Cusco with kids: paint a Torito and have hot chocolate with a view
Cusco with kids has one rule: short plans, close by, with something to do with their hands. The altitude tires them, long visits bore them and it usually rains in the afternoon. These are the ideas that work best with children aged 4 to 12, almost all a few minutes from the Plaza de Armas.
Seven plans that work with kids
Paint a Torito de Pucará (or a ceramic heart)
On the square · 2 hours · from 2 people
A seated, two-hour activity with brushes, paints and stencils, and a master artisan who helps the little ones. Every child takes home their painted torito. For the youngest, the marble-dust heart is simpler. While they paint, the adults have coffee with a view of the square.
How the Torito workshop works →Make chocolate
3 min from the square · 2 hours
At Cusco's chocolate museums, kids roast cacao, grind it and mold their own bars. It's one of the most popular family plans, takes about two hours and you leave with chocolate in your backpack.
Meet llamas and alpacas up close
30 min by taxi · half a morning
On the road to the Sacred Valley, half an hour by taxi, there are centers where kids feed llamas, alpacas and vicuñas and see how textiles are woven. It pairs well with a morning in Pisac. Outside the city: for a dry day.
A short museum: the Museo de Arte Precolombino
5 min from the square · 1 hour
With kids, a small museum beats a big one. The MAP, on Plaza Nazarenas, takes an hour, and the ceramic pieces with animals usually win them over. There's a café inside for a break.
Sacsayhuamán and its rock slides
10 min by taxi · 2 hours · outdoors
Above the city, the giant Inca walls impress at any age and, next to them, there are rocks polished by centuries of use that kids use as slides. Go up by taxi and walk down through San Blas. Only once the body has adjusted to the altitude.
Juices and fruit at San Pedro Market
10 min from the square · 1 hour
Covered, noisy and full of color: kids like choosing their juice at the fruit stalls and looking at the breads and cheeses. An hour, mid-morning, when it's less crowded.
A snack with hot chocolate and a balcony over the square
On the square · no booking needed
To close the afternoon: hot chocolate, lemonade or a cake, on a second floor with a balcony where they watch the square, the pigeons and the Cathedral. We're at Portal de Comercio 157; the entrance is through the craft shop.
Breakfast and brunch with a view →
Kids and altitude: what helps
Cusco sits at 3,400 meters. On the first day, kids tend to tire faster and eat less; what works best is not overloading the schedule, drinking water often, eating light and leaving long excursions for the second or third day.
That's why seated, indoor activities like the Torito or the chocolate workshop are good for arrival day: they entertain without effort and the result goes home with them.
Frequently asked questions
- From what age can kids paint the Torito?
- There's no fixed age: it depends on whether the child wants to sit and paint for a while. For the youngest, the marble-dust heart is a simpler piece, and painting alongside an adult helps. We provide aprons and protectors.
- Do you have a kids' menu?
- The menu has no children's section, but there are options that usually work: the pancakes of the Classic Breakfast, French toast, hot chocolate, lemonades, fresh juices and the fruit salad.
- Can I bring a stroller up?
- The café is on a second floor reached by stairs from the craft shop; a baby carrier is the most comfortable way up.
A workshop for the whole family
Message us on WhatsApp with the day, the time and how many are coming, kids included, and we'll tell you which toritos and hearts are available that day.
Book the Torito workshop