Cusco, Peru is known as the gateway to Machu Picchu but it can also lead to many other natural and ancient wonders in the Peruvian Andes. It’s a great place to base yourself to explore the area. Just be sure to acclimatise to the altitude (3,399m above sea level) before planning too many of these top day trips from Cusco.
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Day Trip to Rainbow Mountain
Rainbow mountain is so called due to the colourful streaks that naturally occur in the rocks. It’s local name is Vinicunca. The mountain is predominantly red due to iron in the clay. Lines of green, brown and yellow can also be seen due to the different mineral compositions of the rocks. Next to Rainbow Mountain, you’ll find the much less busy Red Valley which is also well worth a look!
You can easily visit Rainbow Mountain on a tour from Cusco. Some tours start early – around 3am – to beat the crowds. But you can always snooze on the bus and breakfast is usually included! Vinicunca may well be the highest point on your trip at over 5,000 metres so make sure you’ve spent a few days in Cusco or other high altitude places before booking this trip.
Click here to view tour options to Rainbow Mountain.
Visit Ollantaytambo & the Sacred Valley
Ollantaytambo is a town within the Sacred Valley which is the area near Machu Picchu. The villages in the valley give an insight into rural life and local traditions in the Andes. Ollantaytambo has been inhabited for hundreds of years and has plenty of Incan ruins to show for it. The main ruins named after the town were once the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti. You’ll also see Incan terraces and hillside storehouses here.
Day trip to Moray from Cusco
Moray is another village in the Sacred Valley. Here you’ll find a huge circular terraced landscape created by Incas to grow crops at different levels as the temperature differs from the bottom to the top of the terrace. You can often find tours that visit multiple places in the Sacred Valley in one day or even across two days so you can really make the most of your trip.
Click here to see tour options for Moray from Cusco.
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Maras Salt Mine Day Trip
The Maras Salt mine is a huge array of shallow pools used to evaporate salt water to collect salt. The site has been expanding over 800 years and is still in use, with all pools fed by the same stream from an underground lake.
Lots of tours to the Sacred Valley also include a quick stop to view the salt mines. Click here to browse tour options.
Visit Humantay Lake from Cusco
Humantay Lake is filled with stunning turquoise blue waters from glaciers. The lake is high up in the mountain, over 4,000 metres above sea level, so make sure you have acclimatised for a few days in Cusco before visiting. The lake is around a 3 hour drive from Cusco and involves a 1.5 hour hike to reach it.
Click here to check for tours to Humantay Lake
Machu Picchu Day trip
A trip to Cusco wouldn’t be complete without also visiting the world famous Machu Picchu! Did you know that you can visit the Incan ruins in a day trip from Cusco? You don’t even need to do any hiking. Machu Picchu can be reached by train from several stations around Cusco. There is also a bus that can take you right up to the entrance or you can hike the last leg from the station (around 1.5 hours). Click here to read more about visiting Machu Picchu from Cusco.