Cuzco day trips
 

Hi - my husband and I will be in Cuzco for two weeks in October. We have planned the Machu Picchu visit and would like to do some other day trips, either on our own or with a tour. There seems to be so many great things to see in the area! Can anyone suggest their favorite day trip destinations and offer advice on self-travel vs. tour? Thanks

This is an easy place to self travel. One thing to be aware of is that there is a national holiday on October 8, so if you will be visiting then I would book ahead for that weekend prior thru the 8th as you will be traveling with lots of Peruvian tourists!

If you see the orange "book" symbol, those are trip reports. You can read some of those for Peru, get an idea of itinerary.

Why are you in Cusco for two weeks, there are other parts of Peru that are worth seeing that take more than a day trip?

Pisac is a great day out from Cusco. Easy to do by public transport or, if you prefer by taxi. No need for a guide.

We really enjoyed the hike from Tambo Machay to Sacsahuaman and then down in to Cusco. Again, easy to get the bus to drop you off at TM and the trail is relatively straightforward and all down hill. Fantastic views all the way. Takes 4-5 hours so take a packed lunch.

Ollantaytambo, Maras, moray Chinchero can all be done in a day but it is worth staying a couple of days in Ollantaytambo to make the most of it as there is a lot to see. Horseridingis great as suggested above but choose carefully as many of the horses are not well cared for.

I agree with mlgb, two weeks is a long time in Cusco. It would be worthwhile spending some time elsewhere in Peru as it a tremendously diverse country has a huge amount to offer the visitor and is easy to travel around.

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice. My apologies for the late follow up - I was thinking I would get an email notification for replies, so I hadn't checked the forum. To answer the question about why we are spending two weeks here instead of visiting other parts of Peru. We are interested in seeing more of the country and will most likely return one day. The reason we are staying so long is that we are on an 8.5 month trip around the world and this is our last stop. We are a bit tired from moving around so much, so we decided to settle in and explore at a slow pace. :) Here's our travel blog if you would like to check out our adventures, http://www.latitudeb.com.

Get a hold of RESPONSIBLETRAVELPERU. ask for Agnes or Saby. They have a Great driver, Hugo that speaks very good English for day trips. We did a home stay at a coffee farm, a highlight of our trip. Mention my name, Patti. We became quite close to the staff with this company because I was placed in the hospital for two days in Cusco. They were amazing and so kind. They have some very interesting options for day trips...and Hugo is the best!! He never left my husband side the day I was hospitalized.

There office is in Cusco.