As I stated in my last blog post, Cusco was a city I unexpectedly fell in love with. Because of this, mixed with wanting to take it easy before hiking the Inca Trail, we stayed right in the city most of our time there. When we did leave, these were our favorite day trips mixed in with some we really wish we would have done after hearing how much our friends enjoyed them!
*Please give yourself ample time to adjust to the elevation before embarking on any of these day trips, some places have an elevation of 16,000 feet and you don’t want to get sick and miss out on a day of adventure!*
Humantay Lake
This list goes in no particular order other than this first one, Humantay
From the parking lot, it is about a 5-mile hike, round-trip. It’s going to take you about 1-2 hours to get up (depending on skill level) and an hour to get down. You’re going to gain about 1,500 feet in elevation and you’ll reach an elevation of 13,900 feet. Take lots of layers as you can experience all 4 seasons in the span of 2 minutes.
When booking a day trip from Cusco it is important to know it is going to be a 12-16 hour day trip depending on the traffic and weather. Your pickup will be around 4 AM and it takes 3 hours to get to the starting point, and although it’s a gorgeous drive, it’s all pretty bumpy and winding roads. If you’re going during peak season, I’d book ahead but we had no problem booking the day before in December. Pricing I’ve seen for group tours range from $40-$60 and private tours range from $80-$150 depending on the company. I recommend booking with Alpaca Expeditions, they are on the higher end of pricing but after working with them I would only ever use their services! Great guides, great food, and
Machu Picchu
Of course, most people come to Peru to see Machu Picchu, and for good reason! There are so many options for seeing Machu Picchu ranging from 1-9 day trips. If you are able, I strongly recommend the Inca Trail for your arrival to Machu Picchu. We did the 4 Day/ 3 Night option with Alpaca Expeditions and couldn’t have loved it more! It’s a strenuous hiking trip, but one of my favorite experiences to date.
You’ll find in doing research there are thousands of tour companies and you’ll just have to choose what is best for you. If you’re only interested in seeing Machu Picchu you can take the Peru Rail from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and then take the bus up to Macchu Picchu all in one day. Learn more about the train and rail system below or if you’re interested in doing the Inca Trail or other options to Machu Picchu click, HERE. I’ll also be posting about my experience with Alpaca Expeditionson the Inca Trail this week, so check back if you plan to do that!
PeruRail
The PeruRail system is another thing that surprised me. It is a super nice train and you can even upgrade to the more luxurious one. I actually thought the coach was quite luxurious so I don’t see the need to upgrade but there is definitely a difference if you’re wanting something a bit nicer. Here is the regular train and you can take it all over Peru!
The luxury trains are going to cost you a bit more but I’ve read they are pretty awesome, so if you aren’t worrying about your budget, I’d say go for it! I recommend using PeruRail at least once when you are visiting the country. Not only is the train nice, but their website is also very advanced and user-friendly, to learn more and see the schedules, click HERE.
*You can take the PeruRail to many of these day trips destinations if you decide to not go with a guide! I used to never book guided trips because I liked to save the money and to be on my own time but lately, I’ve been into guided tours because you learn SO much more!*
Sacred Valley
Another very popular area in Peru is The Sacred Valley. Here, you’ll find numerous monuments, villages, towns, markets, archeological sites, and many more activities! I think a full day here is plenty, but there is a ton to see so you could definitely stay longer. I would say the most popular things to visit are the Pisac Market and the Ollantaytambo Fortress.
As stated, if you wanted to stay longer you can white water raft, hike, and zip line here as well! The next two areas I talk about could be combined with visiting the Sacred Valley if you wanted a
Salineras de Maras (Salt Pools)
These are so interesting and somewhere we didn’t have time to explore, but will definitely check out if we ever go back to Peru! Maras
From looking at pictures you might just think, “Ok, cool they collect salt in these little ponds” but when you learn about the history it becomes even more beautiful. Also, there are thousands of them! This took some incredible engineering by the ancient Incas. They tapped a natural saltwater stream above the Urubamba Valley and built evaporating pools that collect the salt, a system that is still used to this day. There will be an entrance fee of 15 soles about $5.
Moray Archaeological Site
Just 15 minutes from Maras you’ll find the Moray ruins. There are three circular terraces (the deepest, 98 feet) and although the purpose of them is uncertain, it is believed that they were testing grounds for agricultural research. Here is a picture of one of these circular terraces that the tour company has allowed me to share. Keep in mind this was taken in December during rainy season, if you come in dry season it will be a brownish/red color.
Here is a tour that combines both the Maras Salt Polls and the Moray
Huchuy Qosqo
If you want a nice and long day hike to a lesser-known Inca site I recommend hiking the 8 miles from the town of Corao to Huchuy Qosqo. It translates to “Little Cusco” and here you can enjoy gorgeous views and historical sites.
For a day trip I recommend Salkantay Trekking but if you’re looking to spend a bit more time here and don’t want to do it all in one day, there is also a 3 day/2 night trek with Alpaca Expeditions offered, to learn more click HERE.
Chonta Canyon
If you’re looking for a relatively new day trip (one that hasn’t quite exploded in popularity) I recommend the Full Day tour with Top Peru Trips to the Chonta Canyon. I spoke with a woman that had just done it and she said they had perfect weather and saw a ton of Andean Condors soaring in above the canyon. Here is a picture of the canyon and just imagine seeing these giant birds soaring in and out. Just a little fact Andean Condors are currently a threatened species so let’s keep our fingers crossed they make a comeback and for now go see them while you can!
Skylodge Adventure Suites
Just 90 minutes outside of Cusco city center you’ll find Skylodge Adventure Suites. These are “transparent luxury capsules” that hang from the top of the mountain ranges in the Sacred Valley. We didn’t have the budget to stay in one of these (it costs around $500 per person a night (includes meals and rock climbing up)) but a family we did the Inca Trail with did, and they said it was an amazing experience! To sleep at Skylodge you must rock climb 1300 feet or hike and zipline over to them. Here is a picture from their website, it is definitely on my bucket list if I ever go back!
Rainbow mountain
Rainbow Mountain is such a tough one for me to recommend! I would say it’s the most controversial when it comes day trips from Cusco. We learned from a lot of locals that they don’t recommend visiting because they believe in just a few years the mountains won’t be there anymore because of erosion. Now, many may argue that it’s the same with Machu Picchu but the difference is that one can be rebuilt and the mountains cannot. If you decide to go keep in mind that the pictures you see online are highly enhanced and the colors are beautiful but definitely not as bright as you see in most Instagram posts. Our new friends Fahad and Jo said they thought it was pretty but not worth the trek up or money and also said it was flooded with tourists! So, I recommend doing your own research and deciding for yourself! Here is a realistic picture of Rainbow Mountain on a fairly busy day in December, (keep in mind it will be much busier in the summer). Thanks for letting me share your pictures, Jo and Fahad.
Yes, it is intriguing because it won’t be there forever but also very sad to hear that. I also learned from locals that if you are too tired to get up you can pay $20 to take a donkey up. But, they also say these donkeys are extremely overworked. Like I said earlier, I am so torn on this! Half of me is sad I didn’t do it and the other happy. It is important to note this hike almost hits 16,000 feet so adjusting to the elevation prior is highly recommended and also be prepared for high winds and quickly changing temperatures!
I hope you enjoy learning about all the possible day trips you can take from this awesome city! Have you been to any of these places? What was your favorite and why?! If you’re looking for things to do right in Cusco, click the link for my blog post “15 Awesome Things to Do in Cusco, Peru”.
