Peru Itineraries
If this will be your first trip to Peru, Cusco and Machu Picchu are practically obligatory. The question is "What else?" And the answer depends on how much time you have and what your interests are. You can combine Machu Picchu with a number of other Andean attractions, the Amazon rainforest, or pre-Inca archaeological sites on the coast. If this is not your first trip to Peru, the last itineraries in this section offer you something a little different.
Essential Peru
The former Inca capital of Cusco and citadel of Machu Picchu are two of the most impressive places in South America and the reasons that most people visit Peru. If you only have a week, this is where you should go, but it is easy and highly recommended to combine a Machu Picchu pilgrimage with a visit to the rainforest in the nearby Madre de Dios Province.
Day 1: Lima
Lima has more to see than you could possibly pack into a day. You should definitely take a tour of Lima's historic Centro, or give yourself a few hours to explore it on your own, visiting San Francisco church and monastery and the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI). In the afternoon, head to Pueblo Libre to visit the Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología and the Museo Rafael Larco Herrera, or explore Miraflores and visit the Parque de Amor. In the evening, stroll around historic Barranco and have dinner there or at the Huaca Pucllana, in Miraflores, where you can explore a pre-Inca site before you eat.
Day 2: Cusco
From Lima, take an early-morning flight to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco. Try to get seats on the left side of the plane for an amazing view of snow-draped peaks toward the end of the flight. You'll want to take it easy upon arriving in Cusco, which is perched at almost 3,353 meters (11,000 feet) above sea level. Take a half-day tour, or visit a couple of sights such as the Cusco Cathedral, Qorikancha, the Museo de Arte Precolombino, or the Museo Hilario Mendivil on your own. Be sure to stop by the Plaza de Armas at night, before dining at one of the city's many excellent restaurants.
Day 3: Sacred Valley
Dedicate this day to the sights of the surrounding highlands, starting with Sacsayhuamán, the Inca ruins above town. You could do a day trip to the Sacred Valley, or spend this night at one of the many hotels located there. The valley holds an array of interesting sites, such as the market town of Pisac, Chinchero, and the massive Inca fortress at Ollantaytambo. It is also lower, and thus warmer, than Cusco, and lies on the route to Machu Picchu, which means you can sleep a little later if you stay there.
Days 4 and 5: Machu Picchu
Enjoy a local site in the morning, then take a Machu Picchu train, which winds its way past Inca ruins and luxuriant forest to the town of Aguas Calientes. Check into your hotel, then stroll down the road along the Urubamba River. On Day 5, get up early, and take the bus to Machu Picchu, the majestic citadel of the Inca. Head up the steep trail on the left shortly after entering the park, and climb to the upper part of the ruins for a panoramic view before you start exploring. If you're up for a tough hike up a steep, slightly treacherous trail, climb Huayna Picchu, the backdrop mountain, for vertiginous views of the ruins and surrounding jungle. Admission tickets to hike Huayna Picchu must be purchased months in advance for visits during the May–September high season. You may instead opt for the longer hike through the forest to the Temple of the Moon. After all the hiking, you should be ready for a late lunch in Aguas Calientes before taking the train and bus back to Cusco.
Day 6: Cusco to Lima
Take advantage of the morning to visit a site you missed on your first day in Cusco or to visit a few of the city's countless shops and markets. Fly to Lima (one hour) early enough to have lunch at one of the city's cebicherías. Use the afternoon to visit a museum or another attraction you missed on your first day there.
Madre de Dios Extension
The Essential Peru tour can easily be combined with a visit to the Amazon Basin by taking a short flight from Cusco to the adjacent Madre de Dios region on Day 6.
Days 6–8: Tambopata National Reserve
Take an early-morning flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, where someone from your nature lodge will meet you and take you to your lodging by boat. Your next three days will be filled with constant exposure to tropical nature on rainforest hikes and boat trips on oxbow lakes.
Days 9–10: Lima
On Day 9, travel by boat to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Lima. You should arrive in time for a late lunch and some sightseeing. On Day 10, visit Lima attractions that you missed on Day 1.
Amazon River Extension
An alternative to the nature lodges of Madre de Dios is to visit the Amazon River proper, with a three-night river cruise or a stay at one of the nature lodges near Iquitos.
Day 6: Cusco to Iquitos
Fly to Lima in time for a connection to Iquitos, so that you can spend the night in that Amazon port city.
