
As a result, when we decide to discover the Peru in 2 weeks or more, the number of places to visit is too large and forces us to limit the time of visits to cities. This is why tourists generally devote only 1 day to discovering the city of Cuzco.
How to visit Cuzco in 1 day?
To visit Cuzco in 1 day, you have several possibilities:
- Book a free tour of Cusco which is done in 2h30 on foot;
- Choose one private tour of Cusco with a guide just for you or your family;
- Or choose to visit Cuzco on foot following my tourist circuit. Thus, you will be able to visit most of the Inca capital freely and at your own pace (see details of the visits and itinerary map below).
To visit Cuzco on foot, you have to limit yourself to the historic center of Cusco. It is indeed, in this old quarter of the city that are the most remarkable attractions of the Inca and colonial period.
Thus, visiting Cuzco on foot allows you to discover, while walking, the splendid Inca remains, the aqueducts, the palaces, the ancient streets, the typical walls (anti-seismic) and the colonial houses such as the house of Francisco Pizarro.
Itinerary to visit Cusco in 1 day
You can see many sites in 1 day but for that, it is better to follow a circuit that takes you directly to the most beautiful places to visit.
My walking tour to visit Cusco in 1 day only represents 3,4 km, or a little less than an hour of walking in the whole day.
The route that I detail below starts from the Plaza de Armas and ends at the top of the San Blas district.
So, if you will be late in the afternoon or at sunset on the heights of the city which offers a magnificent view of Cuzco.
If for your day visit to Cusco you choose my walking tour, here is the itinerary to follow:
- Morning
- Arms square
- Cusco Cathedral
- Inca Museum
- Santa Clara Arch
- San Pedro Market
- Afternoon
- Monastery of Santa Catalina de Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios
- Kusicancha website
- The Temple of the Sun or Coricancha
- Stone of the 12 angles
- The pretty San Blas district
- The craft market (optional if you have time)
Tour to visit Cusco on foot
Here is the Google maps map of the route to visit Cuzco on foot that you can follow in pedestrian GPS mode. Remember to download it to your mobile to be able to use it offline.
Cusco in 1 day – Morning tours
Arms square
My walking tour starts from the most famous square in Cuzco. The Plaza de Armas was called “Aucaypata” during the Inca period, which in Quechua meant “main square”. At the time, the Incas celebrated theInti Raymi (the festival of the sun) and military celebrations.
During the colonial period, the settlers renamed it Plaza Mayor and then Plaza de Armas.
This magnificent square surrounded by arcades and white facades with pretty wooden balconies is the heart of the historic center of Cusco.
Cathedral
A few meters from the Plaza de Armas is the Cathedral of the Virgin of the Assumption. Of Andean baroque style, it was built between 1560 and 1664 on the palace of the Inca Viracocha. The Church of the Triunfo which is older because of 1539 is attached to the whole of the cathedral.
The Inca Museum
From the Cathedral, take Rue Ataud to reach the Inca Museum in 1 minute. You can visit it because it contains beautiful remains of the Inca period: Ceramics, fabrics, jewelry, daily utensils and mummies.
Santa Clara Arch
Taking Calle Marques, my tour to visit Cusco on foot takes you past the most emblematic arch of Cusco: the Arch of Santa Clara.
During the 19th century, it was built to commemorate the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation (1836 – 1839). Peruvians call it Santa Clara because of its proximity to the Church of Santa Clara.
San Pedro Market
Following Calle Sta Clara, my walking tour will take you around Cascaparo Street. This is where the San Pedro Market is located.
This market was designed by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel in 1925. It is the main market in the historic center of Cusco where you can find everything: fruits and vegetables, meats, local products, handicrafts and excellent fresh fruit juices!
When you have finished the market visit, it will probably be time for a lunch break. You will have no trouble finding a small restaurant in the streets around the market where you can relax before resuming my tour on foot.
Cuzco in 1 day – Afternoon tours
My program to visit Cuzco on foot will take you up Calle Santa Clara to reach the Monastery of Santa Catalina (not to be confused with that ofArequipa which is pure beauty!!!).
Monastery of Santa Catalina of Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios
From the San Pedro market, you will have to walk about 10 minutes to reach this site. You will arrive in front of a church and a former convent which was rebuilt in 1653. Built above the Acllahuasi (house of the chosen one in Quechua), the walls now house a museum of religious and colonial art.
Kusicancha (Pachaquteq Inca Palace)
Only 200 meters from the Monastery, you can visit on foot an archaeological site which is an ancient Inca enclosure.
It had been built at the beginning of the 15th century for Cusi Yupanqui who became Pachaquteq the 9th Inca emperor. We found on this site 17 funerary sectors, ceramics and metallurgical objects.
The Temple of the Sun or Qorikancha
The Santo Domingo Convent and its church were built on the foundations of what was in Inca times the Temple of the Sun or Qorikancha.
Built on carved blocks of granite with molten gold in the joints, it was the most important Inca temple. All the Inca roads of the whole of Tahuantinsuyo converged on the Temple of the Sun which was the central point of the Inca Empire. Inside the temple, there was a garden represented by golden sculptures of trees, birds and animals. At the time all the walls were covered with gold plates.
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived, the Temple of the Sun was looted and partially destroyed. And to affirm their power and banish the cult of the Incas, the Spaniards erected the Catholic Church of Santo Domingo there directly on the Inca temple.
Machupicchu Museum (Casa Concha)
If you have time, before continuing my tour on foot, you are a few minutes from the Casa Concha Museum. If you have to visit Machu Picchu in the following days, this museum is very interesting to discover. It will give you a lot of historical info about the site you are going to visit.
Stone of the 12 angles
Continuing my walking tour to visit Cuzco, you will come across the stone of the 12 angles. This stop has become an essential walking tour of Cusco. Indeed, this stone where one can count 12 angles is the proof of the mastery of the work of the stone at the Incas.
This stone is actually on one of the walls of the Inka Roca Palace which covers a large part of Hatunrumiyoc Street. This wall is an incredible assembly of polygonal stones that the Incas used in the construction of retaining walls. These constructions resisted and still resist all tests even earthquakes.
San Blas neighborhood
Continuing on the Cta de San Blas, my walking tour takes you in 5 minutes to the prettiest neighborhood of Cuzco.
Indeed, San Blas is known as the district of artisans, artists, very lively and colorful with its narrow and steep streets.
At the time of the Incas, its name was T'oqo-kachi. Historians believe that the Church of San Blas was built over an Inca sanctuary that worshiped the god of thunder and lightning.
You can continue my tour on foot to reach the very top of the district and enjoy a panoramic view of Cuzco.
This is where my walking tour ends but if you still have a little time and energy, you can walk to the Cusco craft market which is on Avenida del Sol 1,5 km from the San Blas.
Cusco craft market
This market is the perfect place to buy souvenirs from Peru: Ponchos, bags, jewelry, alpaca sweaters, paintings, pisco, etc.
Where to stay to visit Cuzco on foot?
To visit the city on foot, here are 2 hotels very well located in the best Cusco district (a luxury hotel and a budget hotel):
If you are looking for one of the best hotels best placed for a tourist stay, then I recommend the following: Inkaterra La Casona.
It is more than a magnificent 5 star hotel as it is a 16th century historical monument which has been renovated into a luxury hotel.
And for those who are looking for a cheaper hotel in Cuzco, then I recommend the Nao Victoria Hostel. It is very good and perfect for visiting Cuzco on foot in 1 day!
