The Best Off-the-Beaten Track Trips From Cusco

If you’re fortunate enough to spend some time in Cusco, you’ll have a chance to explore some of the places that tourists overlook or just don’t know about – the hardest-to-reach locations with the most traditional communities. Here are some of the most rewarding spots to take a look at, and some of the best things to do that most travelers miss out on.

Devil’s Balcony hike

This hike will take you from the city of Cusco through the countryside, passing farms on the way, and ends at a cave known as the Devil’s Balcony. It is one of the best day hikes from Cusco and will give you an intimate understanding of this area’s unique landscape. If you get lost, just ask the locals; they’ll point you in the right direction. You can also take horses to the cave, and they can be rented to the right of the giant Jesus statue in town.

Salkantay Trek

Maras salt flats

These beautiful salt flats can be found above the town Urambamba in the Sacred Valley. The white salt clings to the hillside, creating one of the most beautiful images in all of Peru. The salt from these flats has also been made famous by the Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, so make sure to bring some back home with you.

Drink chicha in the barrio

You don’t have to go very far to have a unique experience, or do something most tourists don’t know about. If you walk around the towns in the Sacred Valley, you’ll notice houses with little red bags attached to broomsticks hanging outside like flags. These flags mean that they lady inside is serving up some corn beer. Try some; you’ll be drinking with the locals and sharing the beer of the Incas.

Choquequirao Trek

These ruins probably win an award for the most difficult ruins to get to in Peru, but they are worth it. The ruins have been called Machu Picchu’s sister ruins, because of the similar construction, and they are just as magnificent. The trip will require five days of some intense hiking in remote areas.

Tipón’s guinea pig feasts

You’ll only notice this town as you pass by in a bus because of all the guinea pigs roasting on spits. Yup, right out in the open, every restaurant lines up the crisp Andean delicacy, hoping to entice a passing bus to stop. If you’re looking to gorge on this dish, it’s best to head to Tipón. There are also ruins here that you can check out before or after your meal.

Chinchero

This town often gets overshadowed by other Sacred Valley towns like Pisac and Ollantaytambo, but it shouldn’t. It has one of the strongest weaving communities in the Andes, where on any given day you’ll find countless women dressed in bright skirts and tall hats, weaving beautiful designs and clothes.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.