Cusco: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain & Humantay Lake 6-Day

Six days hitting Cusco's four biggest climbs without arranging transport or permits yourself

You get airport pickup, four nights in Cusco and Aguas Calientes, guided tours of the city's main temples and the Sacred Valley ruins, a full day at Machu Picchu with a professional guide, early-morning hikes to Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain with oxygen and walking sticks, all train and bus tickets, most meals, and airport transfer on day six. The fixed schedule removes the logistics of combining these four sites across six days.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Airport pickup and Cusco city tour

• Airport pickup and hotel transfer
• Rest and acclimatize in the morning
• 2:00 PM hotel pickup for city tour
• Visit Koricancha temple
• Travel to Sacsayhuaman
• Guided tour of Sacsayhuaman
• Visit Qenqo ritual center
• Visit PucaPucara red fort
• Visit Tambomachay water cult site
• Return to Cusco hotel

Day 2 — Sacred Valley and travel to Aguas Calientes

• 8:00 AM hotel pickup
• Travel to Pisaq ruins
• Guided tour of Pisaq ruins
• Travel to Urubamba for buffet lunch
• Travel to Ollantaytambo town
• Guided tour of Ollantaytambo ruins
• Go to train station
• 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
• Free time and lunch in Aguas Calientes
• Train to Ollantaytambo
• Transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco hotel

Day 4 — Humantay Lake trek and return

• 4:00 AM hotel pickup
• Travel to Mollepata for breakfast
• Travel to Soraypampa
• 1.5-hour hike to Humantay Lake
• Return hike to Soraypampa
• Travel to Mollepata for lunch
• Return to Cusco

Day 5 — Rainbow Mountain trek and return

• 4:00 AM passenger pickup
• Travel to Cusipata district
• Buffet breakfast in Cusipata
• Travel to Wasipata area
• Hike to Rainbow Mountain (Winicunca)
• Visit Rainbow Mountain
• Return hike to highway
• Return to Cusipata for lunch
• Return to Cusco city

Day 6 — Free morning and airport transfer

• Free morning to relax or walk
• Visit Plaza de Armas main square
• Visit Nazarenas Square
• Visit San Blas neighborhood
• See twelve angle stone
• Visit San Pedro local market

The Experience

Most people come to Cusco for one thing — Machu Picchu — and leave wondering what else they missed. This six-day tour stacks four of the region's hardest-to-reach highlights into a single itinerary: the Inca citadel itself, Rainbow Mountain's striped slopes at 5,100 meters, Humantay Lake's turquoise water at 4,250 meters, and the Sacred Valley's temple ruins. You don't book trains separately, negotiate with guides in the plaza, or spend a morning figuring out which sites connect. The schedule does that. Day one lands you at the airport, gets you to your hotel, and by 2 p.m. you're already at Qorikancha — the Temple of the Sun — with a guide walking you through what the stonework actually means before moving on to Sacsayhuamán and Q'enqo. That pace matters when you're acclimatizing.

Day two takes you into the Sacred Valley proper. You'll spend an hour at Pisac's terraces and temples, then travel down the Urubamba valley to Ollantaytambo, where a guide covers the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone, and the Princess Baths before you board the train to Aguas Calientes. The next morning — very early — you ride the bus up to Machu Picchu for a 2.5-hour guided tour, then have free time in town for lunch before the train carries you back. Days four and five are the physical ones. Humantay Lake means a 4 a.m. pickup, breakfast in Mollepata, then a 90-minute walk uphill to a glacier-fed lake ringed by peaks. Rainbow Mountain is similar: 4 a.m. start, 90 minutes walking to the ridge, 40 minutes on top looking at the mineral-striped slopes, then the walk back down. Both days include oxygen and walking sticks. You return to Cusco by early evening both times. Day six is a free morning before your airport transfer.

The hotels are three-star, double or matrimonial rooms. Meals are included in the Sacred Valley (buffet lunch in Urubamba), at Humantay (breakfast and lunch in Mollepata), and at Rainbow Mountain (breakfast and lunch in Cusipata). Machu Picchu tickets come from the Ministry of Culture and are subject to availability — if circuits 1 or 2 sell out, you get a full refund. The guide in Aguas Calientes will brief you the night before on what to expect. Walking sticks, oxygen, and all transport between sites — the train from Ollantaytambo, the bus from Aguas Calientes to the ruins, the minivan back to Cusco — are included. You arrange nothing yourself except what to pack.

What’s included

• Airport pickup on arrival and airport transfer on day six.
• three-star hotel accommodation (double or matrimonial rooms) in Cusco and Aguas Calientes.
• professional guides for the city tour, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.
• entry tickets to Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo.
• train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and return.
• bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu round trip.
• breakfast and lunch in Urubamba (day two), Mollepata (day four), and Cusipata (day five).
• walking sticks and oxygen for the Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain hikes.
• hotel pickups for all early-morning departures.
• minivan transport between sites in the Sacred Valley and return to Cusco from Ollantaytambo.

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?This tour is built for travelers who want to see Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, and Humantay Lake without spending days arranging trains, guides, and permits separately — the fixed six-day schedule and included transport handle all of that, which is what makes fitting four major sites into one trip possible.

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Top questions

How early do I need to wake up?

Days four and five start with 4 a.m. hotel pickups. Day three (Machu Picchu) is also very early — the bus departs before sunrise. Days one and two have more flexible timing.

Is Machu Picchu guaranteed?

Tickets are subject to availability from Peru's Ministry of Culture. If your preferred circuit sells out, you receive a full refund of the tour package.

What if I can't do the high-altitude hikes?

Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain are both above 4,200 meters and involve 90-minute walks uphill. The tour is not recommended for travelers with cardiovascular issues or poor fitness. Oxygen is provided, but the walks themselves cannot be skipped or shortened.

Are meals included?

Breakfast and lunch are included on days two, four, and five. Day three lunch in Aguas Calientes is on your own. Day one and six have no meal inclusions.

Do I need to book the train tickets separately?

No. Train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back are included in the tour price.

What's the hotel standard?

Three-star hotels with double or matrimonial rooms in Cusco and Aguas Calientes.

How much walking is involved?

Day one is mostly vehicle-based with short walks at each ruin. Day two involves walking around Pisac and Ollantaytambo ruins. Days four and five are 90-minute uphill hikes each. Day three at Machu Picchu is a 2.5-hour guided tour on foot.

What happens on day six?

Free morning in Cusco. You can rest, walk the city center, or visit the local market. Airport transfer is arranged in the afternoon or whenever your flight departs.