Amazing trip, thoughtful logistics, and a guide who made Machu Picchu unforgettable.
Thi W TripadvisorFree Tour Cusco + Box Lunch Experience
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OVERVIEW
Trip Overview
A Different Kind of Start
Most people spend their first morning in Cusco sitting in a hotel lobby, trying to figure out where to go.
This tour is the opposite of that.
The Free Tour Cusco + Box Lunch Experience by Andeara puts you on the ground in the city’s historic core – walking, listening, looking closely at walls that have been standing for 500 years – with a local guide who actually grew up here.
Two hours on foot. No tickets required. No tourist bus.
And when the walk ends, your Box Lunch Premium is ready to go – four options built for every dietary need, packed in eco-friendly packaging, so your afternoon doesn’t lose momentum.
Classic. Vegetarian. Vegan. Gluten-Free.
Itineraries & Prices
Accomodation
Accommodation
Up to 12 people
Group size
15,090 feet (4,600 meters)
Max. altitude
Easy
Difficulty
by Bus
Transport
1B, 1L, 1D
Meals
Trip Summary
At 3,399 meters above sea level, Cusco doesn’t ask much of you on this walk. But it gives you a great deal in return. Book your spot today – the morning group fills quickly.
Trip Details
- Tour name: Free Tour Cusco + Box Lunch Experience
- Duration: 2 hours (walking tour) + Box Lunch handover
- Start time: 10:45 a.m.
- Meeting point: Basilica Cathedral – Plaza de Armas, Cusco
- Languages: Spanish / English
- Service type: Shared group / Private groups available (2-16 people)
- Difficulty: Easy – flat cobblestone streets, no significant elevation gain
- Altitude: 3,399 m.a.s.l. (11,152 ft)
- Availability: Every day of the year
- Box Lunch selection: Must be chosen and confirmed at booking, minimum 12 hours before the tour
- Box Lunch options: Classic / Vegetarian / Vegan / Gluten-Free
Day by Day Schedule
Highlight of the day: The living architecture of the Inca Empire – and the stories behind it
The tour starts at 10:45 a.m. at the foot of the Basilica Cathedral – the largest colonial building in the Americas, sitting at the edge of what was once the great ceremonial plaza of the Inca Empire. Your guide opens the tour here, not with a history lecture, but with a question: what do you actually see when you look at this building?
The answer, once you know where to look, changes the whole walk.
- Terrain: Flat cobblestone and stone pavement throughout
- Walking distance: Approximately 1.5 to 2 km total
- Walking time: 2 hours including stops
- Difficulty: Low – suitable for all fitness levels
- Transport before the tour: Walk or taxi to Plaza de Armas
- Transport after the tour: On foot – central location with easy access to the rest of the city
The first stop is the Cathedral itself. A building that took nearly a century to construct. Beneath the Spanish stone and colonial plasterwork, there are Inca foundations – laid by a different empire, for a different purpose. Your guide points out where one civilization ends and another begins. The contrast is physical, not metaphorical.
From the Cathedral, the route moves into the narrow lanes of the historic core. The streets close in. The walls are older. The colonial overlay thins out, and the original Inca street grid becomes visible in the way the stone behaves – tighter, more deliberate, cut with a precision that mortar doesn’t explain.
The centerpiece of the walk is Hatunrumiyoc Street and the 12-Angle Stone – a section of wall from the palace of the eighth Sapa Inca. Twelve stones fit against each other with zero space between them. No mortar. No modern machinery. No blueprint we’ve been able to reproduce exactly. The stone is cold to the touch. The geometry is something you process slowly.
The guide then shares the layers of story that don’t appear on placards – oral traditions, local accounts, details that get passed through families and not through textbooks.
The walk continues uphill into San Blas – a quieter quarter above the main plaza. Artisan workshops, narrow lanes, a small church with woodwork that takes most people by surprise. The uphill section takes about two minutes. Nothing more.
By the time the two hours close, you’ve covered the geographic and historic core of Cusco on foot, at a pace that lets things settle.
End of Tour – Box Lunch Handover
At the end of the walk, your Box Lunch Premium is ready at a designated point near the meeting area. Eco-friendly packaging. Packed for movement. Whatever your afternoon holds – another site, a wander through the market, a bus to Pisac – your food goes with you.
Inclusions
What’s Included
- Professional bilingual guide (Spanish/English) for the full 2-hour walking tour
- Narration and local storytelling throughout the route: the Cathedral Basilica, the Inca street grid, Hatunrumiyoc Street and the 12-Angle Stone, and the San Blas neighborhood
- Guide assistance before, during, and at the end of the tour
- Box Lunch Premium in the option selected at booking:
- Classic: Grilled chicken or ham and cheese sandwich, seasonal fresh fruit, energy bar, local snack, natural juice or water, small sweet
- Vegetarian: Grilled vegetable and cheese wrap, fresh fruit, mixed dried fruit, artisanal cookies, natural juice or water
- Vegan: Sauteed vegetable and hummus wrap, fresh fruit, seed and nut mix, vegan snack, natural juice
- Gluten-Free: Fresh salad with protein of choice, fresh fruit, certified gluten-free snack, yogurt or beverage, mineral water
- Eco-friendly packaging for all Box Lunch options
- Water or beverage included with the Box Lunch
What’s Not Included
- Tourist entrance tickets (Cathedral, Qorikancha, and other sites require separate tickets)
- Transport to or from the meeting point
- Tips for the guide (voluntary, always appreciated)
- Personal expenses
More Tour Information
- Hatunrumiyoc Street and the 12-Angle Stone – Inca stonework so precise it has no mortar holding it together. Twelve stones, twelve edges, zero gaps. Engineers still study this wall.
