What Are the Best Day Tours From Cusco?

Cusco is one of the top travel destinations in Peru, and it has so much to offer. If you plan on spending a day or two in Cusco and want to explore the area outside the city limits, you have to visit the famous Machu Picchu or Sacred Valley. But there is much more. Our travel guide features tips on the best day trips from Cusco that you can make either independently or with a tour operator.

Due to its prime location, Cusco is a popular starting point for Inca Trail Treks and other adventures in Peru. Most people base themselves there to explore the Sacred Valley’s Incan ruins, take long hikes around the Andes, or go on an adrenaline-packed rafting trip. If you have just a day or two spare here, it is best to leave the city and explore some of its surroundings. Whether you want to visit one of Peru’s top attractions or prefer a more relaxing day hiking in stunning natural landscapes, we have compiled a list of our favorite Cusco day trips so you can choose where to go:

Sacred Valley: Chinchero & Pisac Full Day Tour

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is the most famous, and least adventurous, of Cusco’s day trips. You can’t really come to this area without stopping by Pisac or Chinchero. Both are charming Incan villages with impressive ruins.

The stone walls still stand tall in both towns, offering great photos ops for anyone looking to capture some of the Andes’ beauty on camera.

Chinchero is the more famous of the two with spectacular views over the valley and beautiful traditional clothing (especially as worn by its women). The Incan ruins here are also older than those at Pisac, which make for a slightly more interesting visit.

This is one of Cusco’s most popular day trips, which means you’ll find the whole range of options here to go by yourself or with a tour operator.

Pisaq & Ollantaytambo

One of the most popular side trips from Cusco is Pisaq. The town itself isn’t that exciting, but its ruins are unlike anything else around. You can hike through tunnels and between rocks to reach the huge carved stones here.

Pisac sits high on a mountain overlooking everything below it, so you’ll have stunning views

If you want to explore more than just ruins, Pisaq and Ollantaytambo are much better alternatives to Chinchero and Pisac. You can visit both on the same day trip or just opt for one of them according to your interests.

Pisac is more than just an Incan site; it’s also home to an impressive fortress built by the Spaniards in colonial times. It’s worth taking a look around this picturesque town before heading over to its archaeological site.

Ollantaytambo is another popular stop on the Sacred Valley tour, with its Incan ruins and unique architecture making it one of Cusco’s top attractions. The town itself is also really pretty – you might even feel like you’ve gone back in time as you walk along its picturesque streets. You can then hike up to the ruins (or even get a horse) and explore the abandoned temples.

Machu Picchu Full Day Tour From Cusco

Tour operators in Cusco offer many different kinds of tours that include transportation, guide, entrance tickets, and food. It is possible to go on a day trip to Machu Picchu on one of these tours (Machu Picchu By Train). Also, it’s important to know that there are two types of Cusco tours: full-day tours and half-day tours.

The full-day tours start early in the morning, by bus or train. The scenery along the way is absolutely stunning, so it’s worth taking a window seat if possible. Machu Picchu tickets Have limitations for each day; there are 500 tickets available per day for tourists who want to visit Machu Picchu. This is why it’s best to buy tickets in advance, so don’t forget to do it! When entering Machu Picchu you have to be accompanied by a Tour Leader from the authorized companies. There are guards at the entrance who check if all visitors have a guide with them. The whole trip takes an entire day, but it is worth it if you can afford it.

Short- but also long-distance tours are offered from Cusco, and sometimes they can be a great deal. One of these deals is the “Inca Jungle tour one-day” tour, which starts at a local market where you get to know about Peruvian food, fruits, and vegetables. Next, you go to a ranch and take part in farm life, which includes milking cows and making cheese. After the tour at the ranch, you start a bus journey to the Inca Jungle During this trip, visit Inca ruins (similar to the terraces of Moray) and Ollantaytambo (an old Inca town), which is the final stop of your tour.

Rainbow Mountain Full day Tour

If you are looking for a day trip that will take you to the top of the Andean Mountains, look no further than Rainbow Mountain Tour. The trail is known as vinicunca, which means “house of the rainbow” in Quechua. It is located close to Cusco on one of its highest peaks, touching some 4,200 meters. As you climb the mountain, the colors change gradually, starting off with oranges and reds, then changing to yellows and finally blues as you reach the top. A rainbow is created by sunlight reflecting on water droplets in mist at certain points of this Andean hike.

Rainbow Mountain is a bit of a misnomer, though. The mountain changes color due to the different types of mineral deposits found in the area, not from colorful rainbows. It takes about 3 hours to reach the top and 2 hours to descend from it. You can visit Rainbow Mountain either alone on your private transportation or with a tour operator (recommended). The hike is very strenuous, so you have to be reasonably fit to do it. And be ready for a lot of dust and the possibility of altitude sickness in Cusco.

