18+ Incredible Things to Do in Cusco with Kids + Expert Tips (2025)

Like it? Share it!

Last Updated on December 5, 2025 by Ariana Svenson

Planning a trip to Cusco with kids? We have gathered together this list of fantastic tips for a trip to Cusco. This UNESCO World Heritage site is located in the high Peruvian Andes and is the former capital of the Inca Empire. There’s so much to do here with kids, even if you linger awhile and delve a little deeper into this fascinating city,

Cusco, Peru, is a city that is near and dear to our hearts. We have visited many times, lived there for over 10 years and our daughter was born there. So, we really know a thing or two about traveling in and around Cusco. I love Cusco and really feel that its my second home. 

After living in Peru for years, I co-founded Apus Peru Adventure Travel Specialists in 2005 (hard to believe that was 20 years ago!)  Back then, I was focused on adventure travel and taking people off the beaten track. As I have grown older, and had children, my perspective has changed, and our company now offers accessible and authentic tours for families. In short, I take my own experiences travelling with children and use them to create great trips for parents and children.  You can see one of my favourite family trips at 12 day Peru family tour. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Cusco for kids!

This post may contain affiliate links, from which we would earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More info in my disclaimer.

Is Cusco kid-friendly?

Cusco is an incredible city to visit with kids. It’s small and walkable, has welcoming locals, and a huge amount of family-friendly things to do. You’ll find playgrounds, many kid-friendly activities, and your children will be welcomed. Cusco is located high in the Andes (over 3,400 meters above sea level), so taking it slow is the secret to a happy visit. Planning your activities with plenty of downtime goes a long way when staying at this altitude.

Is Cusco safe for kids?

Yes! You’ll find people who are warm, patient, and genuinely kind to kids. Peru, in general, is considered one of the safest countries in South America, and Cusco has that same calm, welcoming energy.

Remember that “Cusco city” and the wider “Cusco region” are not the same thing. The region stretches far into the Andes and includes remote mountain areas that are very different from one another. As always, take the same simple precautions you’d use at home: keep an eye on your bags in busy markets, use official taxis after dark, and follow your country’s travel advice.

Fantastic Things to do in Cusco with Kids

Cusco is not just a stop before visiting Machu Picchu; it’s so much more! From playgrounds to chocolate-making classes, there are loads here to keep kids entertained and curious about the world around them.

1. Playgrounds of Cusco

Yup, I have listed the playgrounds of Cusco at number 1 in Cusco with kids! Why? Because if you have small kids, sooner or later, they are going to want to play!

In my first week on Instagram (ever!), I posted a picture of a playground. Someone commented that “there had been no playgrounds in Cusco.” I felt so sad for them. There are SO many playgrounds in Cusco that we love, almost a small one in every neighborhood. Especially if you are traveling for a while and haven’t seen a playground, make sure that you plan to visit one or two while in Cusco!

Our favorites are Urpicha and Marianito Ferrro. Both are within walking distance of the center (though it’s a long walk), or ask your hotel to arrange a taxi. We’d go to Marianito Fero first, followed by a walk down the long promenade to the Statue of Pachacutec, and finish up at the Urpicha Park. On Sundays, it turns into a fairground with a number of electronic rides (that you need to pay for).

For older kids, there are some seriously crazy slides at Pukllaycancha near the airport.

2. Plaza de Armas of Cusco

Once the literal heart of the Inca Empire, Huacaypata is now known as the Plaza de Armas.   The royal palaces of the Incas are long gone, but the special energy remains. We will sit and soak up the sunshine, enjoy the ambiance, and feed the pigeons. There are plenty of people to watch! There are often local events and gatherings here, too.

Parents of toddlers, BE AWARE – the grass must not be played on! Should your errant little step on the precious green, the tourist police will blow their whistle! EEEP! Other squares that we like to play in are Plaza San Blas, Plaza Recogicio, or Plaza San Francisco (all located within the center).

