The next must see in Peru is the city of Cusco and the Sacred Valley. A vague recommendation but there are months worth of Incan ruins, colonial highlights, museums, adventure activities, restaurants, spas, and nightlife to soak up. This small city is one of the most beautiful cities in South America with a small Spanish colonial historic center and fashioned with clay tiled roofs for a uniformity that makes every picture turn out perfectly. Remnants of the Inca can be found literally all around you with much of the historic center built with or on top of Inca stone foundations.

It is best to start your time in Cusco with a half day city tour. You will be given a guided tour of the ruins of Q’enko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay all of which lie just above the city. Your guide will explain the significance of each set of ruins before taking you to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Sacsayhuaman not only provides breath-taking panoramas of the city of Cusco located in the valley below, but it is also an impressive display of Incan architectural superiority. The stone work has yet been matched by modern technology, let alone by manual laborers.

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