Arrival in Cusco
We'll meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. The day is free so you can acclimatize to the altitude.
Overnight: Cusco
Package · 7 days
Essential Cusco
Seven days to see the essentials of Cusco: city and ruins, the Sacred Valley with Maras and Moray, Machu Picchu by train, Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain. For active travelers who want to combine history with high-altitude hikes.
7 days / 6 nightsMachu Picchu includedHumantay and Rainbow MountainSpanish / English guide
Duration7 days / 6 nights
GuideSpanish or English
PickupCusco airport
Machu PicchuEntrance and train included
Highlights
What you’ll experience
- Machu PicchuTrain trip and guided visit of the citadel, with lunch, in one day.
- Maras and MorayThe salt pans and Moray's circular terraces within the Super Sacred Valley.
- Humantay LakeClimb of about 1 hr 30 min to a turquoise lake at 4,250 m, with an offering to the Earth.
- Rainbow MountainHike of about 3 hours to Vinicunca, at the foot of the snow-capped Ausangate.
Itinerary
Day by day
Days 5 and 6 start at 4:00 a.m.; the order of the excursions can be adjusted so you acclimatize better.
City Tour and Archaeological Park
Breakfast
After breakfast you have the morning free. At 12:30 p.m. the city tour begins: Plaza Mayor and its colonial buildings, the Qoricancha (an Inca temple, today the Convent of Santo Domingo), and the Cusco Cathedral.
Then you visit the four archaeological sites near the city: Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. At the end we drop you off at your hotel.
Overnight: Cusco
Super Sacred Valley
BreakfastLunch
We pick you up at your hotel between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. You start in Chinchero, an Inca and colonial town where traditional textiles are still woven. Continue to the salt pans of Maras and the Moray complex, with its concentric terraces, which served as an agricultural laboratory.
Continue to Ollantaytambo to explore its archaeological complex and have a buffet lunch. In the afternoon, visit Pisac, with its Inca terraces and craft market, and return to your hotel in Cusco.
Overnight: Cusco
Machu Picchu
BreakfastLunch
After breakfast, go to the Poroy or Ollantaytambo station, depending on the season, and take the train to Machu Picchu. In Machu Picchu Pueblo, our staff helps you board the bus up the road that hugs the Urubamba canyon.
Take a guided visit of the citadel's terraces, staircases, ceremonial enclosures and urban areas, then have lunch at a restaurant in the area. At the scheduled time, take the train to Ollantaytambo, and we transfer you to Cusco.
Overnight: Cusco
Humantay Lake
BreakfastLunch
We pick you up between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. and travel with the guide to Mollepata, where you have breakfast. Continue to Soraypampa and begin the climb to Humantay Lake, about 1 hr 30 min to 4,250 m.
At the lake you have time to enjoy it and witness a brief offering ceremony to the Earth for the Apus. Then go back down to Soraypampa, have lunch in Mollepata and return to Cusco around 6:30–7:00 p.m.
Overnight: Cusco
Rainbow Mountain
BreakfastLunch
At 4:00 a.m. we pick you up to go toward the foothills of the snow-capped Ausangate, with a stop in Cusipata for breakfast. After a short briefing, you hike about 3 hours with your guide to Vinicunca, learning about the customs and beliefs of the Andean mountains.
On the way back, have lunch in Cusipata and arrive at your hotel in Cusco around 4:30 p.m.
Overnight: Cusco
Departure from Cusco
Breakfast
After breakfast, at the agreed time, we take you to Cusco airport for your return flight to Lima or your home country.
✓Included
- Airport–hotel–airport transfers in Cusco.
- 6 nights' accommodation in Cusco with breakfast.
- Cusco City Tour + 4 archaeological sites (half day).
- Super Sacred Valley of the Incas tour with lunch in Urubamba.
- Machu Picchu tour by tourist train with lunch in Aguas Calientes.
- Humantay Lake tour.
- Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) tour.
- 2 lunches in Cusipata.
- Entrance fees.
- Professional guide in Spanish or English.
- Assistance throughout the trip.
✕Not included
- International and domestic flights.
- Meals not mentioned in the program and drinks with meals.
- Early check-in, late check-out, hotel extras and personal expenses.
- Tips for guides, drivers and waiters.
About Machu Picchu tickets
Machu Picchu tickets and Inca Trail permits are issued through the Peruvian government in each traveler’s name (full name and ID or passport number) and must be paid in advance. Once issued, they are non-refundable and non-transferable. See cancellation terms
Frequently asked questions
About Essential Cusco
What does the Essential Cusco package include?+
6 nights in Cusco with breakfast, airport transfers, Cusco City Tour with 4 archaeological sites, Super Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu by train with entrance, Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain, with lunch on the full-day tours, guide and entrance fees.
How demanding is it?+
It includes two high-altitude hikes: Humantay Lake (4,250 m, climb of about 1 hr 30 min) and Rainbow Mountain (about a 3-hour hike). You need good physical condition; the free arrival day and your first days in the city help you acclimatize.
Where do I sleep on the Machu Picchu day?+
In Cusco. You travel there and back by train on the same day, so all 6 nights are at the same hotel.
Are flights included?+
No. International and domestic flights are not included.
What language is the guide?+
Professional guide in Spanish or English.
What is the cancellation policy?+
If you cancel 45 days or more in advance, you receive a 70% refund; between 30 and 44 days, 50%; with less than 30 days or if you do not show up, no refund. Machu Picchu tickets and Inca Trail permits are non-refundable once issued.
No-obligation quote
Book this tour
Leave your details and dates. A travel advisor will send you a quote for Essential Cusco for your group.
- No payment to get a quote. You get the final price for your dates before you decide.
- A real travel advisor. Available on WhatsApp or video call.
- Paperwork handled. We book your tickets and trains in your name.
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Make it yours
Want to customize this trip?
Would you like to swap one hike for another excursion or spend a night in the Sacred Valley? We'll adjust the program to your pace.
