Cusco Layover Guide (CUZ)

Rainbow Mountain Tour with Meals and Entrance Fees

Your experienced tour guide will meet you at your Cusco lodging. You will arrive in Cusipata after a 2-hour drive, where you will have breakfast and purchase water and snacks for the trek. After breakfast, you’ll drive for another hour to the hike’s starting point, which is at 4,850 meters. You’ll begin your 3.5-kilometer hike to Rainbow Mountain from there, which will take you over both flat and hilly terrain. Amazing views and interactions with wild alpacas, llamas, and vicuas await you on your journey. You can take a rest once you reach the peak at 5,010 meters, and if the weather is nice, you can enjoy views of Rainbow Mountain. » book this tour

Moray and Salt Mines Quad Bike Tour

Return to nature amid the Andes Mountains’ spectacular vistas and ride a quad bike through the Sacred Valley’s breathtaking surroundings. Pick up from your hotel in Cusco, and then travel via typical countryside to the historic town of Maras. Admire the charming church and rustic buildings that make up the charming town center, and observe the residents going about their daily life cultivating the area. See the remarkable terraced holes that form an amphitheater-like depression on the earth’s surface at the archaeological site of Moray. Learn how the Incas used the tunnels to acclimate seeds from the Andes Mountains in the past. » book this tour

One-Way Airport Transfer to Hotel

This pick-up from city centre hotels in Cusco City and transfer to Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport is the ideal approach to assure you catch your international or domestic flight; or vice versa. Ride in a comfortable vehicle with air conditioning and GPS monitoring, controlled by a switchboard that operates 24 hours a day. You will be chauffeured by a professional who will ensure that your transfer is secure and comfortable. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Enjoy a private and hassle-free transfer from your Cusco hotel to the airport. Make a reservation for this easy service and sit back and relax. Refresh yourself and get ready to board. » book this tour

Machu Picchu

It’s hard to imagine the “hidden metropolis of the Incas” escaped the Spanish invasion unscathed. The Incas skillfully hidden these 12 acres of temples, aqueducts, and gardens from the Spaniards for hundreds of years, preserving their sacred city. It’s hard to know where to begin. First and foremost: Because there isn’t much signage at the site, pick up a pamphlet and a map. Then, a 20-minute walk from Machu Picchu’s gate, begin your tour at the House of the Terrace Caretaker and Funeral Rock.

Time required: Half Day to Full Day.

Airport to here: 18 minutes via private transport.

Qorikancha

Look no further than Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), also known as “Court of Gold,” for a glimpse of the Inca’s previous splendour. The Inca aristocracy used to watch as light reflected from the temple’s 700 gold-plated walls and danced across the altars and statues. Its opulence extended from the gleaming external walls to the regal boundaries, which housed about 4,000 of the most illustrious priests and their attendants. It’s easy to see why the Spanish were enamored with Qorikancha’s riches, with gold glittering from practically every estate surface. Only the Inca’s exquisite masonry survived after the conquistadors attacked Cusco in 1533 and took all of the city’s riches.

Time required: Half Day to Full Day.

Airport to here: 15 minutes via private transport.

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

This famed four-day journey across Peru’s lush countryside to Machu Picchu is not for the faint of heart. Recent visitors, however, say the difficult journey is rewarded with beautiful landscape, fascinating fauna, and, for many, a life-changing experience. Start your trek near KM 82 on the Cusco-Aguas Calientes railway, then follow the trail’s zigzagging path to the “lost city.” The vistas from the Sun Gate at daybreak make the three-night travel worthwhile.

Time required: More than 1 Day.

Airport to here: 22 minutes via private transport.

Museo Inka

The Museo Inka (Inca Museum) is housed in a splendid 16th-century colonial estate that was originally home to Spanish Admiral Francisco Alderete Maldonado. It houses a diverse collection of Incan artifacts. Visitors who want to introduce Incan culture and history will enjoy the museum’s textiles, pottery, gold, and metal artifacts. After appreciating the museum’s traditional objects, take a stroll into the courtyard, where Andean women are frequently seen selling things and weaving natural fabrics.

Time required: 1 to 2 hours.

Airport to here: 20 minutes via private transport.

Planetarium Cusco

The Cusco Planetarium, located near Sacsayhuamán, provides visitors with a one-of-a-kind experience in the city’s surrounding hills. While the little planetarium may not be particularly attractive (it is located in a plain adobe structure), recent visitors have overwhelmingly praised the educated guides and gorgeous environment. The facility allows guests to stare at the stars in a small observatory. Still, it also aspires to be a cultural interpretation center for Incan astronomy, providing a personalized experience that is hard to come by at other planetariums worldwide. Because the operation is restricted incapacity, you must reserve a spot for the 2-mile shuttle ride from Plaza de Armas in advance.

Time required: 1 to 2 hours.

Airport to here: 27 minutes via private transport.

Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas has a long history dating back to the Inca Empire, when it was known as Huacaypata or Aucaypata. In ancient times, the vast plaza (originally double its current size) was established as a site for festivals and festivities. Legend has it that this plaza was originally the exact center of the Inca Empire, earning Cusco the moniker “the navel of the world.”

Time required: 1 to 2 hours.

Airport to here: 21 minutes via private transport.

La Catedral

The sky-high spires of the Plaza de Armas stand out among the plaza’s various splendours. One of Cusco’s most beautiful architectural displays is La Catedral. The baroque cathedral, built in the 1550s using stones plundered from Sacsayhuamán, has sumptuous ceilings and gold and silver altars. It also houses a significant collection of colonial art that blends Catholic traditions with indigenous mythology. La Catedral is home to a world-famous painting that depicts the 1650 earthquake that struck Cusco. A famous crucifix known as Seor de Los Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes) is located across the building and is claimed to have prevented the city from being destroyed by a 17th-century earthquake.

Time required: 1 to 2 hours.

Airport to here: 17 minutes via private transport.

Museo Chileno de Arte PrecolombinoE

While Qorikancha and Machu Picchu attract more people, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Pre-Columbian Art Museum) has an unrivalled Peruvian collection. The Casa Cabrera, a mansion-turned-convent that dates back to 1580, houses this 12-room exhibition space. 450 objects (including Peruvian ceramics, jewellery, and carvings) dating from 1250 B.C. to A.D. 1532 are housed within the little space. While some recent visitors have expressed dissatisfaction with the exorbitant entrance cost for such a small museum, others have stated that the exhibitions are well-designed, the objects are one-of-a-kind, and the in-depth descriptions help put each piece into context.

Time required: 1 to 2 hours.

Airport to here: 19 minutes via private transport.