Machu Picchu & Cusco in 3 Days
Three days from the Cusco airport and back: a city tour on arrival, a full train day to Machu Picchu with a guide, and departure. Hotels included, from US$727.
From, per personUS$727
Cusco
The Inca capital at 3,400 m (11,150 ft), 1 hour 20 minutes by air from Lima, where every Machu Picchu trip and every trek starts.
11,150 ft3,400 m above sea level
24 packagesinclude this destination
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Cusco is a city of about 450,000 people at 3,400 m (11,150 ft) in the southern Peruvian Andes, the former capital of the Inca empire and the base for every Machu Picchu tour, trek and day trip we run. The flight from Lima takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site where Spanish churches stand on Inca walls, and the Plaza de Armas, Qorikancha and San Blas are within a fifteen-minute walk of each other.
Cusco at a glance
The table lists the altitude, the distance to the main sights and the flight time. Most of what you want to see is inside a square kilometer: the cathedral and the Jesuit church on the plaza, the curved Inca wall of Qorikancha under the Santo Domingo convent, the twelve-angled stone on Hatunrumiyoc street, the San Pedro market, and the artists' quarter of San Blas up the hill. Sacsayhuamán, the fortress with the fitted boulders, is a 30-minute walk above the plaza at about 3,700 m (12,139 ft). The city tour covers it on the first afternoon.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude | 3,400 m (11,150 ft) | |
| Population | about 450,000 (city) | |
| Flight from Lima | about 1 hour 20 minutes | |
| UNESCO World Heritage | City of Cuzco, inscribed 1983 | whc.unesco.org |
| Sacsayhuamán | about 3,700 m (12,139 ft), 30 minutes on foot above the plaza | |
| Dry season | May to September |
Altitude and your first afternoon
The altitude is the one fact about Cusco that changes your plans. The CDC puts the risk of altitude illness at sleeping elevations above 2,450 m (8,000 ft), and Cusco is well above that, so most visitors who fly in from Lima feel a headache and shortness of breath on the first afternoon and sleep badly the first night. By the second morning most people are fine. The rules that work: arrive, drink water, eat lightly, skip alcohol the first night, and do nothing harder than a slow city tour until day three. Ask your doctor about acetazolamide before you travel, since the CDC lists it as the standard preventive medication. Our guide to the Cusco altitude covers symptoms, medication and how we order the days.
The mistake is landing in Cusco and taking the 4 a.m. Rainbow Mountain van the next morning. People do it, and they spend the hike sick. Give the city two nights.
When to come
May to September: dry, with mornings near 40 F (4 C) and afternoons near 70 F (21 C), and the most visitors. October to April: afternoon rain, green hills, cheaper hotels. The city's own festivals are Inti Raymi on June 24 at Sacsayhuamán and Corpus Christi in early June, when hotels fill and prices rise. For things to do in Cusco on the slow days, including the market and the museums, read the guide. For where to sleep, our hotel guide rates the neighborhoods by walking time to the plaza.
Packages and day trips that include Cusco
Everything below starts or sleeps in Cusco: the Machu Picchu packages with city nights built in, the fifteen day trips from the city, the treks that leave from here and the longer itineraries that fly in from Lima. Day trips start at US$27 for the San Blas walking tour.
Cusco in photos
Photos: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Victor Delgado, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); WMrapids, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (source); Ashim D’Silva, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (source)
Where it is
Interactive map loads from OpenStreetMap when the page is online.
Packages that include Cusco
Grouped by type of trip. Prices per person in a double room.
Machu Picchu tours
Machu Picchu & Cusco in 4 Days
City tour on arrival, a full day through Chinchero, Moray and the Maras salt ponds, then the morning train and a guided walk through the citadel.
From, per personUS$774
Machu Picchu & Cusco in 5 Days, with Rainbow Mountain
Five days from Cusco: city tour, Sacred Valley, a night in Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu with a guide, then Rainbow Mountain once you have adjusted. From US$914.
From, per personUS$914
Machu Picchu & Humantay Lake 6 Days
Six days from Cusco: city tour, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu with a guide, then Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain on two mountain days. From US$1,028.
From, per personUS$1,028
Day trips from Cusco
Cusco Walking Tour: San Pedro, San Blas and the 12-Angled Stone
Half a day on foot in old Cusco with a guide: San Pedro market, the 12-angled stone, the San Blas workshops and the San Cristobal viewpoint. US$27.
From, per personUS$27
Cusco City Tour Half Day: Qorikancha and Sacsayhuaman
A guided half day in Cusco: the Qorikancha Sun Temple, then Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay above the city. Entries included. US$87.
From, per personUS$87
Home of the Gods (Apukunaq Tianan) Half-Day Tour from Cusco
A half day to Apukunaq Tianan, the Home of the Gods: giant modern sculptures of Andean deities carved into the hillside above Cusco. Transport and guide. US$117.
From, per personUS$117
Cusco South Valley Tour: Tipon, Pikillacta and Andahuaylillas
A relaxed day south of Cusco: the Inca water channels of Tipon, the Wari city of Pikillacta and the painted church of Andahuaylillas. Back by 4:00 p.m. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
Peru vacation packages
Lima and Machu Picchu in 6 Days
Six days from Lima: the city and the Ballestas coast, then Cusco, the Sacred Valley and a guided Machu Picchu visit by train. From US$880 per person.