3. Experience Chocolate Making at the Chocolate Museum – Choco Museo Cusco: One of the Best in South America

Cusco has the very first Choco Museo (chocolate museum) in Peru! You’ll now find Choco Museums in Lima, the Sacred Valley, and another location in Cusco, plus Latin American cities like Cartagena, Granada, or Antigua.

We definitely recommend doing a class at the Choco Museo because they are simply awesome! Their interactive chocolate-making is a hit with kids from about 6 upwards, as you literally learn the process that turns your favorite sweet from the Bean to the Bar.   If you are short of time, there are also mini chocolate-making classes that might be better for kids aged 4 and up. Make sure you read our Cusco Choco Museum review for detailed info.

4. The Local Markets of Cusco

San Pedro market most definitely warrants an hour or more of investigation to see Peruvian curios like dried baby alpacas and a range of other items that are used in Peru’s traditional medicines.  

In the food section, you can try local cheese or check out the frogs for sale. We highly recommend trying a “jugo,” which is a juice prepared fresh before your very eyes!!! Delicious! (But don’t try this if you are not confident eating foods in markets – what works for us, might not be advisable for you)  

Cusco for Kids – Delve Into History

There are many wonderful churches, Incan ruins, and museums in Cusco. Though they are not necessarily that “kid-friendly” if you are traveling with smaller kids, I would certainly prioritize which ones you want to see and make sure the kids are well fed & exercised beforehand! Here’s what you need to know:

5. Museo Inka and the 12 Angled Stone

Just a short walk from the Plaza de Armas, the Museo Inka is one of Cusco’s best stops for curious kids who love stories of ancient civilizations. The museum is inside a beautiful old colonial building and has a large collection of Incan artifacts, including jewelry, textiles, pottery, and even well-preserved mummies.

The displays aren’t overly interactive, so it’s best for slightly older kids (around 7+) who can handle a bit of quiet exploring and enjoy hearing the tales of the Inca Empire brought to life.

Once you’ve finished inside, wander just around the corner to find one of Cusco’s most famous pieces of Incan stonework. The 12-Angled Stone (Hatunrumiyoc) is set into a wall on a narrow cobbled street, and kids always love the challenge of counting the sides to see if they can find all twelve.

6. Coricancha (Convento of Santo Domingo)

The Coricancha, also known as the Temple of the Sun, is one of Cusco’s most impressive historical sites and surprisingly fun for kids, too.

Once the most important temple in the entire Inca Empire, the stone walls are beautiful and carefully built, so that even centuries later, you can’t fit a sheet of paper between the joints. Today, the Incan foundations lie beneath the Convento de Santo Domingo, a Spanish colonial church built atop the temple after the conquest.

There’s plenty of open space here for kids to stretch their legs and explore, especially in the surrounding gardens. Inside, you’ll find small exhibits that tell the story of how the temple once glittered with gold. Its walls were said to be decorated with golden panels before the Spanish conquest and looted soon after.

7. Visit the Cathedral of Cusco 

Lovers of religious art will not want to miss the famous Cusco School painting of Jesus and his disciples enjoying guinea pig for the Last Supper. If you would like to enjoy the art inside the Cathedral, the kids will be happy to run up the steps outside (under the eye of a parent, of course!).

8. Sacsayhuaman and the Four Ruins

Sacsayhuaman (yes, it’s kind of pronounced “sexy woman”!) is the amazing fortress located above Cusco, near the white Christ statue that you can see from many points around town. 

It’s a spectacular construction, and all you need to do is say to your kids, “and how do you think that they moved those stones, to get their creative minds pumping. 

Some people like to combine a visit to Sacsayhuaman with the other ruins in this area – PucaPukara, TamboMachay, and Qenqo; or potentially you could do a horse riding tour of these ruins.   

To visit these ruins, you will need a Boleto Turistico, which is valid for 10 days and includes a range of different ruins in Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

If you’re looking for an easy, family-friendly way to explore, the private Sacsayhuaman and Cusco Ruins Tour is the perfect choice. Everything is taken care of, from tickets, transport, and a knowledgeable local guide. If you like, you can even add horseback riding.

