Choose Cusco tours by the kind of day
Cusco tours cover quite different experiences: a guided look at Inca and colonial architecture, a walking route through central streets, a cooking class with a market visit or a much longer excursion into the Andes. Begin with the activity rather than a long list of places. A city visit with tourist transport and a mountain outing both have a guide, but their schedules, meeting arrangements and additional fees differ.
This overview compares those formats. The city itself lies around 3,400 metres above sea level, so allow for the height when deciding how much to do after arrival. Our altitude page covers the general advice; a guide, a vehicle or emergency oxygen in a tour kit is not medical care.
Cusco tours and day trips
Choose a city tour for guided sightseeing or a cooking class for a market visit and hands-on meal. The Sacred Valley and mountain options include transport and meals.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Rainbow Mountain by ATV
- Breakfast and lunch
- Single or double ATVs
- Helmet, oxygen, and walking sticks
Admission is extra.
Check availability →
Market tour and cooking class
- Market tour
- 2 cocktails
- Picarones tasting
Prepare three dishes with a professional chef.
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Sacred Valley and salt mines
- Buffet lunch
- Textile center of Chinchero
The tourist ticket and salt mine entry cost extra.
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Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley
- Bilingual tour guide
- Breakfast and buffet lunch
- Oxygen bottle for emergencies
Rainbow Mountain entry and optional Red Valley entry cost extra.
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Sacred Valley and Maras trip
- Sacred Valley bus transportation
- Buffet lunch
- Bilingual tour guide
The partial tourist ticket and salt mine entry cost extra.
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Cusco city tour by transport
- Tourist transport
- Professional guide
Qorikancha temple entry and the tourist ticket cost extra.
Check availability →City circuits, valley outings and cooking
Choose a transported city visit, a valley day with lunch, a Rainbow Mountain outing or a market cooking class. Compare the starting arrangements and admission exclusions for each experience.
A city visit with transport or a walking route
The city circuit with Sacsayhuamán and Q’enqo includes tourist transport and a professional guide. It starts at Del Medio 123 on the Plaza de Armas and runs for 5 to 5.5 hours. Qorikancha admission and the Boleto Turístico are extra, as are meals. This is a practical format for someone whose main interest is archaeology beyond the central streets, rather than a walk confined to the old town.
Use the city-tour comparison for the differences between plaza departures and hotel collection. If San Blas, cobbled streets and close views of Inca masonry matter more than vehicle connections, the separate walking-tour page is the relevant starting point. Cathedral surroundings, a guided stop and a paid interior visit should be treated as different things when reading an itinerary.
Day trips from Cusco
The Sacred Valley trip with a Chinchero textile-centre visit includes shared transport, an English- or Spanish-speaking guide and a buffet in Urubamba. Its listed duration is 9 to 12 hours. Hotel collection belongs to the appropriate option; otherwise the meeting place is the fountain on the main square. The Boleto and salt-mine entrance are paid separately. Another valley outing includes a bilingual guide, bus transport and a buffet with vegetarian options, with a listed duration of 12 to 12.5 hours and a finish at Plaza Regocijos.
Rainbow Mountain has both walking and ATV formats. The ATV outing is listed at 12 to 14 hours and includes a single or double ATV, helmet, bilingual guide, breakfast and lunch. The walking excursion includes transport, a bilingual guide, breakfast and buffet lunch; its listed duration spans 12 to 24 hours. Admission is extra for both, and hotel pickup depends on the selected option and collection area. An ATV is a quad, not a buggy, and the format does not promise an outing without walking.
The day-trip guide compares the destination choices in detail, including Humantay Lake and the railway options. Use that comparison for the route and transport decisions rather than treating every outing beyond Cusco as the same kind of day.
Cooking and a market visit
The cooking experience starting at Mercado Central de San Pedro includes a professional chef, ingredients, three dishes, two cocktails, a market tour, picarones tasting and water. It is listed at 250 minutes. That makes it a hands-on activity with a defined set of inclusions, distinct from a tasting walk through the streets. Tips remain separate.
San Pedro is a food and craft market near the centre, opposite San Pedro station. Its setting is part of the experience, but it does not establish a fixed menu for every class. The food and market page compares guided tastings with the cooking formats. This class begins at the market meeting place, so plan your journey there rather than expecting hotel collection.
Private or shared, and what the price covers
Shared transport suits a fixed city or valley programme when its starting point and included services match your plans. A private arrangement is a different choice if the distinction you need is a private guide or vehicle. Our private-tour page describes the selected private city and valley products separately, without treating a small group as an exclusive booking.
Compare the service price and the entrance budget separately. The Boleto is an admission pass, not a transport or guiding service, while the cathedral, Qorikancha temple and Maras salt mines lie outside its coverage. The Boleto guide explains which archaeological circuit matches which places. Choose the pass around the visits you will actually make, and check its printed validity when purchasing.
Questions before choosing a tour
Does every tour collect guests from their hotel?
Starting arrangements vary. The transported city visit starts on the Plaza de Armas; the cooking class meets at San Pedro. Valley and Rainbow Mountain pickup depends on the selected option and its collection area.
Are entrance fees part of the tour price?
The city circuit excludes the Boleto and Qorikancha temple admission. The valley outings exclude the Boleto and salt-mine admission, while Rainbow Mountain admission is extra. Read the inclusions for the particular experience.
What is the difference between a tasting and a cooking class?
A tasting experience focuses on trying food along a route. The cooking class described here includes preparing three dishes with a chef, ingredients, two cocktails, a market tour and picarones tasting.