Day Trip to Machu Picchu from Cusco
$344 Full Day
Overview
6 days
Cusco airport to Juliaca airport
2 sights
Machu Picchu at dawn, the lake by boat
4,335 m
La Raya, the high point
$822
Per person, hotels and tickets in
Most people who come to southern Peru want Machu Picchu and the lake and have about a week. The problem is not the sights. It is the six hundred kilometres between them, the altitude, and the train tickets that sell out. And the eleven separate bookings it takes to do it properly. This package is those eleven bookings made once, in the right order, with our team at each end.
The order matters more than people think. You land in Cusco at 3,400 metres, which is high, and spend the first afternoon doing nothing. Day two drops you into the Sacred Valley and down to Aguas Calientes at 2,040 metres. That is the lowest night of the trip. Day three is Machu Picchu at 2,430 and back up to Cusco. By day four you are used to the height. That is when the road climbs over La Raya at 4,335 metres and settles at Puno, 3,827. Why the reverse is harder is in our post on Cusco or Puno first.
The middle of the trip is the road, and we do it by day. The Route of the Sun pulls in at the painted church of Andahuaylillas and the Inca temple at Raqchi. Later, the pass and the Pucara museum. It is ten hours, and it is the day that turns two separate trips into one. If you would rather sleep through it, our night bus swaps in and saves a hotel night. We do not recommend it on this itinerary. The day bus is the better version.
What you give up is choice. The hotels are three star and chosen by us. Machu Picchu is a guided morning on a set circuit, not a day. Huayna Picchu is not included. The lake is Uros and Taquile in one day, not a night on Amantani. Every one of those can be changed, and the price moves when you change them. Our Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca budget guide prices the pieces on their own. You can see where the package saves you money and where it does not.
The first afternoon is empty on purpose.
You land at 3,400 metres and the itinerary gives you nothing to do until the next morning. That is not a gap. It is the most important half day of the six. Walk to the plaza if you feel like it, drink water, eat lightly, skip the pisco sour and sleep. People who spend that afternoon on a city tour are the ones who feel dreadful in the valley next day. If you want a city tour, arrive a day early and we add it.
Tour Highlights
- ✓ Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca are six hundred kilometres apart. This is the eleven bookings between them made once, by people who make them every week.
- ✓ Cusco first, the valley and Aguas Calientes lower, Puno last. Four days of adjustment before the highest night of the trip.
- ✓ A night in Aguas Calientes puts you on the early buses. You are inside the site before the day trippers arrive from Cusco.
- ✓ The Route of the Sun by day, with a guide and four stops. It is the day that joins the two halves of Peru.
- ✓ Bilingual, local, and different at each end. The Cusco guides know the valley. The Puno guides know the lake.
- ✓ Name sign at Cusco arrivals on day one. Flight watched at Juliaca on day six. Nothing to arrange at either end.
What to Expect
Expect to be moved. This tour covers a lot of ground, from the ancient cobblestones of Cusco to the wide blue silence of Lake Titicaca. Every place along the way has the kind of weight that stays with you. You will walk through the lost city of the Incas at sunrise and stand at the highest point of the Sun Route with the Andes all around you. You will drift past the floating islands of the Uros people and climb the terraced hills of Taquile Island. None of it feels like ticking boxes. It feels like actually being somewhere that matters.
Expect to feel the altitude. This is Peru, and the journey takes you high above sea level for most of the six days. Your body will notice it. The first morning in Cusco tends to be the most intense. A gentle headache, a little breathlessness, a reminder that you are not at home anymore. Most travellers find their footing within a day. The itinerary is paced with that in mind. Your guides know the signs and will always make sure you are comfortable. Drink water, take it slow, and let the acclimatization happen naturally.
Expect a small group of people who came here for the same reason you did. This is not a bus tour of fifty strangers. The groups are intentionally small, the guides are bilingual and genuinely passionate about what they share, and the pace allows for real conversation, with your guides, with the communities you visit, and with the people travelling alongside you. By the end of six days, the journey tends to feel personal in a way that is hard to explain until you have experienced it.
Best Time to Go
Green is the season we recommend Red is July and August, when Machu Picchu tickets sell out weeks ahead
May to October
Best
What to expect
Dry at Machu Picchu, clear at La Raya, cold nights on the lake
Our view
The best months. Blue mornings at the site and the best light on the road and the water. Pack for cold nights in Puno.
