Here is the list of the best day trips from Cusco, Peru

Cusco is one of the top travel destinations in Peru, and it has so much to offer. If you plan on spending a day or two in Cusco and want to explore the area outside the city limits, you have to visit the famous Machu Picchu or Sacred Valley. But there is much more. Our travel guide features tips on the best day trips from Cusco that you can make either independently or with a tour.

During our trip around South America, we spent two whole weeks in Cusco. Do you think it is too much? Well, maybe it is, but we knew the city high in the Peruvian mountains is one of the world's top travel destinations, and we did not want to miss a thing.

Well, this statement probably sounds too confident - yes, we were aware Cusco is a special place, and we hoped for the best, but at first, we did not plan on spending there so much time.

But the more we discovered the area, the more we kept extending our stay. There are just so many things to do in Cusco.

There are even travelers who plan their entire Peru itinerary around visiting this region because there are so many amazing places not only within the city but also it is easy to plan several day trips from Cusco.

Even though it might sound crazy, let us tell you, these guys know what they're doing.

Cusco itself is an enchanting city with many historical sights reminding us that once the city was the capital of the mighty Inca Empire.

But the city did not get stuck in the past, it's known for its lively atmosphere, and you can also find here local markets to watch the authentic present life.

Although it is definitely worth it to spend at least a day or two in Cusco itself, most of the best attractions lie outside the city limits.

And you need more time if you plan on visiting at least several of them not only because of the distance but mostly because of the altitude - for all the best day trips from Cusco, it is necessary to acclimate first.

Cusco proved to be the perfect jumping-off point for some of the best one-day trips and hikes we've ever done, and we felt pretty sad when it was time for us to leave. But that's a different story.

Simply put, Cusco and its surroundings have so many aces up its sleeve.

Where else could you in a day see awe-inspiring Inca ruins, including the most famous lost city in the world?

Where else could you within a few hours get high to the mountains surrounded by snow-capped peaks that will take your breath away?

Where else could you admire the crystal clear lakes, and later that day, return to a city where all the tourist infrastructure travelers look for is awaiting?

Cusco is one of the most heavily visited cities in Peru, which can sometimes be annoying (we talk about hundreds of people walking around Plaza de Armas in the exact same sweater), but it often brings the advantage that top attractions around Cusco and all day trips are easily accessible.

There is probably no place within driving distance from Cusco you couldn't reach by either public transport independently or with a tour.

Cusco is home to some of the most incredible Inca Ruins and places in Peru.

BEST DAY TRIPS FROM CUSCO

There are so many things to see and do around Cusco that you would have needed at least a month to explore it all. That's why we have created this list of the top day trips from Cusco we've personally tried and tested.

Sights around Cusco offer a mixture of natural beauty and hard to believe architectural feats.

So every type of traveler should be able to choose the activity according to his or her likings, explore the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, recently discovered Rainbow Mountain, and much more.

You can let us know in the comment section below which trip is on your bucket list or, if you've already returned from Peru, which trip was your favorite!

PISAC RUINS & MARKET TOWN

Pisac is a small town known for the everyday market, where you can buy mostly textiles not only from people living in Pisac but also from the communities nearby.

The market is so famous for handmade clothes, handbags, or backpacks that most travelers from Cusco come here solely to shop.

The disadvantage of traveling long-term is that we did not have any space left in our already heavy rucksacks, so we could only watch the beautifully-made handicrafts, and our only joy was photographing the life on the streets.

We must warn you, though. The center of the village close to the market is becoming too touristy, and restaurants charge two or three times more than we think they should for the food served.

To get a reasonably priced meal, head back to the main road where we found cheap eateries.

But the main reason to make this trip was for us to visit Pisac Ruins, one of our favorite archaeological gems that is located by the mouth of the Sacred Valley.

The Inca ruins lie atop a hill above Pisac Town, not only in one place, but parts of those ruins are scattered over the hill. Because of the atop position, the principal purpose of Pisac Ruins was to protect Cusco from possible attacks.

We did not know what to expect from Pisac Ruins, but we wanted to make this day trip from Cusco, primarily because of the acclimatization.

