The Best Museums in Cusco

The best museums in Cusco, this beautiful city has a lot of great museums that are worth visiting if you want to learn and know more about the Inca culture and history.

A walk through the exhibits will help you understand why you feel connected to this magical place with no logical explanation. The art pieces in the museums will explain the history, traditions and ancestral customs of the great Incas and will give you the opportunity to discover the beauty of colonial art and also modern art.

We want to share with you a list of the best museums in Cusco so that you are prepared and ready when you visit this city of Cusco and make the most of your trip.

Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art opened its doors in 2003 in a recently restored building. This place in Inca times was a ceremonial courtyard (kancha) before becoming the site of a mansion that was once inhabited by famous people such as Alonso Díaz (1580) and Count Cabrera (1850).
The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art was the first museum in Peru to present the artistic creations of Peru’s ancient cultures, establishing a line of art inspired by Andean cultural expressions that has continued for generations.

The MAP – Cusco collection presents more than 450 artistic masterpieces created between 1250 B.C. and 1532 AD, selected from among 45,000 objects found in the storage areas of the Larco Museum in Lima, one of the most prominent institutions of its kind in the world. The pieces were personally selected by the painter Fernando de Szyszlo and the art historian Cecilia Bákula.

A MAP Cusco tour consists of ten rooms that exhibit representative pieces of pre-Columbian Peruvian cultures such as the Moche, Wari, Nasca, Inca, Chancay and Chimú.

The Inca Museum

The Inca Museum Also known as the Museum of the Incas, it is one of the most popular museums in Cusco. This museum is located in the heart of the city, just half a block from Cusco’s main square, and houses many artifacts and exhibits about the Inca and Pre-Inca civilization. It is located in a large Spanish colonial mansion that was built after the Spanish conquest in the 17th century.

It has an impressive collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts, such as ceramics, textiles and jewelry. You can even see some mummies and skulls from ancient Cusco. If you want to know more about the towns that built engineering masterpieces such as Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman or Moray, you have to visit this museum. The museum is a must-see for anyone interested in Inca culture, as it has some of the best collections of gold, textiles, ceramics and metals from that era.

Qoricancha Temple Museum

Qoricancha Temple Museum Located on the esplanade of the Qoricancha archaeological site. Here visitors have the opportunity to view objects discovered during excavations at the site between 1992 and 1995.
This small museum consists of five rooms that offer an educational vision of the history of the ancient inhabitants of the earth. The pieces on display include remains of tools, bones, ceramics and stone items from the pre-Inca, Inca and colonial era, not to mention paintings, sculptures, textiles, musical instruments, metalwork and more.

The entrance is included in the Cusco Tourist Ticket.

The Pisco Museum

The Pisco Museum It is a modern space where visitors can learn everything there is to know about pisco and have the opportunity to taste some of the best examples that exist. It is located in a restored colonial house that was once part of the Hatun Kancha, the palace of Amaru Inca Yupanqui.

What makes this museum really unusual is the fact that it also functions as a restaurant and bar, offering the different delicacies, with at least 8 grape varieties and 50 different brands of pisco. The food is no less notable, with Peruvian dishes such as sautéed shrimp, lomo saltado, mixed snacks, pork and chicken chicharrón, anticuchos, huatia sulcana al pisco with mashed potatoes, cocktails and, of course, an immense variety of piscos.

Late night visitors enjoy live music starting at 9 p.m. Be warned, though: The museum fills up quickly, so you may want to reserve a spot in advance.

Casa Concha and Machu Picchu Museum

Casa Concha and Machu Picchu Museum This is the perfect museum to visit in conjunction with your trip to the wonder of the world. You can either go before to learn more about it in advance, or after to add to what you learned on your visit.

As well as understanding the back story to Machu Picchu and its rediscovery, you’ll also find more Incan artifacts and many other interesting pieces.

Are you ready to learn more?
So if it’s a rainy or sunny day and you have extra time or are a museum fan, be sure to visit these spectacular museums. You will learn more about the history of the country, its culture, history and customs and you will also be able to try wonderful chocolate and coca products.

Explore and visit the best museums in Cusco!