Cusco and the Sacred Valley
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Cusco and the Sacred Valley - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Cerámica Seminario
Store/MallHusband-and-wife team Pablo Seminario and Marilú Behar spent years developing their art into what is now known as the Seminario Style—taking the valley's distinctive red clay and turning it into ceramic works using modern adaptations of ancient indigenous techniques and designs. Their works are world-famous, with pieces seen as far off as the Chicago Field Museum. More than a shop or art gallery, here you have the ability to view the workshop where the magic happens and even speak with the artist directly. The store features decorative and utilitarian pieces, as well as others that are pure art, all of which make fabulous Peruvian gifts for yourself or others. Purchases can be shipped to any location.
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2. Museo de Arte Precolombino
Museum/GalleryFor a different perspective on pre-Columbian ceramics, head to this spectacular museum, known as MAP, where art and pre-Columbian culture merge seamlessly. Twelve rooms in the 1580 Casa Cabrera, which was used as the convent of Santa Clara until the 17th century, showcase an astounding collection of pre-Columbian art from the 13th to 16th centuries, mostly in the form of carvings, ceramics, and jewelry. The art and artifacts were made by the Huari and Nazca, as well as the Inca, cultures. The stylish displays have excellent labels in Spanish and English that place the artifacts in their artistic and historical context. On the walls is commentary from European artists on South American art. Swiss artist Paul Klee wrote: "I wish I was newly born, and totally ignorant of Europe, innocent of facts and fashions, to be almost primitive." Most Cusco museums close at dark, but MAP remains open every evening. For a break after a walk around, find your way to the on-site café, one of Cusco's best restaurants (reservations are required for dinner).
View Tours and ActivitiesPlaza de la Nazarenas 231, Cusco, Cusco, Peru084-233–210Sight Details
Rate Includes: S/20 -
3. ChocoMuseo
Plaza Regocijo | Museum/GalleryThis museum provides a delicious introduction to the history and process of chocolate making, from cacao bean to bar. Workshops allow you to make your own sweets; they are offered three times a day for a minimum of three people at an additional cost of S/75, and advance reservations are required. There is an additional museum location in Ollantaytambo near the archaeological site and in Pisac near the main square.
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4. Museo de Arte Religioso del Arzobispado
San Blas | Museum/GalleryThe building may be on the dark and musty side, but this San Blas museum has a remarkable collection of religious art. Originally the site of the Inca Roca's Hatun Rumiyoq palace, then the juxtaposed Moorish-style palace of the Marqués de Buenavista, the building reverted to the Archdiocese of Cusco and served as the archbishop's residence. In this primary repository of religious art in the city many of the paintings in the collection are anonymous, but you'll notice some by the renowned indigenous artist Marcos Zapata. A highlight is a series of 17th-century paintings that depict the city's Corpus Christi procession. Free audio guides are available.
Hatun Rumiyoq and Herejes, Cusco, Cusco, Peru084-225–211Sight Details
Rate Includes: S/15; S/40 combined admission with Catedral and the Templo de San Blas, S/15; S/30 combined admission with Catedral and Templo de San Blas -
5. Museo Hilario Mendívil
San Blas | Museum/GalleryThe former home of San Blas's most famous son, the 20th-century Peruvian religious artist Hilario Mendívil (1929–77), makes a good stop if you have an interest in Cusqeñan art and iconography. Legend has it that Mendívil saw llamas parading in the Corpus Christi procession as a child and later infused this image into his religious art, depicting all his figures with long, llama-like necks. In the small gallery are the maguey-wood and rice-plaster sculptures of the Virgin with the elongated necks that were the artist's trademark. There's also a shop selling Mendívil-style work.
Plazoleta San Blas 634, Cusco, Cusco, Peru084-240–527Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Museo Inka
Museum/GalleryEveryone comes to "ooh" and "eeww" over this archaeological museum's collection of Inca mummies, but the entire facility serves as a comprehensive introduction to pre-Columbian Andean culture. Packed with textiles, ceramics, and dioramas, there's a lot to see here, and displays bear labels in Spanish and English. One room is dedicated to the story of Mamakuka ("Mother Coca"), and documents indigenous people's use of the coca leaf for religious and medicinal purposes. The building was once the palace of Admiral Francisco Aldrete Maldonado, the reason for its common designation as the Palacio del Almirante (Admiral's Palace).
Ataúd at Córdoba del Tucumán, Cusco, Cusco, Peru084-237–380Sight Details
Rate Includes: S/10, Closed Sun. -
7. Museo Machu Picchu Casa Concha
Museum/GalleryArtifacts that Hiram Bingham unearthed during his 1911 "discovery" of Machu Picchu and brought back to Yale University resided with the university for a century. After a hotly contested custody battle, an agreement was reached between Peru and Yale, and the artifacts began to be returned to Peru in 2011. Some can now be seen on display at this small but fascinating museum housed in a colonial mansion built atop the palace of Tupac Yupanqui. While the artifacts are interesting, the real reason to go is for the video, which presents research findings on these pieces. If you have time, visit the museum before your trip to Machu Picchu for a deeper understanding of what is currently known, and still unknown, about this world wonder.
Calle Santa Catalina Ancha 320, Cusco, Cusco, Peru084-255–535Sight Details
Rate Includes: S/20, Closed Sun. -
8. Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo
Plaza Regocijo | Museum/GalleryTake a refreshing turn back toward the present in this city of history. As is typically the case in Cusco, the museum is housed in a colonial mansion. But the art exhibits, which rotate constantly, display some of the best work that contemporary Peruvian artists have to offer.
Portal Espinar 270, Cusco, Cusco, Peru084-240–006Sight Details
Rate Includes: Boleto Turístico, Closed Sun.
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