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Complete Cusco: free self-guided audio tour of Cusco
Complete Cusco is a free self-guided audio walking tour of Cusco, Peru: 7 stops in about 2 h 20. The Itinerarly app walks you from one stop to the next and plays a short narrated story when you arrive, in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.
| Stops | 7 |
|---|---|
| Duration | about 2 h 20, including time at each stop |
| Difficulty | Challenging |
| Distance | about 13.2 km in straight lines between the stops (a little more on foot) |
| Start | Plaza de Armas |
| Finish | Sacsayhuamán |
| Price | Free (some sights charge their own entry ticket) |
| Languages | English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese |
From the imperial center to Sacsayhuamán
The stops, in order
- Plaza de ArmasWelcome to Cusco's Plaza de Armas, the beating heart of the former Inca Empire's capital. This majestic square, framed by the Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus, was once the Huacaypata, the great ceremonial plaza where the Incas celebrated their religious and political festivals. Notice the colonial arcades, carved balconies, and central fountain crowned by a statue of Emperor Pachacutec.
- Cusco CathedralHere stands the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption, built between 1560 and 1654 atop the ruins of the palace of Inca Viracocha. The Spanish conquistadors used stones from the fortress of Sacsayhuamán to erect this imposing building, blending Renaissance and Baroque styles. Inside, admire the vast main altarpiece of cedar wood covered in pure silver, the finely carved choir stalls, and more than four hundred paintings of the Cusco School,…
- Church of the Society of JesusHere stands the Church of the Society of Jesus, considered one of the finest examples of Andean Baroque. Built by the Jesuits on the former palace of Inca Huayna Capac, its construction sparked a monumental controversy: its façade rivaled that of the neighboring cathedral, and the pope had to settle the dispute. Admire this façade in pink volcanic stone, with twisted columns and abundant decorative motifs, a true lace in stone.
- Stone of the Twelve AnglesPause for a moment in front of the Piedra de los Doce Ángulos, the famous Stone of the Twelve Angles, embedded in a wall of the palace of Inca Roca on Hatun Rumiyoc Street. This olive-green diorite block, weighing several tons, was cut to perfection and interlocked with its neighbors without mortar, thanks to a complex polygonal assembly system. Its twelve angles fit precisely with the surrounding stones, resisting centuries and the earthquakes that have…
- Plazoleta San BlasHere is the San Blas neighborhood, perched on the heights of Cusco, the true artistic and bohemian heart of the city. Its cobbled, steep alleys lined with whitewashed houses and blue balconies wind around the Plaza San Blas. This district gathers the workshops of Peru's finest artisans, descendants of stonecutters, silversmiths, and painters who once worked for the Incas and then the Spanish colonists.
- QorikanchaWelcome to the Qorikancha, the 'Temple of the Sun', which was the most sacred and wealthiest sanctuary of the Inca Empire. Before the conquest, its walls were entirely covered with massive gold plates, and an inner garden housed life-size reproductions of animals and plants crafted entirely in gold and silver. At the heart of the temple, an immense golden disc representing the sun reflected the first rays of dawn.
- SacsayhuamánWelcome to Sacsayhuamán, the cyclopean fortress that dominates Cusco and stands as one of the most spectacular structures left by the Incas. Perched at 3,700 meters above sea level, it formed the head of the puma drawn by the imperial city plan. Its three zigzag terraces are built from megalithic blocks, some weighing more than 100 tons, cut and fitted together with supernatural precision.
How to take this tour
- Install the free Itinerarly app on iPhone or Android and create a free account.
- Open Guided tours, choose Cusco, then Complete Cusco.
- Start whenever you like: the app guides you to Plaza de Armas and the story plays when you arrive at each stop.
Other audio tours of Cusco
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Complete Cusco tour in Cusco free?
- Yes. It is one of 3 free self-guided audio tours of Cusco in the Itinerarly app. Some sights charge their own entry ticket.
- How long does the Complete Cusco tour take?
- About 2 h 20 for 7 stops, including time at each stop.
- Where does the Complete Cusco tour start and finish?
- It starts at Plaza de Armas and finishes at Sacsayhuamán.
- Which languages is the narration in?
- English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, with natural-sounding synthetic voices.