Spending time in Peru is a perfect introduction to the amazing countries of South America. While the highlight of the trip will be a visit to Machu Picchu, Cusco is one of the best places to base yourself. There are many amazing day trips from Cusco to take and it is also a fabulous city to explore. Cusco does lie at over an 11,000 feet elevation, so make sure to prepare to manage your altitude sickness.
Want a guided tour to start out your trip and get acclimated to the city? Then check out Guru Walks for a free guided tour. You can book online to reserve your spot and pay what you wish when you get there. Check out the tours in Cusco here.
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Where to Stay in Cusco
To take day trips from Cusco, you will want a great hotel to stay at. I recommend the Hilton Garden Inn Cusco, Hotel Jose Antonio, or JW Marriott El Convento Centro. TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Cusco hotels here!
Day Trips from Cusco: Less than 1 hour
Pisac
By Carley Rojas Avila of Explorers Away
Just a 45-minute drive and about 20 miles north of Cusco, the small town of Pisac is an easily accessible destination and one of the most popular day trips from Cusco. Known for both its impressive Incan ruins and its incredible weekly market, Pisac has plenty to offer travelers.
Travelers interested in visiting the market should time their trip for a Sunday when the market is at its largest and most vibrant. While there are numerous handicraft stalls in the market space in Pisac every day, visiting on Sunday when the town swells with locals stocking up on produce and other provisions makes for a particularly memorable experience.
Any day of the week, the Incan ruins at Pisac make it a must-visit destination. Home to some of the most dramatic terracing found anywhere in Peru, the ruins of Pisac are diverse and unique in a way that few Incan ruins are. Here, you’ll find distinct neighborhoods, fascinating temples, and even the largest Incan cemetery ever discovered. Visit Pisac as part of a guided tour from Cusco, or hire a local guide once you arrive at the site. You will want to get a good understanding of the things you’re seeing during your visit!
Keep in mind that several sections of the ruins require a steep climb to reach. For this reason, it’s best to time your visit to Pisac once you’ve already spent at least a day or two acclimating to the elevation in Cusco if you can; this will make accessing the more remote areas of the ruins easier.
Sacsayhuaman
By Jennifer of Seeking Stamps
If you are looking for one of the best day trips from Cusco, consider visiting Sacsayhuaman. This ancient Inca site is worth visiting to marvel at the ruins of a massive 15th-century fortress. Thousands of villagers used meager hemp ropes and logs to build the fortress. Notably, Sacsayhuaman was constructed out of limestone rocks without the use of a wheel. Despite their rudimentary tools, the Incas’ craftsmanship was very precise. Walls are so perfectly fitted that a piece of paper cannot slide between its rocks.
One of the best reasons to visit Sacsayhuaman on a day trip from Cusco is its close proximity to the city center. The distance from Cusco to Sacsayhuaman is a mere 2 miles. Travelers can walk to the ruins, which takes approximately 30-45 minutes. If you haven’t acclimated to Cusco’s high altitude, grab a taxi instead. The drive to Sacsayhuaman takes approximately 10 minutes, depending on traffic.
Once you arrive, it’s time to explore this fascinating archaeological site. Journey through the darkness of Inca tunnels. Then, sit on former Inca thrones or slide down natural rock formations. Visitors can explore the expansive grounds and see tower walls over 60 feet high and 1770 feet wide. In addition to the stunning ruins, the views above Cusco are breathtaking.
Before you visit Sacsayhuaman, there are a few tips to consider. Wear layers of clothing, as the temperature varies throughout the day. There is little shade, so bring water, hats, and sunscreen. You can visit without a guide, but the tour will be more informative if you hire one once you arrive. Sacsayhuaman is one of the best day trips from Cusco. Without question, Sacsayhuaman Fortress is a remarkable archaeological and cultural site of the Inca civilization.
Visit a Quechua Community
By Elenor of Elevate Your Escapes
Visiting a traditional Quechua community is one of the best day trips that a traveler can take from Cusco! Leaving Cusco in the morning, it takes about a 45-minute drive (19 miles on a windy road) to the rural area outside of Chinchero. Your journey leads you into the heart of Andean culture.