9. An Evening Out at Cusco Planetarium

If your kids have even a spark of curiosity about space or science, the Cusco Planetarium is an ideal evening activity. The Planetarium is located in the hills above Cusco near Sacsayhuamán. It’s a 15-20 minute drive from the center, or you can book an evening guided tour.

You’ll learn how the Inca once read the sky to guide their farming and festivals, and you’ll watch a short stargazing show featuring a 360° virtual projection of the southern sky.

Weather permitting, you’ll have the chance to do some telescope viewing. Age-wise, there’s generally no limit, but the experience is recommended for kids age 7+.

Make sure you bring warm clothes as evenings can get a little cold. Plan this for towards the end of your Cusco stay when everyone has adjusted to the altitude.

10. Learn About Traditional Textiles

There are a few options here. In the center of Cusco on Avenida el Sol, you’ll find the Center for Traditional Textiles. You can visit this amazing museum and learn about the local weaving traditions.

Inside, you can watch local artisans at work on their backstrap looms, turning alpaca and llama wool into stunning creations. You’ll also see live demonstrations of natural dyes in action. Kids will also love learning about the different colors, all made from local sources.

Before you leave, pop into the shop where you can buy handwoven scarves, hats, ponchos, or blankets. Prices are fair and the quality is exceptional.

Note, you can also learn about Andean textiles at a number of different places in the Sacred Valley, for example Huaran – or en route to the Sacred Valley, either at Awanacancha (en route to Pisac) or Chinchero (best combined with Maras, and Moray). 

11. Markets

Cusco is full of tourist markets that offer all sorts of fun shopping and bargaining experiences. Finger puppets and Andean dolls are always popular with the kids. You can also buy brightly colored beanies, gloves, and sweaters that will remind you of your Peru holiday for years to come!

The salespeople will always tell you things are made of “baby alpaca,” but if you are buying it for about $10, then I’d be doubtful!  For the kids, they can practice their basic Spanish by asking how much things cost or even try their hand at bargaining.

Note: As a rule, we believe that aggressive bargaining is not respectful to the local people.  However, a little fun banter won’t go astray in the Cusco tourist markets, where they witness it on a daily basis.  It is a different matter in the high altitude communities, though, where they don’t bargain so happily.

12. Food, Glorious Food! Incredible Culinary Delights

Cusco is a cosmopolitan city with some truly amazing restaurants from a number of Peruvian celebrity chefs. Modern-day Cusco is certainly a place that celebrates and elevates the wonders of Peruvian cuisine.

When we are traveling with kids, we don’t usually visit the gourmet restaurants of Gaston Acurio and Coque Ossio.  But rest easy, there are plenty of options kids enjoy, including a plethora of pizzerias, pollerias (the name for chicken-and-chips restaurants), and, worst-case scenario, there is even a McDonald’s in Cusco these days. Our very favorite polleria is Los Toldos, on the corner of Alamagro.

13. Get A Super Memorable Photo

In the mountains around Cusco, many local people still wear their traditional dress, day to day. However, some people dress in traditional dress and take lambs and alpacas to the central streets of Cusco because their job is a “photographic model” for tourists.

We’ve always felt awkward about this particular job. On the other hand, good for the people who do it as long as they don’t exploit small children or treat their animals badly.

If you choose to get your photo taken with one of these photographic models (and their super cute lambs!), then please work out a price before you take the photo. Then honor your word!

14. Learn about Typical Peruvian Dances

If you are lucky or with some good planning, you might be in Cusco for one of the very frequent fiestas. There are quite literally traditional celebrations year-round, and it is not uncommon to step outside and stumble upon the most colorful, passionate, and enchanting typical celebration occurring! 

Apart from consulting the Apus Peru Cultural Events Calendar, if you want to be sure to get in some dancing, we love Picantería La Cusquenita.  Our kids, aged 5 and 2.5, were captivated, which means we think this should be on the list of Cusco family activities.

15.  Paint a Torito Bull

This is on my bucket list for our next trip  – an  experience of painting your own pucara bull with the guidance of an expert art and painting graduate. 