There are two ways how to reach Pisac Ruins, hiking or hiring a taxi driver, but we recommend you the more challenging option - hike from Pisac town to the Incan fortress, which is incredibly scenic.

It took us around two hours to reach the ruins from Pisac, but it was unmistakably more rewarding as we could see the less-visited parts of ruins along the way, and the views were amazing.

You have three options on how to get to Pisac Ruins from Cusco. You can either travel by private transport, take a tour, or travel independently by colectivo.

PRIVATE TRANSPORT

Honestly, we don't think it is worth it to pay five times or six times more for private transport.

Minivans from Cusco to Pisac leave regularly, but on the other hand, you can plan your day as you wish and it is good to know this alternative is available.

Basically, every driver will gladly take you to Pisac or Pisac Ruins; just agree on the price beforehand.

TOUR

The most popular way for most people to visit Pisac Ruins and the town is with a tour.

Usually, Pisac Ruins is a part of an all-day excursion around Sacred Valley, where you can see more attractions in only one day.

You can take one of the best-rated Sacred Valley Day Tour.

COLECTIVO

Traveling to Pisac town independently is easy. Take a colectivo from Puputi street for S/5. Vans leave when full from 7 AM, but you won't need to wait for long because locals often travel forth and back. To get back to Cusco, catch a regular minivan on the main road intersecting Pisac.

In case you don't want to hike to Pisac Ruins, you will need to take a taxi from the intersection in Pisac to the ruins, which is a bit pricey - another point for hiking.

ENTRANCE FEE

You need to purchase multi-day or only one day Boleto Turistico. There's, unfortunately, no single ticket solely for the ruins.

Visiting the town itself is free of charge unless you decide to buy a souvenir.

ACCOMMODATION

Some people find the atmosphere so enticing and so different from Cusco that they decide to stay in Pisac instead and visit Cusco or explore Sacred Valley from here.

If you think this might be your case, we've handpicked the three best accommodations in Pisac for every budget.

Budget: Hospedaje Familiar Kitamayu Pisac | Mid-range: Pisac Inca Guesthouse | Luxury: Allpawasi Pisac Lodge

Pisac day trip features amazing scenery, traditional market, and stunning Inca ruins.

RAINBOW MOUNTAIN

When planning your trip to Peru, you've probably already heard about this natural attraction that almost overnight became the most desired activity in Peru.

Rainbow Mountain is a new shining star among all the day trips from Cusco. When walking the streets of Cusco, you might soon be overwhelmed because the iconic colorful picture of Rainbow Mountain hangs on every single door.

But the message is clear. You need to visit Rainbow Mountain.

Believe it or not, this attraction high in the remote part of the Peruvian mountains has been known only for the past couple of years because the colorful mountain appeared when the snow covering it for centuries (if not longer) melted.

When this happened, photos of Rainbow Mountain went viral, and travelers from all around the world took this place by storm.

The success was so sudden that local people started to make a living out of tourism instead of farming, and it did not take long, and the site began to suffer from over-tourism.

We visited Rainbow Mountain as well, not to get the Instagram photo, but to see with our own eyes what is all the fuss about and because of the very nature of our job, we wanted to make our own opinion if this seven-colored mountain is worth the time and effort.

Plus, the photos of Rainbow Mountain were breathtaking.

We made a loop and combined Rainbow Mountain with the Red Valley hike, which we think was even more beautiful than the classic tour.

When taking a trip to Rainbow Mountain, you should be well-acclimatized, and we mean it. The path leads high in the mountains, you'll get over 5000 meters above sea level, to be precise, and altitude sickness is a real danger here.

Generally, there are only two ways to reach the Rainbow Mountain trailhead because there is no public transport.

TAXI

If you are traveling in a group of four (or don't mind splurging), it might be a good idea to book a taxi in Cusco at least one day in advance.

The cost should be around S/300 with waiting time.

Do not forget that you still have to pay for food and entrance fees, but it gives you an advantage that you don't need to get up that early, and you can visit the Rainbow Mountain after the morning rush when all tours will be gone.

TOUR

Large majority of travelers opt to visit Rainbow Mountain with a tour as we did. It usually includes early morning wake-up, meals (breakfast and late lunch), guide, and entrance fee.