When you reach the Quechua community, you are welcomed by warm smiles, gifts, and traditional song and dance native to the hospitality of the Quechua people. You’ll introduce yourself and meet a number of local men. women, and children from the community. They will be dressed traditionally and will allow you to try on their traditional dress, as well!
You’ll experience a traditional Andean ceremony, where locals offer blessings to Pachamama, the Earth Mother, expressing gratitude for the land’s abundance and seeking harmony with nature. You can feed the alpacas and llamas on their farm, too. You will also learn about farming and how the locals sustain their communities. We learned quite a bit about what is harvested nearby.
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on experiences. Local women will teach you the intricate art of weaving, using threads sourced from local plants and animals, and then dyed with natural items. You’ll hear about symbolic meanings woven into each pattern. Visiting a Quechua community is one of the best day trips from Cusco.
The Llama Farm
By Giorgy of G-Extreme Travel
Located just 30 minutes and approximately 14 miles from Cusco, nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley, you’ll discover Awana Kancha – Cusco’s Alpaca Farm. It is one of the best day trips from Cusco. Accessible by bus, taxi, or better with a guided tour, the journey to Awana Kancha is as delightful as the destination itself, taking you through the picturesque landscapes of Peru.
Worth more than a day’s trip from Cusco, Awana Kancha offers an immersive experience into the world of Peru’s most iconic animal, the llama. I mean… no visit to Peru would be complete without meeting these charming, wooly creatures up close!
The farm is home to four varieties of native camelids – llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and guanacos. You can learn about these animals, their differences, and their significance in Peruvian culture.
But the farm offers more than just a meet-and-greet with the animals. It’s also a living museum of the ancient Andean textile arts. You can watch local communities engaged in traditional weaving techniques, explore the processes from dyeing to spinning the wool, and even try your hand at weaving.
A few tips for the trip – remember to bring cash as credit cards aren’t commonly accepted. Also, while it’s generally sunny, the weather can be unpredictable, so pack a light jacket or a rain poncho. Don’t forget to be respectful of the animals. They may be used to humans, but they’re still wild at heart! Remember, when planning a trip to Cusco, it wouldn’t be a truly Peruvian experience if you don’t add on this hidden gem – Awana Kancha Alpaca Farm.
Day Trips from Cusco: 1-2 hours
Maras
By Sharon of I Travel Peru
The Maras salt mines are one of the top attractions of the Sacred Valley in Peru. Located just an hour and a half drive from Cusco (26 miles), it’s one of the most popular day trips from Cusco, and definitely worth it.
The mines are a set of beautiful pink salt pans lying on the top of a slope, surrounded by the majestic Andes mountains. Salt has been harvested from them for centuries, even before the times of the Incas.
A visit to the Maras salt mines usually includes a short visit to the nearby Maras town, from where you will head to the mines. You can spend about an hour exploring the salt pans while enjoying the beautiful scenery. Afterward, you can head to the salt shop, where you can get pink salt blended with various spices, making great gifts to take back home.
While it is possible to get there by public transport, the most popular way to visit the mines is by taking a tour. Usually, tours to Maras include a visit to the nearby Moray ruins and sometimes a stop to Chinchero, a town of weavers, as well. The tours usually go in the morning, and return to Cusco around lunch time, to enjoy the rest of your day in the city.
Moray
By Ryan of Wayless Travelers
The Sacred Valley of Cusco is surrounded by engineering wonders of the Inca era. One of such is Moray and makes for one of the best day trips from Cusco. It is located around 50km from Cusco and takes between one to one and a half hours to reach it.
There are several methods by which you can explore the archeological site, including a bus tour, ATV tour, or renting your own vehicle. We feel that going by ATV is one of the best ways to see Moray as well as the surrounding nature of the Sacred Valley.
Through the ATV tour, you will be brought 1 hour out from Cusco, where you will start your ATV driving. After an overview of how to drive and safety measures, you will set off as a group into the countryside. Traveling through the mountains, fields, and farms, you can get a glimpse of the rural life of Peru. Once you reach Moray, you will have the chance to learn about the agricultural marvel of the Inca Period.
Moray is a set of three massive circular terraces that descend 490 feet from the highest to the lowest terrace. Each circle is then separated into multiple levels, creating terraces of varying altitudes. It is believed that this was used for agricultural research by experimenting with the growth of crops at different altitudes, temperatures, and sun conditions.
