Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport: where to stay, areas…

Alejandro Velasco Astete airport is just 5.5 km from the Plaza de Armas, 10-20 minutes by taxi depending on traffic: unlike many other cities, Cusco has no real "layover hotel" cluster separate from downtown, because even the most outlying addresses are still just minutes from the colonial heart. The choice, then, isn't between airport and city, but between luxury inside a former convent steps from the Plaza and simpler international chains, still only a few blocks from the same squares.

Historic centre

Neighbourhood · 10-20 minutes by taxi from the airport for 5-6 km; authorised taxis have a desk in the arrivals area with fixed fares by zone.

Best for: Those who want the Plaza de Armas, San Blas and the Qoricancha within walking distance, with a short transfer from the airport in any case.

Pros

Museums, markets and almost all of Cusco's restaurants within walking distance
No hotel in the city is truly far: even the most outlying addresses remain 10-15 minutes from the Plaza

Cons

The altitude (over 3,400 m) is felt most in the first hours after arrival, regardless of the area chosen
Cobbled streets and traffic in the centre make taxis slower than the distance would suggest

Recommended hotels in this area

JW Marriott El Convento Cusco: Former sixteenth-century Augustinian convent restored over three years of excavation, on Plaza Nazarenas next to the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art; in-room oxygen enrichment system for altitude sickness, spa and indoor pool.
Novotel Cusco: 16th-century colonial mansion on Calle San Agustín, three blocks from the Plaza de Armas: 16 suites in the colonial wing around the historic courtyard, 83 rooms in the modern wing.
Hotel Cusco La Paccha, Affiliated by Meliá: Meliá's first hotel in Cusco, on Avenida El Sol next to the ornamental fountain that gives it its name; the Qoricancha is 5 minutes and the Plaza de Armas about 10 on foot.
Hampton by Hilton Cusco: The group's first Hampton in Cusco, on Avenida Tullumayo 500 metres from the Qoricancha and about a kilometre from the Plaza de Armas; a simple, recently opened chain option instead of the historic centre's higher rates.
Wyndham Costa del Sol Cusco: On Calle Santa Teresa, a 10-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral; runs its own shuttle around the clock despite the already central location.

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