Cusco · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Cheap beds, cheap set menus and cheap combis — only Machu Picchu itself breaks an Andean budget.
San Blas and San Francisco
The steep lanes of San Blas above the plaza have the atmospheric hostels; around Plaza San Francisco the beds are cheaper and the walk flatter.
What a day costs
About 90–170 soles, roughly $24–46: a dorm 30–55, a set menú 12–20, combis one sol. Machu Picchu sits outside any daily budget.
Combis to the Sacred Valley
Shared minibuses to Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo leave from Calle Pavitos and Puputi all day for a few soles. Night buses run to Puno and Arequipa.
Free by day
The San Pedro market, the Plaza de Armas at night, and the climb to the Cristo Blanco viewpoint are free; Sacsayhuamán itself needs the boleto turístico.
Plaza de Armas balconies
The upstairs bars around the square are the meeting point — free walking tours leave from the cathedral steps and the big party hostels are two streets away.