Best Day Trips from Cusco

Cusco is the ideal starting point to explore the wonders of the Peruvian Andes because beyond Machu Picchu, the monuments, museums, plazas and tours of this ancient capital there is a wide range of natural sites and things to see and enjoy.

In this article, I present the best excursions from Cusco, which include the impressive 7 lagoons of Ausangate, the fascinating circular terraces of Maras and Moray, and other experiences that will take your breath away. In addition, I leave you tips, recommendations with all the activities available in each place to make your trip an unforgettable experience.

During this excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas you will walk through the main sites of the valley, from the impressive terraces of Moray and the salt mines of Maras, the village of Chinchero to the city of Ollantaytambo. This adventure will take you through the history and culture of the ancient South American empire, from its heart, the Sacred Valley.

Itineraries vary from one operator to the next, but most commonly they usually make their first stop at Moray, after a 90-minute drive from Cusco. A few steps from the entrance, terraces in the shape of an ancient amphitheatre sit before your eyes. This is an agricultural research centre that was vital to the Inca culture.

The next destination is equally exciting: the salt mines of Maras. This ancient salt-producing centre, which dates back to pre-Inca times, is a visual spectacle. More than 3000 salt ponds dug into the mountainside are filled daily with a stream of water from a spring, creating a unique and fascinating landscape.

After leaving the Maras Salt Mines, the tour usually continues its course to Chinchero, a small Andean village located at an altitude of more than 3000 metres where you will see a textile centre specialising in alpaca wool. Finally, you arrive in Ollantaytambo, also known as "The Living Inca City". Its streets and portals and the Punku Punku or Llacta Punku amaze its visitors.

Interesting details

• Price: from 41 € per person.
• Duration: 6 - 12 hours.
• What you need to know: in the Sacred Valley you have a range of activities available such as paragliding, rock climbing and zip-lining for additional supplements. If you fancy any of them in particular, I advise you to sign up directly for that or any other activity of your liking.
• What the tour may include: transfer service to and from your hotel. Expert guide service in your language. Quad bike rental. Zip line experience. Bottled water.
• Pros: This tour allows you to quickly see the main points of the Sacred Valley. Functional for 3 day trips to Cusco.
• Cons: the exploration is superficial because the Sacred Valley is quite large, so to enjoy all the activities available it is ideal to do a direct walk to two or three areas on each tour, as we will see in the following excursions in this list.

If you are looking for a unique and exhilarating experience in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, don't miss the Maras and Moray tour! First of all, you will visit the picturesque village of Maras, where you will be able to appreciate the colonial facades of the houses. But the most impressive part of this place are the salt mines and their ancient salt quarries.

There is an Inca legend behind this place. However, the secret lies in a spring located in the Qaqawiñay mountain and the natural work of the sun. After getting to know all the properties and curiosities of the salt of Maras, a pampering pampering awaits you: a relaxing foot massage with mountain herbs and salts.

The tour then moves on to the Moray complex, where the impressive central circular archaeological centre is located.

After the first excavations at Moray, archaeologists thought that this site was a complex of amphitheatres. However, later investigations based on the irrigation systems, the layout of the site and its shape, shed light on its true function, it was a centre for agricultural experimentation where each level offered a different climatic environment for growing various types of plants. It is fascinating! and the walk through the valley will prove it to you.

Details of interest

• Price: from 41 € per person.
• Duration: 6-8 hours.
• What you need to know: the level of difficulty of the walks is medium.
• What the tour may include: lunch with typical Cusquenian food. Transport service to and from your hotel. Professional guide service. Massage with salts. Folkloric show. Entrance to the archaeological centre of Moray.
• Pros: It is a tour to let yourself be carried away by the benefits of the Sacred Valley of the ancient empire of Tahuantinsuyo. Usually small groups.
• Cons: It is adventure tourism, during the experience you will cross several trails to visit the bends of Maras and Moray. Although it is a comfortable walk, consider that you will be constantly active.

