The 5 best museums in Cusco (great for rainy days)

Cusco isn’t just Inca ruins: its colonial palaces and churches house first-rate museums that tell the story of the meeting between the Andean and Spanish worlds.

Museums are the ideal plan for your first acclimatization day or for escaping a downpour in the rainy season. Here are the 5 worth visiting.

1. Museo Inka: essential archaeology

If you want to understand the Inca Empire, start here.

• Focus. It’s the most complete archaeological museum in Cusco, with a large collection of Inca pottery, textiles, metalwork and mummies.
• Where it is. Near the Plaza de Armas.
• Why go. It gives you the visual and historical context you need to understand Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuamán.

2. Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP): aesthetics and metalwork

Set in a beautiful colonial mansion, the museum is devoted to the art of the pre-Inca and Inca cultures.

• Focus. Pieces in gold, silver, wood and ceramic chosen for their artistic value, not just their historical value.
• Best for. Art and design lovers.

3. ChocoMuseo (Chocolate Museum): fun and flavor

It’s the most interactive (and tastiest) museum in Cusco. Great for families and anyone with a sweet tooth.

• Focus. The history of cacao in Peru. There are workshops where you learn to make your own chocolate (optional, at an extra cost).
• Best for. Travelers who want a fun half-day activity and a tasty souvenir to take home.

4. Museo de Arte Religioso: colonial and baroque art

Housed in the Archbishop’s Palace, it’s the place to see the fusion of Andean art and Spanish Catholicism.

• Focus. Paintings from the famous Cusco School, which blends European techniques with Andean symbols, and baroque religious art.
• Where it is. Near the Plaza de Armas.

5. Qorikancha: museum and archaeological site (Temple of the Sun)

Although entry to the main temple is paid separately, Qorikancha’s underground museum is worth the visit.

• Focus. It shows the foundations of the Temple of the Sun, the most sacred temple for the Incas, and how the colonial church of Santo Domingo was built right on top of it.
• Why go. You’ll understand the genius of Inca engineering and religious syncretism.

Culture and acclimatization on the same day

Museums are the perfect way to acclimatize without effort. Add a few of them to your first day, along with the Cusco City Tour.