5 Of The Best Day Trips From Cusco, Peru

Planning your Peruvian adventure and looking for the best day trips from Cusco? We spent 1 week in the incredible city of Cusco and crammed A LOT in. These are the 5-day trips that we think you shouldn’t miss when travelling to Cusco, Peru. 

Until you visit Cusco, you might not realise that most of its famous attractions actually lie outside the city; it’s for this reason that Cusco continues to be such a popular base for anyone travelling around Peru. We ended up staying in Cusco for 1 week and we barely felt as if we scratched the surface of the incredible spots that you can see dotted around the city. We honestly could have spent another week here, meandering around the cobbled streets of Cusco and exploring some of the more hidden gems around this incredible spot.

Machu Picchu

Starting the list off with possibly the most famous spot in Peru and potentially the whole of South America. Machu Picchu. When we visited Machu Picchu we stayed overnight in the town of Aguas Calientes and absolutely loved it. We, therefore, wouldn’t consider a day trip as one of the best ways to reach and experience Machu Picchu. However, we appreciate that some of you might be under a time constraint (we were as well but prioritised a night near Machu Picchu) but, if this isn’t the case a day trip from Cusco to this iconic site may be your best option.

How to get to Machu Picchu

The easiest way to get from Cusco to Machu Picchu is to take the train to Aguas Calientes. It’s a scenic 3.5-hour trip each way along tracks that run right along the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley, with dramatic canyon walls on either side. It’s a really beautiful train journey and an experience in itself. There are multiple tour companies that run this route each varying in price and how luxurious they are. These include Inca Rail, Peru Rail and if you’re really looking to splash out Hiram Bingham.

The other option for visiting Machu Picchu is to take a tour. We really wouldn’t recommend trying to visit Machu Picchu by yourself if you’re just planning on visiting for the day as there are so many moving parts to consider and organise. Instead, consider booking this full-day trip to Machu Picchu, which includes a tour guide, a return bus journey to Cusco, and a citadel entry ticket.

Rainbow Mountain

The latest addition to day trips in Cusco is Rainbow Mountain. Did you know that this incredible spot didn’t actually exist until around 2015?

Okay, it existed, but it was hidden under thick layers of ice and snow. The rising temperatures from climate change took its tool to reveal one of the world’s most unique mountain ranges in the world. Sitting at 5200 feet the mountain is now a colourful spot formed from layers of gold, lavender, red and turquoise. It really is an amazing, unique spot to witness

Rainbow Mountain is around a 3-hour drive from the city of Cusco making it a full-day trip from the ancient city.

If you opt for a tour then be prepared to leave at 4 am (!!) and arrive back in the late afternoon, tired and satisfied from a day well spent. It’s definitely cheaper to book your tour when you get to Cusco, but if you’re short on time in the city or prefer to have everything booked before you arrive, this full-day tour is one that we took and would thoroughly recommend it. From the blankets you are provided within the comfy van to the delicious meals and snacks, you get along the way.

Did you know that until 2018, it was only possible to access Rainbow Mountain (called Siete Colores and Vinicunca in Spanish) via a difficult seven-hour hike? Since then a new road has opened up making it accessible for all travellers, with 3,000 – 5,000 visitors per day in high season.

The top of Rainbow Mountain sits at 5,100m/ 16732ft and the hike up was far harder than we expected due to this. To make it easier ensure that you are acclimatized before going on this trip.

Humantay Lake

Humantay Lake is a must-see for any mountain lover visiting Cusco. The turquoise Colored Humantay Lake is framed by snow-capped mountains and really is an epic day out of the city.

Not only is it a spectacular, hike, but a day trip from Cusco to Lake Humantay will also serve as the perfect acclimatisation opportunity if you plan on doing the Inca Trail hike or one of the other treks that lead to Machu Picchu. This is due to the hike reaching highs of 4,200 metres.

The best option to get here is doing a full-day tour (departing at 4 am) to Humantay Lake for Cusco day-trippers. The hike itself is only 7 km, but there’s a 6-hour round trip by bus to and from the city of Cusco. The hike, compared to some of the others that we experienced in Cusco, for us, wasn’t too hard. However, you should definitely have at least a moderate level of fitness before starting this hike.

If you have a bit longer you can opt to pair this hike with a night at Sky Camp and the Salkantay trek.

Maras Salt Mines

The Maras Salt Mines are hidden in the Sacred Valley around a 1-hour drive outside of Cusco. A relatively short drive journey compared to other day trips from Cusco. The mines are strategically dug into the mountainside where thousands of shallow pools are filled with salt water. Eventually, the water evaporates leaving behind crystalised salt. The salt mines have been in operation for over 500 years, since before the Inca times. Still to this day, they are mined by local families with the salt being sold nearby. The Maras mines are a really unique spot and one you shouldn’t miss when visiting Cusco, Peru.

As they are only a short drive from the ancient South American city they are a great spot to be paired with another area, which is so regularly done on tours. If you’re looking for a little bit of adrenalin and excitement, consider a tour that involves quad bike riding through the Andes. This is what we did and had an amazing time. The views are beautiful and it was a really fun morning. Our only criticism was that we would have liked to of spent more time exploring the Maras Salt Mines.

Moray Archaeological Site

Situated close to Maras, the archaeological site of Moray sits on a soaring plateau above the town. Moray is an impressive Incan ruin used for agricultural and experimentation purposes. You can opt to pair this tour with the Maras Salt Mines or opt to go on it as a stand-alone tour.

A mystery still remains to this day as to why these holes were created and several theories have been put forward with none coming to fruition.

As the site of Moray is also only a 1-hour drive from Cusco you can easily visit it during the morning or afternoon. Or why not pair it with another tour, as mentioned above?

Cusco is an incredible city and one that you really shouldn’t miss on your Peru travels or South American trip.

Looking for things to do in the city of Cusco? Read Our Ultimate Guide to Cusco, Peru here.

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