From pick up at your hotel to return, every moment of the Machu Picchu tour from Cusco will be filled with excitement and awe. The tour consists of three legs of round-trip transportation, namely:

• First leg: bus transfer from your accommodation to the train station.
• Second leg: train ride to Aguas Calientes.
• Third leg: hike or bus transfer to this wonder of the world.

It is important to know that the train journey starts from two points. From Poroy it is a 30 minute journey, while from Ollantaytambo it is a 90 minute journey. The reason for the variation is mainly due to weather conditions. And if you fancy a luxury trip, you can opt to take it up a notch by booking a tour to Machu Picchu with the Vistadome 360° train - a first class panoramic train.

At Machu Picchu - the **Old Mountain -**an expert guide will take you to explore the main seat of the ancient Tahuantinsuyo Empire, the House of the Guardian, the Intiwat Pyramid, the qolqas, the complex of water mirrors, the Temple of the Condor, etc. This is a journey of resilience with something interesting to look at around every corner where the architecture and landscape evoke another world.

Details of interest

• Price: from 280 € per person.
• Duration: 14 hours and upwards.
• What you should know: citizens over 18 years of age from the Andean Community - Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia - can enjoy a special discount on the cost of their train tickets, check with your operator when booking. I recommend experiences of at least 2 days in Machu Picchu to fully appreciate the 325.9 km² citadel. Choose from the various ways to get to Machu Picchu from Cusco with enough time to get to know it internally and its surroundings in Aguas Calientes where you find the Mandor Gardens, thermal baths, museums and more.
• What the tour may include: Round trip train ticket. Expert guide service. Shuttle service to and from your hotel. Entrance to Machu Picchu.
• Pros: this is a tour with options for all tastes that invites adventurers to travel back in time in a dream destination.
• Cons: Meals and drinks are not usually included. Groups can be large.

Early pick up from your hotel to make your way through the Andean landscape for 3 hours with a few stops to see the contrasts between the villages. The first stop is usually in Tinki, from where the Ausangate Circuit begins.

The trek continues to Pacchanta where a typical local breakfast awaits you. Afterwards, you will begin the trek through the Vilcanota mountain range, where you will discover the impressive landscape of the Mariposa, Jampa, Pucapunta, Tike and Ausangate peaks, one of the 10 highest mountains in Peru thanks to its 6385 meters of altitude.

Along the way, you will have the opportunity to see native animals such as llamas, alpacas, vizcachas and with a little luck the majestic Andean condor. But what will really leave you speechless, are the 7 turquoise lagoons that you will find on the way: Azul Cocha, Pucacocha, Sibinacocha, Otorongo, Alcacocha, Comercocha and a secret lagoon that will surprise you with its beautiful colour.

After a well-deserved rest in the hot springs of Pacchanta and a traditional lunch in the beautiful community of Chilca - the guardians of Ausangate - you return to the navel of the world. The experience is magical and if you visit the 7 lakes of Ausangate in June, you can join the Corpus Christi festival with a mountain pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Lord of Q'oyllur Riti.

Details of interest

• Price: from 110 € per person.
• Duration: 15 hours and upwards.
• What you need to know: this is a demanding challenge, if you are not an expert mountaineer I recommend other alternatives such as the Laguna Humantay for those who want to discover magazine lakes.
• What the tour may include: shuttle service to and from your hotel. Services of an expert mountaineering tour guide. Breakfast. Lunch. Hiking poles. First aid kit.
• Pros: Groups are often small, which personalises the experience to a great extent. The scenery is beautiful.
• Cons: To get to the top of the mountain you have to hike 70 kilometres, as day hikes only allow you to enjoy the atmosphere of the place up to the first 4 kilometres. If you want to reach the top, be prepared for the challenging 6-day trek, suitable only for experts.

