Peru
A 10-day trip to Cusco
Cusco is the Inca capital in the Andes — the gateway to Machu Picchu, and a city worth its own days.
Cusco is the former Inca capital, 3,400m up in the Andes — a city of Inca foundations under Spanish colonial churches, and the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Arrive, rest, and acclimatize for a day before anything strenuous — the altitude is real. Then explore the Plaza de Armas, Sacsayhuamán, and the San Blas artisan quarter, and plan the Machu Picchu leg: the train or the Inca Trail.
Go in the dry season (May–September) for the clearest weather; it's the peak. Cusco is one of the great cities of the Americas — give it more than a transit day.
Trip length
10 days
Best time to go
May–September (dry season)
What your 10-day plan includes
- A day-by-day itinerary with neighborhoods clustered so you spend less time in transit.
- Real budget awareness — a target, an estimate, and a status you can dial up or down.
- Recommendations shaped by your pace, food priorities, group, and must-dos.
- Swap anything, improve any day, refine in any direction without starting over.
See what a trip to Peru actually costs. Travel Budget Co.
How to plan 10 days in Cusco
- Acclimatize for a day before the Inca Trail or heavy walking — the altitude is real.
- Book Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail months ahead — permits sell out.
- Spend a day in the Sacred Valley before Machu Picchu — it's lower altitude and acclimatizes you.
- Carry cash in small soles for markets and taxis.
- Drink coca tea (mate de coca) for altitude — it's everywhere and it helps.
Build your 10-day Cusco trip
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