10 Best Hotels in Cusco Near the Plaza de Armas
The highest-rated hotels near the Plaza de Armas in Cusco on Booking.com (as of October 1, 2026) are Monasterio at 9.8, Casa San Blas at 9.5, and Cooper, Aranwa, Palacio del Inka, Atoq San Blas and Casa Matara at 9.4. Sleep on the flat streets near the plaza first.
In this guide
Short answer: The highest-rated hotels near the Plaza de Armas in Cusco on Booking.com (as of October 1, 2026) are Monasterio at 9.8, Casa San Blas at 9.5, and Cooper, Aranwa, Palacio del Inka, Atoq San Blas and Casa Matara at 9.4. Sleep in the flat streets around the plaza for your first nights, and save hilly San Blas for later.
How We Ranked These Hotels
We ranked each hotel by its public guest score on Booking.com, read on October 1, 2026, and kept only hotels with a score of 9.3 or higher and at least 280 reviews. A 9.8 from 30 guests says less than a 9.4 from 1,200. Each card shows the platform, the review count and the date, so you can check the number before you book.
Walking times come from OpenStreetMap foot routing at a flat-ground pace. Cusco is not flat, so add a few minutes for any street that climbs. Price ranges are the cheapest double room for two adults on two sample nights (October 20 and November 14, 2026), read on Booking.com the same day. Rates change every week, so treat them as a price level, not a quote.
No hotel paid to appear here, and we do not sell rooms in these hotels. We left out hotel photos because they belong to the hotels. Each card shows the street on a map instead.
Where to Stay in Cusco: Neighborhoods Compared
The best area to stay in Cusco for a first visit is the historic center within ten minutes of the Plaza de Armas, on the flat streets toward Qorikancha and San Pedro. Cusco sits at about 11,150 ft (3,400 m), and the first two days are about breathing, not sightseeing. A hotel you reach without a climb makes those days easier.
| Area | Walk to Plaza de Armas (minutes) | Terrain | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza de Armas and historic center | 0 to 5 | Mostly level | First visit, short stays, luxury hotels | Weekend bar noise on Procuradores |
| San Blas | 6 to 15 | Uphill, some stairs | Quiet, views, craft shops | Climb home every night, no taxi on stepped lanes |
| San Pedro and Santa Ana | 7 to 12 | Level near the market, steep on Santa Ana | Lower rates, local feel | Cuesta de Santa Ana is steep |
| Avenida El Sol and Qorikancha | 8 to 10 | Flattest | Early tour pickups, banks, pharmacies | Busier traffic on the avenue |
Plaza de Armas and the historic center
The blocks around the plaza hold the convents, colonial mansions and most of the luxury hotels. Restaurants, banks and the cathedral are a short walk away, and taxis reach your door. The trade-off is noise on Friday and Saturday nights near the bars on Procuradores and Plateros. Ask for a room facing an inner courtyard.
San Blas
San Blas is the artisans' quarter on the hill east of the plaza, with whitewashed walls, blue doors and stepped lanes. It is quieter and prettier than the center, with views over the roofs. Every walk home is uphill, and some lanes are stairs that a taxi cannot reach. People book San Blas for the first night, arrive with a headache and a suitcase, and regret it.
Santa Ana and San Pedro
West of the plaza, around San Pedro market and the slope of Santa Ana, rates drop and the streets feel local. The market is the place for fruit juice and a cheap lunch. Cuesta de Santa Ana is steep, so check which end of it your hotel is on.
Avenida El Sol and Qorikancha
South of the plaza, toward Qorikancha and Avenida El Sol, the ground is the flattest in the old town. It is a practical base with banks and pharmacies, eight to ten minutes from the plaza, and the easiest place for an early tour pickup.
San Blas or Plaza de Armas?
Choose the Plaza de Armas area for your first two nights and San Blas only if you stay four nights or more and walk hills without trouble. The plaza side wins on level streets, taxi access and easy dinners. San Blas wins on charm and quiet. If you want both, split the stay: two nights near the plaza, then move uphill.
