5 best day trips from Cusco

Day trips compared

The day trips

75 km · About 3.5–4 hours each way by train and bus

1.Machu Picchu

The 15th-century Inca citadel on a ridge above the Urubamba River is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites. Entry is by timed ticket on fixed circuits, and daily numbers are limited, so book tickets and trains well ahead. A day trip is possible but long; staying a night in Aguas Calientes or Ollantaytambo is more relaxed.

Getting there

Train from Poroy or Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then bus

Best for

First-timers, Culture, Couples, Families

100 km · About 3 hours each way by road

2.Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)

Mineral-striped slopes of red, yellow and turquoise rise above 5,000 metres in the Andes southeast of Cusco. A steep hike of about an hour or more at extreme altitude leads to the viewpoint; horses are available for part of the climb.

Getting there

Organised tour with early-morning pick-up

Best for

Solo travellers, First-timers

120 km · About 3 hours each way by road

3.Humantay Lake

A turquoise glacial lake at about 4,200 metres below the snow-capped Humantay peak, reached by a steep 1.5-hour hike from Soraypampa. It is a popular acclimatisation hike before the Salkantay Trek.

Getting there

Organised tour via Mollepata and Soraypampa

Best for

Solo travellers, Couples

50 km · About 1.5 hours by road

4.Moray and the Maras salt pans

Moray's circular Inca terraces are thought to have been used for agricultural experiments, with temperature differences between levels. Nearby, the Maras salt pans have been worked since pre-Inca times, with thousands of white pools stepping down the hillside.

Getting there

Taxi, private driver or Sacred Valley tour

Best for

Culture, Families, First-timers

40 km · About 1 hour by road

5.South Valley: Tipón and Andahuaylillas

Tipón has Inca terraces and water channels still flowing, while the church of San Pedro in Andahuaylillas, known as the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes', has a painted and gilded interior. The Wari site of Pikillacta lies between them.

Getting there

Taxi, colectivo or tour

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Ask your hotel for the current departure points; they can change.
• In the rainy season, trains often start from Ollantaytambo with a bus connection from Cusco; check when booking.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask