Exploring Cusco: A Five-Day Itinerary

April 26, 2024

By Betsy Villegas

Are you planning a visit to Cusco? Here's a flexible itinerary tailored to your interests and the number of days you'll be visiting Cusco.

Day 1: Arrival in Cusco and City Exploration Upon arrival in Cusco, whether by air (through Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport) or by land, you'll find that both the airport and bus terminals are conveniently close to the Main Square of the city. From Hotel Mabey Cusco - Airport, strategically located to link the airport with banks, gyms, craft centers, markets, supermarkets, and places of interest, you can reach in just 10 minutes by taxi, with an approximate fare of 10 to 15 soles.

After checking in and enjoying a coca mate to counteract the effects of altitude, you can start exploring the city's tourist attractions. These include the Plaza de Armas de Cusco, the Cathedral, and the Koricancha (Temple of the Sun), all located in the historic center of the city. From Hotel Mabey Cusco, you can walk or take a taxi. Initially, take a taxi to Plaza de Armas (with an approximate fare of 5-7 soles), arriving in less than 7 minutes.

Arriving at Plaza de Armas, you'll find it surrounded by numerous restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. The imposing Cathedral dominates the main square, while walking around, you can admire other churches lined up with their distinctive domes. After marveling at the paintings and architecture of the Cathedral, you can continue along Avenida Sol, the city's main artery, where you'll find pharmacies, banks, and more. Continuing along this avenue, on the left, you'll find Koricancha, and behind it, the Temple of Santo Domingo, a place that will fascinate you with its architecture and the view of the Koricancha esplanade.

If you still have energy and wish to further explore the city, you can head to the San Blas neighborhood. This bohemian quarter, frequented by tourists, boasts picturesque streets retaining the architecture of the era and exuding a special charm. It is said that this neighborhood exudes a unique energy felt by its visitors. Here you'll find art shops, souvenir stores, restaurants, bars, and numerous independent brand shops. After visiting San Blas, you can descend the San Blas hill towards the famous Twelve-Angle Stone, easily recognizable by the multitude of tourists who come to take photos with it and count its angles.

To end the day, you can return to the Main Square and enjoy a glass of wine at one of the nearby restaurants or simply return to the hotel for a well-deserved rest.

Day 2: Tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas We begin the second day of our adventure with a shared tour through a travel agency. For this, we wake up early and enjoy a delicious breakfast at Hotel Mabey Cusco, available from 6 am to 9 am. The pick-up service is scheduled between 7:30 am and 8 am, so it's important to ensure we have our partial Tourist Ticket, with an approximate cost of 70 soles for foreign adults and 40 soles for Peruvians (this ticket is not included in the tour). The tour can be conducted in Spanish or English, depending on how we book it with the agency, and besides transportation, it includes lunch.

Our first stop is the Pisac Archaeological Park, followed by the town of Pisac, where our guide will provide all the necessary information and the appropriate time to explore these places. Then, we head to Urubamba, where we'll enjoy a delicious lunch, with most places offering a buffet service. After a well-deserved rest and recharging our energy, we continue to the Ollantaytambo Fortress, where we'll have time to stroll around the town and learn more about this archaeological center.

Once our visit to Ollantaytambo is complete, we head back to rest in Urubamba, where we'll stay at Hotel Mabey Urubamba, located on the Urubamba - Ollantaytambo route, in a very accessible area next to the road, with stunning views of the snowy peaks surrounding Urubamba and the beautiful hotel gardens. We recommend spending the night in Urubamba due to its proximity to the Ollantaytambo train station (just 25 minutes away), compared to the distance from Cusco to the same station (almost 2 hours, depending on traffic). Opting for this option entails getting up early and taking the necessary precautions to arrive on time.

After checking into the hotel in Urubamba, we can relax after the Sacred Valley tour. Additionally, the hotel has a restaurant where we can enjoy an excellent dinner with a variety of options to choose from.

Day 3: Machu Picchu The pick-up time may vary depending on the train schedule and the reserved visiting time for Machu Picchu. However, similar to Cusco, breakfast at Hotel Mabey Urubamba is available from 6 am to 9 am. If someone is departing on a tour before this time, it's possible to coordinate with reception to prepare a "box breakfast," a bagged breakfast to take with us on the go, which will come in handy during the journey.

The excursion to Machu Picchu will take up the entire day. From the Ollantaytambo station, where the tour begins, we'll then head to the Aguas Calientes station, located in the village near the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. From there, we'll take a round-trip bus to reach the sanctuary. These buses depart frequently from the village, and the journey takes approximately 25 minutes.

Once inside the sanctuary, the circuits may vary depending on the type of ticket purchased. If you bought your ticket independently, you can do so through the official website, as well as the train ticket. Currently, there are two authorized train companies: Perurail and Incarail. If we booked a complete tour through an agency, the guide will guide us at all times on what our tour includes.

Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes and while waiting for our boarding time, we can stroll through the streets and discover what this place has to offer.

For the return journey, we recommend heading directly back to the city of Cusco. We can return to Hotel Mabey Cusco, as it's convenient for the tours in the following days, and pick-up will always be from the city of Cusco. If we're returning on our own and have a ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, upon arriving at the station, we'll find many buses heading to the city of Cusco.

It's worth noting that in 1981, Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary, in 1983 UNESCO granted it the title of World Heritage Site, and in 2007 it was included among the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Day 4: Humantay Lake Pick-up for this day begins around 4:30 am. The transport takes us to the town of Mollepata, where we make a stop for breakfast included in the tour. Then, we continue to the Soraypampa area, where our hike will begin. Here, the transport drops us off at the parking area, and along with the walking sticks provided by the guide, we start the hike to ascend to the snow-capped mountain. The duration of this hike varies depending on each person's pace but can take approximately an hour and a half just one way, while the return journey is usually faster due to being downhill.

Once at Humantay Lake, at an altitude of 4250 meters above sea level, we'll have enough time to admire its majesty.

Upon descending to Soraypampa, our meeting point, we'll start the return journey to the city of Cusco, with an estimated arrival around 5 pm.

The tour includes transportation, guide, breakfast, and lunch. Tickets are not included.

Note: At the start of the tour, you may notice that locals offer a horseback ride service to the lake. This has a fixed rate, which can be hired at the start, where they'll also indicate the fare. The horse reaches a certain point near the lake, where it's only a 10-minute walk.

Day 5: Rainbow Mountain Today is the fifth day, and we embark on an exciting excursion to Vinicunca, also known as Rainbow Mountain. The best way to enjoy this experience is through a travel agency in a shared service.

The tour includes round-trip transportation, as well as breakfast and lunch. Once the pick-ups are completed, the transport heads to the Pitumarca area. On the way, we'll make a stop for breakfast before continuing our journey.

During the route, you'll see impressive mountains like Ausangate, as well as lagoons and picturesque rural sites. The hike begins when we reach the parking area at the bottom. From there, we embark on the ascent to Vinicunca. The approximate duration of the round-trip hike is about 3 hours, depending on each person's pace.

Upon reaching the mountain's summit, you can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view and take a well-deserved rest. At the top, you'll find local villagers with stalls offering hot drinks, food, and other services. The guide will always indicate the meeting times, allowing each person to manage their time effectively.

The return transportation to Cusco will take approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, with an estimated arrival between 4 pm and 5 pm. It's recommended to wear appropriate clothing for the hike, as well as comfortable footwear and sunscreen.

For more information: reservas@hotelesmabey.com

Information: +51984672007