Each terrace created its own microclimate and allowed them to determine the ideal conditions for optimal crop growth. Maybe this is the reason why there are so many types of corn in Peru! The Moray Circles is one of the best day trips from Cusco because not only will you get to admire the beautiful architectural marvel of the circular terraces, but you also better understand the advanced thinking of the Inca people.
Once you are there, make sure to explore the many different viewpoints that provide excellent photography opportunities. Then hike down to the terraces to feel for yourself the varying conditions created at different altitudes.
Exploring Moray can take between 1-2 hours, so make sure to schedule in the appropriate time. We highly recommend doing the ATV tour to explore Moray. It is often combined with Maras salt mines, which will also be discussed in this post.
Pikillacta
By Heather of Conversant Traveller
If you’ve ticked off the famous Inca ruins near Cusco and want to see something a bit different, then visiting Pikillacta is the answer. This pre-Columbian archaeological site is Wari rather than Inca, and its origins and purpose are enshrouded in mystery. The complex is still being excavated, so you might see archaeologists at work during your trip.
Pikillacta is about 30 miles southeast of Cusco – the drive takes about an hour. Since Pikillacta is quite remote, the best way to reach the site is on a guided day tour from Cusco. If you have your own vehicle, this works too. There isn’t a lot of information at the site so having a guide will help you understand what you’re seeing.
The site is believed to have been built around 800 A.D. by the Wari civilisation – this was about 2000 years before the Incas. The city had hundreds of buildings, some of which still have walls so you can easily see the layout of the settlement. You walk up and down the long roads and get a sense of how the people here lived. The complex is vast, and you could easily spend a few hours wandering around the ruins. Before leaving, pop into the small onsite museum to see the dinosaur skeletons that were discovered here.
Entry is with the full Cusco Tourist ticket, which you can purchase in the city or at the attraction itself. You’ll likely already have this if you’re visiting lots of other places. Pikillacta is one of the best day trips from Cusco.
Rainbow Mountain
By Gladis of Happiness on the Way
After its discovery in 2015, Rainbow Mountain quickly became the second most visited attraction in Peru, following Machu Picchu. Although it’s not exactly like the oversaturated photos on Instagram, the views are still breathtaking! Located about 85 miles (137 kilometers) from Cusco, it takes roughly 2 hours to reach the starting point of the hike to Rainbow Mountain. To get there, you’ll need to book a shared minibus. The journey will take you through scenic landscapes with fields of corn, alpacas, and local Quechua houses.
Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca or Montaña de Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colors), is a geological marvel featuring layers of minerals that create a mesmerizing spectrum of hues. Hiking to the summit of Rainbow Mountain is challenging due to its high altitude, approximately 5,200 meters (17,060 feet). I found myself needing to pause every half kilometer to catch my breath.
At the top, you’ll witness the beautiful array of colors, and it’s truly amazing. It’s definitely one of the best day trips from Cusco! To make your hike more manageable, ensure you acclimatize to the altitude by spending at least two days in Cusco or by taking the trip to Rainbow Mountain on your last days in Cusco.
Dress in layers to stay warm and protect yourself from the unpredictable weather. Stay hydrated and eat a balanced meal. Bring some trail snacks or have cash on hand for snacks and water from local vendors near the summit. You could also take this Rainbow Mountain ATV tour.
Day Trips from Cusco: 2+ hours
Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain
By Zoe of Zoe Goes Places
Located around a 3-hour and 90-mile drive from Cusco, Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain is a unique day out, even in a place like Peru that is full of unique and wonderful experiences. The best way to get to Palcoyo Mountain is a tour from Cusco. This is because there’s no public transport and it’s still a budget-friendly option. It is worth every cent! Even in the last hour of the drive, you’ll start to see the vivid colors of the mountains here.
Then, when you arrive, it’s a mostly flat, 3-km, out-and-back trail to see the bright colors of the three different rainbow mountains at Palcoyo. All at the dizzying altitude of almost 5000 meters (16,000+ feet) with snow-capped peaks in the background!
Make sure you get your photos not just with the rainbow mountains but also the stone forest and the many, many llamas that roam free or are pets here! And go slowly. The altitude will really take it out of you, so bring enough water, too. But what makes it truly special is how few people visit. Unlike the more popular Rainbow Mountain, which sees over 1000 visitors a day, only around 100 people come to Palcoyo.
