Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

Day by day

The plan

Times are suggestions. Opening hours and seasons change, so check before you go. Once it’s in your trip, move anything you like.

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Cusco, slowly

   1. 10:00

      Check in and rest in Cusco

      Stay

      You land at about 3,400 m. A few quiet hours and a cup of coca tea help more than rushing out.

   2. 13:00

      Lunch: a light soup near the Plaza de Armas

      Food & drink

      Keep the first meal simple; a quinoa soup or chairo sits well at altitude.

   3. 15:00

      Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral

      Activity

      The main square, built over the Inca plaza, with the cathedral and its colonial paintings on one side.

   4. 16:30

      Hatun Rumiyoc and the Twelve-Angled Stone

      Activity

      A short, flat walk along a lane of fitted Inca stonework.

   5. 19:00

      Dinner in San Blas

      Food & drink

      The artisans’ quarter uphill from the square, with small kitchens and steep, quiet lanes.

2. Day 2

   Inca Cusco

   1. 09:00

      Qorikancha

      Activity

      The Inca Temple of the Sun, with the Santo Domingo convent built right on top of its walls.

   2. 11:00

      San Pedro Market

      Activity

      Fruit juices, bread, cheese and stalls of local potatoes and corn under one roof.

   3. 13:00

      Lunch: lomo saltado in the center

      Food & drink

      Stir-fried beef with tomato, onion and fries, a Peruvian staple.

   4. 15:00

      Sacsayhuamán

      Activity

      Giant zigzag walls on the hill above the city; take a taxi up and walk back down.

   5. 18:00

      Sunset from San Cristóbal

      Activity

      The church terrace on the way down looks straight over the red rooftops.

3. Day 3

   Pisac and down into the valley

   1. 08:00

      Drive to Pisac

      Getting around

      Under an hour by car or shared van; the valley floor is several hundred meters lower than Cusco.

   2. 09:00

      Pisac ruins

      Activity

      Terraces and temples high above the town. Drive to the top and walk down through the site.

   3. 12:00

      Pisac market

      Activity

      Textiles, ceramics and produce around the town square.

   4. 13:30

      Lunch: trout or Andean dishes in Urubamba

      Food & drink

      River trout and choclo con queso are common through the valley.

   5. 17:00

      Stay in Ollantaytambo

      Stay

      A village still laid out on its Inca street plan, and the train station for Machu Picchu.

4. Day 4

   Moray, Maras and the train

   1. 08:00

      Moray

      Activity

      Circular Inca terraces stepped into a hollow, thought to have been used for growing trials.

   2. 10:00

      Maras salt pans

      Activity

      Hundreds of terraced salt pools on a hillside, still worked by local families.

   3. 13:00

      Ollantaytambo fortress

      Activity

      Steep terraces and a temple of huge pink stones above the village.

   4. 16:00

      Train to Aguas Calientes

      Getting around

      About an hour and a half along the Urubamba River into cloud forest.

   5. 18:30

      Stay in Aguas Calientes

      Stay

      The small town at the foot of Machu Picchu; sleeping here makes an early entry easy.

5. Day 5

   Machu Picchu

   1. 06:00

      Bus up to the citadel

      Getting around

      Buses climb the switchbacks from town; lines form early, so plan around your entry time.

   2. 07:00

      Machu Picchu

      Activity

      Follow your ticket’s circuit past the Temple of the Sun, the terraces and the main plaza.

   3. 10:00

      Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (optional)

      Activity

      Steep climbs with a separate ticket, for views straight down on the ruins. Skip them with young kids.

   4. 13:30

      Lunch in Aguas Calientes

      Food & drink

      Ceviche or a set menu before the train back.

   5. 16:00

      Train and road back to Cusco

      Getting around

      Train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy, then a transfer into the city.