Cusco’s Best in One Journey from Inca Temples to Turquoise Lakes
Experience everything you came to Peru for in just five days. One seamless journey that connects Cusco’s living Inca history, the fertile terraces of the Sacred Valley, the wonder of Machu Picchu, and a final high-mountain adventure to Humantay Lake and the Salkantay Pass at 4,650m.
Start in the heart of Cusco exploring Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. Then cross the Sacred Valley from Pisac’s 2,000 tombs to the circular laboratory of Moray, the pink salt pools of Maras, and the fortress of Ollantaytambo unchanged since Inca times. Board the evening train to Aguas Calientes for sunrise in Machu Picchu.
Finish where the Andes feel most alive. Sleep one night in our Panoramic Sky Domes at Soraypampa with private toilet and 10,000 stars above you. Hike to the turquoise water of Humantay Lake at 4,200m with a full hour at the shore, and on your final day, push to the Salkantay Pass at 4,650m for a traditional Apacheta ceremony beneath Salkantay’s 6,217m glacier wall.
Your first day in the heart of the Andes.
Airport Welcome & Transfer to Hotel
Upon arrival our representative will wait for you at Cusco Airport and transfer you to your hotel. Morning free to rest and acclimatize with coca tea. Cusco is at 3,400m – take it slow.
Afternoon City Tour – Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara & Tambomachay
In the afternoon we explore the most iconic sites around Cusco. We start at Coricancha, the Temple of the Sun, where perfectly fitted Inca walls meet the colonial church of Santo Domingo. Then we drive up to Sacsayhuaman, the massive fortress built with stones over 120 tons. Continue to Qenqo, a ceremonial site carved into limestone, Puca Pucara, the red fortress watching the valley, and Tambomachay, the Temple of Water with fresh spring water still flowing.
The most complete Sacred Valley day from tombs to salt
Pisac Tombs and Terraces Above the Valley
Start at 7:30 am with a 45 minute drive to Pisac. Explore the cliffside Inca cemetery with over 2,000 tombs, walk the agricultural terraces, enter the Inca tunnel and visit the religious sector. Enjoy 2 hours inside the citadel, then 20 minutes at the colorful Pisac market.
Moray The Inca Laboratory
Continue to Urubamba for lunch on your own. Then visit Moray, the circular Inca laboratory. Its deep terraced rings create different microclimates by depth. Incas used this site to test crops and perfect growing conditions.
Maras Salt Mines Natural Pink Salt
Finish in Ollantaytambo, the Inca town still inhabited since Inca times. Guided tour of the fortress and Temple of the Sun at the top. Learn its role in the Spanish conquest. Dinner included before your 7:04 pm train to Aguas Calientes, arriving 8:45 pm.
Ollantaytambo Fortress and Evening Train:
Our day ends in Ollantaytambo. Here you will explore the Inca town that has remained unchanged since Inca times and its impressive ruins with a guided tour. You will learn about the amazing architecture of the Temple of the Sun at the top of the terraces and its importance during the beginning of the Spanish conquest. We include dinner at a local restaurant before you take the 7:04 pm train arriving 8:45 pm in Aguas Calientes.
Your sunrise at the Wonder of the World
First Bus to Machu Picchu and Guided Tour
Today is finally the day you will visit Machu Picchu. You will take one of the first buses to the citadel early in the morning. Your guide takes you first to Circuit 1 for the classic postcard photo from the upper guardhouse viewpoint with Huayna Picchu behind you. Then you re enter for a two and a half hour guided tour on Circuit 3 where you will see temples and palaces and learn about the history of the Incas and their incredible legacy.
Free Time and Return to Cusco
After the tour those who have reserved the additional hike to Huayna Picchu Mountain in advance will have time to enjoy the views on their own. Once you have finished enjoying the incredible views of Machu Picchu you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch on your own. Depending on your train departure time you may also have time for shopping walking around town or visiting the museum or hot springs. At the end of the day your return train takes you to Ollantaytambo. After a journey of 1 hour and 45 minutes you will arrive in Ollantaytambo where our transportation waits to take you back to Cusco arriving around 7:30 pm.
Turquoise water wide pampa and a night under ten thousand stars
Early Drive to Mollepata and Soraypampa Where the Walk Begins
Today we wake up early. We start at around 4:00 am when we pick you up from your hotel to visit the beautiful Humantay Lake. Our first stop is 2 and a half hours from Cusco in Mollepata at 2,900m where we have breakfast at a local restaurant and a last bathroom break. After getting our energy back we continue for about 1 hour to Soraypampa at 3,900m. Along the way we pass two beautiful local villages called Iscuchaca and Limatambo and enjoy amazing views of beautiful valleys and the famous snow capped Salkantay Mountain.
Check In to Panoramic Sky Domes
Here we walk for 20 minutes to our accommodation the panoramic domes. When we arrive we settle in rest for a while and have lunch prepared by our chef. Domes include bed private toilet hot shower sauna and jacuzzi.
Afternoon Hike to Humantay Lake
Putting on our hiking shoes we hike for about 1 hour up to Humantay Lake while enjoying the amazing views around us. At 4,200m the lake appears suddenly between the rocks turquoise still water fed directly by the ice of Humantay Mountain. You have a full hour at the shore to explore lower and upper viewpoints photograph and hear your guide share Andean beliefs around the Apus mountain spirits that protect these peaks. You cannot swim in the lake to keep the glacial water clean. We hike 45 minutes back down to Soraypampa and relax at our Sky Domes for afternoon tea and dinner.
