Getting Around

Getting around Cusco is straightforward and relatively simple, especially because so many of the city sights are in walking distance of the Plaza de Armas in the historic center. You will mostly depend on leg power and omnipresent, inexpensive taxis to make your way around town.

A Safety Note -- Over the years, Cusco, which on the surface seems to be an easygoing, if increasingly congested, Andean city, has earned a reputation for being somewhat unsafe for foreign visitors, especially at night, when violent muggings (some using the "chokehold" method) have been known to occur on empty streets. There have also been reports of rapes, attempted rapes, and other sexual assaults in the past couple of years. While I have never had a problem in the city in more than 20 years, it's advisable to take some precautions and remain vigilant at all times. Do not walk alone late at night (young women should travel in groups larger than two); have restaurants and bars call registered taxis to transfer you to your hotel. Be wary of unlicensed, rogue taxis in the city and surrounding environs. Young people staying in inexpensive hostels should be particularly cautious of hotel visitors and belongings. Robberies and attacks have occurred at the ruins at Sacsayhuamán on the outskirts of the city and even along the Inca Trail.

Hang a Right at Donkey Lips -- Cusco is littered with difficult-to-pronounce, wildly spelled street names that date to Inca times. In the bohemian neighborhood of San Blas, though, they're particularly colorful. Here's a primer of atmospheric street names and their literal meanings:

Atoqsayk'uchi -- Where the fox got tired

Tandapata -- Place of taking turns

Asnoqchutun -- Donkey lips

Siete Diablitos -- Seven Little Devils

Siete Angelitos -- Seven Little Angels

Usphacalle -- Place of sterility/place of ashes

Saqracalle -- Where the demons dwell

Pumaphaqcha -- Puma's tail

Cajonpata -- Place shaped like a box

Rayanpata -- Place of myrtle flowers

One to seek out: P'asñapakana -- Where the young women are hidden

And, finally, one to avoid: P'aqlachapata -- Place of bald men

By Foot

Most of Cusco is best navigated by foot, although because of the city's 11,000-foot elevation and steep climbs, walking is demanding. Allow extra time to get around, and carry a bottle of water. You can walk to the major ruins just beyond the city -- Sacsayhuamán and Q'enko -- but you should be rather fit to do so. It's also best to undertake those walks in a small group and not alone.

By Taxi

Unlike in Lima, taxis are regulated in Cusco and charge standard rates (although they do not have meters). Taxis are inexpensive (S/2-S/3 or 60-85¢ for any trip within the historic core during the day, S/3-S/5 or 85¢-$1.40 at night) and are a good way to get around, especially at night. Hailing a cab in Cusco is considerably less daunting than in Lima, but you still should call a registered taxi when traveling from your hotel to train or bus stations or the airport, and when returning to your hotel late at night (there have been reports of muggings and even rapes tied to rogue taxis). Licensed taxi companies include Okarina (tel. 084/247-080) and Aló Cusco (tel. 084/222-222). Taxis can be hired for return trips to nearby ruins or for half or full days. To the airport, taxis charge S/10 ($2.85) from the city center; to the distant Terminal Terrestre (bus station), they charge S/7 ($2).

By Tranvia

A tranvía is a vehicle designed to look like the old mule-pulled streetcars that once traversed Cusco; they cart visitors around the city on sightseeing tours for a modest sum. Catch the Tranvía de Cusco on the Plaza de Armas, departing at 10 and 11:30am and 2pm, 3:30, and 5pm. Tours last 85 minutes and cost S/7 ($2) for adults and S/5 ($1.40) for students. For more information, call tel. 084/962-732.

By Bus

Most buses -- called variously colectivos, micros, and combis -- cost S/1.5 (40¢), slightly more after midnight, on Sunday, and on holidays. You aren't likely to need buses often, or ever, within the city, though the colectivos that run up and down Avenida El Sol are also a useful option for some hotels, travel agencies, and shopping markets (taxis are much easier and not much more expensive). A bus departs from Plaza San Francisco to the airport, but it isn't very convenient. Buses and combis are most frequently used to travel from Cusco to towns in the Sacred Valley, such as Pisac, Calca, and Urubamba. Those buses depart from small terminals on Calle Puputi s/n cdra. 2 (via Pisac) and Av. Grau s/n cdra. 1 (via Chinchero).

By Train

The most popular means to visit Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley sights is by train. Trains to Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu Pueblo (also called Aguas Calientes) leave from Estación de San Pedro, Calle Cascaparo s/n (tel. 084/221-352 or 084/221-313), southwest of the Plaza de Armas. Reservations for these trains, especially in high season (May-Sept), should be made at least a day in advance. Make reservations online at www.perurail.com or by calling PeruRail at Estación Huanchaq, Av. Pachacútec s/n (tel. 084/238-722).

By Car

Renting a car in the Cusco region -- more than likely to visit the beautiful Sacred Valley mountain villages -- is a more practical idea than in most parts of Peru. Rental agencies include Avis, Av. El Sol 808 (tel. 084/248-800), and Localiza, Av. Industrial J-3, Urbanización Huancaro (tel. 084/233-131). Rates range from S/140 ($40) per day for a standard four-door to S/227.50 ($65) per day for a Jeep Cherokee four-wheel-drive. Check also with 4x4 Cusco, Urb. San Borja, Huanchaq (tel. 084/227-730; www.4x4cusco.com), which has pickups and even Toyota Land Cruisers.

For information on driving around the Cusco department, and in case of emergencies, contact the Touring Automóvil Club del Perú, Av. El Sol 349, second floor (tel. 084/224-561). The office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and 3:30 to 7:30pm, and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.