5 Days in Cusco, Peru
We spent a total of 9 days in Peru between Lima and Cusco, which gave us two completely different regions of the country. If you’re curious about visiting Machu Picchu, check out our 4 days in Lima guide.
One of my goals in life was to visit Machu Picchu. When I found out I had enough flight points to get me and my husband to Lima, I knew I had to take my chance. What I didn’t realize was I would fall in love with Cusco.
Because of the altitude difference, I wouldn’t suggest less than 5 days in this region. But you won’t run out of things to do. Here’s how we got around:
Day 1: Discovering Cusco by Foot and Food
You’re going to want to take it easy your first day in Cusco, so don’t overpack this day. We took a local flight from Lima to Cusco via Sky Airline.
- Check into your hotel and relax. Make sure to drink the coca tea in the morning (warning: TONS OF CAFFEINE) and the muña tea (Andean mint) at night. We stayed at the Palacio Del Inka, which is situated walking distance from the main square. It’s located in a 500-year-old mansion with original Incan walls. Highly recommend.
- We love a walking tour to get our bearings of the city, and this food tour did not disappoint. The cuisine in this region is very different from Lima. You’ll get to try everything from pisco sours to cuy (aka guinea pig).
Day 2: Explore Greater Cusco
- Do a tour to check out the ruins around Cusco. You’ll get a sense of the history of the area and the Incan empire before you get to the main attraction Machu Picchu. Or if you’re going to do it yourself, make sure to stop by Sacsayhuaman and Tambomachay at a bare minimum.
- Get up close and personal with some alpacas, llamas and vicunas, and learn the difference between all of them. Manos Del Comunidad or Awana Kancha are excellent options.
- Visit a 16th-century monastery— and get excellent cocktails and dinner as well — at Ilariy.
Day 3: Down in the Sacred Valley
- Spend your time getting to Machu Pichu by stopping by the Sacred Valley first. You can hire a driver and do it yourself, but we did this two-day tour which included an overnight in the base town of Aguas Callientes.
- Stop by Pisac and Ollantaytambo along the way. Both sights are very impressive… and worth all the stairs you will climb.
- Catch the train to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo. There’s two main companies who sell tickets Inca Rail and Peru Rail.
- Overnight in Aguas Calientes, which is the cutest little backpacker town. We had an amazing meal at the Tree House Restaurant.
Day 4: The Great Machu Picchu
- Get up bright and early to take the first bus up to Machu Picchu. The first people allowed in are the hikers… followed by the people who overnighted in Aguas Calientes. The first trains or tours from Cusco won’t arrive for a few hours, so you’ll have a quiet experience.
- Take your time wandering around Machu Picchu. Please take your photos at the designated spots. Not only will they give you those epic pics, they’re designed in areas that won’t impede the flow of traffic. So everyone can enjoy the scenery and get their grams in.
- Grab lunch at one of Aguas Calientes craft breweries like Chullos. You deserve a beer after climbing all those ruins!
- Take the train back to Ollantaytambo (and take a taxi to Cusco) or take your train back to Cusco when the schedule permits.
- Once you’re back in Cusco, steak lovers won’t be won’t be disappointed at Uchu.
Day 5: Unwind and Take it All In
- Treat yourself to a few hours at the spa. We did the Andes Spirit Spa at the Palacio Del Inka, and it was a welcome relaxation moment from all the hiking we did.
- Shop around town for your mementos. We grabbed some bars of chocolate from the ChocoMuseo, as well as some local hats and alpaca scarves and sweaters.
If we had one more day, we would have loved to have attempted Rainbow Mountain. But we were very pleased with this pace, and had plenty of time to rest. The altitude is no joke! Take it easy, but it’s worth all the effort to get here!
