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
Day trips from Cusco
Rainbow Mountain, Humantay, Sacred Valley, city tour. From US$27. 15 packages, prices per person in a double room, free quote by email within 24 hours.
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
Sacred Valley Day Tour: Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero
The classic Sacred Valley day tour from Cusco: Pisac ruins and market, buffet lunch in Urubamba, the Ollantaytambo fortress and Chinchero. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
Chinchero, Moray and Maras Day Tour with Ollantaytambo
A long day from Cusco to Chinchero, the circular terraces of Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo, with lunch in Urubamba and a last stop at Pisac. US$127.
From, per personUS$127
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
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) Day Tour from Cusco
A full day from Cusco to Vinicunca, 16,522 ft (5,036 m): pickup before dawn, a 1.9-mile climb with a guide, breakfast and lunch included. US$137.
From, per personUS$137
Humantay Lake Day Trek from Cusco
A day trek from Cusco to Humantay Lake, 13,780 ft (4,200 m), a turquoise glacier lake under Salkantay. Breakfast and lunch in Mollepata. US$137.
From, per personUS$137
Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain Day Hike
The gentler rainbow mountain: a short ridge walk past three striped hills and a stone forest at about 16,080 ft, day trip from Cusco with meals. US$137.
From, per personUS$137
Q'eswachaka Inca Rope Bridge and Four Lakes Day Trip
A long day south of Cusco past four highland lakes to Q'eswachaka, the grass rope bridge over the Apurimac that local communities rebuild by hand every year. US$137.
From, per personUS$137
Pallay Punchu One Day Trek
A long day to Pallay Punchu in Layo, a jagged striped ridge at about 15,420 ft above Lake Langui Layo, with guide, breakfast and lunch. US$147.
From, per personUS$147
Ausangate 7 Lakes Day Hike
The hardest day hike we run from Cusco: a loop past seven glacial lakes below Ausangate, up to 15,940 ft (4,860 m), with breakfast and lunch. US$147.
From, per personUS$147
Waqrapukara Trek
A day hike to Waqrapukara, an Inca site built on a two-horned rock above the Apurimac canyon, about 14,110 ft high. Guide, breakfast and box lunch. US$147.
From, per personUS$147
ATV Tour to Moray and the Maras Salt Mines
Half a day from Cusco: ride an ATV across the Maras plateau to the circular terraces of Moray, then visit the Maras salt pans. Morning or afternoon. US$167.
From, per personUS$167
Huchuy Qosqo Hike from Cusco, Fully Supported
A full-day hike from the lakes above Cusco to Huchuy Qosqo, the Inca site on a ledge over the Sacred Valley, ending in Lamay. Poles, snacks, water and box lunch included. US$177.
From, per personUS$177
About day trips from cusco
Last reviewed October 2026.
Fifteen day trips leave Cusco with pickup at your hotel, from a US$27 walking tour of San Blas to the US$177 Huchuy Qosqo hike. Every one includes the entrance tickets, a licensed guide in English and the transport, and the full-day trips include lunch or breakfast where the itinerary says so. None of them needs a hotel night away from Cusco, which is why they fill the days around a Machu Picchu package so well.
Pick by altitude first, then by interest. On your first day in Cusco do the half-day city tour or the walking tour, both at city altitude and both over by lunchtime. From day three, when your body has adjusted to 3,400 m (11,150 ft), the high hikes open up: Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, Palccoyo, Pallay Punchu, Ausangate's seven lakes and Waqrapukara. The Sacred Valley, Maras and Moray by ATV, the South Valley and Q'eswachaka sit in between, with long drives and little climbing.
