Must-see attractions in Cuzco

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    Museo Machu Picchu

    Cuzco

    This newish museum exhibits 360 pieces from Machu Picchu taken by Hiram Bingham's expeditions and recently returned by Yale University, including stone…

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    Cusco Planetarium

    Cuzco

    An excellent way to explore the fascinating Inca cosmovision. They defined constellations of darkness as well as light, used astronomy to predict weather…

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    A large fountain and Cusco Cathedral in Plaza-de-Armas.

    La Catedral

    Cuzco

    A squatter on the site of Viracocha Inca’s palace, the cathedral was built using blocks pilfered from the nearby Inca site of Sacsaywamán. Its…

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    The temple of the sun or "Qorikancha" in Cusco during Inti Raymi (hence the solar disc), Peru.

    Qorikancha

    Cuzco

    If you visit only one Cuzco site, make it these Inca ruins forming the base of the colonial church and convent of Santo Domingo. Once the richest temple…

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    Museo Inka

    Cuzco

    The charmingly modest Museo Inka, a steep block northeast of the Plaza de Armas, is the best museum in town for those interested in the Incas. The…

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    Plaza de Armas

    Cuzco

    In Inca times, the plaza, called Huacaypata or Aucaypata, was the heart of the capital. Today it’s the nerve center of the modern city. Two flags usually…

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    Templo y Convento de La Merced

    Cuzco

    Cuzco’s third most important colonial church, La Merced was destroyed in the 1650 earthquake, but was quickly rebuilt. To the left of the church, at the…

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    Museo de Arte Popular

    Cuzco

    Winning entries in Cuzco’s annual Popular Art Competition are displayed in this engaging museum. This is where the artisans and artists of San Blas…

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    Iglesia San Francisco

    Cuzco

    More austere than many of Cuzco’s other churches, Iglesia San Francisco dates from the 16th and 17th centuries and is one of the few that didn’t need to…

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    Museo Histórico Regional

    Cuzco

    This eclectic museum is housed in the colonial Casa Garcilaso de la Vega, the house of the Inca-Spanish chronicler who now lies buried in the cathedral…

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    Museo de Arte Precolombino

    Cuzco

    Inside a Spanish colonial mansion with an Inca ceremonial courtyard, this dramatically curated pre-Columbian art museum showcases a stunningly varied, if…

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    Iglesia de San Blas

    Cuzco

    This simple adobe church is comparatively small, but you can’t help but be awed by the baroque, gold-leaf principal altar. The exquisitely carved pulpit,…

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    Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara

    Cuzco

    This 16th-century church, part of a strict convent, is difficult to visit but it's worth making the effort to go for morning services, because this is one…

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    Museo de Arte Religioso

    Cuzco

    Originally the palace of Inca Roca, the foundations of this museum were converted into a grand colonial residence and later became the archbishop’s palace…

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    Iglesia y Monasterio de Santa Catalina

    Cuzco

    This convent houses many colonial paintings of the escuela cuzqueña (Cuzco school), as well as an impressive collection of vestments and other intricate…

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    Museo del Sitio de Qorikancha

    Cuzco

    There are sundry moth-bitten archaeological displays interpreting Inca and pre-Inca cultures at this small, mangy, underground archaeological museum,…

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    Museo Quijote

    Cuzco

    Housed inside a bank, this privately owned museum of contemporary art houses a diverse, thoughtful collection of painting and sculpture ranging from the…

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    Iglesia de Santo Domingo

    Cuzco

    The church of Santo Domingo is next door to Qorikancha. Less baroque and ornate than many of Cuzco’s churches, it is notable for its charming paintings of…

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    Museo de la Coca

    Cuzco

    A good primer on Andean culture, this is a wonderful and kitschy little museum that traces the uses of the coca leaf, from sacred ritual to its more…

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    Museo de Historia Natural

    Cuzco

    This university-run natural history museum houses a somewhat motley collection of stuffed local animals and birds and over 150 snakes from the Amazon. The…

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    Iglesia del Triunfo

    Cuzco

    Cuzco’s oldest church houses a vault containing the remains of the famous Inca chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega, who was born in Cuzco in 1539 and died in…

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    Iglesia de San Pedro

    Cuzco

    The original version of this baroque church was destroyed by the 1615 earthquake and rebuilt by 1699. Its Renaissance facade is typical of the Cuzco…

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    Iglesia de Santa Teresa

    Cuzco

    This church dating from 1676 belongs to the Carmelite order. Its baroque interior features brick and rough stone and a beautiful dome.

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