The city of Cusco is the premier festival center of Cusco region, so it’s wise – indeed, essential – to plan ahead and make train, hotel and flight reservations as far in advance as possible, specially during high season (May-Oct). Anyone hoping to walk the Inca Trail (Camino Inca) in high season should make reservations with an authorized agency at least 6 months in advance. Dates when Cusco fills up with national and international visitors, making it the most visited part of Peru and one of the most in the entire hemisphere, are, above all: New Year’s; Easter Week; Corpus Christi (early June) and the region’s most famous festival, Intiraymi (June 24, but lasting for most of an entire week). Train reservations at any time of year to Machu Picchu should be made as far in advance as possible (as much as 3-6 months), even before proceeding with hotel reservations and other arrangements.

Cusco lies at an altitude of 3,400m (11,000 ft.), and the city is full of hills and stone steps, making even physically fit travelers gasp for their breath. It usually takes one or two days to get acclimatized; take it easy for the first few hours or even couple of days in Cusco (in fact, it’s wise to eat lightly and drink little alcohol even the day or two before your arrival). Drink lots of water, avoid heavy meals, and drink mate de coca, or coca-leaf tea. All Casa Andina hotels in Cusco include an oxygen tank in the front desk that can be used whenever by all guests, and Casa Andina Private Collection can provide oxygen in your room.

If you’re arriving from sea level, and are normally affected by high altitude, an excellent option is to travel first to the Sacred Valley, which (like Machu Picchu) sits at a lower elevation than Cusco (700m lower), for a couple of days before visiting the city. That will allow you to acclimate properly and see the nearby sights of the Valley and the famous Inca ruins before tackling the city.

We recommend a stay of 2 nights minimum and as many as 4 in the city of Cusco. Add another 2-3 days to visit the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu without rushing through either. Visitors seeking more tranquility than Cusco generally permits should spend 1 or 2 of the nights suggested for the city in the Sacred Valley instead. Most visitors will find it ideal to begin their trip in the Sacred Valley, followed by Machu Picchu and then to finish up with Cusco, once well acclimatized to the altitude.

A tourist ticket, or boleto turístico, is available for visiting Cusco’s main attractions and surrounding areas, including Inca ruins and some of the major draws in the Sacred Valley. And though you cannot get into several churches, museums and ruins without it, it has become much less of a good deal than it once was (it doubled in price in the last year). The boleto is most essential for visiting the circuit of ruins just outside Cusco and in the Sacred Valley. In particular, anyone visiting only the city of Cusco and not interested in any of the major Inca ruins wouldn’t really need to purchase the tourist ticket. The full ticket costs S/130 ($43) for adults and S/70 ($24) for students with ID and children, is valid for 10 days, and is available at the tourism office at Mantas 117-A (Tel: (084)263-176) or at any of the major sites included in the boleto.

Everything in Cusco is within walking distance, though the San Blas district is very hilly and adjusting to the altitude will make walking a bit challenging at first. Taxis are best used to go back and forth from restaurants and bars to your hotel at night, though they are very inexpensive – just S/. 2 during the day or S/. 4 at night within the city center, so visitors can take advantage of the city’s abundant supply of taxis at any time. During the day in Cusco is very safe to take taxis in the street.

Casa Andina offers free airport pick up in Cusco, but it has to be with a previous reservation.

For additional information on these tips, you can write to travel@casa-andina.com