The highest point and the most powerful views
Sunrise Breakfast and Ascent to Salkantay Pass
After spending the night in our ten thousand star hotel we enjoy an energy filled breakfast and continue our adventure. From the domes we hike for about 4 hours with stops and rest breaks until we reach the highest point of the hike at 4,650m. During the climb you will be able to see local plants and wildlife. When we arrive you will have time to take part in a small ceremony to thank the protecting Apu for allowing us to reach this point.
Three Hundred Sixty Degree Views and Descent for Lunch
From here we relax and admire nature at its most impressive amazed by the huge snow capped mountains of Salkantay at 6,217m Humantay and Huayanay. You will also enjoy the glacial rivers white with minerals and the small beautiful lake below. Hiking back down along the same trail we arrive at the trailhead where we have lunch. Finally we drive back to Cusco arriving at your hotel at about 6:00 pm.
Transportation and Logistics:
Access and Discovery
Accommodations and Mountain Dining
Porterage and Safety
After your guided tour of Machu Picchu you can add an extra hike if you have booked it in advance. Permits are very limited and must be booked when you reserve your tour.
Important: You do these hikes on your own after the guided tour. Your guide will show you where to start. You then exit take the bus to Aguas Calientes and meet the group for lunch. Your train time does not change.
This trip goes from 3,400m Cusco to 4,650m Salkantay Pass. Arrive in Cusco 2 full days before Day 1. Drink 3L water daily, no alcohol first 48 hours. Day 4-5 are at 3,900m-4,650m – you will be out of breath, normal. Tell your guide how you feel, we carry oxygen.
For Days 1-3 you stay in hotels – leave big luggage at hotel. For Days 4-5, bring only a small daypack 20-30L. Large backpacks over 25L are not allowed inside Machu Picchu. Your suitcase stays safe in Cusco.
Clear immigration and re check your bag for Cusco. Leave 3 hours between flights.
Get soles in Cusco. ATMs in Aguas Calientes are poor. Bring small cash for bathrooms, snacks, horses and tips.
Not mandatory but appreciated. For Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu guide and for dome chef/porter team on Day 4 night.
Passport: Bring original passport matching your Machu Picchu ticket. You show it at Sacred Valley checkpoints, train, and Machu Picchu entrance. Copy not enough for Machu Picchu.
Day 1 City Tour Coricancha, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay. Day 2 Sacred Valley Pisac, Moray, Maras Salt Mines, Ollantaytambo + train to Aguas Calientes. Day 3 Machu Picchu Circuit 1 + 3 guided tour + train/bus back to Cusco. Day 4-5 Humantay Lake hike and Salkantay Pass 4,650m with 1 night Sky Dome.
Days 1-3 are Easy to Moderate – van and walking tours. Day 4 Moderate – 5km, 1.5 hours up to Humantay Lake 4,200m. Day 5 Challenging – 12km, 4 hours up to 4,650m pass. Altitude is the main difficulty, not distance.
You need to be comfortable hiking uphill 4 hours at altitude with breaks. No technical climbing. Train with stairs and hills for 1 month before, with a 5kg daypack. If you can walk 6 hours, you can do it. Emergency horse on standby on Day 4-5.
3* Option: Maytaq Wasin in Cusco and Ferre Hotel Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes. 4* Upgrade option: Costa del Sol in Cusco and El Mapi or Tierra Viva Superior in Aguas Calientes. Both include breakfast. Plus 1 night Sky Dome at Soraypampa with private toilet.
No. Since 2026 government regulation, Inca Trail and standard Machu Picchu tickets include Circuit 1 Panoramic + Circuit 3 Royalty. Circuit 2 Lower Citadel is extra $55pp. Let us know at booking, availability is limited.
Yes, $75pp, but must be booked when you book this tour. It sells out months ahead. You hike it on your own after guided tour on Day 3.
You start walking at 3,900m at Soraypampa, 500m higher than Cusco. Be in Cusco 48 hours before, hydrate, coca tea helps. Most people feel shortness of breath and slow pace – normal. Guides carry oxygen. If you feel dizzy, tell guide immediately.
Breakfasts every morning from Day 2, dinner Day 2 in Ollantaytambo, lunch/tea/dinner Day 4 at domes, breakfast/lunch Day 5. Lunches in Urubamba Day 2 and Aguas Calientes Day 3 are not included to give you free choice.
This page is small group max 8. Private service available for extra $300 per person. Private gives you flexible times, private guide and van.
May to September is dry season – clearest skies for Machu Picchu and turquoise Humantay Lake. October-April is green season, fewer people, more clouds, still beautiful. We run every day.
Yes. We are part of Sam Travel Peru, 100% local Cusco operator licensed for all sites and for Humantay/Salkantay. Official permits from Municipality of Mollepata.
YOUR ADVENTURE. OUR EXPERTISE.
Guest Reviews
Real experiences from travelers who slept under the Andean sky
I never thought I could sleep in a luxury bed while staring at the Milky Way through a transparent dome. The Salkantay glacier right in front of you at sunrise — absolutely unreal. Worth every penny.
SkyDomeCamps - Sky DomeWe did the full Salkantay Trek and stayed at the dome on night two. After a hard day of hiking, coming back to a real bed, hot shower and that view of the mountain? Nothing compares to that.
SkyDomeCamps - Salkantay TrekI have camped across Patagonia and Nepal but nothing matched this. The dome is warm, beautifully designed and the silence at 4,600m is something else entirely. I woke up at 3am just to stare at the stars.
SkyDomeCamps - Sky Dome
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