You can make a reservation for the classic well-rated Rainbow Mountain Tour in advance.

We opted for Rainbow Mountain & Red Valley tour, an option that many companies do not sell, so you need to ask around Cusco and book it either directly or shoot emails to the travel agencies.

ENTRANCE FEE

When traveling with a tour, the entrance fee should be already included (always ask!); when traveling independently, you need to pay ten soles.

Travel Insurance

We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.

Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.

World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.

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Travel smarter and safer!

Rainbow Valley and the Red Valley are one of the most beautiful places to visit from Cusco.

HUMANTAY LAKE

Another must-do one day trip from Cusco is a journey that will take you to Humantay Lake. The crystal clear, breathtakingly blue-green lake lies more than 4000 meters above sea level, so prepare your lungs for some serious work.

Humantay is a very picturesque lake high in the mountains where the fog and clouds roll almost constantly, so the experience is truly unique - you can never know what you will see up there.

The Peruvian Andes possesses a countless number of mountainous lakes.

We saw our share already in Huaraz when we hiked to Laguna Paron, Laguna 69, or Laguna Churup, but the hike to Humantay Lake has, for sure, its rightful place high on the list of the best mountainous lakes in the country.

The Humantay Lake hike is not long; you should be able to reach its shore in an hour or an hour and a half, but you will spend six hours in a van that day because the trailhead is three hours' drive away from Cusco.

It is necessary to say that the effort will be rewarded, and your memory card will be full of amazing photos. Not only the lake itself is stunning, but the narrow path that represents the authentic Peruvian countryside is another reason to book this trip.

Hike to the gorgeous lagoon is also a worthwhile acclimatization trip.

There are three ways to get to Humantay Lake, but none of them include public transport (it would take too long without certainty you will get back to Cusco the same day).

You can travel on your own, with a tour, or you can have Humantay Lake included in your Salkantay Trek itinerary.

INDEPENDENTLY

If you prefer traveling on your own, you still have two options. You can either rent a car (which is not very common but doable) or book private transport.

Private transport is not that expensive if you share the cost with other travelers and allows you to choose time for visiting the lake to avoid crowds.

SALKANTAY TREK

This is how we visited Humantay Lake, and it was awesome. If you plan on hiking the multi-day Salkantay Trek, check if the hike to the lagoon is on the itinerary - it saves you time and money if you want to see both.

TOUR

As the lake is quite far from Cusco, tourists usually opt for the most convenient way to get to Humantay Lake, which means taking an organized tour.

The Humantay Lake Tour starts early in the morning, and it includes an entrance fee, guide, meals, and transport. It is for sure the most budget-friendly option, that makes sense.

ENTRANCE FEE

When traveling on your own, you will have to pay ten soles entrance fee in Mollepata.

We hiked to Humantay Lake on the first day of our Salkantay Trek tour.

OLLANTAYTAMBO

We learned how to pronounce the name Ollantaytambo correctly when we have already left Peru behind, but if the word gives you a headache, you can use the shorter version Ollanta - this is also how locals call it.

Ollantaytambo is a picturesque small town with pretty narrow streets and a small historical center, but this is not the main reason why the place is almost as touristy as Cusco.

The first reason why is Ollantaytambo famous is the impressive ruins snaking up the hills on each side of the valley. They are surprisingly huge, and hadn't it been for Machu Picchu; we believe Ollanta Ruins would have been much more appreciated.

We climbed more than 200 stone steps to the top of the ruins to get a better view, and here we could overlook the whole complex and admire the incredible strength of Inca people who had to drag large stones manually from the other side of the valley.

In our opinion, these ruins should not be missed as it is definitely one of the gems located in the Sacred Valley.

The other reason why Ollantaytambo is so touristy is simple. You will find here a train station from where daily trains leave for Aguas Calientes, a small town without road access, from where you can visit Machu Picchu.

As you can see, Ollantaytambo is a place you can hardly miss, and thanks to its popularity, you have several options on how to get there.

COLECTIVO

Irregular colectivos leave Cusco when full every now and then. You only need to wait at a small station from where minivans leave at the intersection of Calle Pavitos and Av. Grau. The ride takes approximately 2 hours, and you will pay ten soles per person.