A friend and I are doing the 4 day Inca trail trek in mid-August. We will arrive in Cuz mid-morning on the 11th and depart for the trek on the 14th.

I'm the "cruise director" for this ship and have been tasked with making all the plans.

We will be staying at the HIlton property for 3 nights before the trek and at the SPG property the night before we return.

What should we do while in Cusco? i assume we will take it rather easy on the 11th. while my buddy is coming from Denver, I'm coming from sea level. I don't want to push it too much that first day. But, this is a bit of a bucket list trip and I want to get as much in as I can. So, fire away with your ideas...including thoughts on our hotel choices.

Thanks!!!

Whatever you do take altitude pills beforehand. I thought I was going to die and I'm very fit (which apparently doesn't factor in). You can take walking tours around the old city, your hotel can arrange and it's worth doing

Definitely walk around the Plaza de Armas section of town your first afternoon - many good restaurants in the area. Get a tour of Sacsayhuaman set up for one of the other days, usually combined with visits to interesting spots within Cusco itself.



P.S I worked with galapagosholidays.com to set up my Peru trip, and they did a super job with accommodations, travel, and tours/guides.

Check out the Chocolate Museum and the drinking chocolate there. As has been mentioned, there are daytours to nearby Inca sites. When I went there there always seemed to be something happening on the Plaza de Armas...one day it was a costumed parade, the next a protest over a mine that some company is trying to build.

'Tis also helpful to be on the lookout for authentic sorts of experiences...in my case it was being able to watch a Peru vs. Colombia football game at a sports bar. Locals were really into that one.

Hope is the last thing we lose

In addition to what's been mentioned above:

Raqch'i - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raqch%27i
The Baroque churches as you drive / your taxi drives you through the little villages towards Urcos.
Pisac - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%ADsac
Pikillaqta - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikillaqta

There are 2 SPG properties in the neighbourhood.

Tambo del Inka generally receives reviews from FT'ers ranging from "wow" to "holy awesomeness". pc_travels posted a nice review on her website. Tambo is in the town of Urubamba (elevation 2871m) but that's not far distance-wise from Cusco (elevation 3300m).

Palacio del Inka is right in downtown Cusco and is part of the Luxury Collection of SPG. My friend who stayed there said it was a very nice hotel. I'm sure there are some FT comments in the SPG forum too. I have yet to read a bad review of this hotel.

We will be @ Palacio del Inka...really nice C&P rate.

Thank you for the suggestions.

The chocolate museum looks like some tasty fun. Thanks!!

Most common Cusco city tour stops (in no particular order):
Cristo Blanco
Qorikancha
Saqsaywaman
Tambomachay
Puku Pukara
Quenco
church on the corner of the plaza (can't recall name)

Some restaurants I like:
PapaChos -a Gaston Acurio owned burger joint
Jacks - always busy; everything is good!
Nuna Raymi - I like the duck
Fallen Angel - IMO, the best restaurant in Cusco; the steak is great

Want to watch the local soccer team? See if there's a match at Estadio Inca Garcilaso De La Vega.

Seeking some action/adventure? Try white water rafting (cat 2-4 but mostly 2-3) on the Vilcanota River.

Regarding hotels, I haven't stayed in the hotels RCyyz mentioned, but they do get great feedback. Personally, I avoid US chains when I travel. I much prefer to see what a country has to offer. Don't get me wrong, the Hilton is nice and a safe choice, but why not try something genuinely Peruvian?

Thank you!!!

As to the hotel choices. I actually agree that experiencing the truly local offerings has some appeal.. but free/really cheap points stays have an appeal of a different kind.

You're welcome.

Ah yes. If you have points to burn, that's another matter completely.