There is no single best tour from Cusco, because a day trip to Machu Picchu and a five-day trek over the Salkantay pass answer different questions. The picks below are one per kind of trip, judged on what the listing actually fixes: the Machu Picchu ticket, the train back, where you sleep and the cancellation terms.
Machu Picchu in one day
The day trip by Machu Picchu Peru Tours includes everything you cannot buy at the last minute: the train from Ollantaytambo on Expedition or Voyager, the bus up from Aguas Calientes and the entry ticket, with a guided visit of about two hours. Groups are small, up to 10. The pickup is at about 3:45 a.m., and after the visit you have several free hours in Aguas Calientes before the evening train, so you are back in Cusco late.
The weak points: food is not included, the circuit and the train class depend on availability, and the tour is non-refundable once booked, as are most Machu Picchu day trips. The operator asks for a passport image after booking and recommends booking at least two months ahead. If you want more choice of train or a group tour with several departure times, Peru Andes Top sets the train and route by option. All day trips side by side: Machu Picchu day trips.
The classic Inca Trail
Alpaca Expeditions runs the four-day trail from Km 82 with three nights in four-person tents used by two, a personal porter for up to 7 kg, and the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu entries included. The highest point is Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m on day two. Read the train line before you book: the Vistadome return in the title applies to tours through January 2027, and from March 2027 you return on the Expedition train unless you pay for the upgrade.
Permits are limited and sell out for the dry months, and the booking cannot be cancelled. If the four days do not fit, the short Inca Trail from Km 104 gets you through the Sun Gate in a day, with a hotel night in Aguas Calientes. More on the four-day Inca Trail.
A trek without an Inca Trail permit
The five-day Salkantay trek by Salkantay Trekking needs no trail permit and crosses the Salkantay pass at 4,630 m, with a side trip to Humantay Lake on day one. You sleep three nights in domes and the last night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes; the Machu Picchu entry, the bus up and the Expedition or Voyager train back are included, the bus down is not. It is a demanding route, and the operator asks you to arrive in Cusco two days before. Other routes: Salkantay treks, and what to do when the Inca Trail is sold out.
A day hike in the mountains
For Rainbow Mountain, the Inka Altitude day trip leaves between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m., includes breakfast and a buffet lunch, and walks 3.5 km from the trailhead at 4,850 m to the top at 5,010 m. The mountain entrance fee is paid in cash on the day, and the Red Valley is an optional add-on with its own fee. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The same operator runs the Humantay Lake day; both climb well above Cusco, so leave them for later in your stay (altitude in Cusco). More choices: Rainbow Mountain tours, Humantay Lake.
A first day that stays low
On your first full day, a Sacred Valley tour is the gentler choice: Viagens Machu Picchu goes to Pisac and Ollantaytambo with lunch in Urubamba and returns to Cusco in the evening, mostly at or below the altitude of the city. The entrance to the ruins is paid in cash or covered by the Boleto Turístico. Moray, Maras and Chinchero are on other tours: Sacred Valley tours.
