Cusco Highlights in 7 days: a week of Inca sites and Andean adventure

A week in Cusco lets you go beyond the checklist. The Cusco Highlights package mixes Inca history with adventure — Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, a glacier lagoon, an ATV ride through the countryside and, to finish, Rainbow Mountain — with one team and every ticket arranged.

The package at a glance

A week with rhythm and variety

Seven days give the trip a rhythm: culture first, then the active days. The ATV ride on day 5 sits between the two high-altitude hikes as a lighter, fun day for your legs, and Rainbow Mountain comes last, when you are best acclimatised.

It suits couples, friends and active families who want a full week without planning every detail. One honest note: the ATV day returns to Moray and Maras, which you also visit on the Sacred Valley day, so its appeal is the ride itself. If you would rather see something new, the 8-day Cusco Complete adds the South Valley for only US $30 more.

Day 1: arrival and Cusco city tour

We meet you at the airport or bus terminal and take you to your apartment in central Cusco (3,400 m), with a welcome coca or muña tea and a full briefing on your trip. Then your guide takes you to Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, whose Inca walls still carry a colonial convent, and up to the hills above the city: the giant zigzag walls of Sacsayhuamán, the carved rock shrine of Qenqo, the checkpoint of Puca Pucara and the water shrine of Tambomachay.

Included: guide, transport, Cusco Tourist Ticket (BTC) and Qorikancha entrance. Meals: not included on this day.

Day 2: Machu Picchu

The big day starts at about 4:30 am. You drive through Chinchero and Urubamba to Ollantaytambo, ride the tourist train along the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes and take the bus up to Machu Picchu (2,430 m) for a guided tour of its temples, plazas and terraces. After lunch in Aguas Calientes, the train and a road transfer bring you back to Cusco in the evening.

Included: train, buses, Machu Picchu entrance, guide, breakfast and lunch. Bring your original passport: it must match your ticket, so we ask for passport details when you book, together with your choice of Machu Picchu circuit.

Day 3: the Sacred Valley of the Incas

A full day in the valley below Cusco. You start in Chinchero, a weaving village with Inca walls and a colonial church, then see the circular terraces of Moray and the Maras salt pans, still worked by local families. After a buffet lunch in Urubamba come the temple terraces of Ollantaytambo and, to finish, the hillside ruins and craft market of Pisac. The valley lies lower than Cusco, which makes it a gentle day for your body.

Included: transport, guide, entrances and BTC. Meals: breakfast and buffet lunch.

Day 4: Humantay Lagoon

An early start at about 4:30 am takes you via Mollepata to Soraypampa (3,900 m). From there a steady climb of about an hour and a half leads to Humantay Lagoon (about 4,200 m), a turquoise lake beneath the glacier of the same name, where you can join an optional Andean offering ceremony. A buffet lunch in Mollepata comes before the drive back to Cusco.

Included: transport, guide, breakfast, buffet lunch, trekking poles and oxygen. Difficulty: moderate to challenging. More in our Humantay Lake guide.

Day 5: ATV ride to Moray and Maras

After a safety briefing you ride an ATV (quad bike) along farm tracks to the circular terraces of Moray, often called the agricultural laboratory of the Incas, and on to the Maras salt pans, thousands of small pools still harvested by hand. You already saw both sites on the Sacred Valley day; this time the attraction is the ride itself, through open countryside with snow peaks on the horizon.

Included: transport, guide, BTC and a snack.

Day 6: Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)

You leave at about 4:00 am for Cusipata and the trailhead (about 4,400 m). A gradual climb of around three hours brings you to the Rainbow Mountain viewpoint at 5,030 m, with its bands of coloured minerals and the Red Valley beyond. After the descent you have a buffet lunch in Cusipata and are back in Cusco in the late afternoon.

Included: transport, guide, breakfast, buffet lunch, trekking poles and oxygen. It is the highest point of the trip, which is why it comes after several days of acclimatisation. More in our Rainbow Mountain guide.

Day 7: departure

A final transfer takes you to the airport or bus terminal for your onward journey.

What is included

Tips for a week in Cusco

• On the ATV, listen carefully to the safety briefing, wear closed shoes and sunglasses, and bring a scarf or buff against the dust.
• Pace yourself. Three of the seven days start at 4:00–4:30 am; keep those evenings quiet.
• Dinners are up to you. Cusco has excellent restaurants for every budget; our Cusco food guide has ideas.
• One base all week. You stay in the same apartment in central Cusco, so there is no packing up between excursions.
• Book Machu Picchu early in the dry season; check ticket availability before fixing your dates.

Which Cusco package is right for you?

The full range, from three days to nine:

Frequently asked questions