13 Best Day Trips from Cusco That Aren’t Machu Picchu

For an active day trip that’s off-the-beaten path and full of epic views that make you feel like you’re in a fantasy film, visit Ausangate 7 Lakes.

Depending on where you book, you may also get an incredible local lunch experience. For this, I highly recommend Peru Summit Adventures.

Best Explored Via: Private Tour

Average Length of Day Tour from Cusco: 14-15 Hours*

Located in the middle of Peru’s Sacred Valley, Chinchero makes for another excellent and slightly off-the-beaten-path day trip from Cusco. Known in Inca culture as the birthplace of the rainbow, Chinchero has everything from a large Inca archeological site, colorful streets, a historic colonial chapel, an abundant market and more.

But my favorite spot in Chinchero was undoubtedly El Centro de Textiles Tradicionales, a non-profit women’s co-op whose mission is to aid in the survival of Cusqueñan textile traditions and to provide support to the indigenous people who create them.

Best Explored Via: Private Tour, Group Tour or Independently

Distance from Cusco: 1 Hour

Pisac is one of the major highlights of visiting The Sacred Valley near Cusco. While most tourists visit for the famous Pisac Market, don’t forget to venture into Plaza Constitucion and the Pisac Archeological Park.

The Archeological Park in particular is breathtaking! I don’t know what I had expected before my visit, but I was absolutely blown away by the sheer magnitude of the site. Here you have a few different trek options through the mountains, but if you have time, I highly recommend at least hiking from the main entrance through the Q’alla Q’asa rock tunnel to Intihuatana, a ritual stone area associated with the Incan calendar.

Best Explored Via: Group Tour or Independently

Distance from Cusco: 1 Hour

While I opted for a slightly different “rainbow mountain” adventure during my time in Cusco, Vinicunca is Peru’s most commonly known “Rainbow Mountain”.

Vinicunca’s unique colors are all thanks to rainwater runoff mixing with minerals in the ground over time, turning the soil the magnificent colors that can still be seen today. This location is one of the highest points around Cusco, so make sure to fully acclimate to the high altitude before visiting.

Best Explored Via: Group Tour

Average Length of Day Tour from Cusco: 11 Hours*

*Driving Distance from Cusco: 3.5 Hours

As the closest spot to Cusco from all the other day trips on this list, Apukunaq Tianen could also easily be seen in an afternoon.

Apukunaq Tianen, or “Adobe Of The Gods” is a sculpture garden park featuring mythological Incan gods in stone. Many sculptures, including those of the Andean deities Pachamama and Puma, are carved directly into the surrounding mountain a la Mount Rushmore.

Best Explored Via: Group Tour or Independently

Driving Distance from Cusco: 30 Minutes

Salineras De Maras is a natural salt field that’s been turned into a man-made Peruvian salt mine.

Made up of multi-colored pools strewn into the side of the steep mountains, Maras is not only a working sale mine, but a beautiful and otherworldly Sacred Valley attraction.

Visits to this site can be made fairly quickly and via one of the outlook points overlooking the salt pools below.

Best Explored Via: Private Tour or Group Tour

Driving Distance from Cusco: 1.5 Hours*

*Usually offered on a combo tour with Moray Archeological Site

Not far from Salineras De Maras, is the Sacred Valley’s Moray Archaeological Site. Moray is the first Inca site I visited in Peru and it served as a wonderful introduction to all the Inca architecture and engineering I would visit during my trip.

The importance and original use of Moray still mystifies scholars as the Inca did not have a written language describing its particular use. However, the site’s three circular terraces have led many to believe it was originally a spot for agricultural diversification and experimentation.

Best Explored Via: Private Tour or Group Tour

Driving Distance from Cusco: 1.5 Hours*

*Usually offered on a combo tour with Salineras De Maras

Best Explored Via: Private Tour or Group Tour

Average Length of Day Tour from Cusco: 8 Hours*

*Driving Distance from Cusco: 45 Minutes – 1 Hour, location dependent

For a day trip that seems to have it all, look no further than Peru’s South Valley. South Valley Tours typically include a visit to Andahuaylillas Church, Rumi Qolca, Pikillaqta, Tipon.

Andahuaylillas Church is a 16th century church that has been nicknamed the “Sistine Chapel of the Andes” for its beautiful ceiling murals and gold-leaf altar.

Rumi Qolca and Pikillaqta are nearby pre-Inca sites. Rumi Qolca acted as an important quarry to the Wari from around 550-900 CE (AD). It is part of the Pikillaqta Archeological Park, which also contains the remains of the large pre-Inca provincial city of the same name. The Pikillaqta area acted as a military, religious and residential urban center for the Wari Empire.

Finally, Tipón is a set of Inca ruins that archeologists believe were dedicated to the worship of water. It is a brilliant display of Inca engineering and an archeological site that experiences fewer crowds than many of the other popular ruins around Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

Technically part of Peru’s South Valley, Humedal de Huasao is an off-the-beaten-path ecological park that isn’t usually included in South Valley Tours.

While the park itself is beautiful to walk around for its flora and fauna, perhaps the main draw are its statues. Giant Ents which have been loosely recreated from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films and Baby Groot from Marvel’s The Guardians of the Galaxy offer visitors plenty of fun photo-ops throughout the park.

Best Explored Via: Private Tour or Independently

Driving Distance from Cusco: 50 Minutes