Voyaggora
Top sights in Cusco
- Machu Picchu – 15th-century Inca citadel in the Peruvian Andes and UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Moray – Archaeological site in Peru, Place of the Incas
- Ollantaytambo – City in Peru
Well-known landmarks, each checked against Wikidata (CC0), which also supplies the one-line descriptions. The bookable tours below are the second layer: guided ways to see them.
Top-rated tours in Cusco
Planning your trip to Cusco
Climate and seasons
Cusco has two defined seasons: the dry season lasts from April to October, with abundant sunshine, and the wet season from November to March. In February the Inca Trail is closed.
Getting around
The center of Cusco is small enough to walk around, although you will probably need a bus or taxi to reach the bus station, Sacsayhuamán or the airport. Beware of walking around at night alone or drunk, as robberies have often been reported. For a longer stay, combis (vans and small buses) are a cheap and reliable form of transport.
Staying safe
Cusco is relatively safe in general, but muggings and petty thefts do occur: do not wander alone away from the Plaza de Armas late at night and do not flaunt valuables. As Peru's main tourist attraction, Cusco attracts thieves and scammers, and pickpocketing, especially by children, is a major problem. Drug law enforcement in Peru is very severe.
Summarised from Wikivoyage: Cuzco (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Where to stay in Cusco
Hotels and vacation rentals around Cusco with live prices from the big booking sites. Pick your dates on the map to compare.
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Best time to visit Cusco
By temperature and rainfall alone, the most comfortable months in Cusco are May to September, with average daytime highs of 63 to 66°F (17 to 19°C) and 1 to 11 rainy days a month. This is a weather-data pick that has not yet been checked against crowds, closures or local seasons. August is the hottest month, averaging 66°F (19°C), and January the coolest at 62°F (17°C). January sees the most rain, around 28 days, while June is the driest with about 1.
Jump to a month: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain (about, mm) | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62°F (17°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 130 | 28 | Avoid: among the wettest, 28 rainy days |
| February | 62°F (17°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 130 | 26 | Shoulder: 62°F (17°C), 26 rainy days |
| March | 62°F (17°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 100 | 26 | Shoulder: 62°F (17°C), 26 rainy days |
| April | 62°F (17°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 40 | 17 | Shoulder: 62°F (17°C), 17 rainy days |
| May | 63°F (17°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 10 | 9 | Comfortable: 9 rainy days |
| June | 64°F (18°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 0 | 1 | Comfortable: 1 rainy days |
| July | 65°F (18°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 10 | 2 | Comfortable: 2 rainy days |
| August | 66°F (19°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 10 | 6 | Comfortable: 6 rainy days |
| September | 66°F (19°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 20 | 11 | Comfortable: 11 rainy days |
| October | 66°F (19°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 60 | 19 | Shoulder: 66°F (19°C), 19 rainy days |
| November | 65°F (18°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 70 | 24 | Shoulder: 65°F (18°C), 24 rainy days |
| December | 63°F (17°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 140 | 27 | Avoid: among the wettest, 27 rainy days |
Average daily high and low, and days with rain (a day with at least 1 mm), from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024. Highlighted rows are the pick above. Verdicts use only these numbers.
Also spelled Cuzco.
Rainfall: NASA POWER monthly normals.
Plan the rest of your trip to Cusco
More destinations in Latin America & Caribbean
Closest guides to Cusco
Planning guides
Right now in Cusco
Is it safe to travel to Peru right now?
Official US, UK and Canada travel advice for Peru, side by side, with each source and the time it was checked. See today's advisory for Peru
Cusco: common questions
- When is the best time to visit Cusco?
- By temperature and rainfall alone, the most comfortable months in Cusco are May to September, when average highs run 63 to 66°F (17 to 19°C) with 1 to 11 rainy days a month. This is a weather-data pick, not yet checked against crowds, closures or local seasons. August is the hottest month at 66°F (19°C) on average, and January the coolest at 62°F (17°C).
- What is the rainiest month in Cusco?
- January, with roughly 28 days of rain. The driest is June, with about 1. A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain; figures are averages from 2019-2024 records.
- How warm does it get in Cusco?
- Temperatures barely change through the year: average daytime highs stay between 62 to 66°F (17 to 19°C). The bigger seasonal difference is rain: January is the wettest month, with around 28 rainy days.
- What is the rainy season in Cusco?
- The wettest months in Cusco are January to March and November to December, with 24 to 28 rainy days a month. June is the driest.
- Is it safe to travel to Peru right now?
- Voyaggora shows the official US, UK and Canada travel advisories for Peru on one page, with the source and the time each was last checked. Open the live advisory for Peru before you book.
- What other places are near Cusco?
- The closest Voyaggora guides to Cusco are Lima (360 miles), Quito (1,020 miles), Bogotá (1,260 miles).
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