Cusco tastes better when you walk like a local. This private food tour threads real eating into classic Cusco sights, starting near the Santa Clara convent and sweeping through markets and Inca-era stops. I especially loved the undivided attention from your guide, and I loved how the tastings happen in places you’d skip if you only followed big tour routes.

The one drawback to weigh is value. A few people felt the experience ran a bit shorter and that not every stop delivered the full 10-item expectation, so you’ll want to set yourself up with clear expectations before you pay.

A lot of the warmth comes from the guides themselves. Angelo is a favorite name tied to a fun, energetic style and excellent English, while Fabrizio and Harry are also praised for tailoring food for preferences and questions about daily life in Peru. If you want Cusco food plus city orientation in a single afternoon, this works well—especially if you’re dealing with elevation and don’t want to over-plan.

Key things to love about this Cusco private tastings tour

• Private pace, private conversations: your guide can slow down, answer questions, and adjust what you try.
• Local market energy at Mercado Central de San Pedro: fresh juices and classic snacks you won’t recreate at home.
• Landmarks built into the route: you snack near big-name sites like Qorikancha while learning what they mean.
• Peru’s potato culture shows up early: you’ll hear how many varieties matter to everyday food.
• Coffee and pastry stop: a calmer break inside Cusco’s oldest coffee shop area.
• Vegetarian alternatives are included: you’re not stuck eating only sides.

Entering Cusco the smart way: private, short, and focused on food

Cusco can feel like sensory overload in the first hours: altitude, noise, crowds, and a city full of stone history. This tour is built to help you get your bearings fast—by tying food tastings to specific sights you’ll actually revisit later.

Because it’s private, your guide can do two important things that group tours often can’t. First, they can pace the walking to your comfort level (this is listed as moderate fitness, so comfortable shoes matter). Second, they can shape the tastings around what you like—or what you don’t. In real cases from the experience, guides like Angelo and Fabrizio are described as friendly and energetic, and they’ve even helped with practical needs beyond food, like getting SIM cards.

The “short and focused” part is key: about 3 hours means you’re not signing up for a whole day of wandering with snacks as an afterthought. You’re choosing an afternoon plan where the food is the point.

The warm-up near Santa Clara convent and the National College of Sciences

Before you start eating, you’ll take a few minutes with your guide at the UNESCO-listed National College of Sciences and Arts and the 16th-century Santa Clara convent. This isn’t a long lecture. It’s more like a street-level orientation: stone, scale, and a sense of why Cusco looks the way it does.

Why this matters for you: it gives context before the market stops. When you later hear about Inca-era space at Qorikancha, or potato traditions at Arco de Santa Clara, the city landmarks don’t feel random. They feel connected.

Practical note: this is early in the tour, so it helps to arrive ready to walk. You start near C. Sta. Clara 317 and you’ll end back at the same meeting point.

Mercado Central de San Pedro: fruit juice and the corn-and-cheese moment

Your first real flavor stop is Mercado Central de San Pedro, with time to mingle with locals while you sip freshly squeezed fruit juice. This is where the tour sets a local baseline: fruit that tastes like it was picked for juice, not for show.

You’ll also taste the largest piece of corn you’re likely to see in Cusco, served with cheese. That combo is simple, but it’s a great example of why market food works: it’s not built to impress you with fancy technique. It’s built to taste good and keep working people fueled.

This stop is about 40 minutes, and admission is listed as free. The main “watch out” here is not food—it’s energy. Markets have a lot of motion, and you’ll likely smell everything at once (good for appetite, tough if you’re sensitive). Take your pace here. If you need a slow first bite, this is the place to do it.

Arco de Santa Clara: potato varieties, explained in a bite-size stop

Next you’ll head near Arco de Santa Clara, where you’ll discover one delicious way locals prepare the thousands of potato varieties grown in Peru. The key is that you don’t just get a potato dish. You get a quick explanation of why the potato in Peru is a whole world of flavors, not one generic starchy side.

This is a shorter stop, about 25 minutes. It works well if you prefer tight, efficient food stops over long restaurant sittings.

A small consideration: because it’s fast, don’t expect a deep tasting menu. Instead, think of it as a palate foundation. After this, the other stops start making more sense.

Tambomachay snack break: empanada-like bites on the move

At Tambomachay, you’ll grab a quick bite: a snack that resembles empanadas. This is timed like a break in the walking rhythm. You’re not meant to linger. You’re meant to keep moving while your hunger stays managed.

This stop is about 30 minutes and includes free admission. If you’re the kind of eater who likes variety more than one big signature dish, this middle-of-the-route stop is a good move. It prevents the common Cusco problem where you get so hungry you end up over-ordering later.

Qorikancha ceviche and pisco sour: seafood, citrus, chili, then a classic drink

Now we reach one of the big-name landmarks: Qorikancha. Here, you’ll taste ceviche right next to the amazing Qorikancha site. Expect zingy flavors—fresh fish mixed with citrus and chili—and then a wash-down with a pisco sour.

This is about 20 minutes. It’s short, but ceviche is the type of dish that rewards being eaten fresh and in a memorable setting. If you’re someone who usually orders ceviche but never knows why it tastes better in Peru, this is the moment where you’ll likely understand the difference.

Important for your comfort: pisco sour involves alcohol. In at least one experience, a guide tailored the food because the people on the tour didn’t drink alcohol. If alcohol isn’t for you, tell your guide upfront and use this stop to ask for a non-alcohol swap.

