Cusco: which types it suits

Cusco is a colonial city built directly on top of an Inca one. The stonework fits so tightly that the old line about not sliding a knife blade between the blocks holds up, and between Qorikancha, the cathedral and the fortress of Sacsayhuamán on the hill above, there is no shortage of things to see. The city sits high in the Andes, so take the first day slowly.

It is an especially good match for travellers who enjoy mapping out a sequence and then walking it step by step. Machu Picchu means lining up entry tickets, trains and buses as one chain, so check permits and tickets well ahead and the rest follows. Once that frame is in place, there is plenty of room for quiet hours alone in the lanes of San Blas or in the villages of the Sacred Valley.