Itineraries
Do nothing strenuous. This isn’t cautious advice, it’s physiological necessity — your body genuinely needs time to adjust to 3,400 metres, and pushing physical activity on day one reliably makes altitude symptoms worse, not better. Walk slowly around the Plaza de Armas, visit the Coricancha museum at an easy pace, eat light, and drink coca tea — local guides consistently recommend it for mild altitude symptoms, and it does seem to help.
DAY 2: CUSCO CITY
Once you’re acclimatised, take in the city’s main sites: the Coricancha (Santo Domingo Convent, built right on Inca foundations), the San Blas neighbourhood with its tilework and craft workshops, and Sacsayhuamán fortress above the city — stonework on a scale that still raises genuine questions about how it was actually built.
DAY 3: SACRED VALLEY
Take a day trip down to the Sacred Valley below Cusco — the drop to 2,800 metres is noticeably welcome after two days at altitude. Ollantaytambo, a functioning Inca town with the best-preserved Inca urban layout anywhere, is the clear highlight. Sleep in Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu rather than heading back to Cusco for the night.
DAY 4: MACHU PICCHU
Catch the first bus at 5:30am from Aguas Calientes to the Machu Picchu entrance — arriving at opening time gets you ahead of the midday tour groups arriving on the 10am trains. Allow 3 to 4 hours at the site. Book timed entry tickets weeks ahead online; they’re not available at the gate.