A top tip would be to bring cash – especially coins for the bathrooms – to pay the entrance fee and souvenirs from the locals. No matter what, Palcoyo is one of the best day trips from Cusco.
Lake Humantay
By Pauline of Beeloved City
Located 3 hours away from Cusco, Lake Humantay is one of the best destinations for a day trip as well as one of the highlights of any trip to Peru. Though it is only 75 miles from the city of Cusco, a third of the road is actually unsealed, which makes the journey a bit longer.
There are many tour companies offering day tours from Cusco, and they are the best option to get to Lake Humantay. You will be picked up from Cusco around 5AM and will get there at about 8am. From there, you will start to walk on the Salkantay trail until you reach the mountain.
This part is quite steep, and with the altitude, it can be quite challenging. There is no need to rush; just take it easy and take as many breaks as you need.
After a couple of hours of walking, you will reach the stunning laguna. The water is incredibly blue, and with the glacier in the background, it’s a view you are not about to forget. While many people take photos at the bottom, you can also hike up on the sides and get better views (and photos!).
Once you’re done, you can head back to the car park. There you will find the facilities you need, such as toilets and food.
While Lake Humantay is a stunning location and well worth your while, it’s also important to note that the hike is slightly harder than Rainbow Mountain. Therefore, if you have done this one and thought it was too challenging, it may be better to opt for another option. No matter what, it makes for one of the best day trips from Cusco.
Other Day Trips from Cusco
There is so much to explore in the Cusco area that you will not have any trouble filling up your itinerary with some of the best day trips from Cusco. If you have more time, add in a few days in Puno or head to Ecuador to explore the Amazon or the fantastic capital city of Quito.
20 thoughts on “10+ Amazing Day Trips from Cusco, Peru: Fun Things to See Before Machu Picchu”
These all sound like amazing destinations when in Peru. I would love to see Machu Pichu in person one day.
Machu Pichu was the highlight of the trip! So amazing.
I love that there are many cool places that are so close to Cusco. When I was in Peru I visited Ollantaytambo as well and I loved the little city! I wish I had made it to Rainbow mountain but that gives me a reason to go back 🙂
Exactly how I feel about Rainbow Mountain!
I had no idea there were so many little day trips you could take out of Cusco! I need to add Maras to my itinerary for when I visit Machu Pichu.
Maras was so cool! I brought home lots of salt that they sell from it.
Wow, so many great day trips! I’d love to visit South America one day. Right now I’m ticking off Europe, but once that’s done… hello Cusco and everywhere else!
That was me too! I focused on Europe for a while before I went to other continents!
Wow Cusco is set in such a great place for day trips! I’m hoping to make the visit to Peru very soon so this was helpful. Rainbow Mountain and Machu Picchu are both top of my South American wish list !
I’ve seen lots of good airfare deals for Peru lately!
There is so much to do around Cuzco! I did both inka valley and Machu Pichu and I was amazed! I still regret that I didn’t manage to do the rainbow mountain, but I guess there is always the next time 🙂
So much to see and not enough time!
Machu Pichu has been in my bucketlist for a while now and I hope to one day visit. I am particularly keen on the salt ponds more than anything else. I would really like to check out the rainbow mountain as well! Pinning for later.
The Salt Ponds were so awesome but Machu Pichu is obviously the highlight of the trip!
Thanks for sharing the best day-trips from Cuzco! How long did you travel the region? Was the time enough to see everything?
We had two nights in the Sacred Valley area and two nights in Cusco. I thought that was just the right amount of time so we did not feel rushed! I’ll have a new post soon with a Peru Itinerary!
Looks like a nice place, worthy of a big write up for sure. I’ve read a few good blog posts on Cusco and want to visit.
It was a fun and unique area!
Loved visiting Cusco and the Sacred Valley. One of our favorite day trips was to Ollantaytambo which was just as fascinating at Machu Picchu. Didn’t know about Rainbow Mountain, and it looks like we really missed out. Great photos and there is truly quite a bit to see in and around Cusco.
I didn’t make it to Rainbow Mountain either… I’ve heard its a tough trek though!