Book Monasterio, A Belmond Hotel, Cusco with VIP Benefits

Cusco School paintings depict saints and angels, alongside gilded altarpieces and the building's Spanish Colonial baroque details. Reds, blues and golds recur in the religious works, which bring European devotional subjects together with Andean artistic expression. A guided tour of the collection explores the paintings' history and their connection to the monastery. Allow 45 minutes for this visit, arranged in advance for groups of two to eight.

San Antonio Abad Chapel is the setting for an arranged Mass with Gregorian chants. The colonial baroque chapel remains a religious space for this ceremony, which lasts around 90 minutes and accommodates up to ten people. It requires at least two days' notice and is priced for a group, separately from the room reservation.

Superior and Deluxe Rooms have king or twin beds, with separately named oxygen-enriched versions. The Superior City View with Oxygen faces San Blas. Junior Suites and Deluxe Junior Suites also appear in the oxygen-enriched range. For a separate living area, the One Bedroom Suite with Added Oxygen measures 49 to 71 square meters and overlooks the courtyard. Compare the named category and outlook when choosing a room, rather than assuming that every room shares the same configuration.

Oxygen enrichment is available only in selected accommodations. Your reservation must explicitly specify a category with oxygen; it is not a standard feature of every room.

At Oqre, Chef Jorge Muñoz draws on ingredients from Peru's coast, highlands and jungle. Tables sit beneath the cloisters and, when weather allows, in the open courtyard. Early breakfast is useful before a morning departure, and lunch is served daily. Dinner takes place on selected evenings, so confirm the service when reserving a table. The dress code is casual for meals here.

The current menu includes gyoza filled with Cusco-style adobo pork and served with uchucuta chili sauce. Cured trout tiradito pairs mango and pickled cucumber with curry leche de tigre and huacatay. Paiche comes with banana tortellini scented with cumin and a cocona accompaniment, while lomo saltado brings sirloin, vegetables and crisp potatoes to the table. For dessert, loche pumpkin appears in a tocino del cielo with pumpkin honey and chips.

El Tupay has a more formal setting beneath stone arches, with a smart-casual dress code and an international menu. Listed dishes include Pumahuanca trout with dill butter and fennel, and slow-braised lamb with native tubers; vegan choices are also available. Live classical arias accompany dinner on scheduled evenings. Arrange the meal around a confirmed performance if opera is important to you, as dinner service and the music schedule need to be checked together when booking a table.

Oqre Bar sits in the lobby, with a fireplace and contemporary live music. Order a pisco sour with stuffed peppers or grilled steak skewers, or stop for a drink before dinner. Daily service and a casual dress code make this a less formal alternative to an evening at El Tupay.

The Andean Spirit Tasting also takes place at Oqre Bar. A mixologist introduces three spirits from different regions of Peru, explaining their history and preparation before guiding the tasting. The session lasts around 20 minutes and is arranged for groups of two to ten, with advance booking. Agree on the time when reserving, particularly if you are combining the tasting with dinner or a performance at El Tupay.

The chef-led San Pedro Market experience begins with choosing ingredients among the stalls and learning about the market's history, then returns to the hotel for hands-on cooking. A three-course dinner follows, with a cocktail created by the barman around the ingredients you selected. Book ahead for a group of two to eight. There is also a separate 90-minute cooking class focused on ingredients such as quinoa, native tubers and trout, with the prepared dishes eaten afterward.

Wellness centers on a treatment suite reached beyond the main courtyard, through the cloisters toward a second patio and down a staircase. It opens daily from 11am to 8pm. The menu includes a 45-minute four-hands treatment with two therapists, an 80-minute hot-stone massage and a 30-minute express facial. Treatments are available from age 13, with minors accompanied by an adult. Reserve in advance and allow for the consultation before treatment. Changes or cancellations require at least three hours' notice to avoid the full charge.

Plaza de Armas and Cusco Cathedral are nearby, while San Blas takes you into steeper lanes lined with artisan studios and contemporary galleries, with street murals among the older buildings. Qorikancha, once dedicated to Inti, the Inca sun god, brings a different layer of the city's history into view, with Inca stonework beneath the Convent of Santo Domingo. Sacsayhuaman is another excursion to arrange beyond the central streets. Farther afield, the Sacred Valley contains the archaeological sites of Pisac, Moray and Ollantaytambo.

For an early look at the city, the hotel's First Light Experience begins at San Cristobal, a 16th-century church with panoramic views across Cusco. The route continues through cobbled streets, with stories behind their names. Groups of two to eight can arrange the outing with at least 48 hours' notice. Departure is usually listed at 5:30am but varies with the season.

The airport is approximately six kilometers away. Hotel-arranged transfers can also serve Poroy, Wanchaq and Ollantaytambo, so confirm the station printed on your rail booking before requesting a car. Poroy is around 11 kilometers from the hotel, while Wanchaq is about two. For access requirements, request one of the hotel's two specially equipped rooms; most public areas are wheelchair-accessible, and shower seats are available on request. Discuss the route to any booked treatment as well, since the published directions to the treatment suite include stairs.