Cusco Hotels With Oxygen in the Rooms
Three hotels on this list advertise oxygen piped or supplied into the rooms: Monasterio, JW Marriott El Convento and Aranwa, per their Booking.com listings (read October 1, 2026). Palacio del Inka offers oxygen on request in its suites. Most mid-range hotels keep a tank at the front desk for guests who feel unwell, so ask at check-in.
Oxygen in the room helps you sleep better. It does not acclimatize you. The CDC advice still applies: go slow on day one, skip alcohol for the first 48 hours, and see your doctor before the trip about medication. Our Cusco altitude guide covers the symptoms to watch.
The 10 Hotels, by Area and Budget
The cards below are grouped as luxury in the historic center, San Blas, mid-range near the plaza and value near San Pedro. Within each group they follow the Booking.com score, highest first. Each card lists the score with its source and date, the walk to the plaza, the price level, oxygen and heating, and the building's history where a source confirms it.
| Hotel | Area | Booking.com score (reviews) | Walk to plaza (min) | Price per night (US$) | Oxygen in rooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monasterio | Historic center | 9.8 (287) | 4 | 525 to 620 | Yes |
| JW Marriott El Convento | Historic center | 9.3 (673) | 5 | 335 to 368 | Yes |
| Palacio del Inka | Qorikancha | 9.4 (539) | 8 | 314 to 339 | On request in suites |
| Aranwa Cusco Boutique | Historic center | 9.4 (611) | 5 | 302 to 367 | Yes |
| Casa San Blas | San Blas | 9.5 (399) | 6, uphill back | 117 to 119 | Not listed |
| Atoq San Blas | Upper San Blas | 9.4 (283) | 9, steep back | 105 to 110 | Not listed |
| Rumi Punku | Lower San Blas | 9.3 (884) | 7 | about 140 | Not listed |
| Cooper Hotel Boutique | Historic center | 9.4 (1,239) | 5 | 103 to 109 | Not listed |
| MOAF Cusco Boutique | Historic center | 9.3 (1,306) | 5 | 86 to 95 | Not listed |
| Casa Matara Boutique | San Pedro | 9.4 (1,237) | 10 | 83 to 87 | Not listed |
Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel
Plaza Nazarenas, historic center, Cusco 4 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$525 to 620 per night, checked October 2026 source
The top score on this list, 9.8 on Booking.com from 287 reviews as of October 1, 2026. The building was the Seminary of San Antonio Abad, founded in 1598 on Inca foundations, and it opened as a hotel in 1995, per Wikipedia. Wikipedia also credits it as the first hotel in town to pump oxygen into its rooms. You sleep around stone cloisters with a baroque chapel, four minutes from the plaza on flat ground. Book it for a special trip and ask for an oxygen-enriched room for your first night.
- Oxygen-enriched rooms
- Heating listed
- Baroque chapel and cloisters
- Oxygen in rooms
- Heating
- Breakfast served, rated on Booking.com
Built as a Jesuit-run seminary on Inca foundations, rebuilt after the 1650 earthquake with a baroque chapel, per Wikipedia. source
Details checked October 2026.
JW Marriott El Convento Cusco
Calle Ruinas and San Agustín, historic center, Cusco 5 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$335 to 368 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.3 on Booking.com from 673 reviews as of October 1, 2026. The hotel sits on the old Convent of San Agustín, which the 1650 earthquake damaged and the Augustinians left in 1825, per the Peru travel specialist Aracari. Excavated Inca and colonial walls stay on view inside. Its Booking.com listing says every room type comes with an oxygen-enriched option, which makes it our pick for travelers worried about the altitude who still want a large, full-service hotel.
- Oxygen-enriched rooms in every room type
- Colonial courtyard with fountain
- Archaeological remains on display
- Oxygen in rooms
- Breakfast served, rated on Booking.com
Restored Augustinian convent, with excavated Inca and colonial remains on display, per Aracari. source
Details checked October 2026.
Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Plazoleta Santo Domingo, facing Qorikancha, Cusco 8 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$314 to 339 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.4 on Booking.com from 539 reviews as of October 1, 2026. It faces Qorikancha, the Inca sun temple, so you wake up next to the best stonework in the city and walk eight minutes down a gentle street to the plaza. Its Booking.com listing mentions heating in the rooms and oxygen on request in the suites. We like it for couples who want a quieter square than the Plaza de Armas without giving up the walk to dinner.
- Oxygen on request in suites
- Heating in rooms
- Buffet breakfast
- Heating
- Breakfast buffet, per Booking.com
Details checked October 2026.
Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel
Calle San Juan de Dios, west of the plaza, Cusco 5 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$302 to 367 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.4 on Booking.com from 611 reviews as of October 1, 2026. The hotel describes its building as a 16th-century colonial mansion filled with colonial paintings, and its rooms as fitted with oxygen systems. It sits five minutes west of the plaza, on the side toward San Pedro market, where the streets are flat. Pick it over the bigger luxury names when you want oxygen in the room and a smaller, quieter house.
- Oxygen systems in rooms
- Heating listed
- Colonial art collection
- Oxygen in rooms
- Heating
- Breakfast served, rated on Booking.com
A 16th-century colonial mansion, according to the hotel's own description on Booking.com. source
Details checked October 2026.
Casa San Blas Cusco Boutique Hotel
San Blas, Calle Tocuyeros, Cusco 6 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$117 to 119 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.5 on Booking.com from 399 reviews as of October 1, 2026. It is a short block above Hatun Rumiyoc, the street with the twelve-angled stone. The walk down to the plaza takes about six minutes, and the walk back up takes longer than any map says. Book it from your second night on, once your lungs have caught up with the altitude.
- Buffet breakfast
- Terrace
- Uphill walk back
- Breakfast buffet, per Booking.com
Details checked October 2026.
Atoq San Blas Hotel
Upper San Blas, Calle Tandapata, Cusco 9 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$105 to 110 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.4 on Booking.com from 283 reviews as of October 1, 2026. Tandapata is the stepped lane at the top of San Blas, so the views over the red roofs are the reward and the climb is the price. Our map tool gives nine minutes to the plaza at a flat pace. Expect closer to fifteen on the way up. Choose it if you are fit, staying four nights or more, and want the quietest corner of the old town.
- Heating listed
- Views over the roofs
- Steep stairs to reach it
- Heating
- Breakfast a la carte or American, per Booking.com
Details checked October 2026.
Hotel Rumi Punku
Calle Choquechaca, lower San Blas, Cusco 7 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) about US$140 per night (one sample night), checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.3 on Booking.com from 884 reviews as of October 1, 2026. The name means stone door in Quechua, and the hotel's own site points to an Inca doorway at its entrance. It sits on Choquechaca, the gentler street up toward San Blas, and its site lists a sauna and a hot tub. Breakfast is included, per Booking.com. It is our middle ground: San Blas character with half the climb.
- Breakfast included
- Heating listed
- Sauna and hot tub
- Heating
- Breakfast included in the room rate, per Booking.com
The hotel's own site describes an Inca doorway and Inca stonework in the building. source
Details checked October 2026.
Cooper Hotel Boutique
Calle Santa Teresa, west of the plaza, Cusco 5 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$103 to 109 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.4 on Booking.com from 1,239 reviews as of October 1, 2026, a high score backed by more than a thousand guests. It is five minutes from the plaza on level streets, and its Booking.com listing shows heating and an on-site restaurant. If you asked us for one safe booking under US$120 for a first visit, this is the one we would name.
- Heating listed
- Restaurant and bar
- Level walk to the plaza
- Heating
- Breakfast served, rated exceptional on Booking.com
Details checked October 2026.
