From a 4-day stay to 8 days with high-altitude hikes, always in the right order for the altitude. Pick one of our trips or tell us your dates and we’ll build yours.
At 3,399 meters, Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is the base for Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake. Walk five minutes from the Plaza de Armas and you’ll see Inca walls still holding up the colonial buildings raised on top of them.
4 days minimum, 6 is ideal, 8 with the high-altitude hikes.
How many days in Cusco? →Take the first day easy. The Sacred Valley is lower, at about 2,800 m.
Dry season with sunny days. November to March brings afternoon rain.
How far ahead tickets sell out in high season. Book early.
What a Machu Picchu trip costs →Three ready-made starting points, from 4 to 8 days. Every package can be changed: add days, go private, or combine it with the rest of Peru.
The short version: Cusco, Maras and Moray and Machu Picchu, all from one hotel in Cusco.
The full Cusco experience at a calm pace, with two nights in the Valley.
The Classic plus a free day and Rainbow Mountain at the end.
Per person, based on 2 travelers. Group tours, with private days in the Sacred Valley on the 6- and 8-day trips. Solo travelers welcome. Includes tours, transfers and Machu Picchu. Hotels and private guide quoted on request. Not included: flights (domestic flights quoted on request) and the Boleto Turístico.
Prefer Machu Picchu at opening time? Spend the night before in Aguas Calientes and go up first thing in the morning.
“…organized our trip to Cusco and the Sacred Valley – an unforgettable experience that was precise, diverse and perfectly tailored to us. From the first moment, we felt that we were truly listened to.”
“We visited Chinchero, Moray, the Maras Salt Mines, and Ollantaytambo in a very comfortable private vehicle. Our guide was Franklin, a Peruvian with a background in Peruvian history.”
“I took a private tour of Maras, Moray, and Chinchero. They pick you up in a very comfortable van, and the guide was excellent… very professional and attentive to any request you may have.”
“Jaim was lovely and available for every request we had, and helped with everything we asked. Warmly recommended!”
Short on time, or adding a day? Book a single tour. With an extra day, the South Valley gets a fraction of the Sacred Valley’s crowds, Ausangate’s seven lakes are a quieter alternative to Rainbow Mountain, and the ATV route is a more active way to see the Maras salt pans.
The dry season runs from May to September: clear mornings, cold nights and the most visitors, especially in June around Inti Raymi (June 24; see our Peru festivals calendar). November to March is rainy, heaviest in January and February, when the Inca Trail closes for maintenance. Machu Picchu stays open all year. April and October are a good middle ground.
Cusco sits at 3,399 m and the first 24 hours are usually the hardest. The Sacred Valley is about 600 m lower, so sleeping there helps. Leave the high hikes for the end of your stay: Rainbow Mountain tops out above 5,000 m and Humantay Lake is around 4,200 m. Both mean a pickup before dawn.
Most travelers fly from Lima, about 1 h 20 min. Buses also connect Cusco with Puno and Arequipa. If you like, we book the flight from Lima as part of your trip.
Machu Picchu entry is limited per day and per circuit. Book at least two months ahead, and three months or more for June to August; train seats sell out on the same dates. Most other ruins are covered by the Boleto Turístico, a combined ticket bought in Cusco. It doesn’t include Machu Picchu, the Qorikancha or the Maras salt pans, which charge separately. For tickets, trains, bus and guide line by line, see our Machu Picchu trip cost breakdown.
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Yes, but it’s a 14-hour day with a pickup before 4 am. We recommend sleeping in the Sacred Valley or in Aguas Calientes so the visit is calm.
Group tours are the most affordable way to see the classics, shared with a small group of travelers. Private tours give you your own guide and vehicle, so you set the pace and the stops. On Machu Picchu day the train and bus are always shared; private means your own guide.
Take the first day easy, drink water, eat light and skip alcohol the first night. Sleeping in the Sacred Valley, about 600 m lower, helps a lot. Leave Rainbow Mountain and Humantay for the end of your stay. If you have a heart or lung condition, check with your doctor before the trip. More in our guide to acclimatization in Peru.
At least two months ahead, and three months or more for June to August. Entry is limited per day and per circuit, and train seats sell out on the same dates. In the rainy season you can sometimes book a few weeks ahead.
Domestic flights, yes: we can book them as part of your trip. Your international flight to Peru you book yourself; we plan the itinerary around your times and handle everything on the ground: hotels, transfers, trains, tickets and guides.
Yes. The three trips are starting points. Tell us your dates, pace and interests and we’ll adapt the plan, add days or combine Cusco with other parts of Peru.
Yes, it’s the classic southern route: Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, then Puno and Lake Titicaca, then Cusco. Give it 10 to 14 days. See our Arequipa and Colca guide. For the lake, see our Puno and Lake Titicaca guide; the Ruta del Sol bus connects Puno and Cusco in a guided day.
A day-by-day plan with hotels and the full price, from a local, not a bot.
