Budget · 3-hour walk · Cusco
The Plaza de Armas and San Blas in three hours
The cathedral's guinea-pig Last Supper, the twelve-angled stone, the artists' quarter and the Inca temple of the sun.
Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire, and the Spanish built their city directly on top of it: Inca walls are the foundations of half the buildings in the centre. This route goes from the main square up into San Blas and back down to Qorikancha. The city is at 3,400 metres; walk slowly on the first day.
The route, stop by stop
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Plaza de Armas
The Inca Huacaypata, the great ceremonial square, now framed by the cathedral, the Jesuit church and arcades.
20 min here Walk here → -
Catedral del Cusco
Built on the site of an Inca palace. Its Last Supper by Marcos Zapata has Christ and the apostles eating guinea pig.
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Twelve-Angled Stone
A block in the wall of Hatun Rumiyoc street, fitted to its neighbours on twelve sides without mortar.
10 min here Walk here → -
Plaza San Blas
The artisans' quarter on the hill. The little church has a pulpit carved, it is said, from a single cedar trunk.
25 min here Walk here → -
Qorikancha
The Inca temple of the sun, once lined with gold. The Dominicans built their monastery on top, and the earthquakes of 1650 and 1950 brought down the Spanish walls but not the Inca ones beneath.
40 min here Walk here →
More walks in Cusco
More in Cusco
Every walking route in Cusco, the full Cusco guide for where to stay and what a day costs, or walks in other cities.