5 days in Cusco and Machu Picchu: a day-by-day plan

Key Takeaways

• Cusco sits at 3,399m (11,150ft) according to PROMPERÚ, above the 8,000-foot line where the CDC says altitude illness becomes a risk, so day 1 is for rest.
• PeruRail’s Vistadome runs Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes in 1h22m to 1h46m, which is what makes Machu Picchu a day trip from Cusco.
• Machu Picchu admits a maximum of 5,600 people a day in high season, set by the Ministry of Culture from 1 June 2024, so tickets sell out and the date needs booking early.
• Lati’s 5 Day Best of Cusco & Machu Picchu package covers all five days for US$870 per person, with four nights of accommodation.

Is 5 days in Cusco and Machu Picchu enough?

Five days is enough for the four things most first visits are built around: the city of Cusco, its Inca sites on the hill above it, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. It works because each of those fits in a single day, and because the train makes Machu Picchu a return trip from Cusco rather than an overnight stay.

What five days leaves out is the high-altitude day trips. Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake are both full days from Cusco, and both are better on day 5 or later than in your first 48 hours. If either is on your list, plan six days.

Why does day 1 have nothing planned?

Because of the altitude. PROMPERÚ gives Cusco’s elevation as 3,399m, and most travellers fly in from sea level in Lima the same morning. The CDC treats anything above 8,000 feet (about 2,440m) as altitude-illness territory and advises, above 9,000 feet, sleeping no more than 1,600 feet higher each day.

You cannot follow that rule when the plane lands you straight at 3,399m, so the next best thing is a first day spent walking slowly, drinking water and sleeping early. Our guide to Cusco and Machu Picchu without altitude sickness covers the rest of the routine. For the ride in from the airport, see Cusco airport to city centre.

The 5 days in Cusco and Machu Picchu, day by day

This is the order Lati’s package runs in. The package notes that the order of the tours can change with availability, but the shape stays the same: rest first, Machu Picchu late.

Day 1: arrive in Cusco

Land, check in and do as little as possible. An airport transfer can be added to the package. Walk the Plaza de Armas in the afternoon if you feel well, and eat a light dinner.

Day 2: Cusco and the Inca sites above the city

Pickup is from hotels in the historic centre. The tour starts at Qoricancha, the main temple of the Inca state, with the Convent of Santo Domingo built on top of its walls. It then climbs to Sacsayhuamán and its large stone walls, the carved rock channels of Qenqo, the small fortress of Puca Pucará, and Tambomachay, where water still runs through Inca fountains. The same circuit is sold on its own as the Best of Cusco half-day tour at US$20 per person. The Qoricancha entrance is not included: the package lists it at S/.15.

Day 3: the Sacred Valley

An early pickup takes you to the textile centre at Chinchero, the circular terraces of Moray and the Maras salt pans, worked since Inca times. Lunch is a buffet in Urubamba. The afternoon covers the fortress and town of Ollantaytambo, then the Pisac ruins and the market below them. The Maras entrance (S/.15) is paid separately. The day matches the Sacred Valley of the Incas full-day tour, and the Sacred Valley page has more on each stop.

Day 3 also helps with day 4. Most of the valley sits lower than Cusco, and you will have seen Ollantaytambo, where the train leaves, in daylight.

Day 4: Machu Picchu by train

This is the long one. Pickup is at 03:30 or 04:10 for the drive to Ollantaytambo station. The train runs to Aguas Calientes, where you meet your guide and take the bus up to the citadel. The guided visit covers the Main Plaza, the Temple of the Sun, the Royal Quarters and the Temple of the Three Windows, followed by free time inside.

After the bus back down, lunch is included in Aguas Calientes, with time for the town or the market before the train back to Ollantaytambo. Arrival in Cusco is around 22:30. Bring your passport: the package states it is required to enter Machu Picchu. The Machu Picchu tours page lists the other ways to do this day.

Day 5: departure

A departure transfer to the airport can be selected at checkout. If your flight is late in the day, the morning is free for the San Pedro market or a last walk through San Blas.

How do you get from Cusco to Machu Picchu in one day?

By road to Ollantaytambo, then by train. PROMPERÚ puts the drive at about 1h30m and the whole trip at around four hours. PeruRail’s timetable gives the Vistadome 1h22m to 1h46m from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, and the Expedition 85 to 108 minutes. No road reaches Aguas Calientes, which is why the train is the only way to fit Machu Picchu into a single day from Cusco.

The cheaper option is the 2-day Machu Picchu tour by bus from Cusco at US$215 per person, which adds a night in Aguas Calientes and takes two days of your five. Our comparison of Machu Picchu train vs bus sets out the trade-off.

Inside the site, the Ministry of Culture runs three circuits: Panorámico, Machupicchu Clásico and Machupicchu Realeza. Your ticket is tied to one of them, so check which one before you go.

What does a 5-day Cusco and Machu Picchu trip cost?

There are two ways to buy it: the package, or the three tours one by one with your own hotel.

Option	Price	What it covers
5 Day Best of Cusco & Machu Picchu package	US$870 per person	4 nights’ accommodation, the three tours, guide, transport, Machu Picchu entrance, two lunches
Best of Cusco half-day tour	US$20 per person	Day 2 on its own
Sacred Valley full-day tour	US$45 per person	Day 3 on its own
Machu Picchu full-day tour by train	US$420 per person	Day 4 on its own

The three tours bought separately come to US$485 per person before any hotel. The package adds four nights and puts the order in someone else’s hands. Either way, the Qoricancha and Maras entrances (S/.15 each), travel insurance and tips are extra.

What changes if you swap a day?

The one rule is to keep Machu Picchu off day 1 and day 2. A 03:30 pickup with no time at altitude behind you is the worst version of the trip. Swapping days 2 and 3 works well: the Sacred Valley first means a lower day before the city’s hill sites.

On timing, the dry months are the easiest for the train and the views; our guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu goes month by month. Daily capacity is capped at 5,600 people a day in high season, and the package has a 60-day booking cutoff, so fix the Machu Picchu date first and build the other four days around it. The day 4 tour is non-refundable once booked. For the wider city, see the Cusco page.