Cusco with Kids
Are you planning a family holiday to Peru and wondering how to keep children entertained in Cusco? Read on for our favourite family-friendly activities in and around the city.
While Cusco is best known as the gateway to Machu Picchu, it is also a really family-friendly city with parks, Inca sites, markets, festivals and easy walks that children can enjoy.
I’ve been travelling to Peru with my son since he was one year old – we even celebrated his first birthday there. Over the years, Cusco has become a second home to him. He progressed from chasing pigeons around the Plaza de Armas and collecting rocks and minerals to joining me on multi-day treks in the high Andes. Now, at 18, he loves the cafes, tourist shops, mountain views, and chilled atmosphere of Cusco.
Harriet from the Andean Trails team recently travelled through Peru with her children, aged 6 and 9. Here are some of their favourite activities in and around Cusco.
Urpicha slide park: the best play park in Cusco for the kids
The kids said: “Basically there are loads of slides, one you can go on together, two kids can slide next to each other, the red one is as high as a house!”
By far my kids’ favourite thing was the Urpicha slide park — it’s right next to the massive Pachacútec statue in the middle of the main avenue, so you can’t miss it. It’s basically a bunch of towering steel slides, and you climb up these spiral staircases, multiple levels, then zoom down. There’re maybe seven slides, all different levels of difficulty, and honestly everyone from two-year-olds to fifteen-year-olds (or older — I loved it too!) will have a blast. While you’re there you can also climb up the statue itself and get a view across Cusco, which is a nice little bonus.
Tambomachay
We also did an enjoyable day hike — you take a bus or taxi up to the Tambomachay ruins, then walk back down into town. It’s a really achievable hike for kids because it’s all downhill, and you pass loads of different Inca sites (and places to grab something to eat) on the way, so it stays exploratory and fun.
Sacsayhuamán, Exploring Cusco’s Inca Ruins with Children
The kids said: “We liked going through the tunnel at Sacsayhuamán”
Sacsayhuamán is the final ruin on the hike and a great spot for a picnic. You could also just go straight there, it’s not such a tough hike. You go straight on up Pumacurco Street from Plaza Nazarenas, then hike down via San Blas.
My kids loved exploring the site and scrambling around the grassy terraces, and kept wanting to go back.
Festivals and Football matches in Cusco
There’s almost always some kind of fiesta going on — so tracking down your local one and joining in is one of our favourite things to do. Just a heads up, by the end of the day there are quite a lot of drunk people around, so keep an eye out and head home early.
If you can’t find a fiesta, then go to a football game: check with local people first to ensure it’s not going to be rough, and even if you don’t like football, this can be fun. There is a constant stream of snacks, soft drinks, singing, brass bands and more singing. The theatrics on the pitch is also very entertaining: sometimes it’s more like WWF than football! The Cusco teams have a pretty good home advantage, being accustomed to over 3000m, when playing lowlanders.
Watching local life unfold is often more memorable for children (and us adults sometimes!) as visiting famous archaeological sites.
Pots, pots and more pots
My kids tend to get a bit bored by repeated ceramics displays, but in the courtyard of the Inka museum we went to a demonstration where they filled some of the vessels with water and then reproduced wonderful animal sounds like jaguar, ducks and grouse-like birds.
The kids could hold these replicas and make the sounds themselves. They also played all sorts of ceramic whistles and flutes.
And this was way more fun than “looking at a bunch of pots”.
Temple of the Sun, Coricancha, An Inca Site Kids Will Enjoy
The kids said: “Inca stones are so intricate that you don’t need cement to stick them together”
Another thing that worked well was getting a guide to take us round the Temple of the Sun (Coricancha). The guide we had was so engaging with the kids — really liked explaining stuff and just rolled with it when they had about a million questions. They wanted to know how the buildings were built, how the rocks all lined up so perfectly, how the walls didn’t fall down in earthquakes — that kind of thing. They were also really into the more spiritual side, like where the sun and moon would come up and line up with the architecture. And, of course, being kids, they absolutely loved the gory stories about the Spanish invasion.
