7-Day Cusco Tour: Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain & Sacred Valley

Seven days moving through Inca sites and high-altitude landscapes with a guide who knows the route.

A private 7-day guided tour from Cusco visiting the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, and the Q'eswachaca Bridge with professional guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese. All transport, 3-star accommodations, breakfasts and lunches included. The itinerary runs fixed days with set pickups and drop-offs, so the sequence holds without you building it. Machu Picchu tickets depend on Ministry of Culture availability. If none are available for your dates, you receive a full refund.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Airport pickup and city tour

• Airport pickup and hotel transfer
• Rest and acclimatize in the morning
• Meet at main square at 2pm
• Visit Koricancha Temple of the Sun
• Travel to Sacsayhuaman site
• Visit Sacsayhuaman ruins
• Visit Qenqo ritual center
• Visit PucaPucara fortress
• Visit Tambomachay Inca Bath
• Return to Cusco city

Day 2: Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes

• Pick up from hotel at 8am
• Visit Pisaq archaeological site
• Travel to Urubamba for buffet lunch
• Visit Ollantaytambo archaeological site
• Board train to Aguas Calientes
• Overnight in Aguas Calientes
• Guide briefing for Machu Picchu visit

Day 3: Machu Picchu visit and return

• Early bus to Machu Picchu ruins
• Guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Return to Aguas Calientes for lunch
• Free time in Aguas Calientes
• Train to Ollantaytambo
• Bus to Cusco city

Day 4: Rainbow Mountain trek

• Pick up from hotel at 4am
• Breakfast in Cusipata district
• Travel to Wasipata area
• Trek to Rainbow Mountain (Winicunca)
• Visit Rainbow Mountain
• Return trek to mobility
• Return to Cusipata for lunch
• Travel back to Cusco city

Day 5: Humantay Lake hike

• Pick up from hotel at 4am
• Breakfast in Mollepata town
• Travel to Soraypampa
• Hike to Humantay Lagoon
• Enjoy fauna and flora
• Descend to Soraypampa
• Lunch in Mollepata
• Return to Cusco city

Day 6: Q'eswachaca Bridge visit

• Pick up from hotel at 7am
• Travel south of Cusco
• Visit four lagoons
• Visit Pabellones volcano
• Visit and cross Inca hanging bridge
• Visit Inca colonial bridge of Checacupe
• Return to Cusco city

Day 7: Free morning and airport transfer

• Free morning
• Transport to airport

The experience

Cusco itself opens the tour. Day one brings airport pickup and a city tour hitting Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun), Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay: a 45-minute guided walk through the temple, then four more Inca sites by vehicle, returning around 7pm. You stay in a 3-star hotel in the city and rest to acclimatize.

Day two moves into the Sacred Valley. An 8am pickup takes you through Pisaq (a 1-hour guided tour of the archaeological site), then lunch in Urubamba, then Ollantaytambo with another hour-long guided walk through the Temple of the Sun and the Princess Baths. By evening you're on the train to Aguas Calientes, where your guide briefs you that night on the next day's Machu Picchu visit. Day three is the ruins themselves: an early bus up, a guided tour (length depends on which ticket circuit you hold), lunch back in the village, then the train and bus return to Cusco, arriving in the evening.

Days four and five are high-altitude day trips. Rainbow Mountain starts at 4am with pickup, breakfast in Cusipata, then a 1.5-hour trek to the mountain at 5,100m, 40 minutes on the ridge, and a 1.25-hour descent: lunch back in Cusipata, return to Cusco by 5:30pm. Humantay Lake follows the same early pattern: 4am pickup, breakfast in Mollepata, then a 1.5-hour walk to the lake at 4,250m, descent, lunch, and return by 6pm. Day six takes the Q'eswachaca Bridge route: a 7am start, two hours south to four lagoons, the Pabellones volcano, then the hanging Inca bridge made of woven grass fiber on the Apurímac River. You cross it both ways, see the colonial bridge at Checacupe, and return by 5pm. Day seven is a free morning and airport transfer.

What’s included

• Private professional guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• airport pickup and hotel transfers throughout.
• private vehicle transport between all sites.
• train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and return.
• bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.
• entrance fees for the Sacred Valley, Cusco city tour sites, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake and Q'eswachaca Bridge.
• six nights in 3-star hotels.
• breakfasts and lunches daily.
• walking sticks for the high-altitude treks.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 00:00, the last at 12:30

AgesAdult (6 to 70 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 6 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Chullos Travel Peru

Is this one for you?Book this if you're visiting multiple high-altitude sites (Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake) in one week and need a single guide managing the logistics across three different elevations rather than coordinating separate operators.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

5 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What's included in the 7-day tour from Cusco?

The tour includes private professional guides in English, Spanish or Portuguese; all transport by vehicle and train; 3-star hotel accommodations for six nights; breakfasts and lunches each day; entrance fees for the Sacred Valley, city tour sites, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake and Q'eswachaca Bridge; the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back; the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu; walking sticks; and airport and hotel pickups. Machu Picchu entrance depends on ticket availability from Peru's Ministry of Culture.

How do I get to Machu Picchu on this tour?

On day three you take an early bus from your Aguas Calientes hotel up to the ruins, have a guided tour (the length depends on which ticket circuit you hold), then return to the village for lunch. After lunch you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and a bus back to Cusco, arriving in the evening. The tour includes the bus, train and entrance ticket, subject to availability.

What are Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake like?

Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) sits at 5,100m and takes 1.5 hours to trek uphill through high-altitude terrain. You spend 40 minutes on the ridge looking at the colored mineral bands, then descend for 1.25 hours. Humantay Lake is at 4,250m and involves a 1.5-hour walk through alpine flora and fauna to reach a turquoise glacial lake, then the same walk back down. Both are full-day trips starting before dawn with breakfast provided beforehand.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The tour requires at least moderate physical fitness. The high-altitude days (Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake and the Q'eswachaca Bridge route) involve 1.5-hour treks at elevations above 4,200m. The operator does not recommend this tour for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health or pregnancy. You'll spend your first day in Cusco resting and acclimatizing to the altitude.

What happens if Machu Picchu tickets aren't available?

Machu Picchu tickets are sold only by Peru's Ministry of Culture and depend on availability. The tour books circuits 1 or 2 based on what's open for your dates. Other circuits may be available at an additional charge. If no tickets are available at all, you receive a full refund of the entire tour package.

How much time do I spend in each location?

City tour sites in Cusco take roughly 45 minutes at Koricancha and 15 minutes each at the other four stops. Sacred Valley stops are 1 hour each at Pisaq and Ollantaytambo. Machu Picchu's duration depends on your ticket type. High-altitude treks (Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake) are 1.5 hours up, 30-40 minutes at the site, and 1.25 hours down. The Q'eswachaca Bridge day covers four lagoons, a volcano and two bridges over roughly 10 hours from pickup to return.