Tips Cusco

Enjoy a show with traditional music and folks dances from Cusco and the surrounding regions, you will be able to see a show every night, the entrance is included in the tourist ticket, the general fee is about 15 Soles.

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Occasionally you will be able to see concerts, plays or dance shows, usually it is for little money, sometimes even for FREE.

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Cusco offers you a lot of different places to choose from for your live music action which is a constant feature of Cusco’s night live. You will not only meet altiplano musicians in their colorful clothing, people are usually surprised to find an alternative scene. The most places are a short walk from the city center up in the neighborhood of San Blas such as Siete Angelitos, Km 0 or Nunamachay. If you do not feel like walking a lot, you will find places like Ukukus Bar or Pepe Zeta just of the Plaza de Armas.

All the famous mainstream clubs are surrounded at or of the Plaza de Armas. Follow the “Routa de Free Drinks” safe your money for the next trip. Nearly every night the Clubs around the Plaza curl you with Free Drinks. Places like Zazu, Mytology or Inca Team and Mama Africa also offer Free Salsa Classes from 9-11pm. Roots is rather an alternative place.

Indigo in the Calle Tecsecocha is a perfect place to hang out, which opens its doors already at midday. Mushrooms, located at the Plaza de Armas is decorated in a new modern style, which creates a cosmopolitan flair. Famous but completely different is Bullfrogs, only two blogs away from the Plaza de Armas.

You will find a lot of food stands along the streets, especially women, selling fried meat with potatoes on a stick or self made burgers. These are usually between 1-3 soles, but not suggested if your stomach is fairly weak. Very famous are the local restaurants, spread all over the town, they have a limited decoration and service but offer set menus for a very little price (3-7 Soles), which is an attractive alternative compared with the tourist prices of the restaurants around the Plaza de Armas. You will find some of them two blogs off the main plaza. Nevertheless, the restaurants around the Plaza have a rich variety of dishes and the feature of a unique view of the Plaza. A must is the Plus Restaurant, having a variety from Alpaca to Cuy, with very friendly staff and the perfect view of the Plaza. To try a Pizza from a stone oven is a must here in Cusco one of my favorites is La Pizza Carlo, Maruri 381, very small, but good service and a rich taste and the most important thing you are able to get the pizza for lunch and it does not take long, this unfortunately is not possible at every pizza place. Going for a buffet is a great possibility to try different dishes at the same time for a fairly cheap price. One of the popular restaurants in town offering this service is Inka Wall, two minutes from the Plaza de Armas.

If you feel like eating fish in the mountains you make a good choice going to Mariño at the corner Espinar/Mantas. A good Indian restaurant is Maikhana, it is at the upper part of the Avenida del Sol, the staff is very friendly and the food is good. Now the tip which might interest you the most. In Peru you can eat your pet… there are various places around the Plaza de Armas where you can eat Cuy, usually rather expensive, but if you got some time and want the real experience drive to Tipón, it only takes about half an hour to get there and the taste and the price are much better.

Cusco has a very well organized transportation system, although on the first sight it looks chaotic. The majority of the local people do not have their own car. You have the option to get around for a couple of cents taking the small busses, which stop at certain points and have their special routes. You will either find a sign up front or would need to ask, but usually the drivers are very friendly. You pay once you get off the bus. Sometimes these busses get very crowded, take care of your personal belongings! If you want to get off you shout “baja, baja”. The more comfortable way to get around is taking a cab, you just lift your arm and one will stop. The price depends on where you want to go. Usually a ride within the city center area is 2,50 Soles, a tour to the main bus terminal is between 4-6 Soles as well as to the airport. As far as the payment is concerned you would discuss that before you get into the cab or you would pay the exact amount. It is a good advice to have a little change on you, the drivers usually don’t. Nevertheless, the city center area is walk-able, gives you a better impression what Cusco is really like.