After an exciting but exhausting day exploring Machu Picchu, our group left the PeruRail train in Ollayantambo and boarded our bus again.
We made our way out of the Sacred Valley and back to Cusco.
Palacio Del Inka Hotel
The beautiful Palacio del Inka, part of the Marriott Luxury Collection, would be our home for the next two nights.
We know we said that the Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay in the Sacred Valley was our favorite hotel. But this hotel was a VERY close second. Located in the heart of Cusco, it may have been edged out only by the spectacular views of the Sacred Valley.
The hotel is housed within a 500-year-old mansion and is truly spectacular! The thick stone walls and beautiful antiques are only part of the story.
The llamas and alpacas seem to like Chuck. This guy loved to have his head rubbed.
The hotel houses a collection of 195 art pieces from the pre-Inca, colonial, and republican periods, including 60 original paintings from the Escuela Cusqueña. A famous painting school developed in the 17th century.
The hotel rooms are luxurious, comfortable, and quiet. We could have just hibernated a few days.
The Most Important Meal Of The Day
The breakfast was easily the best of the whole trip, with eggs, omelets, and several other selections made to order. The buffet was tucked into the incredible architecture, and they had a nifty gadget for capturing fresh Honey!
Two Half Day Optional Tours
On the day we spent in Cusco, we were free to explore on our own or hide and decompress.Â
Gate 1 Travel also offered two optional half-day tours.
Half Day Cuzco Behind The Scenes (AM)
Half-Day Highlights of Cuzco (PM)
We knew it would be a long day, but we chose both because, hey, you can sleep when you’re dead!
And we are so glad we did because there was so much to see and explore.
Cuzco Behind The Scenes
This tour started in our hotel with a private session with a local Andean holy man or Shaman. We learned about the collection of items he used in his offering, and all received blessings. It was interesting to see and a great way to start our day.
San Pedro Mercado
From the hotel, we went to a local market, where we saw locals shopping for produce, meats, and everyday necessities. Coming from Merida and shopping at the Mercado downtown, it was less shocking for us than for some people on our tour.
After the market and a chance to buy some local foods and souvenirs, we were off to a Peruvian restaurant for a cooking demonstration and lunch.
Lunch at YURAQÂ
Av. Pareto 1036 – Cusco
YURAQ was closed for lunch, so we had the place to ourselves.Â
The Chef did a short cooking demonstration of a local dish called Kjapachi de Habas con Hongos Locales. It was a Fava Bean stew made with Mushrooms, local Cheese, Yellow Potatoes, Onions, Milk, and Peruvian Yellow Chilis. Served with Rice, it was tasty but a little bland.
We also had some delicious local Bread, a Stir-fried Chicken dish with Pasta, and Squash and Cheese served over a Risotto-style Wheat with Fine Herbs.Â
We also took the opportunity to try our first Inca Kola. This bright neon yellow soda is hugely popular here. It outsells Coca-Cola in Peru. It tastes like a mix of bubblegum and cream soda—another Peruvian one-and-done for us!
Highlights of Cuzco
Following lunch, we dropped off a few travelers and picked up a few more, which took the morning to rest.
The afternoon tour began at our hotel. The first stop was Quirikancha, the Temple of the Sun, and the Convent of Santo Domingo, located directly across the street from our hotel.
The artwork is as spectacular as its Incan history. However, we were very limited in where we could take photos.
Plaza de Armas
The next stop of our tour was the Plaza de Armas, Cuzco’s central plaza. We toured the impressive Cathedral of Cusco, which has a collection of statues and over 400 paintings—again, no photos were allowed inside.
But the architecture, the statues outside, and the details on the doors were fascinating.
Visiting Sacsayhuman
Also spelled Saqsaywaman from the native Quechua, it sounds a lot like “Sexy Woman.”Â
It is a citadel located on a high plateau on the northern outskirts of Cusco. The fortress built in the 15th century may be best known for the enormous stones built onsite by cutting boulders to fit them tightly together without using mortar.
It was even more imposing during its heyday as the Spanish used all but the heaviest boulders to build the city of Cusco.
Possibly the best known is the fierce and bloody battle between the invading Spanish and the ruling Incas in 1536.Â
Jonas Restaurant Cusco
Av. Sol 106-2DO Piso 208 Galeria la Merced- Cusco
Returning to Cusco, we had some time to chill out and freshen up before walking to dinner.
Jonas Restaurant Cusco is a cute, modern restaurant on the second level of a shopping and restaurant complex a few blocks from the hotel.
Chuck chose traditional Andean Quinoa Soup for his first course, and Mark selected delicious Yucca Croquettes. These combined Yucca and Quinoa are stuffed with Mozzarella Cheese, breaded, and deep-fried with a House Sauce. They were one of the best bites of the trip.
For our entrees, we both selected Aji de Galena: Shredded Chicken in a creamy Yellow Chili, Walnut, and Parmesan Cheese Sauce, Hard-Boiled Eggs, and local Potatoes served with White Rice.
We were thrilled with our selection. The other options offered that night were Andean Trout, Pepper Steak, an excellent Beef Tenderloin Steak with a Peppery Sauce, and a Vegetarian option that sounded similar to our dinners but without the Chicken.
For dessert, we both opted for the Crispy Ice Cream. Made with Lucuma Ice Cream, a Peruvian fruit with a maple-caramel-like flavor, it was served with a delicious Toffee Sauce. It was terrific, but the cookie and Chocolate desserts also got rave reviews.
This was one of our trip’s better restaurants, as the food and service were outstanding!
The ONLY thing that made our dinner more incredible was the visit from our Tour Manager, Pavel’s wife, son, and daughter. It was great that he got to see them, as he spends a lot of time touring. But we were thrilled to interact with them and learn about school, sports, and everyday life in Cusco.
Back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. We work up to honking horns and rain. But we also saw a remarkable rainbow just outside of our hotel window.
Next is our long driving day across the highlands from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca. Today’s trip was a little over seven hours, but we had a couple of fantastic stops along the way!
I was a little worried that we signed up for both of these excursions in Cusco, given the altitude. But after seeing these photos and descriptions, I’m so excited for both of these optionals. Looking forward to your post about Puno and Lake Titicaca.
Thank you. We were worried more about it being a long day, but the pace was leisurely, and there was no actual hiking. Even Saqusaywaman was pretty leisurely if you chose not to climb to the top of the rocks.