Pisco, Planetarium, & Pollo

Your Cusco Night and Planetarium trip starts with a pick-up from your hotel at 3 pm by your guide.

The first part of the tour is on foot. We walk 8-10 minutes through the historic center of Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to the local San Pedro Market. Take it easy if you have just arrived in Cusco and its high altitude (3,400m/11,155ft). There is plenty of time to explore.

More about San Pedro Market

As we approach San Pedro Market you will notice street vendors in traditional dress, selling snacks, herbs, and other dry foods. Once we are inside, prepare your senses. There is a myriad of stalls inside, selling everything from local food to souvenirs to freshly squeezed juices from a dizzying array of fruits. If you choose to drink juice, make sure yours is made with bottled water to avoid an upset stomach.

Haggling can be great fun – as well as trying local fruits and foods – and your guide can help with any purchases you wish to make. There are a variety of medicinal plants on display, too.

Pisco and Plaza de Armas 

Back on the streets, we walk to the center of Cusco, the Plaza de Armas. Here you will see some beautiful balconies and covered walkways. The central talking point is Cusco Cathedral, The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin (Cusco Cathedral). It was built between 1560 and 1654 in the Gothic-Renaissance style.

Having seen the outside of the cathedral, we find a local café and try the famous Peruvian cocktail – Pisco sour! Pisco sours are made with a grape brandy called Pisco and then whisked up with lime juice, syrup, and egg white. There are plenty of delicious non-alcoholic options, too.

Cusco Planetarium

Having enjoyed a refreshing drink, we hop into our waiting vehicle and drive 15 minutes to the outskirts of Cusco. High up in the Andes, the air is clear, making it perfect for stargazing. Cusco’s Planetarium lies amid the archaeological site of Saqsayhuaman.

Specialist guides show you the night skies as seen through the eyes in the Incas. Look through powerful telescopes, homed in a typical adobe house, at the beautiful night sky.

We visit the Interpretation Center first and then visit The Dome, both of which educate and prepare us for looking at the constellations. 

Through powerful telescopes, you see stars, planets, nebulae, and the constellations of the southern skies – a real treat. The light of the stars has traveled millions of years, just for you to see in these special moments.

Note: Tours are subject to weather conditions; constellations depend on the time of year of the visit.

Evening meal in a local restaurant

Having feasted our eyes on the starry sky, thoughts now turn to our stomachs. We drive back down into Cusco to a restaurant frequented by locals for not one by two true Peruvian classics. Pollo a la Brasa with Inka Kola.

This is blackened rotisserie chicken, eaten with salad and French fries, washed down with the most typical drink of Peru, Inca Kola. Bellies full, we take a post-prandial stroll back to Plaza de Armas, lit up beautifully at night.

Join our Cusco night and planetarium tour for fine food, drink, and of course, the stars.  

Don’t forget to read our FAQs, covering altitude, money, COVID, and more.

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