Pick by effort
The table groups all fifteen trips by effort with the hours door to door, the highest point and the price. Three groups: easy, moderate with driving, and high-altitude hikes.
| Day trip | Effort | Hours door to door | Walking time | Highest point (m / ft) | Meals included | Price (US$ per person) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Blas walking tour (half day) | easy | 3 | 2 h on city streets | 3,700 / 12,139 (San Blas hill) | none | US$27 |
| Cusco city tour (half day) | easy | 5 | 1.5 h at the sites | 3,800 / 12,467 (Sacsayhuamán area) | none | US$87 |
| Home of the Gods (half day) | easy | 4 | 1 h | 3,800 / 12,467 | none | US$117 |
| Traditional Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero | easy | 10 | 2 h on terraces | 3,762 / 12,342 (Chinchero) | buffet lunch | US$127 |
| Sacred Valley VIP: Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo | easy | 10 | 2 h | 3,762 / 12,342 (Chinchero) | buffet lunch | US$127 |
| South Valley: Tipón, Pikillacta, Andahuaylillas | easy | 7 | 1.5 h | 3,600 / 11,811 | see itinerary | US$127 |
| Moray and Maras salt ponds by ATV | moderate | 7 | 1 h, 3 h on the ATV | 3,500 / 11,483 | see itinerary | US$167 |
| Q'eswachaka rope bridge and the four lakes | moderate | 12 | 1 h | 3,700 / 12,139 | lunch | US$137 |
| Palccoyo rainbow mountain | moderate | 11 | 1 h, gentle | 4,900 / 16,076 | breakfast and lunch | US$137 |
| Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca | high altitude hike | 13 | 3 to 4 h, steep | 5,036 / 16,522 | breakfast and lunch | US$137 |
| Humantay Lake day trek | high altitude hike | 13 | 3 to 4 h, steep | 4,200 / 13,780 | breakfast and lunch | US$137 |
| Pallay Punchu one-day trek | high altitude hike | 13 | 3 to 4 h | 4,800 / 15,748 | breakfast and lunch | US$147 |
| Ausangate seven lakes | high altitude hike | 14 | 5 h | 4,800 / 15,748 | breakfast and lunch | US$147 |
| Waqrapukara trek | high altitude hike | 13 | 4 to 5 h | 4,300 / 14,108 | breakfast and lunch | US$147 |
| Huchuy Qosqo trek | high altitude hike | 12 | 5 to 6 h | 4,200 / 13,780 (pass) | lunch | US$177 |
Easy: half days and valley drives
The city tour (US$87) covers Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán and the three sites above the city in about five hours. The walking tour (US$27) stays in San Blas and the market. Home of the Gods (US$117) is a half day to the modern rock sculptures in the South Valley, and we say modern on the page, because they were carved in this century. The two Sacred Valley tours (US$127) and the South Valley tour (US$127) are full days with a buffet lunch and short walks on terraces at 2,870 to 3,762 m (9,416 to 12,342 ft).
Moderate: long drives, short walks
Maras and Moray by ATV (US$167) is three hours on a quad bike across the Chinchero plateau with the salt ponds at the end. Q'eswachaka and the four lakes (US$137) is the longest drive of the group, about three and a half hours each way, to the last Inca rope bridge, rebuilt by the Quehue communities every June. Palccoyo (US$137) is the gentle rainbow mountain: 20 minutes of walking at 4,900 m (16,076 ft) to see three striped ridges at once.
High-altitude hikes
Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain (US$137), means 90 minutes to 2 hours uphill from the trailhead at 4,600 m (15,092 ft) to the viewpoint at 5,036 m (16,522 ft). Humantay Lake (US$137) is 90 minutes of steep uphill from Soraypampa at 3,900 m (12,795 ft) to the lake at 4,200 m (13,780 ft). Pallay Punchu, Ausangate's seven lakes and Waqrapukara (US$147 each) are quieter, between 4,300 and 4,800 m (14,108 and 15,748 ft), with 3 to 5 hours of walking. Huchuy Qosqo (US$177) crosses a 4,200 m (13,780 ft) pass to an Inca palace above the Sacred Valley. All six start between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m. and get back after dark.
