7-Day Cusco, Machu Picchu & Rainbow Mountain Private Tour

Walk four Inca sites and trek two high-altitude mountains in one week, with a guide and all logistics arranged.

A 7-day private guided tour from Cusco visiting Sacsayhuamán, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake and the Qeswachaka Inca bridge. The itinerary includes all transport between sites, professional guides at each major stop, entry tickets, and meals: hotel pickup on day one starts at the airport, and the final day ends with a transfer to your departure point.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Airport pickup and Cusco city tour

• Airport pickup and transfer to hotel
• Rest and acclimatize in the morning
• 2:00pm pick up for city tour
• Visit Koricancha (Temple of the Sun)
• Visit Sacsayhuaman archaeological site
• Visit Qenqo ritual center
• Visit PucaPucara fortress
• Visit Tambomachay Inca Bath
• Return to Cusco hotel

Day 2: Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes

• 8:00am hotel pickup
• Visit Pisaq archaeological site
• Buffet lunch in Urubamba
• Visit Ollantaytambo archaeological site
• Train to Aguas Calientes
• Overnight in Aguas Calientes
• Evening guide briefing for Machu Picchu visit

Day 3: Machu Picchu visit and return to Cusco

• Early bus to Machu Picchu
• 2-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu
• Lunch in Aguas Calientes
• Train to Ollantaytambo
• Bus transfer to Cusco hotel

Day 4: Rainbow Mountain trek

• 4:00am hotel pickup
• Breakfast buffet in Cusipata
• Travel to Wasipata area
• 1.5-hour trek to Rainbow Mountain
• 40-minute visit at Rainbow Mountain
• Return trek to bus
• Buffet lunch in Cusipata
• Return to Cusco city

Day 5: Humantay Lake trek

• 4:00am hotel pickup
• Breakfast in Mollepata
• 1.5-hour walk to Humantay Lagoon
• Enjoy fauna and flora
• Return to Soraypampa
• Lunch in Mollepata
• Return to Cusco

Day 6: Inca Bridge and lagoons tour

• 7:00am hotel pickup
• Visit four lagoons
• Visit Pabellones volcano
• Visit and cross Inca Bridge of Q'eswachaka
• Visit Inca colonial bridge of Checacupe
• Return to Cusco

Day 7: Departure and optional gastronomy tour

• Free morning to relax
• Optional Peruvian gastronomy and pisco sour class
• Transfer to airport or bus station

The experience

The tour opens with airport pickup and a city tour the same afternoon: Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun), then Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay, all within the Cusco valley. Day two moves into the Sacred Valley, starting at Pisac with a guided walk through the terraces and temple, then lunch in Urubamba before Ollantaytambo, where you'll see the Temple of the Sun and the Princess Baths. That evening you board a train to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu.

Day three is the full Machu Picchu visit: an early bus up the mountain, a 2-hour guided tour of the ruins, then the return by bus, train and road back to Cusco. Days four and five are the high-altitude treks. Rainbow Mountain starts at 4 a.m. with a 1.5-hour walk to the summit at 5,200 meters, then a 1.25-hour descent. Breakfast and lunch are in Cusipata, and you're back in the city by 5:30 p.m. Humantay Lake follows the same early rhythm: pickup at 4 a.m., a 1.5-hour trek to the lagoon at 4,250 meters through the high grasslands, then descent to Mollepata for lunch and return by 6 p.m.

Day six takes you south to the Qeswachaka Inca bridge, a hanging structure woven from ichu grass that spans the Apurímac River. You'll cross it from both sides and see the nearby Inca colonial bridge at Checacupe for contrast. The final day is free until your departure. The operator offers an optional gastronomy tour and pisco sour preparation if your flight allows. All transport between sites, professional guides at Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and Qeswachaka, entry tickets, oxygen bottles for the high-altitude days, walking sticks, and breakfasts and lunches on the trekking and valley days are included.

What’s included

• Airport pickup on day one and transfer to your departure point on day seven.
• professional guides in English, Spanish or Portuguese at Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and Qeswachaka.
• all entry tickets for Cusco ruins, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu (circuits 1 or 2, subject to availability), Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake and Qeswachaka.
• train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and return.
• bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and back.
• all ground transport between sites.
• breakfasts and lunches on days two through six.
• walking sticks for the mountain treks.
• and oxygen bottles for the high-altitude days.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 05:00, the last at 12:30

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

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?Book this if you're combining high-altitude sites (Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake) with Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley in one week, and prefer a private guide and vehicle rather than joining a group.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What is Machu Picchu like when you arrive, and how much time do you spend there?

Machu Picchu is a stone citadel built high on a ridge above the Urubamba River valley. You arrive by bus early in the morning and spend 2 hours with a professional guide walking through the temples, terraces and plazas before descending and returning to Cusco by train and road the same day.

How high do you climb on Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake, and what is the walk like?

Rainbow Mountain reaches 5,200 meters (17,000 feet). The trek from the trailhead is 1.5 hours up and 1.25 hours down. Humantay Lake sits at 4,250 meters. The walk is 1.5 hours each way through high-altitude grassland. Both days start before dawn, include breakfast and lunch in nearby towns, and return to Cusco by evening.

What are Sacsayhuamán and the other Cusco ruins, and do you visit them with a guide?

Sacsayhuamán is a massive stone fortress above the city; Qenqo is a ritual center carved into rock; Puca Pucara is a military outpost; and Tambomachay is an Inca bath fed by natural springs. You visit all four on day one with a guided city tour that covers the Temple of the Sun (Koricancha) as well, returning to your hotel by 7 p.m.

What is the Qeswachaka bridge, and can you actually walk across it?

Qeswachaka is a hanging bridge woven entirely from ichu grass that spans the Apurímac River in the mountains south of Cusco. It dates to the Inca period and is rebuilt each year by local communities. Yes, you cross it from both sides and see the colonial stone bridge at Checacupe nearby for comparison.

What meals and snacks are included, and when do you eat?

Breakfast and lunch are included on days two through six: buffet meals in Urubamba and at the archaeological sites, plus breakfasts in Cusipata (Rainbow Mountain day) and Mollepata (Humantay Lake day). Day one includes only the afternoon city tour. Day three has lunch in Aguas Calientes after Machu Picchu.

Do you need any special gear, and what happens if you can't handle the altitude?

Walking sticks are provided for the mountain treks, and oxygen bottles are included on the high-altitude days (Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake). The tour requires at least moderate physical fitness. The operator does not recommend it for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.