Days 7–9: Amazon Cruise or Lodge
Board a riverboat for a three-day cruise up the Amazon River, or head to one of the area’s nature lodges. You'll explore Amazon tributaries and lakes in small boats on daily excursions and perhaps visit an indigenous village.
Day 10: Iquitos to Lima
Disembark in Iquitos, and fly directly back to Lima.
Classic Andean Journey
Day 1: Lima
Follow Day 1 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 2: Arequipa
From Lima, take an early-morning flight to Arequipa, a lovely colonial city with a backdrop of snowcapped volcanoes. Explore the city's historic center with its rambling Monasterio de Santa Catalina and the Museo Santuarios Andinos, home of a pre-Columbian mummy known as "Juanita." Be sure to enjoy some traditional arequipeña cooking, such as rocoto relleno (a hot pepper stuffed with beef) or chupe de camarones (river prawn chowder).
Day 3: Colca Canyon
Rise early for the drive to Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world and one of the best places in Peru to spot an Andean condor. After lunch, take a hike, go horseback riding, or relax.
Days 4 and 5: Puno and Lake Titicaca
Rise early, and head to Cruz del Condor, the best place to spot those massive birds. Spend the rest of the day traveling overland through a series of Andean landscapes to Puno, on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Puno's 3,830-meter (12,500-foot) altitude can take your breath away, so have a light dinner, and rest for the day ahead.
Rise early on Day 5 and take a boat tour of Lake Titicaca, stopping at one of the Uros Islands. Isla Taquile, an island whose indigenous inhabitants are famous for their weaving skills, is also worth a visit. In the afternoon, visit the pre-Inca burial ground and stone chullpas at Sillustani.
Day 6: Puno to Cusco
Rise early for a full-day train or bus trip across more Andean landscapes to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, a 330-meter (1,083-foot) drop in altitude. See Day 2 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 7: Cusco
Follow Day 3 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Days 8 and 9: Machu Picchu
Follow Days 4 and 5 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 10: Cusco to Lima
Follow Day 6 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Cusco, Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu
Travelers in good physical condition can combine Peru's top cultural attractions with an unforgettable hike through phenomenal scenery.
Day 1: Lima
Follow Day 1 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 2: Cusco
Follow Day 2 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Days 3–6: Inca Trail and Machu Picchu
Rise early this morning, and catch the train to Machu Picchu, but get off at Km 82, where the four-day trek on the Inca Trail begins. You'll start by following the Urubamba River to the ruins of Llactapata, from which you climb slowly to the first campsite, at 2,954 meters (9,691 feet). The next day is the toughest; you'll hike over Warmiwanusca pass at 4,198 meters (13,776 feet) and camp at 3,607 meters (11,833 feet). On Day 3 of the trek, you hike over two passes and visit several small Inca ruins. The last day is short, mostly downhill. You’ll want to rise very early to reach Machu Picchu's Inti Punku (Sun Gate) by sunrise. Spend the morning exploring Machu Picchu, then bus down to Aguas Calientes, and check into your hotel.
Day 7: Sacred Valley
On Day 7, sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, and take an afternoon train to Ollantaytambo. If you spend the night there, explore the fortress above town in the late afternoon, when the crowd thins. But you may opt for spending this night at one of the lodges near Urubamba.
Day 8: Cusco to Lima
Bus to Cusco, and follow Day 6 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Choquequirao Extension
If you're up to a more challenging hike, less tourists, and more stunning Inca sites, you should travel from Cusco to Cachora and tackle a grueling two- to three-day trek to Choquequirao. It's a lesser-known lost Incan city similar to Machu Picchu, but without the tourists given its off-the-beaten-path location and level of difficulty. On the first day, you'll have to descend almost 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) to the Apurimac river at 1,200 meters (3,937 feet), and then start your ascent back up on the other side of the canyon. Basic accommodations are provided in the villages en route, with the best guesthouses being in Maranpata, set high at the top of the ridge. It's another three hours on foot to the sites from here, and at least another full day to hike back to Cachora. It's a four-hour taxi ride back to Cusco from there.
North Coast and Machu Picchu
This trip lets you trace the development of Lima's indigenous cultures by combining the pre-Inca archaeological sites of northern Peru with the classic Inca sites of southern Peru.