MOAF Cusco Boutique Hotel
Santa Catalina Ancha, east of the plaza, Cusco 5 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$86 to 95 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.3 on Booking.com from 1,306 reviews as of October 1, 2026. Santa Catalina Ancha runs between the plaza and Qorikancha, so both are a short, flat walk. The listing shows heating and a shared kitchen, handy for tea at night. For under US$100 it is the value pick of the historic center.
- Heating listed
- Shared kitchen
- Level walk to the plaza
- Heating
- Breakfast continental, American or buffet, per Booking.com
Details checked October 2026.
Casa Matara Boutique
Calle Matara, near San Pedro market, Cusco 10 min on foot to the Plaza de Armas (OpenStreetMap walking route at a flat pace) US$83 to 87 per night, checked October 2026 source
Rated 9.4 on Booking.com from 1,237 reviews as of October 1, 2026, with the lowest rate on this list. Calle Matara is a working street near San Pedro market and ten minutes on foot from the plaza, mostly downhill on the way there. You give up the postcard views and save money for the rest of the trip. Good for travelers who will spend their days on tours and only need a warm, clean room.
- Heating listed
- Near San Pedro market
- Lowest rate on this list
- Heating
- Breakfast served, rated wonderful on Booking.com
Details checked October 2026.
Traveling on a backpacker budget? Our guide to hostels in Cusco near the Plaza de Armas uses the same method, with dorm bed prices.
Cusco Hotels in Our Packages
If you would rather not pick a hotel at all, our packages with Cusco hotels included place you in a 3-star, 4-star or 5-star hotel depending on the tier you choose, and the tier is the only thing that changes the price. The 4 days with a central Cusco hotel package starts at US$774 per person in a double room, with two nights in Cusco and one in Aguas Calientes. We confirm the exact hotel when you book. For the town below the ruins, see our guide to hotels in Aguas Calientes.
Questions people ask
Where is the best area to stay in Cusco?
Stay in the historic center within ten minutes of the Plaza de Armas, on the flat streets toward Qorikancha or San Pedro. You arrive at about 11,150 ft (3,400 m), and level streets make the first two days easier. San Blas is lovely but uphill, so save it for a longer stay or your later nights.
Which Cusco hotels have oxygen in the rooms?
On this list, Monasterio, JW Marriott El Convento and Aranwa advertise oxygen in the rooms, per their Booking.com listings read on October 1, 2026. Palacio del Inka offers oxygen on request in its suites. Confirm when you book, since some hotels charge for it or keep it to certain room types.
San Blas or Plaza de Armas, which is better?
The Plaza de Armas area is better for a first visit and for short stays, because the streets are level and taxis reach the door. San Blas is quieter, with views and craft shops, but every walk home climbs. Split a long stay if you want both: plaza first, San Blas after you acclimatize.
Do Cusco hotels have heating?
Many do, and you want it. Nights in Cusco drop near freezing from June to August, and old stone buildings hold the cold. Eight of the ten hotels here list heating on Booking.com. If a cheaper place does not, ask for an electric heater and extra blankets before you book.
How much does a good hotel in Cusco cost per night?
On our sample nights in October and November 2026, well-rated mid-range hotels near the plaza ran about US$85 to 140 for a double on Booking.com. The big luxury names ran about US$300 to 620. Rates rise from June to August and around Inti Raymi in late June.
Sources
- Booking.com, Cusco hotels filtered by score 9+, sorted by guest score (scores read on each hotel page) checked October 2026
- Wikipedia, Belmond Hotel Monasterio checked October 2026
- Aracari, history of the JW Marriott El Convento building checked October 2026
- Hotel Rumi Punku, official site checked October 2026
- OSRM foot routing on OpenStreetMap data (FOSSGIS) checked October 2026
- CDC Yellow Book, High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness checked October 2026
This guide was last reviewed in October 2026. Prices, rules and timetables are quoted with the date we checked them.