Cusco, Machu Picchu, Humantay & Rainbow Mountain, 6 Days
The culture first, the two big hikes at the end
- 6 days
- 5,200 m max
- Moderate
- Cusco airport to Cusco airport
The most complete week in the Cusco region without a multi-day trek. City tour, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, then Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain as separate day hikes once you have acclimatised — with the Red Valley added when conditions allow.
If you have a week in Cusco and no wish to sleep in a tent, this is the most you can see in it. Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain, in six days, from a hotel bed every night.
The sequencing is the clever part. Humantay Lake and Vinicunca are both higher than anything on the Inca Trail — 4,200 m and around 5,200 m — and both are routinely sold to people who landed in Cusco the previous afternoon. Here they come on days four and five, after the city, the valley and the citadel have done the acclimatising for you.
Days four and five are long and cold and start before dawn. Days one to three are gentle. That is the shape of the week, and it is the right way round.
What you'll see
The four big days of the region
Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain, without camping or a multi-day trek. Very few itineraries manage all four in six days.
Acclimatisation built into the order
Culture first, hikes last. Humantay at 4,200 m on day four and Vinicunca at around 5,200 m on day five, by which point you have had four and five nights at altitude.
Humantay Lake
A turquoise glacial lagoon below the Humantay and Salkantay ice, reached on a steep but short climb and usually done by trekkers as part of a five-day expedition.
Red Valley as well
Beyond the Rainbow Mountain ridge, when conditions allow, and far emptier than Vinicunca itself.
Oxygen on the high days
A first-aid kit, a satellite phone and an oxygen cylinder travel with the group on the two high-altitude day tours.
A night below the citadel
You sleep in Machu Picchu Pueblo and go up on an early bus rather than compressing the citadel into a day trip.
Cusco, Machu Picchu, Humantay & Rainbow Mountain, 6 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Arrive in Cusco, and the city tour
Met at the airport and taken to your hotel with the morning free. In the afternoon, the historic centre, Qoricancha, Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and the viewpoints above the city.
- Meals
- None included
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 2
The Sacred Valley, then the train
An alpaca farm, the Taray viewpoint, the Pisac ruins and market, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo, with a buffet lunch in the valley, then the Expedition train to Aguas Calientes.
- Meals
- Breakfast and buffet lunch
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo
Day 3
Machu Picchu, then back to Cusco
The bus up for the guided visit of the citadel, then the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo and a private transfer to your hotel in Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 4
Humantay Lake
An early drive out to the Salkantay area and the climb to Humantay Lake at about 4,200 m, under the glacier that feeds it. Breakfast and lunch at a local restaurant, back in Cusco for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 5
Rainbow Mountain and the Red Valley
Another early start for Vinicunca — the steady climb to the striped ridge at around 5,200 m, then on to the Red Valley when conditions allow. Breakfast and lunch at a local restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast and lunch
- Night
- 3-star hotel in Cusco
Day 6
Home
Breakfast at the hotel, then a transfer to the airport or the bus station according to your schedule.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Not included — you fly out
What the price covers
Transfers and hotels
- Airport pickup on arrival and a transfer to the airport or bus station on day six
- Four nights in a 3-star hotel in Cusco
- One night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
- All transport across the six days
- Free luggage storage in Cusco
The guided days
- Cusco city tour with a professional guide
- Sacred Valley tour with Pisac, Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo
- Humantay Lake day tour from Cusco
- Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley day tour from Cusco, conditions allowing
- Guided visit of Machu Picchu
- Every entrance fee for the sites named in the itinerary
- Licensed local guides throughout
Trains, buses and the citadel
- Return Expedition train between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes
- Return bus between Aguas Calientes and the citadel
- Machu Picchu entrance, with Circuit 2 requested by default
Meals and safety
- Hotel breakfasts as listed in the itinerary
- Buffet lunch in the Sacred Valley
- Breakfast and lunch at a local restaurant on both the Humantay and Rainbow Mountain days
- A first-aid kit, a satellite phone and oxygen on the high-altitude day tours
Not included
- Flights to and from Cusco
- Any meal not named in the itinerary
- Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain
- Train upgrades to the Vistadome or the Observatory service
- Hotel upgrades
- Travel insurance
- Tips, which are genuinely optional
Cusco, Machu Picchu, Humantay & Rainbow Mountain, 6 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£45
Vistadome train, one leg
Panoramic glass roof instead of the standard Expedition carriage.
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
About two hours there and back on day three. Book well ahead.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
About three hours there and back, on a broader path.
What to bring
Papers and money
- Your original passport — checked at the citadel gate and on the train
- Cash in soles for the markets, the horses and tips
- Your medication and any personal first aid
For the two mountain days
- Walking boots or trail shoes with grip, already worn in
- A warm hat, gloves and a windproof layer — both summits are freezing at dawn
- A refillable water bottle and snacks
- Sun cream, and more than you think
For the rest
- A small daypack, 25 litres at most for inside the sanctuary
- Clothes you can layer
- A rain poncho
- An overnight bag for the night in Aguas Calientes
Sun and skin
- High-factor sun cream and lip balm
- Sunglasses with UV protection and a sun hat
- Insect repellent for Aguas Calientes
Questions we get asked
Is six days enough for all of this?
It is exactly enough, and the order is what makes it work. Culture on days one to three while you acclimatise, then the two hard day hikes back to back. Nothing is rushed except day five, which is a long day by anyone's standards.
How hard are Humantay and Rainbow Mountain?
Both are steep, short and high. Humantay is about an hour and three quarters of climbing to 4,200 m. Vinicunca is a steadier walk to around 5,200 m, which is the higher and harder of the two despite the gentler gradient. Neither is technical. The difficulty is entirely the air.
Two big mountain days in a row — is that sensible?
It is demanding and it is deliberate. By day four you have had three nights in Cusco and a night at 2,040 m in Aguas Calientes, so you are as ready as you will be. If you would rather have a rest day between them, tell us and we will price a seventh night.
Can I ride a horse on the mountains?
On both. Local families hire horses for the ascents, arranged and paid on the spot. It is not in the price and we do not quote the rate in advance, but it is a normal and well-used option on either day.
What is the Red Valley?
A second valley of red mineral ridges beyond Vinicunca, reached by carrying on over the top. It is quieter than Rainbow Mountain itself and worth the extra effort. We include it when conditions allow, which is an honest caveat rather than a hedge — snow and cloud close it.
How much walking is in the first three days?
Very little. Site visits on uneven ground and the steps at the citadel. The two mountain days carry the effort of the trip.
Which circuit will I get at Machu Picchu?
We request Circuit 2, the most complete route, and take the best remaining alternative if it has sold out. We tell you which before you fly.
Do I need to book flights separately?
Yes — this is land only, starting and ending at Cusco airport. Landing in the morning makes day one work properly.
Ask us about Cusco, Machu Picchu, Humantay & Rainbow Mountain, 6 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.