Day 1: Lima
Follow Day 1 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Days 2 and 3: Chiclayo
Catch an early flight to the northern city of Chiclayo, which lies near some of the country's most important pre-Inca sites. A small, pleasant city near several excellent museums, Chiclayo is noticeably warmer than Lima. Spend two days visiting the nearby pyramids at Túcume, the Museo Nacional Sicán, Museo Nacional Tumbas Reales de Sipán, and the Museo Arqueológico Nacional Brüning.
Days 4 and 5: Trujillo
Catch an early flight (40 minutes) to Trujillo, an attractive colonial city near the ancient structures of two other pre-Inca cultures. After checking into your hotel, explore the old city, which has some well-preserved colonial and 19th-century architecture. In the afternoon, head to the rambling ruins of Chan Chan. On Day 5, visit the archaeological sites of Huaca de La Luna and Huaca del Sol, as well as the beach and port of Huanchaco, where fishermen still use the tiny, pre-Columbian reed boats called caballitos de totora.
Day 6: Lima
Take a quick flight back to Lima, and visit some of the sights you didn't have time for on Day 1. Be sure to hit Barranco, a lovely area for an evening stroll and dinner.
Day 7: Cusco
Follow Day 2 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 8: Sacred Valley
Follow Day 3 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Days 9 and 10: Machu Picchu
Follow Days 4 and 5 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 11: Cusco to Lima
Follow Day 6 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Southern Coast and Cordillera Blanca
This tour combines cultural and natural wonders and takes you through an array of landscapes—from the desert to offshore islands to snowcapped mountains.
Day 1: Lima
Follow Day 1 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Days 2 and 3: Ica
Head south on the Pan-American Highway for four hours to Ica. After checking into your hotel, head for the Huacachina oasis for a dune-buggy ride or sand boarding, or arrange a tour of one of the nearby wineries.
Day 4: Nazca and Paracas
In the morning, do the flight over the enigmatic Nazca Lines. Then transfer to Paracas on the coast. In the afternoon, take a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, where you'll see thousands of sea lions, birds, and tiny Humboldt penguins, as well as the massive candelabra etched on a hillside.
Day 5: Lima
The next day, return to Lima. If possible, stop at the pre-Inca site of Pachacamac on the way. Sightsee and shop in the afternoon, then enjoy a memorable meal at one of the city's great restaurants.
Days 6–10: Huaraz
Travel overland to Huaraz, in the country's central Andes, where you'll want to take it easy while you acclimatize. If you're up for it, spend the next four days trekking on the Santa Cruz circuit, a gorgeous route into the heart of the Cordillera Blanca or take the Cordillera Huayhuash circuit, one of the world's most beautiful high-altitude hikes, whose full circuit takes up to nine days to complete. If you're not up for multiday treks, spend a couple of days doing less strenuous hikes to one of the Cordillera's turquoise lakes, and visit the ruins of Chavín de Huantar.
Day 11: Huaraz to Lima
Travel overland back to Lima. Follow Day 6 of the Essential Peru itinerary once you arrive.
Northern Andes and Cultures
The Northern Andes have some of Peru's most spectacular landscapes and the second most impressive Inca site after Machu Picchu: Kuélap. If you want to stray from the beaten path, explore this remote and fascinating region.
Day 1: Lima
Follow Day 1 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
Day 2: Jaen and Chachapoyas
Catch the 90-minute flight to the northern city of Jaen, and take ground transportation (four hours) to Chachapoyas. Spend the afternoon exploring that attractive highland town.
Day 3: Chachapoyas and Gochta
Rise early, and take a tour to Gochta, one of the world's highest waterfalls, which involves several hours of hiking. If you're not up for the hike, take a tour to see the burial monuments of the pre-Inca Chachapoyas culture.
Day 4: Kuélap
Rise early for the four-hour drive up the Uctubamba Valley to the massive pre-Inca fortress of Kuélap. Spend several hours exploring that impressive site, which contains more than 400 structures, before returning to Chachapoyas.
Day 5: Chachapoyas to Lima
Rise early for the four-hour drive to Jaen and the flight to Lima. Spend the afternoon visiting sights you missed on Day 1. A longer, archaeology-intensive alternative is to continue by land to Chiclayo, and spend Days 6–9 following the itinerary for Days 2–5 of the North Coast and Machu Picchu tour.
Day 6 or 10: Lima
Fly to Lima, and follow Day 6 of the Essential Peru itinerary.
