Cusco sits at 3,400 metres (11,152 feet) above sea level — high enough that most visitors feel the altitude in the first 24 hours. The city was the capital of the Inca Empire; the altitude is part of why the Incas built it where they did, and part of what the modern visitor has to plan around.
Altitude sickness hits most people as a headache, mild nausea and shortness of breath. The classic mitigation is a slow first day — walk slowly, drink water, skip alcohol, and try the coca-leaf tea (mate de coca) that every Cusco cafe serves. Acetazolamide (Diamox) prescribed before travel helps if you are especially sensitive.
Despite the altitude, Cusco is highly walkable. The Plaza de Armas, the Qoricancha, San Blas’s artisan district and the Sacsayhuaman walls above the city are all within half an hour of each other. Take it slowly on day one, then step up as the body adjusts.
Timing matters. The dry season — May to September — gives clear skies and cool nights (down to 0 °C in June and July); the wet season brings afternoon rain but fewer crowds.
Many visitors prefer to acclimatise in the Sacred Valley at 2,800 metres before coming up to Cusco — a milder option if you are flying in from the coast. Peruways builds the pacing into the itinerary.
