Top Cusco Day Trips

This was an unforgettable trip! The guides were dependable and knowledgeable! There were some unforeseen circumstances that made the trip longer than I was expecting but it was no fault of the company. They were flexible and figured a way out for us with the train delay and the new government regulations. The Machu Picchu ruins are worth it. Highly recommend this company.

First up guide Johnathon and our driver were great 10/10. Next the breakfast and lunch at the same restaurant stop were delicious with a spectacular view over the mountain range. Humantay Lake was spectacular to see and I’m glad I made it. However, this was no easy hike. I wanted to give up many times throughout the hike. We were given poles which were absolutely necessary. There was the option to pay to get a horse up. In hindsight I should’ve done that. Must bring sunscreen, wide brim hat and wear long sleeve top. I got severely sunburnt with a T-shirt on. The lake is gorgeous once you reach it. Just be prepared for the mix of high altitude, steep rocky incline and tired legs.

Our tour guide Alex is absolutely fantastic. He’s super kind and patient, and he took our health very seriously. In the beginning, he let us try some local bread of Cusco and even gave us snack bags, which came in handy and is incredibly generous. During the hike, he was very caring to my family, especially towards my daughter. He let her use the oxygen mask, gave her a coca leaf, and even helped her walk down from the peak. He took the hike at my family’s pace and never rushed us. When we got down from the mountain, the driver, also named Alex, had already prepared for us hot towels, and Alex, the tour guide, even asked us if we wanted any tea or other drinks and for a stool ready for us to get in the van easier. The restaurant was also amazing and incredibly clean. The food is of amazing quality and delicious. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I highly recommend these two gentlemen.

Communication with the tour company was challenging since it took several messages before we received a response. However, the actual tour with our tour guide was amazing. Our family of 4, including 2 teens, ended up having a private tour. Our tour guide, Joel, was professional and knowledgeable. It was a 50-min ride from our hotel to the ATV base camp. After receiving instructions, we practiced at base camp for 10 min before heading out. It was our teen daughter’s first time driving an ATV and she quickly got the hang of it thanks to the clear instructions. It wasn’t stated on the website but there is an additional nominal fee of 3 soles per person paid to the local community of Cruzpata to compensate for the ATVs traveling through the village. The ATV ride from the base camp to Moray took about 45 min each way. It was a beautiful scenic ride and we enjoyed every minute of it. Joel even took a video of us riding our ATVs. Moray was beautiful! Joel explained its history and then we had about 20 min to explore on our own. He was also kind enough to take family photos for us. After Moray, we headed to Maras. We knew in advance (based on other reviews) that there wouldn’t be time for lunch so we packed food and snacks to eat during the 20-min bus ride to Maras. The salt mines were stunning. Afterwards, we stopped at a shop for salted chocolate tasting. We ended up buying some souvenirs. Our teens said that this tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Cusco.

The weather was not too good, it was raining and actually the mountain was covered with snow. However, it makes the experience even more unique. I was picked up in front of my hotel, and then a long ride to the restaurant for breakfast (it was excellent). We continued the ride to the trail head. Heber, our guide, gave us some info and help us decide if we need a horse ride. I chose the horse, and it was the right decision, given the weather and the altitude, I won't be able to walk up even I am fit enough to run a half marathon. When I got off the horse, there was still around an hour of hike at high altitude. It was tough. Different groups are identified by the color of the walking stick. At the top Heber actually looked for us (as the group got scattered) and made sure we are OK, and took some amazing picture of me. The hike down was fine, and it took a bit more than an hour. After the hike we went to the same restaurant for lunch. Excellent food. Then we rode back to Cusco and got dropped off at the main square. Overall, incredible experience and I still can't believe I paid such a low price.

Samuel was an amazing tour guide. Pick up was stated to meet at 6:15 at the plaza de armas but per there request we arrived at 6:10z they arrived at 6:20 and a gentleman came to the middle of the square and called our name. We were escorted to a private van. The van was comfortable. We enjoyed all the archeological sites. Perfect way to see many ruins in one day, lunch was at a gorgeous restaurant and we enjoyed the corner outside table.

The trip started at 7:45 with a pickup from our hotel. Went to Pisco to see the Incan site, then went into the town of Pisco to shop. Continued on to Urubomba for a teriffic lunch. Not the standard roadside food, but real kicking great culinary experience. Then went Ollantaytambo to drop off a few of our group at train station and continued to the ruins near train station. Loaded up for return to Cusco, but wait…..one more stop at a really cool textile factory. Got back to hotel around 7:15p. It was a great day. Thank you Clara and our fantastic bus driver.

Gary and Roman were our tour guides and they did a great job leading the charge on this very busy itinerary. It’s a smaller group which makes the activities much more manageable. This is a great option for seeing sacred valley and having the tour operator handle the ticketing situation at Machu Picchu which can be very challenging. Feedback for the company—the lunch stop was disappointing! Service was slow and food was way overcooked. Would’ve been nice to let the tourists choose their own restaurants or offer a more authentic restaurant. The hotel booked in Aguas Calientes (Hotel Ferre) was very bare bones. Lastly, I didn’t like that after I paid for this tour, I had secondary requests for payment for the admittance tickets. Would’ve liked to see that be priced up front.