Cusco in 6 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
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6 days: the full core plus a high-altitude day trip
This route runs the city, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu across the first four days, then adds a high-altitude day trip and a quieter South Valley loop once you’re properly acclimatized. Expect roughly $40-65 a person per day outside of Machu Picchu’s bigger one-off cost; the tables below give it in soles with a rough dollar conversion, since PEN moves and these are worth verifying at the time. Only doing the city and Machu Picchu? The 4-day itinerary covers just that. Have one more day to spare? The 7-day itinerary adds a full extra South Valley and Sacred Valley day.
Day 1: acclimatize around the free Plaza de Armas sights
Go slow today. Cusco sits at roughly 3,400m, and soroche tends to hit on arrival; hydrate, skip alcohol, and try coca tea if you like, though rest is what actually helps. The Plaza de Armas is free. Walk to Qorikancha (roughly S/15, about $4), then uphill to San Blas and its free viewpoint, steep at this altitude.
| Day 1 cost (per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed (hostel dorm / budget room) | S/40 (~$12) | S/120 (~$36) |
| Breakfast | S/10 (~$3) | S/25 (~$7) |
| Qorikancha | S/15 (~$4) | S/15 (~$4) |
| Lunch | S/15 (~$4) | S/30 (~$9) |
| Dinner | S/25 (~$7) | S/55 (~$16) |
| Day 1 total | S/105 (~$31) | S/245 (~$73) |
Day 2: the ruins above town, then San Pedro Market
Buy a Boleto Turístico Integral (roughly S/130, about $35, valid 10 days, around 16 sites) and use it on Sacsayhuamán (Boleto only, no separate ticket), Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay. Stop at Cristo Blanco, free. Wander San Pedro Market, free, for a cheap lunch (roughly S/8-12, about $2-4).
| Day 2 cost (per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | S/40 (~$12) | S/120 (~$36) |
| Breakfast | S/10 (~$3) | S/25 (~$7) |
| Boleto Turístico Integral | S/130 (~$35) | S/130 (~$35) |
| San Pedro Market lunch | S/8 (~$2) | S/12 (~$4) |
| Dinner | S/25 (~$7) | S/55 (~$16) |
| Transit to the ruins | S/10 (~$3) | S/20 (~$6) |
| Day 2 total | S/223 (~$62) | S/362 (~$104) |
Day 3: the Sacred Valley, toward Machu Picchu
Head to Pisac and then Ollantaytambo, the fortress town and main train station for Machu Picchu, both lower-altitude than Cusco. Your Boleto Integral covers many Sacred Valley sites.
| Day 3 cost (per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed (Cusco or Ollantaytambo) | S/40 (~$12) | S/130 (~$39) |
| Breakfast | S/10 (~$3) | S/25 (~$7) |
| Lunch in Pisac or Ollantaytambo | S/15 (~$4) | S/35 (~$10) |
| Colectivo or day-tour transport | S/25 (~$7) | S/70 (~$19) |
| Dinner | S/25 (~$7) | S/55 (~$16) |
| Day 3 total | S/115 (~$33) | S/315 (~$91) |
Day 4: Machu Picchu, and a buffer for strikes
Take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then the licensed shuttle bus up (the operator on this route has been unsettled, so leave slack rather than assuming a fixed schedule); the Hidroeléctrica walk is the budget alternative if you have a spare day. Timed-entry runs roughly S/152-163 (about $40-52); Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain cost extra and book separately. Protests and transport strikes have shut this line before with little notice, so a paid ticket doesn’t guarantee the trip runs.
| Day 4 cost (per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu entry | S/152 (~$40) | S/163 (~$52) |
| Train (round trip) | S/270 (~$80) | S/440 (~$130) |
| Shuttle bus (round trip) | S/90 (~$27) | S/90 (~$27) |
| Meals in Aguas Calientes | S/30 (~$9) | S/70 (~$21) |
| Day 4 total | S/542 (~$156) | S/763 (~$230) |
Day 5: a high-altitude day trip, now that you’re acclimatized
With four days of altitude behind you, today’s the day for Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca), around 5,036m and Cusco’s second-biggest sight, though genuinely crowded, or Palccoyo, around 4,900m, a quieter, easier alternative with a similar view. A day tour usually bundles transport, breakfast, and a guide; prices vary by operator, so treat any figure as a starting point to confirm when booking. Either trip needs a genuine early start and real acclimatization, don’t attempt this on arrival day.
| Day 5 cost (per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | S/40 (~$12) | S/120 (~$36) |
| Rainbow Mountain / Palccoyo day tour | S/85 (~$25) | S/150 (~$45) |
| Meals (usually included or basic) | S/10 (~$3) | S/30 (~$9) |
| Dinner back in Cusco | S/25 (~$7) | S/55 (~$16) |
| Day 5 total | S/160 (~$47) | S/355 (~$106) |
Day 6: the quieter South Valley, then farewell
Tipón, Inca hydraulic-engineering terraces, Pikillacta, a pre-Inca Wari site that predates the Incas, and Andahuaylillas, the gilded “Sistine Chapel of the Americas,” make a quieter half-day loop than the Sacred Valley crowds. Spend the rest of the day back in the city: last visits to free sights like the Twelve-Angled Stone or a final wander through San Pedro Market before you go.
| Day 6 cost (per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | S/40 (~$12) | S/120 (~$36) |
| South Valley transport/tour | S/30 (~$9) | S/70 (~$21) |
| Site entries (Pikillacta/Andahuaylillas) | S/10 (~$3) | S/20 (~$6) |
| Lunch | S/15 (~$4) | S/35 (~$10) |
| Farewell dinner | S/25 (~$7) | S/60 (~$18) |
| Day 6 total | S/120 (~$35) | S/305 (~$91) |
Getting around on 6 days
The city core is walkable, the Sacred Valley and South Valley need a colectivo or tour, and Machu Picchu and the high-altitude day trip both need booking ahead. Full Boleto and ticket details are in the main Cusco budget guide .
Book Machu Picchu and your high-altitude day tour as soon as your dates are set, both fill up in peak season. Check for protest or transport-strike advisories before locking in a tight schedule around Day 4.