Horrible Histories, here we come — kids just love that stuff, don’t they? It is well worth reading the Horrible Histories book on the Incredible Incas before you go.
San Pedro food and handicraft market, juice, snacks, popcorn and more….
The kids said: “Its different to home because there are lots of street sellers. I liked the popcorn, it was sooo good.”
Top recommendation – San Pedro Market. My kids loved going and buying dried fruit, getting to taste it first, and then picking what to take in our trail mix. There’s fresh fruit too, and vendors will often give you samples. Try to go around 4pm-ish because that’s when all the snacks come out — popcorn, picarones (sweet potato donuts), that kind of thing.
Freshly made tasty evening snacks that won’t make you ill, which, let’s be honest, is really what it’s all about with kids.
FAQs
1. Is Cusco suitable for children and families?
Yes. Cusco is fabulous for children. The combination of history, outdoor activities, markets and open spaces makes it a really family-friendly city. Children can run around ancient Inca sites, try new foods, watch football, enjoy traditional festivals, feed guinea pigs, llamas and alpacas, do water sports, go walking, biking, make chocolate… and more. It is one of the easiest towns in South America to enjoy as a family.
2. Is there a minimum age for visiting Machu Picchu?
Most children aged six or above would enjoy exploring Machu Picchu. Particularly if combined with time exploring Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
3. What about the Inca Trail, is it good for kids?
We recommend the trek for kids aged 8 and over, so long as they are used to long walking days.
4. How many days should families spend in Cusco?
We recommend at least three to four days to explore and get the most out of Cusco before travelling onward to Machu Picchu.
5. Is the altitude difficult for children?
Children generally adapt surprisingly well, but it is important to take things slowly during the first couple of days. Allow a few days for acclimatisation as the city sits at 3,400 metres above sea level.
6.What should we carry with us?
Take plenty of water and some snacks, wear a hat and use sunblock. Layers are useful as temperatures can change quickly during the day. As soon as the sun goes in it can get chilly. Sometimes it’s cooler inside than out too.
7.When is the best time to visit Cusco with kids?
You can visit Cusco any time of the year, generally April to November are the drier months. Expect warm sunny days and cooler evenings and nights. It gets dark at 6pm pretty much all year round.
8.Where else should we take the kids?
Many families combine Cusco with time in the Sacred Valley, where there are also plenty of activities to keep the whole family happy. For older kids there are excellent opportunities for cycling, rafting, horse riding, community tourism, homestays at traditional villages, workshops in cooking, weaving and spending a day on a local farm.
9.What sort of food can we expect to find in Cusco?
Peru offers superb food and has become well known as a destination for foodies. Cusco, along with Lima, offers a range of excellent quality restaurants to suit all tastes. Harriet’s kids loved pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken), ubiquitous in Peru. My son has always loved pizza, which is also widely available. Thankfully, he now has a broader range of tastes!
10. Can we do some homestay or community tourism with our family?
Yes, there are plenty of opportunities to stay with local families and share in highland Peruvian family life. We can organise this on the slopes of Ausangate or in the Sacred Valley near Cusco. You’ll help with farming activities, cooking, weaving and herding llamas and alpacas.
In Summary
Cusco is a great family destination and far more than a stop on the way to Machu Picchu. From play parks, mysterious Inca sites to busy local markets, football matches, colourful festivals, and fabulous food there is always plenty to do in Cusco.
If you are planning a family holiday to Peru, we can help design an itinerary that balances history, culture, wildlife and adventure for all ages. Many of us have travelled extensively in Peru with our own children and can offer practical advice based on our own experiences.
About the authors
Kathy has been to Peru many times with her son over the past 19 years.
Harriet recently travelled through Peru with her children aged 6 and 9.
They both work with Andean Trails, a UK specialist tour operator that has been organising family holidays in Peru and South America since 1998.
