8 Three-Day Trips from Cusco Worth Booking Ahead

1.Salkantay Trek Challenge – 3 Days / 2 Nights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $680Our pick

Hike from Cusco over the 4,630-meter Salkantay Pass, spend a night at a mountain camp and a night in Aguas Calientes, then tour Machu Picchu with a guide. The group is capped at 12, and guides such as Marco, Guido, and Cesar have led the route. Expect long days, changing climates, and transport and meals arranged for you.

“I just completed the Salkantay 3 day Challenge with Salkantay Trekking and had an AMAZING time! My guide, Marco, was incredibly helpful and organized and made sure we all had an amazing time.”

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2.Sacred Valley & Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 3 days

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $817

This three-day trip pairs Pisac, Moray, Maras, and Ollantaytambo with the Short Inca Trail from Km 104. You hike past Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate, then visit Machu Picchu twice. Guides Miguel and Edwar lead the final two days. Expect an early start, moderate trekking, and hotel details worth confirming before you pay.

“I hesitated about the score for this activity between 3 and 4 stars. You'll read and understand why.”

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3.3-Day Eco-Sustainable Private Tour Manu National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · from $389

Travel from Cusco into Manu’s cloud forest and rainforest with a private guide, cook and driver. Look for cock-of-the-rocks, monkeys, capybara and other wildlife, then explore trails, a lake by wooden raft, thermal baths and a parrot clay lick. José and other experienced guides have been praised for spotting animals and adapting to conditions.

“Very unique and delightful tour with a variety of activities to do. From bird watching to boat ride in the Amazon and walking in the middle of the jungle to see wild life, it was really something special and that I recommend.”

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4.Ausangate and Rainbow Mountain Trek – 3 Days / 2 Nights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $535

This three-day trek from Cusco crosses the Puca and Warmisaya passes, camps beneath Ausangate, and reaches Rainbow Mountain early on day three. Expect high-altitude hiking, meals cooked at camp, a guide, and private transfers. Guide assignments vary; named guides on company outings include Nestor, Marco, and Fredy Apaza.

“My friend Clarisse and I had the chance to live an unforgettable adventure on the Ausangate trek — 3 days and 2 nights in the heart of the Andes, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes. 🌄❄️🌧️☀️”

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5.Manu National Park Tour & Accommodation 3 Days

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 12 reviews

Leave Cusco at 6 a.m. for three days of cloud forest walks, river travel, wildlife searches, and a visit to Machuhuasi Oxbow Lake. You stay at a basic hostel, travel with a guide in English or Spanish, and join a small group of up to 15. Silver was named as a team member on one departure, but guides may vary.

“The guide was amazing and made the trip special saw lots of animals and had a great time”

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6.Living Nature from Cusco: 3 Days Manu Jungle all inclusive

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 12 reviews · from $390

Travel from Cusco into Manu’s Cultural Zone on a three-day small-group trip with bilingual guides, two lodge nights, road and river transport, and wildlife outings. Look for parrots at a clay lick, watch birds at Machuwasi Lake, and take a night walk for frogs and insects. Guides speak Spanish and English; a guide named Zero has been especially praised for spotting wildlife.

“Our Guide Zero was absolutely fantastic! He found animals and birds the other guides didn't. He was amazing, with so much knowledge. The first lodge was not so pretty on the outside, but functional, the second lodge was in the middle of nowwhere, accessible only with a boat with butterflies and birds. The road there is fairly scary, but the drivers good. Food was good too. It was alot of driving, but really well worth it! Thoroughly recommend it.”

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7.Cusco in 3 days: city tour, Rainbow Mountain and Machupicchu

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 7 reviews · 3 days · from $405

This three-day, small-group trip pairs Cusco’s Inca sites with a dawn hike to Vinicunca and a guided visit to Machu Picchu. Expect an early 4:00 a.m. start for Rainbow Mountain, transport and key entrance tickets included, and a train journey from Ollantaytambo. English- and Spanish-speaking guides lead the tours; a Machu Picchu guide named Paul has been praised for his friendly manner.

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8.Manu National Park 3 Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · 3 days · from $370Best value

Travel from Cusco into Manu’s cultural zone on a small-group, three-day tour with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide. Look for Andean cock-of-the-rock in the cloud forest, visit a coca plantation and wildlife rescue center, kayak on the Alto Madre de Dios River, and watch parrots gather at a clay lick. Transport, two nights’ lodging, meals, park admission, and kayaking are included.

“Taking the three-day tour to Manu National Park was one of the best decisions of my trip to Peru. From the very beginning, the organization was impeccable: the punctual pickup in Cusco, the comfortable and safe transportation, and the warmth with which our guide greeted us made all the difference. During these three days, we were able to explore the Manu cultural zone, a perfect gateway to the Amazon. The landscape is simply breathtaking: rushing rivers, endless forests, and a biodiversity that never ceases to amaze. We walked along trails surrounded by lush vegetation, listening to birdsong and the murmur of the jungle, and we were fortunate enough to observe…”

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