November to March
What to expect
Afternoon rain in the valley, mist at Machu Picchu, green altiplano
Our view
Mornings are usually fine and the dawn visit still works. The pass may be in cloud. Fewer people everywhere.
July and August
What to expect
Peak season. Machu Picchu tickets sell out weeks ahead, hotels full
Our view
Book early. We need your dates two to three months out to hold the Machu Picchu slot and the train.
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Machu Picchu decides the month
Dry season for the mornings, shoulder months for fewer people.
Machu Picchu decides the month. The dry season from May to October gives the clearest mornings and the coldest nights. July and August bring the crowds. The lake is good in any month and coldest in June. The road is at its best in the dry months, when La Raya is under a blue sky. If you are choosing between the shoulders, May and September give most of the weather with fewer people. Our post on the best time to visit Machu Picchu covers one end month by month. Our Puno climate guide covers the other.
Tour Itinerary
1
Arrival in Cusco
Any time · Cusco airport, 3,400 m. A private driver holds a sign with your name at arrivals and takes you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free, and rest is the right use of it. Water, a light meal, an early night.
Overnight: Casa Andina Standard Cusco or similar. Meals: None today.
Altitude 3,400 m
2
Sacred Valley, then the train to Aguas Calientes
3
Machu Picchu, then back to Cusco
4
Route of the Sun to Puno
6
Uros and Taquile
6
Transfer to Juliaca Airport
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Good to know
On the altitude.
Five of the six nights are above 2,000 metres and two are above 3,800. The order of the days is built to make that easier, and it works for most people. What it cannot do is replace a doctor. Anyone with a heart or lung condition, or who is pregnant, should ask theirs first. This is a week at height. On the trip itself, water, light meals and two nights without alcohol do more than anything we sell.
✓
Inclusions
- ✓ All entrance fees to Sacred Valley archaeological sites
- ✓ Machu Picchu entrance ticket
- ✓ All Sun Route site entrance fees
- ✓ Entrance to the Floating Islands and Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca
- ✓ All embarkation fees on Lake Titicaca
- ✓ 5 nights accommodation (2 nights in Cusco, 1 night in Aguas Calientes, 2 nights in Puno)
- ✓ Daily breakfast at your hotel throughout the tour
- ✓ Lunch during the Sacred Valley tour
- ✓ Lunch during the Lake Titicaca full day excursion
- ✓ Private airport transfer from Cusco Airport to your hotel in the city
- ✓ All transfers during the Sacred Valley tour
- ✓ Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and return
- ✓ Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and return
- ✓ Sun Route transfer from Cusco to Puno
- ✓ All transfers in Puno and on Lake Titicaca
- ✓ Transfer to Juliaca Airport on the final day
X
Not Included
- X International and domestic flights
- X Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- X Dinners throughout the tour
- X Lunches on days not specified above
- X Personal expenses and souvenirs
- X Tips and gratuities for guides and drivers
- X Any meals or activities not listed under inclusions
- X Expenses arising from flight delays, cancellations, or unforeseen circumstances
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About the exclusions
On what is in and what is not.
Every ticket that has to be bought ahead is in the price. Machu Picchu, the train, the tourist ticket, the sites on the road and the islands on the lake. Every hotel night and every transfer is in. What is out is the food you would choose yourself anyway, which is dinners and four lunches, and the flights. If you want a better hotel, a private group or Huayna Picchu, we quote the change. We do not hide it in the price.
Departure Information
Available: Daily departures
Group Size: Up to 9 people
Start Time: 12:00 Noon
Pickup: Cusco Airport
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca tour suitable for beginners?
Yes, this tour is suitable for most travellers with a basic level of fitness. You do not need any trekking experience or special training. The main physical requirement is the ability to walk on uneven terrain for two to three hours at a moderate pace. The most active day is Machu Picchu, where you will be on your feet for a few hours exploring the archaeological site. The Sacred Valley and Lake Titicaca days are more relaxed in pace. The one thing every guest needs to prepare for is high altitude — Cusco sits at around 3,400 metres above sea level and Puno even higher. Taking the first day slowly makes a significant difference
How do I prevent altitude sickness on a Peru tour?
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