Pickup times and the shape of each day
The high hikes pick you up between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m., drive two to three hours, stop for breakfast in a village and reach the trailhead around 8 a.m., before the wind and the cloud come up at midday. Valley tours leave between 7 and 8 a.m. and return between 5 and 7 p.m. Half days start at 8:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. The drivers wait at the hotel door, so ask reception to call you ten minutes early, and keep your passport on you, because the entrance tickets are checked against it.
What to bring
- Layers: 32 F (0 C) at the trailhead at dawn, 65 F (18 C) by noon with strong sun.
- Sunscreen, lip balm and a hat. The UV index at 5,000 m is brutal even under cloud.
- 1.5 liters of water and your own snacks. Lunch on the high hikes comes after the walk.
- Cash in soles for the horse up Vinicunca (optional), bathrooms and small purchases.
- Walking shoes with grip. Trekking poles are provided on Vinicunca, rentable elsewhere.
- Any altitude medication your doctor prescribed, taken on the doctor's schedule.
Read before you book
Read how to acclimatize before the high hikes first, because that page decides which day each trip goes on. Then Vinicunca, Palccoyo or Pallay Punchu if you are choosing a rainbow mountain, and what to do in Cusco on the easy days.
Destinations in these packages
Each place has its own page with altitude, how to get there and every package that includes it.
CuscoThe 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.
Sacred ValleyThe Urubamba River valley between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, about 2,870 m (9,416 ft), one hour north of Cusco and on the train line to Machu Picchu.
Rainbow MountainVinicunca, a striped mineral ridge at 5,036 m (16,522 ft) south of Cusco, reached by a 3-hour drive and a 90-minute to 2-hour uphill walk.
Humantay LakeA turquoise glacier lake at 4,200 m (13,780 ft) under the Humantay peak, three hours from Cusco by road plus a 90-minute uphill walk from Soraypampa.
Questions about day trips from cusco
What are the best day trips from Cusco?
Our pick, in this order: the Sacred Valley VIP for the first full day, because Moray and the Maras salt ponds are the two sights people remember, then Humantay Lake on day three and Rainbow Mountain on day four. If you have one high hike in you, make it Humantay: a shorter drive, a lower summit and a lake that is turquoise at any hour. Vinicunca is higher, longer and more crowded, and the colors need sun.
Which day trips are hard at altitude?
Six of them: Rainbow Mountain at 5,036 m (16,522 ft), Palccoyo at 4,900 m (16,076 ft), Pallay Punchu and the Ausangate lakes at 4,800 m (15,748 ft), Waqrapukara at 4,300 m (14,108 ft) and Humantay Lake and Huchuy Qosqo at 4,200 m (13,780 ft). Palccoyo is the exception on effort, with only 20 minutes of walking. Do none of them on your first two days in Cusco.
Which day trip should I do first after landing?
The half-day city tour. It starts after lunch, keeps you at city altitude and ends at Sacsayhuamán, which is the only climb. The walking tour of San Blas is the even lighter option. Both leave the morning free to sleep in, drink water and let the first-day headache pass, which it usually does by the second morning.
Are the day trips shared or private?
Shared, in small groups with one guide, picked up hotel by hotel. That is what the published prices cover. If you want your own vehicle and guide, for a family, a photographer or a different start time, ask for a quote and we price it per group. We state in writing which service you booked.
Can I combine day trips with a Machu Picchu package?
Yes, and that is how most people use them. A 4-day Machu Picchu package has a free morning on the last day for the walking tour, or you add a night and put Humantay or Rainbow Mountain on day four. We check the pickup times so a 4 a.m. hike never follows a late train, and we send one itinerary with everything on it.
What if it rains or the road closes?
The valley tours run in rain, with wet terraces and fewer people. The high hikes run too, but we tell you the night before if snow has closed the Vinicunca road, and we move you to Palccoyo or another date at no cost. From December to March plan the high hikes early in your stay so we have room to swap a rain day.
Not sure which one fits?
Send your dates and who is traveling. A planner on our team in Cusco replies with the package that makes sense, or a custom plan.