Cusco for Kids Older than 8 – Tweens & Teens 

Here are some activities that we’d love to do with Tweens and Teens (in addition to the list above):

16. Cusco Cooking Classes

We love getting our hands dirty, and cooking classes are that and more! There is a range of cooking schools in Cusco, some newer than others.

Peruvian Cooking Classes get good reviews from families at the moment, but we have not tried it. Mumma has done a class with Rooftop Kitchen, and they said that they would accept children for private classes.

17. Learn Spanish

You would need to spend at least 5 days in Cusco to attend daily Spanish lessons. It all depends on the kids’ ages, but when inquiring, I would opt for private 1:1 classes rather than trying to fit into the Spanish school programs, which can be a little convoluted. The best thing about learning Spanish in Cusco with kids is that they get to practice every day!

18. Explore the Sacred Valley

There is a lot of amazing stuff to do in the Sacred Valley with tweens or teens. It sits between Cusco and Machu Picchu and is a must-visit on a trip to Peru.

In fact, we would actually recommend going to the Sacred Valley first, in order to acclimatise, then onto Machu Picchu, before ending your trip in Cusco. 

If you’re not planning to visit the Sacred Valley afterward, why not take a day trip? This Classic Sacred Valley tour is a long day and only suited to older kids rather than little ones (it’s a private tour for just your group), but you’ll be able to see the best of the Sacred Valley in a short amount of time. You’ll visit the lowland area between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, which is known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Throughout the day, you’ll also see picturesque villages, agricultural terraces, and many archaeological sites. Discover the Classic Sacred Valley Tour here.

Two things you can do en route to Pisac, in the Sacred Valley are: 

19. Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary

The Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary is just 25 minutes from the city on the road to Pisac. You’ll have the chance to see pumas, alpacas, llamas, macaws, and even the rare Andean bear. The sanctuary’s mission focuses on education and rehabilitation, and your entrance fee directly supports the care and release programs for the animals (Note, I’ve always skipped this one because I didn’t think that they treated the animals well. Recent reviews indicate this may have changed, so this is on my list for our next trip to Cusco) 

20. Awanacancha

Not far from Ccochahuasi, there’s also Awana Kancha, where you can learn about local textiles. Here, you can also get up close to local animals, such as alpacas, llamas, vicuñas, and guanacos. It’s located just outside the city on the road to the Sacred Valley. You can also see hands-on demonstrations of traditional weaving and natural dyeing, and learn about how it’s still practiced today.

Planning a Trip to Cusco with Kids + Practical Tips

After living in Cusco for 10 years, I know a thing or two about planning a trip to Cusco. Here’s my advice!

Altitude Acclimatization

Altitude sickness is one of the common worries amongst families planning a trip to Cusco. The city sits at 3,400m above sea level. Signs of altitude sickness include shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, or fatigue. However, with a little planning, you can easily visit without any issues. For in-depth info, read our guide to acclimatizing to altitude with kids.

The main things to note are to take your first day very slowly to give your body time to adjust, stay hydrated, and have plenty of rest, especially once you arrive. After you’ve rested, start off with light meals. If symptoms become uncomfortable, rest and ask your hotel for oxygen if needed.

Many adults find coca tea or herbal infusions helpful, but warm water or chamomile tea works well for kids. If you have a headache, glucosamine is available in most pharmacies in town.

Where to Stay in Cusco with Kids

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco, Peru, is the tourism capital of the Americas! As expected, there is a plethora of Cusco family accommodation options! From the most opulent luxury, to the simplest home-stay and hostels with the best parties you will ever have – Cusco has it all.

To add to those places are those that are uphill, downhill, difficult to access, or not even accessible by car! Some of these are not extremely clear when you are booking, which, of course, makes it hard to know where to book accommodation. Especially if traveling to Cusco with kids, it is important to make careful choices and know what to do with kids.

When booking, try hard to find out how far up the hill all the places are. With the altitude making it hard to breathe even on a short walk, this can really make or break a stay in Cusco. 