The day will start early in the morning and head to the village of Mollepata, where you will have breakfast to recharge your batteries. Afterwards, you continue the journey by road to Soraypampa, where you begin the ascent to Laguna Humantay.

During the two-hour hike, you will enjoy a unique landscape with the towering snow-capped peaks of Salkantay and Humantay as a backdrop. When you reach the top of the mountain, the spectacular blue lagoon surrounded by towering glaciers awaits. All in all, it is a landscape that will not leave you indifferent.

After exploring and photographing the site, you begin the descent to Soraypampa camp, where you enjoy lunch. After lunch, you make your way back to Cusco in the excursion's transport.

Interesting details

• Price: from 45 € per person.
• Duration: from 10 hours.
• What you should know: at this site you can also rent horses and lighten up your trot. And if you want to experience the Humantay Lagoon in the best Cusco style, take part in the millenary ceremony in honour of the Pachamama that takes place in this place.
• What the tour may include: Private transport service. Professional guide service. Breakfast. Lunch. Entrance fees for Salkantay and Humantay. First aid kit.
• Pros: The tour to the Humantay Lagoon is one of the best excursions from Cusco not only because of the enchanting scenery, but also because it is suitable for medium level mountaineers.
• Cons: The group can be large.

Leaving the city early in the morning, you will enjoy a bus ride along the widest section of the Andes, the southern corridor of the altiplano, for about 10 hours to follow the Ruta del Sol to Puno.

Along the way, you will stop at historically sacred towns such as Andahuaylillas and Raqchi, where you will visit temples such as the region's Sistine Chapel and the Temple of Wiracocha. In addition, you will be able to participate in pottery workshop demonstrations and various cultural activities. Afterwards you will have a traditional lunch in the town of Sicuani.

But that's not all, the route also includes a pass through the Cordillera La Raya mountain range, home to one of the richest rock collections in the valley. This is the borderline between Cusco and Puno, and from this point the panoramic views leave the mountains and valleys behind to take in the altiplano, and the lagoons. Importantly, if you want to buy some woollen souvenirs, this is the place to go - they offer the best quality and price!

The last stop will be at the Lithic Museum in Pukara, where you can learn about the Aymara culture by walking around the archaeological site of the museum.

Details of interest

• Price: from 35 € per person.
• Duration: 10 hours and upwards.
• What you need to know: this route is usually one-way, i.e. it starts in Cusco and ends in Puno, because locals use it to cross the border into Bolivia. This experience can also be combined with a tourist or luxury class train for a premium experience.
• What the tour may include: Transport service. Lunch. Professional guide service. Traditional drinks.
• Pros: It is an interesting way to visit southern Cusco and the borderline following the footsteps of the Inca empire.
• Cons: Transport back to your accommodation is not usually included. Groups can be large

• Transport service consider that the transport included in the tours excludes private residences such as those offered by Airbnb or private individuals. If this is the case, you may need to head to a central location such as Cusco's Plaza de Armas.
• Altitude may sound a bit repetitive, but Cusco, the heart of the Andes, sits at over 3,000 metres above sea level, so it's not uncommon for tourists to experience what is known in Peru as "soroche", in other words, altitude sickness. Try to organise some of the best city tours for your first day so that your body adapts and from the second day onwards, set off on an adventure!
• The timetable for the excursions, as most of the tours from Cusco are a considerable distance away, to make the most of the visits you will usually find a pick-up time between 04:30 and 05:00 hours.
• The photographs of the Cusqueños, many of them wear their colourful and colourful traditional costumes. This is exotic and we - myself included - want to take impromptu photographs of them, but it is uncomfortable for them. If you ask their permission they will most likely happily agree to pose for your camera. A small gesture makes all the difference.

Hiking activities are mostly medium to high level, so it is best to be prepared.

Sunglasses, insect repellent, light clothing, sunscreen, hat or cap and poncho, especially if you go in the rainy season between December and March. Finally, good hiking shoes.