Cusco is the ultimate starting point to explore the magic of Peru. It may be known as a landing point to visit Machu Picchu, but it offers a shocking array of other incredible places close by that are just captivating. While exploring Peru can mean spending a lot of time trekking, some of the options below don’t involve a strenuous hike and may add the perfect bit balance to your trip. Below are some options for Cusco day trips that will leave you wanting to return to Peru time and time again.
Considerations
Hiring a travel guide in Peru can really be invaluable. Travel guides can help navigate you through the trip and having knowledge of the area is such an advantage. My travel plans included a trek to Choquequirao as the start to the trip following by a visit to Machu Picchu. The plan was to end with a hike at Rainbow Mountain. Due to some of my travel companions becoming ill, we did not trek Rainbow Mountain. Our guide for the trip allowed us to pivot and enjoy a wonderful day trip from Cusco.
Day Trips
The following three places can easily be accomplished in a one day time frame. You could also break up the visit by spending more time, particularly in Moray.
1. Salt Mines. We started out our day with a drive to the salt mines. This place was truly incredible. I have never seen anything like it. On your drive in, stop for a view from the top. It certainly exceeded my expectations, and I was just left in awe. Our guide Ronnie walked us around and gave us a brief history. Then, we had some time to enjoy at our leisure. I purchased some cooking salt and also bath salts. The cooking salt is fantastic! This is a great authentic gift to bring home ad such a memorable place.
2. Moray. Our next stop was Moray. Moray is an archeological site near Cusco that they anticipate was an Incan architectural experiment. It is about 45 minutes outside of Cusco. There was a small admission price to go inside. It, again, was very unique and unlike anything I have ever seen. It was fascinating to see the Incan culture and hear theories about how they used to live. There is a “preserved site” that you will see more immediately when you walk in followed by the view below of the more “authentic” version.
Michelin starred Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez along with his wife made waves throughout, not only Peru, but the world for their incredible culinary achievements. He opened a restaurant near Moray called Mil. Being ignorant at the time, I did not get the chance to have lunch here. He also has three additional restaurants: another in Peru (Lima), London, and Hong Kong. Since my first visit to Peru, I have learned even more about Virgilio Martinez, and he has been getting a lot of press. Although his restaurant Central in Lima is very hard to get into, I did have dinner at his wife’s restaurant Kjolle. It was fantastic. If I returned to the area, I would definitely visit Mil. The ingredients focus on vegetables, tubers, and grains because of the altitude in the area and its affect on appetite. If you visit Moray, a reservation at Mil should be an absolute must!
3. Weaving Community. The final stop was a weaving community. We listened to one of the locals speak about how they dyed the alpaca and then got a weaving demonstration. Next, we shopped at the market they had for sweaters and blankets. I brought home a couple of blankets for gifts. Again, I felt these were really authentic souvenirs from the area. This stop turned out to be far more entertaining than I anticipated. Our group had a great time. It was also impressive to see the beauty just within this weaving community.
4. Rainbow Mountain. If you have not had your fill of trekking, consider spending one day at Rainbow Mountain. Our guide prepared us that Rainbow Mountain was a very strenuous hike with a higher elevation than the other areas we had visited. Elevation reaches 16,000 feet! The plan for the trek was to leave around 3-4am from Cusco with an arrival back into town around 9pm.
We started our day around 9am and with our three stops were on track to be back in Cusco in the late afternoon. It was a relaxing day and far less strenuous than a trip to Rainbow mountain would have been. Don’t discount these day trips or if you are feeling ambitious add another day at Rainbow Mountain. Initially, I was upset about not seeing Rainbow Mountain. However, this new itinerary exceeded my expectations. If you have the time, try to include everything!