Cusco is divided into several main parts:

• Central Cusco: Around the Plaza de Armas & Avenida Sol, including Recoleta and Zaguan Del Cielo, is “relatively flat” (by Cusco standards) and an easy walk for the whole family to lots of the main sights. This is a great area to stay when traveling to Cusco with kids, and it is also near family-friendly restaurants and attractions.
• Lower down on Avenida Sol or Pardo: Look for the Post Office on the map. Most locations below that on either of these two arterial streets will require a reasonable walk, though probably in the morning on the way to the center rather than the afternoon.
• Barrio San Blas & Recoleta: Requires a steep walk; many parts are inaccessible by taxi. Some San Blas properties are absolutely gorgeous, but the walk home at the end of the day is likely steep!  With an old-world street layout, there are plenty of places that are inaccessible by taxi.
• Barrio San Pedro & Santa Ana: Less touristy, more authentic. Has lots of uphill sections.
• The rest of the city, including the ‘modern’ parts: It’s worth noting that the rest of the city is where the bulk of the people live. The Historic Center of Cusco is a delightful (and safe) place to spend your time, but it is also more expensive. The rest of the city is best accessed by taxi (not walking).

Check out our recommendations, Best Hotels In Cusco For Families, for detailed info.

Consider Renting an Apartment As Your Base for Exploring Cusco with Kids

As Cusco is a place you can easily base yourself for a week or more, you might consider getting an Airbnb apartment, and this is our number 1 recommendation for Cusco family accommodation.

Location is IMPORTANT. Whenever we have looked at reasonably priced large places, many of them are in the new but distant San Sebastian and La Rapa neighborhoods. There is nothing wrong with these except they are really far from the center, and if you intend to travel there each day, you may spend about 20 minutes or more in a taxi, or much longer in a combi. 

We love taking local transport, but don’t take anything valuable, as there are definitely places where pickpockets do business. (For locals… not for tourists…!) 

There are good neighborhoods (think Magisterio & Marcavalle) and others that aren’t well-known, but we love them for their convenience (around the Confraternidad or La Florida).

Please don’t hesitate to write and ask us if you would like an opinion on the location of a place you are looking at!

Plan an Incredible Family Trip to Cusco and Onwards – Machu Picchu, The Inca Trail and More

To make your trip planning super easy, we always recommend booking a guided tour so you can make the most of your time and explore hidden gems with a tour guide.

Apus Peru is a locally based, responsible tour company with plenty of family-friendly adventures available. They will work with you to find an ideal itinerary for you and your family, whether you’re looking for a one-day tour like this Cusco half day city tour, or a guided multi-day family hike to Machu Picchu, such as the Lares trek, or to explore the best places in Peru with this 12 day best of Peru tour.

Planning a Trip To Peru with Kids – Find More Useful Info Here

We have THE best resources on planning a Peru trip with kidsavailable. Get your planning started with our guide to planning a Peru family vacation(from the US) or planning a Peru family holiday (from the UK/Australia. To decide where to visit, our 2 week Peru itinerary for familiesshould be your go-to. The top areas to visit and our guides include:

• Lima with kids – the ideal starting point for your trip
• Peru’s Southern Coast with kids
• The Peruvian Amazon Jungle – Here’s our Refugio Amazonas Review
• The Sacred Valley with kids and, of course, Machu Picchu with kids

If you want to know more about other destinations for your family vacation in South America, read our guide about them! We also offer great South America travel tips!

We also recommend you to introduce your kids to Peru’s culture and legends through our favorite Peruvian Children’s books.

Map of the Best Things to do in Cusco with Kids – One of the Top Travel Destinations in South America

Final Words

So there we go, the most comprehensive guide to visiting Cusco with children you’ll find! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

To bring your trip together, contact Apus Peru for advice on the best private family itinerary for you. If you already have a trip in mind, Apus can help you tailor it for your family’s needs. You’ll benefit from a private guide and transport, a child-friendly pace, a connection to local communities, and the chance to discover hidden gems. Ready to start planning Cusco with kids?

Contact Apus Peru today >>>

 

Like It> Pin It> Fantastic Tips for Cusco with Kids

Like it? Share it!