- A local guide, not a scripted narrator – Andeara’s guides are from Cusco. They know the difference between what the official plaque says and what local families have passed down for generations.
- The Cathedral Basilica up close – Built on top of an Inca palace. A century in construction. Spanish stone layered over Inca precision. Your guide shows you exactly where to look.
- San Blas neighborhood – A slightly elevated quarter with narrower lanes, artisan workshops, and one of the smallest but most detailed churches in the city. A gentle uphill stretch – two minutes of effort, entirely worth it.
- Box Lunch Premium – no waiting, no restaurant, no bill – Four options prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Eco-friendly packaging. Ready at the end of the walk. Your afternoon stays yours.
- No entrance fees needed – The route moves through streets, plazas, and open spaces of the historic center. You see and learn a great deal without spending extra.
- A good pace for altitude adjustment – A calm two-hour walk at 3,399 m.a.s.l. is one of the better ways to settle into Cusco after arriving from lower ground. Move gently, breathe steadily, let the city come to you.
- Fits any itinerary – Two hours in the morning, a Box Lunch to go, and the rest of the day is entirely open. Use this walk as your Cusco orientation – after this, you’ll know exactly where to go back.
- Bilingual guide – Spanish and English, without losing nuance in either direction.
Hotel Pickup
The Free Tour Cusco + Box Lunch does not include hotel pickup. The meeting point is the Basilica Cathedral at Plaza de Armas, within walking distance of most accommodations in the Cusco historic center. If your hotel is further from the center and you need guidance on how to get there, contact our reservations team and we’ll help you plan the route.
Luggage Storage
Andeara does not provide luggage storage. If your hotel room is not yet ready on the morning of the tour, most hotels in Cusco offer luggage storage at the front desk. Leave your larger bags there and bring only a small daypack to the tour.
Payment Conditions
- Box Lunch pre-payment is required at booking. This allows our kitchen team to prepare your option correctly and reduces waste. No payment required on the day for pre-booked services.
- Free Tour payment is tip-based, paid at the end of the tour directly to your guide. No upfront payment for the tour itself.
- Private group bookings require a deposit at reservation time. The remaining balance is settled before the tour begins. This confirms your guide, route adjustments, and the full group’s Box Lunch preparation.
Availability
The Free Tour Cusco + Box Lunch runs every day of the year.
For Box Lunch orders, the minimum booking notice is 12 hours before the tour – this is firm, as our kitchen team needs preparation time. Earlier is always better.
For private group bookings, contact Andeara’s reservations team directly to confirm guide availability. We recommend reaching out at least 48 to 72 hours in advance.
Last-minute bookings (under 12 hours) may be possible for the tour itself without a Box Lunch – contact us by phone or WhatsApp and we’ll confirm whether we can accommodate you. For urgent requests, always reach out by phone directly.
Documents
- Passport – required for all tourist activity in Peru
- A digital or printed copy stored separately from the original
Clothing & Footwear
- Comfortable walking shoes – closed-toe, low heel, good grip on uneven stone
- Layered clothing – a light fleece or jacket is useful even in the warmer months
- Light rain layer or compact poncho if traveling in the wet season (November to March)
Personal Items & Medication
- Sunscreen – SPF 50 or higher
- Lip balm – altitude dries lips faster than most people expect
- Any prescription medication you take daily
- Altitude medication if recommended by your doctor – consult before you travel
- Antihistamines if you have known seasonal or environmental allergies
Gear
- Small daypack to carry your Box Lunch, water, and personal items during the walk
- Reusable water bottle
- Camera or smartphone – the late morning light in Cusco’s stone streets is worth photographing
Special requirements: If you travel with mobility equipment, need a dietary plan beyond the four standard options, or use professional photography or video gear, notify Andeara’s reservations team before confirming your booking. Last-minute requests cannot always be guaranteed.
Transport
This tour takes place entirely on foot within the Cusco historic center. No vehicle transport is included or needed. The meeting point at Plaza de Armas is walkable from most central Cusco hotels. Taxis and rideshare apps (InDriver, Cabify) are widely available if you’re coming from a more distant area.
Accommodation in Cusco
Cusco has a wide range of accommodation options within walking distance of the Plaza de Armas – from budget hostels and mid-range hotels to boutique properties in colonial buildings. Staying in or near the historic center puts you close to everything this tour covers, and makes it easy to go back to the places that caught your attention. If you need accommodation suggestions, contact Andeara’s reservations team.
Travel Restrictions & Important Notes
Strikes and Demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru, and they can interrupt tours. Roads may be blocked, and public plazas – including the Plaza de Armas – can be occupied by demonstrations. We will make every effort to keep your tour as planned, including adjusting the route or timing when necessary.
If a tour is canceled as a result, everything will be coordinated directly with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority, and all decisions are made with that in mind.
Lost Objects
Pay attention to where you leave your things and take everything with you when you leave our company. You are solely responsible for your belongings during the tour. The Plaza de Armas and surrounding streets are busy public spaces – keep valuables secure.
Health Considerations
This tour is rated easy and is suitable for most travelers. That said, Cusco sits at 3,399 meters above sea level, and altitude affects people differently.
- Spend at least 24 to 48 hours in Cusco before the tour to begin adjusting to the altitude
- Avoid alcohol and heavy meals the night before
- Let your guide know during the walk if you feel unwell – the tour can pause
- If you have a heart condition, respiratory condition, or have never been at high altitude before, consult your doctor before booking
The walking route involves no steep climbs. The San Blas section includes a gentle uphill stretch of a few minutes. In reasonable health, this tour presents no significant physical challenge.
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