Cusco has a lot to offer. If you want to make the most out of your trip, be sure to check our other tips on awesome Things to do in Cusco. And if you are planning an extended stay, we have a comprehensive Travel guide for Peru.

Humantay Lake

As beautiful as the Inca Trail is, a day trip from Cusco to Humantay Lake will give you an opportunity for some much-needed rest before tackling one of Peru’s most famous trails. The hike isn’t difficult and only takes about three hours if done in daylight; however, it can be challenging on your body (especially knees) after doing so many steep grades with heavy packs along gracious curves where there are no guardrails! So pack up those snacks though not too many because this place does have its own unique offerings apart

As Humantay is actually a stop for those who want to take the first day of the Salkantay trek, we imagined that getting around would not prove too difficult – after all, there is only 3 hours difference between reaching Mollepata (the village near Start Point) and returning home again! However, as it turned out neither onward nor return travel was certain; so opting against taking such an independently- criterion trip proved wise…

Humantay Lake is a must-see for those interested in hiking. The entrance fee to get there varies depending on how long your tour lasts and at what time you leave, but it will only set you back about (10 soles). However this does not include transportation costs from where ever company buses start their routes during daylight hours – so plan ahead! You should take care before going up high if considering any hikes with altitude levels above 2200 meters; Humantay lake itself reaches 4200 masl

Moray And Maras Day Tour

Moray Maras Tour is an impressive Incan ruin used for agricultural and experimentation purposes; Maras, a still-functioning (and highly photogenic) salt mine. One on the Boleto Turistico post Card, the other requiring separate admission fees but they shouldn’t be combined because of geography – whether you choose to visit independently or opt for organized tours these two sites are definitely double acts!

If you’re looking for the best way to visit Moray and Maras, without getting lost or wasting time on finding your own transportation there are no better options than with one of our tours. We promise this will be an informative post that goes into detail about all different types of committing independently while also giving some tips so don’t worry!

There are many surprising things about the Incas that you may not have known. One such secret is how they communicated with one another without ever writing anything down- instead of using colored cords called “quipus”. The khipu was used for sending messages and passing oral traditions, but their code has never been cracked which leaves us in awe at this amazing civilization full of mystery!

SACSAYHUAMAN & Q’ENQO & PUKA PUKARA & TAMBOMACHAY

What’s better than one Incan ruin Cusco City Tour? multiple ruins, of course! In just 6 hours you can see four impressive structures that were once part of an ancient empire. The best option would be to visit the Sacsayhuaman site which is only 45 minutes away from Cusco by car or public transport and has some great views to look at while exploring its wide compounds with stone walls up high enough so no mortar ever leaked into their foundations during the rainy season since this was done intentionally according to top designers’ blueprints kept alive through time immemorial – even if people

If you are worried about getting sick of visiting similar-looking ruins after some time, then we don’t think it’s possible – when exploring the Mayan site in Mexico City for example. However, both Incan and Maya architecture were so fascinating that this never happened to us! UNESCO listed Sacsayhuaman also has an admission fee; however if there is enough space on your itinerary (or budget) consider taking a taxi or colectivo from Pisac towards Tambomachay ruins as they’re located atop hilltop pa second extra charge applies due to height requirements but will be worth every penny

You can take in all of Cusco on this one-day trip, but it is often recommendable as the first thing to do. This will help you adjust and there are many reasons why visiting these ruins is fun! You should buy a ticket at least for 1 day if not more upon arriving – then again just get any type that suits your budget because they’re so affordable here!

7 Lagoons Ausangate day Tour

Cusco is a must-see destination for Peruvian travelers looking to escape the busy life they live back home. The city offers some amazing landscapes, such as imposing snow capped mountains and green valleys with powerful rivers running through them; but it also has lagoons that can be found south of this region under surveillance from Ausangate mountain range which runs parallel just outside Cuz’ main square ( Plaza de Armas). As its name indicates “the circuit” consists of 7 different lakes – all within scenic views distance each other so you’ll never get bored while driving around! One-way trips take about two hours depending on how fast your vehicle goes or if there is any traffic.

They’re beautiful! The set of lagoons that make up this tourist attraction is fed by the thawing Ausangate snow-capped mountain, which reaches 6384 meters high. To take advantage of its natural beauty people created a circuit with 7 different lagoons: Pucacocha Lagune, Patacoccha Lagon( predecessor), Al quot mogul lakes Qomercocha Ortorongo Chinese OTO & Blue Co Chelle
In order to enjoy all these places, you should come here during your next vacation because if not it will be difficult

The 7 lagoons of Cusco are located approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Quispicanchis. It belongs to the province of Pacchanta and town 4200 meters above sea level, at top Ausangate mountain provides water for them all which makes it one amazing natural attraction in Peru
How can I go there? Your best bet would be through an All-inclusive tour around these Seven lakes)