Cusco: Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley 5-Day Trek with Rainbow Mountain

Four Incan sites and the vibrant colored peaks you actually climb

You get airport pickup, four days of guided tours through Cusco's temples and Incan ruins, a 2.5-hour Machu Picchu tour with train transport, a Rainbow Mountain hike, all meals, professional guides, and return airport transfer. The five days are structured so you acclimatize on day one, explore the Sacred Valley on day two, reach Machu Picchu on day three, climb Rainbow Mountain on day four, and depart on day five. Machu Picchu tickets depend on Ministry of Culture availability; if none are available, you receive a full refund.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Airport pickup and city tour

• Airport pickup and transfer to hotel
• Rest and acclimatize in the morning
• 2:00 PM hotel pickup for city tour
• Visit Koricancha temple, 45 minutes
• Travel 30 minutes to Sacsayhuaman
• Guided tour of Sacsayhuaman, 1 hour
• Visit Qenqo ritual center, 30 minutes
• Travel 15 minutes to PucaPucara red fort
• Visit PucaPucara military construction, 30 minutes
• Visit Tambomachay water cult site, 30 minutes
• Return to Cusco, arrive around 7:00 PM

Day 2 — Sacred Valley tour and train to Aguas Calientes

• 8:00 AM hotel pickup for Sacred Valley tour
• Travel 1.5 hours to Pisaq ruins
• Guided tour of Pisaq ruins, 1 hour
• Travel to Urubamba for buffet lunch
• Travel 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo town
• Guided tour of Ollantaytambo ruins, 1 hour
• Go to train station and board train to Aguas Calientes
• Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Day 3 — Machu Picchu visit and return to Cusco

• Early bus to Machu Picchu
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu, 2.5 hours
• Free time and lunch in Aguas Calientes
• Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• Transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco hotel

Day 4 — Rainbow Mountain hike and return

• 4:00 AM passenger pickup from lodgings
• 4:45 AM depart for Cusipata district
• 6:30 AM buffet breakfast in Cusipata
• 7:00 AM depart to Wasipata area
• 8:00 AM start hike to Rainbow Mountain
• 1.5 hour hike to mountain
• 40 minutes visit at Rainbow Mountain
• 1 hour 15 minutes return hike
• 12:00 PM arrive at highway and depart to Cusipata
• 1:00 PM buffet lunch in Cusipata
• 1:40 PM return to Cusco city
• 3:30 PM arrive in Cusco

Day 5 — Free morning and airport transfer

• Free morning to relax or walking tour
• Visit Plaza de Armas and main cathedral
• Visit Nazarenas Square and San Blas neighborhood
• See twelve angle stone and San Pedro market
• Afternoon transfer to airport for departure

The Experience

The representative is already waiting at the airport when you land in Cusco. That first day sets the pace — you rest in the morning, then at 2 PM you're picked up for the city tour. Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, comes first: 45 minutes inside the stonework that once held gold leaf, now a Spanish church built on top of it. Then 30 minutes by vehicle to Sacsayhuamán, where the massive fitted blocks sit without mortar, and a guide walks you through the Quechua names and what each terrace was built for. Q'enqo comes next — a ritual center carved into rock itself, the kind of place that feels different when you step inside. You'll see Puca Puca, the red fort, and finish at Tambomachay, where water channels still run through stone baths the Incas used in ceremonies. By 7 PM you're back at the hotel.

Day two moves faster. The van picks you up at 8 AM for the Sacred Valley, and after an hour and a half you're at Pisac ruins with a guide for an hour. The valley opens below you — the Willka Mayu, the sacred river, runs through it. Lunch is a buffet of typical Andean food in Urubamba, the valley's main town. Then 30 minutes to Ollantaytambo, where you spend an hour on the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone, and the Princess Baths carved into the mountainside. That evening you board the train to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. The guide meets you the night before to go over the next day's details.

Day three is the one you came for. You leave very early — the exact time depends on your train — and take the bus up the switchbacks to Machu Picchu. The 2.5-hour guided tour covers the main circuits (circuits 1 and 2, depending on what the Ministry of Culture has released that day). After the tour, you have free time in Aguas Calientes for lunch on your own. Then the train back to Ollantaytambo, where a Chullos Travel representative meets you with a sign, and the van takes you back to Cusco, arriving at your hotel in the evening.

Day four starts at 4 AM. Pickup from your hotel, then a drive to Cusipata district — about 45 minutes — where you eat breakfast for 30 minutes. At 7 AM you start walking toward Winicunca, the Rainbow Mountain. The hike is 1.5 hours up, 40 minutes at the summit looking at the striped slopes, then 1 hour 15 minutes down. Lunch is back at the restaurant in Cusipata around 1 PM, and you're back in Cusco by 3:30 PM. Day five is a free morning — you can walk the Plaza de Armas, the San Blas neighborhood, or the San Pedro market — then a transfer to the airport in the afternoon.

What’s included

Your five days include airport pickup and hotel transfers throughout, professional guides for all ruins and Machu Picchu, entry tickets for Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puca Puca, Tambomachay, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo, train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and return, bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu, a 2.5-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu, the Rainbow Mountain hike with oxygen provided, all breakfasts and lunches (buffet in Urubamba, Aguas Calientes, and Cusipata), walking sticks, an air-conditioned vehicle, and a final airport transfer on day five.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Chullos Travel Peru

Is this one for you?Right for travelers with moderate fitness who want to see Cusco's main ruins, the Sacred Valley temples, Machu Picchu, and Rainbow Mountain without arranging transport or tickets themselves. Expect early starts on days three and four, and plan for five full days of activity at high altitude — that's what fits all four sites into one trip.

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Top questions

What's included in the five-day tour?

Hotel pickups, airport transfers, entry tickets for Cusco ruins and Sacred Valley sites, train tickets to and from Aguas Calientes, bus tickets to Machu Picchu, all breakfasts and lunches, professional guides, walking sticks, and oxygen for high altitude. Machu Picchu entry is subject to Ministry of Culture availability.

How early do I need to wake up?

Day one you rest until 2 PM. Day two pickup is 8 AM. Day three is very early (exact time depends on your train). Day four starts at 4 AM for the Rainbow Mountain hike. Day five is free until your afternoon airport transfer.

Is this tour physically demanding?

Yes. You need at least moderate fitness. The Rainbow Mountain hike is 1.5 hours uphill at high altitude. Machu Picchu involves walking steep terrain for 2.5 hours. Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or poor cardiovascular health.

What if Machu Picchu tickets aren't available?

The Ministry of Culture controls all Machu Picchu ticket sales. If no tickets are available for your dates, you receive a full refund of your entire tour package.

Do I need to arrange my own train tickets?

No. Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back are included. The guide provides all details the night before.

What's the altitude like?

Cusco is at 11,000 feet. Rainbow Mountain is higher. The tour includes oxygen, and day one is reserved for acclimatization. Breakfast on day four includes coca tea to help with altitude adjustment.

Are meals included?

Yes. Breakfast and lunch are provided on days two, three, and four. Day one lunch is on your own. Day five breakfast is free; lunch depends on your flight time.