Experiences and local guides in Cusco

Nature

Cusco, at 3,400 m, was the capital of the Inca empire and is now the base for all of southern Andean Peru. The Sacred Valley of the Urubamba drops between Inca terraces to the cloud forest of Machu Picchu; around it rise Salkantay (6,271 m), Ausangate (6,384 m) and the Rainbow Mountain of Vinicunca, with turquoise lakes, glaciers and alpacas.

Activities

• Machu Picchu by train from Ollantaytambo or on foot via the Inca Trail (4 days, permit required) and the Salkantay trek
• Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray, Maras salt pans, Chinchero market
• Vinicunca and the Red Valley, Humantay lake, Ausangate trek (5 to 7 days)
• Rafting on the Urubamba, mountain biking in Maras and Moray, via ferrata and zipline in the valley
• Colonial Cusco: Qorikancha, Sacsayhuamán, San Blas, Novo-Andean cuisine and San Pedro market

When to go

May to September is the dry season, ideal for trekking, with cold nights. December to March is rainy and the Inca Trail closes in February, but the valley is green and quieter. Arrive two days before any trek to acclimatise.

How to get there

Alejandro Velasco Astete airport (CUZ) is 15 minutes from the centre, with flights from Lima (1 h 20), Arequipa, Puno and La Paz. Overland: bus from Puno (6 to 7 hours, or the tourist train), Arequipa (10 hours) and Lima (21 hours). Machu Picchu is reached by train from Ollantaytambo or Poroy to Aguas Calientes, then bus or a hike up to the citadel.