6 Popular Tours Beyond Machu Picchu, in 3 Categories Based on Your Adventure Style
Finished Machu Picchu or waiting for your trek to start? If you have a spare day in Cusco, you don’t have to just sit in the hotel. Whether you want high-altitude hiking, easy culture, or adrenaline, here are our top-rated day packages, including full transport, safety gear, and local Cusqueñian guides.
1. High-Altitude Adventure (For active travelers)
- Rainbow Mountain & Red Valley (Full Day): Trek through breathtaking high-Andean landscapes to reach Vinicunca’s vibrant mineral ridge at 5,200 meters (17,060 ft). This is Peru’s ultimate bucket-list day trek, complete with views of Mount Ausangate and the deep crimson soils of the neighboring Red Valley.
- Duration: Full Day (3:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
- Difficulty: Challenging (High Altitude)
- Humantay Lake (Full Day): Ascend to a crystal-turquoise glacial lagoon nestled beneath the towering peak of Humantay Mountain (4,200m / 13,779 ft). Ideal for hikers seeking dramatically scenic alpine vistas, this trek is a favorite for travelers wanting an unforgettable day in nature.
- Duration: Full Day (4:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
- Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
2. Culture & Easy Walking (Low impact / Gentle prep)
- Maras, Moray & Chinchero (Half Day): Discover three distinct Andean highlights in a single morning. Marvel at thousands of ancient terraced salt pans in Maras, explore the concentric Incan agricultural laboratories of Moray, and witness traditional Quechua weaving techniques in Chinchero.
- Duration: Half Day (8:00 AM – 2:30 PM)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Sacred Valley Express (Full Day): Explore the heartland of the Inca Empire. Walk among the vibrant artisan markets and hillside ruins of Pisac, then wander through Ollantaytambo, a living Incan town crowned by a massive stone fortress.
- Duration: Full Day (7:30 AM – 4:00 PM)
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
3. Off-the-Beaten-Path (Low crowds)
- Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain (Full Day): Experience the colorful mineral mountains of the Andes without the steep crowds or strenuous climbing of Vinicunca. Palccoyo offers views of three distinct rainbow peaks following a gentle 45-minute flat walk along a high ridge.
- Duration: Full Day (6:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (Great for families)
- Qelqaya Glaciar Tour 1 Day from Cusco: Journey to the largest tropical ice cap in the world (Quelccaya). Located high in the Cordillera Vilcanota, this rare expedition takes you to towering walls of glacial ice, remote turquoise meltwater lakes, and untouched high-altitude landscapes.
- Duration: Full Day (4:00 AM – 6:00 PM)
- Difficulty: Moderate to High
Bonus Day Trip
If you are in Cusco for the 2nd week of June
- Qeswachaka Private Tour 1 Day Trip: If you are visiting Cusco during the second week of June, do not miss the annual rebuilding of Qeswachaka, the last remaining hand-woven Inca rope bridge in existence. Witness local Quechua communities continue this 500-year-old UNESCO tradition across the Apurímac River.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Duration: Full Day (6:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
