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Vinicunca, also known as Winikunka or Rainbow Mountain, with colorful stripes made up of layers of 14 different minerals.
Vinicunca, Andes
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Peru

Cusco Tours

Overview

Take a trip to Cusco on your Peru vacation.

The continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city, Cusco is located in southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes Mountain Range. Ever popular with tourists on a Peru vacation, Cusco serves as the gateway to the world-famous Machu Picchu.

Before the arrival of the Incas, Cusco was inhabited by the Killke people from 900-1200 AD.  The city grew to become the capital of the Inca Empire and was the centre of its political, military and cultural dealings. While Spaniards originally came to Cusco in November 1533, the city was not officially founded until Francisco Pizarro arrived in March 1534. Just as Cusco was important to the Incas, it became the centre for Spanish colonization as well as a base for the spread of Christianity. The city’s importance began to wane until the discovery of Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham in 1911 brought Cusco worldwide attention. 

Today Cusco has been designated as the Historical Capital of Peru and remains increasingly popular with tourists on Peru vacation packages. Bingham used the city as a base to explore Machu Picchu more than one hundred years ago, and visitors continue to use Cusco as a starting point to explore the many Incan ruins available. Cusco’s centre retains many pre-Columbian and colonial buildings and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.  Despite being a busy destination on Peru tours, Cusco maintains a unique charm and character that continues to enchant visitors from around the world.

At a Glance
LanguagesPeruvian Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Asháninka
CurrencyPeruvian Sol (PEN)
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