From, per personUS$880
Peru in 7 Days: Lima, Nazca, Cusco and Machu Picchu
A 7-day Peru tour from Lima: the Ballestas Islands, a flight over the Nazca Lines, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu by train. From US$900 per person.
From, per personUS$900
Peru in 8 Days: Nazca, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain
An 8-day Peru tour from Lima: Ballestas, the Nazca Lines, Cusco, Machu Picchu by train and a guided Rainbow Mountain hike. From US$1,190 per person.
From, per personUS$1,190
Peru in 9 Days: Nazca, Machu Picchu and Two Andes Hikes
A 9-day Peru tour from Lima: the coast and the Nazca Lines, Machu Picchu by train, then Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake from Cusco. From US$1,660 per person.
From, per personUS$1,660
Peru in 10 Days: Lima, Nazca, Machu Picchu and the Andes
A 10-day Peru tour from Lima at an easier pace: Nazca, Machu Picchu by train, Rainbow Mountain, the South Valley and Humantay Lake. From US$1,720 per person.
From, per personUS$1,720
Complete Peru in 15 Days, from the Coast to Machu Picchu
A 2-week Peru tour that climbs slowly from the coast: Nazca, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco and Machu Picchu by train. From US$2,084 per person.
From, per personUS$2,084
Peru and Bolivia tours
Peru and Bolivia in 10 Days, from Machu Picchu to Uyuni
Ten days from Lima to the Uyuni salt flat: Machu Picchu by train, Lake Titicaca, the border at Kasani and La Paz, ending at Uyuni airport. From US$1,817 per person.
From, per personUS$1,817
Peru and Bolivia in 11 Days, with Uyuni and Laguna Colorada
Eleven days from Lima: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, the Uyuni salt flat and a day south to Laguna Colorada, ending in La Paz. From US$1,647 per person.
From, per personUS$1,647
Peru and Bolivia in 12 Days with the Full Uyuni Circuit
Twelve days: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full three-day Uyuni circuit with the salt flat, the lagoons and the geysers at dawn. From US$2,047 per person.
From, per personUS$2,047
Machu Picchu and Uyuni in 13 Days, Overland Through the Andes
Thirteen days in the Andes: Machu Picchu, the daytime Route of the Sun to Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,247 per person.
From, per personUS$3,247
Peru and Bolivia in 2 Weeks, from the Pacific to the Salt Flats
Two weeks across Peru and Bolivia: the Ballestas coast and Huacachina dunes, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,247 per person.
From, per personUS$3,247
Peru and Bolivia in 15 Days with Rainbow Mountain and Uyuni
Fifteen days with the high points of both countries: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the full Uyuni circuit. From US$3,057 per person.
From, per personUS$3,057
Andean ceremonies
Cusco to Lake Titicaca in 5 Days, with an Andean Ceremony
Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then a night bus to Puno and two days on Lake Titicaca with a lakeshore water ceremony and a night with a family on Amantaní.
From, per personUS$917
Aymara Ceremony Tour: Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in 8 Days
Eight days from Lima: the city and the Paracas coast, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, then Lake Titicaca with a water ceremony and a night on Amantaní.
From, per personUS$1,097
Aymara Ceremony Tour: Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in 10 Days
Ten days from Lima to Lake Titicaca: the coast, Cusco and Machu Picchu, a farming day with a Sacred Valley community, the daytime Sun Route to Puno and a lake ceremony.
From, per personUS$1,347
Aymara Ceremony Tour, Complete: Peru in 12 Days with Rainbow Mountain
Twelve days from Lima to Lake Titicaca: the coast, Cusco, Machu Picchu, a farming community, Rainbow Mountain, the Sun Route and two lake days with a water ceremony.
From, per personUS$1,377
Questions about Cusco
How high is Cusco?
3,400 m (11,150 ft) at the Plaza de Armas, and up to about 3,700 m (12,139 ft) at Sacsayhuamán above the city. That is higher than any city in the United States and above the 2,450 m (8,000 ft) threshold the CDC uses for altitude illness risk. Plan a slow first day, and put Machu Picchu, which is 1,000 m lower, on day two or three.
How many days do you need in Cusco?
Two nights minimum before Machu Picchu, three if you want a day trip to the Sacred Valley first, and four or five if Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake are on the list, since those need the body to adjust. Our 4-day Machu Picchu package sleeps three nights in the city. Travelers who give Cusco a week rarely run out of day trips.
Is Cusco safe for tourists?
The historic center is busy with visitors day and night, and the usual city rules apply: keep your phone out of your back pocket, use registered taxis or the ones your hotel calls, and watch your bag in the San Pedro market. The US State Department publishes a Peru travel advisory with the current level for the Cusco region, and we read it before every season. Our safety guide goes through it in detail.
Where is Cusco, and how do I get there?
In the southern Peruvian Andes, about 1,100 km (680 mi) southeast of Lima by road and 1 hour 20 minutes by air. Nearly everyone flies, since the bus takes about 21 hours. The airport is 15 minutes from the center, and every package includes the pickup. From Cusco, Machu Picchu is 3.5 hours by road and train, and Lake Titicaca is 8 to 10 hours by road.
What is the weather like in Cusco?
Two seasons, not four. Dry season from May to September, with cold clear mornings near 40 F (4 C), sunny afternoons near 70 F (21 C) and nights that can touch freezing in June and July. Rainy season from November to March, with warmer nights, afternoon showers and green hills. Pack layers in any month, and a rain shell from October to April.