Another Qorikancha stop: fried pork on a baguette with onion and mint

Later, you’ll return near Qorikancha for another tasting: fried pork normally served on a baguette with onions and mint. This is a classic contrast pairing—salty, fried, savory pork against cool mint and punchy onion.

This stop is about 25 minutes. It also helps balance the tour’s flavor arc: you start with fresh market juices, move through potato culture, hit ceviche, then land in something more hearty and crunchy.

For value-minded foodies: notice the structure. The tour tries to give you variety across textures—juicy, crispy, fried, tangy—and not just repeats of the same style.

La Merced church pause: a breather with baroque beauty

Between food stops, you’ll take a break to gaze at the baroque-style La Merced church, described as one of Cusco’s architectural gems. This is one of those “take 5 minutes” moments that actually improves the tour because it resets your brain.

Why it helps: food tours can feel like nonstop consumption. A quick landmark stop gives your body time to digest a little and gives your eyes something other than counters and menus.

Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús area: Cusco’s oldest coffee shop and a sweet pastry

Next comes a coffee-and-sweets stop at Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, where you’ll have a tasty brew inside Cusco’s oldest coffee shop. Around the corner you’ll satisfy your sweet tooth with a local pastry.

This is about 30 minutes. It’s also a smart pacing choice. After savory tastings, a coffee break can keep your energy up without turning the rest of the tour into a sugar crash.

In practice, this kind of stop is also where your guide’s personality shows. In one case, Fabrizio was praised for being helpful and going above and beyond with practical needs like SIM cards—proof that the guide experience can go beyond just food.

Coricancha: understanding why this Inca temple mattered

You’ll also have a stop tied to Coricancha (listed in different spellings in the tour route). This is described as the most important temple in the Inca Empire, located in Cusco, the Inca capital.

This is a shorter moment—about 15 minutes. Don’t expect a museum-style walkthrough. Instead, it’s a “meaning maker.” The guide helps you place Qorikancha in the bigger story of Inca power, then you carry that knowledge back into how you experience Cusco’s streets afterward.

Colegio Nacional de Ciencias: a quick final stop, then back to where you started

The route includes another short stop at Colegio Nacional de Ciencias, about 15 minutes, before the tour ends back at the meeting point.

Think of this final stretch as closure: you’ve eaten, you’ve learned what the key landmarks represent, and then you’re done while you still feel good enough to continue exploring on your own.

Price and value: when the $90.11 feels fair, and when it might not

At $90.11 per person for roughly 3 hours and a private guide, you’re paying for three things:

• the guide’s time,
• the “10 food and drinks tastings” promise,
• and the fact that the walking route ties in major sights.

When it feels fair: the people who loved the tour often describe it as a strong introduction to Cusco, especially on the first full day. They also highlight guides like Angelo for making the route fun and informative, with excellent English and patient answers to questions.

When it might feel expensive: there are a few negative experiences that focus on mismatch—counting fewer than 10 tastings and feeling the tour lasted less time than expected. One family also mentioned that parts of the food felt less substantial than the price suggested.

So what should you do? Keep it practical:

• Ask your guide at the start how the 10 tastings are distributed across the stops.
• If you have dietary rules, confirm what vegetarian alternatives look like for you.
• Decide what you want most: a true food-focused crawl, or a longer meal experience. This tour leans toward variety and pacing, not big restaurant servings.

Who should book this food tour in Cusco

This tour is a strong fit if you:

• want private time with a local guide rather than a group rush,
• like market-style eating and small bites,
• want Cusco sights tied directly to food,
• are traveling as a couple or small group,
• and you appreciate vegetarian alternatives being part of the plan.

It may be less ideal if you:

• expect a guaranteed, heavy sit-down lunch-style payoff,
• hate walking and prefer fewer stops,
• or you strongly want every tasting to be a large, separate course.

Small tips to get the most from your tour

Here are a few things that make a real difference with a route like this:

• Wear comfortable shoes. You’re moving between sights and markets.
• Tell your guide your dietary needs early. Vegetarian alternatives and dietary adjustments are offered.
• If you don’t drink alcohol, say so before the pisco sour stop so you can get a swap.
• If it’s your first day in Cusco, this is a smart choice to learn the city grid and local food patterns.

Should you book the 10 Tastings of Cusco With Locals?

I’d book it if your goal is a private, food-first afternoon that also helps you understand Cusco’s landmarks while you eat. It’s especially worth it when you value local guides and want to try classics like ceviche and a pisco sour near Qorikancha.

If you’re the kind of eater who measures value by volume and wants 10 clearly distinct, substantial tastings every time, you should ask how tastings will be counted for your group. That one step can prevent disappointment.

Bottom line: this is a great “get oriented and eat well” tour—just go in with clear expectations about the tasting count, and you’ll likely leave happy.

FAQ

What is the duration of the Cusco 10 Tastings of Cusco tour?

It’s listed as about 3 hours.

Is this tour private?

Yes. It’s a private tour with only you and your local guide.

Where do we meet, and where does the tour end?

You meet at C. Sta. Clara 317, Cusco 08002, Peru. The tour ends back at the same meeting point.

Are vegetarian alternatives available?

Yes. Vegetarian alternatives are included, and alternatives are offered for dietary restrictions.

How many tastings are included?

The tour includes 10 food and drink tastings.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pick-up and drop-off are not included.

Do I need to be very fit to do this?

The tour requires moderate physical fitness. It’s described as near public transportation, and the route involves walking.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance of the experience start time for a full refund.

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