Two Week Peru Itinerary - Highlights of the South
You’ll have been dreaming of Peru’s highlights long before you arrive here: the color and freshness of some of Latin America’s finest food in Lima, the ancient and mysterious etchings in the desert near Nazca, soaring canyons outside Arequipa, shimmering Lake Titicaca cradled at over 3,000 meters of altitude, and the country’s star attraction, the ruined ridge-top citadel of Machu Picchu, high in the Andes.
This itinerary covers all these highlights, and much more.
But Peru is a vast country (over 1,750 miles from northwest to southeast) and its tricky topography – hundreds of miles of arid coastal desert, mighty Andean mountains, and dense jungle – mean that places are far apart and travel times are long. So know that a 2-week highlights trip cannot cover everything.
So the goal of this itinerary is to give you a sense of the breadth of Peru’s diversity while covering many of the country’s absolute highlights.
Read on for the plan!
Table of Contents
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Itinerary overview
As I mentioned above, a 2 week itinerary can’t cover all of Peru (not even close), but it can still cover a lot.
This itinerary starts in Lima and makes a loop, covering a large swath of territory that encompasses much of southern Peru. You start off in Lima and then bus down to Paracas. From here, you’ll get to visit Ica and Huacachina on your way to Nazca and the incredible Nazca lines.
From here, an overnight bus brings you to the lovely city of Arequipa, which is in a transition zone between the coastal desert and windswept Altiplano (high plateau). Surrounded by volcanos, you’ll base yourself here for a couple of nights in order to also get to visit Colca Canyon.
After Arequipa, it’s on to Puno and Lake Titicaca. Although a quick visit, you’ll have time to see the floating Uros islands and lovely Taquile island.
The last stop of the itinerary is Cusco, where you’ll have 5 full days to visit the city, explore the Sacred Valley, and make your way up to Machu Picchu.
Along the route, you’ll pass through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world as you navigate these almost outrageously diverse geographic zones.
This itinerary is busy by design - with just 14 days you need to pack them full and be on the move almost every day. But I’ve still tried to make time for some days that allow for leisure and a bit of less-touristy exploration. You have a full day in Lima, a full day in Arequipa, and 1-2 full days in Cusco.
These are what I would call your “relax” days. You’ll still want to go sightseeing, but I haven’t planned any major activities and your schedule is flexible.
Day 1: Lima
Peru’s capital Lima is one of Latin America’s biggest cities and presents a dramatic impression, fanned out along clifftops that plunge down into the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy a full day here with a walk along the clifftops, a visit to the city center, and some great food.
Lima has little in the way of traditional sites and it’s objectively not a pretty city, but visiting is nonetheless essential if you want to understand contemporary Peru.
Although almost entirely modern, the city center has a lovely core of grand Spanish architecture and its seaside “suburbs” are pleasant places to eat, drink, and walk around.
The city also houses a number of good museums, with the world class Museo Larco and Museo MALI the best of the bunch.
Perhaps the best reason to include a day here is to eat. Lima is Peru’s culinary center and has almost certainly the best food of any city in South America. The city’s restaurants, which range from hole in the walls to Michelin-starred gastro experiences, combine the ingredients and flavors from all of Peru’s ecological zones in wondrous fashion, and eating here is an absolute delight.
Morning
Walk along the Miraflores malecón
Begin your trip to Peru in Lima’s coastal suburb of Miraflores, where most of the city’s good accommodation for travelers is situated.
In the morning, take a stroll along the clifftop walkway known as el malecón to get a sense of Lima’s vastness as its meets the sea. The whole “boardwalk” is tree-lined and verdant, making for a very pleasant wander.
Starting your walk at the LarcoMar shopping center is a good idea. You can then walk for several miles, stopping at sights like the colorful mosaic-decorated Parque del Amor (lovers’ park) and along to Lugar de la Memoria, Peru’s post-modernist tribute to the many that lost their lives during the violence of the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) era of the 1980s and 1990s.
Fundación Museo Amano
Once your walk arrives at Parque Itzhak Rabin, two miles along the Malecón, head six blocks inland (on foot or by taxi if you are tired) to Fundación Museo Amano, for a riveting look into artifacts from the Nazca, Chancay, Chavín, Moche and Chimú pre-Columbian cultures.
Alternatively, the nearby Museo Larco also offers a stunning collection of pre-Columbian pottery and gold artifacts.
Seafood lunch
For lunch you absolutely have to try Peru’s national dish ceviche – citrus-marinated fish with red onions, cilantro, sweet potato, and chunks of corn. Standout cebichería (ceviche restaurant) La Mar, owned by celebrity chef Gastón Acurio is just five blocks west of the Museo Amano. On the same street (Avenida Mariscal La Mar) you’ll find many good seafood restaurants and on a parallel street you also have the excellent El Mercado, run by renowned chef Rafael Osterling.
Afternoon
Explore the city center
You shouldn’t leave Lima without seeing its colonial center, so get a taxi or take the El Metropolitano express bus system’s Ruta Troncal to the Plaza Mayor: the city’s central square and historic heart.
Here, take in the cathedral, still standing on the ground city founder and conquistador Francisco Pizarro set aside for the city’s church in the 16th century. The lavish Baroque building contains one of South America’s loveliest wooden choirs and Pizarro’s tomb.
A few blocks east is lemon-colored Basilica de San Francisco, an impressive 17th-century monastery with a beautiful library and thrilling catacombs to explore.
Walk or take a taxi about a mile south of the main square to tour the city’s best art museum, MALI (Museo de Arte de Lima) in Parque de la Cultura for a breadth of Peruvian art from the pre-Columbian to the mid-20th century.
Evening
Dinner in Miraflores
Miraflores has the greatest choice of restaurants in Lima, in Peru, and possibly in South America. The city has a host of restaurants that have earned spots on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurant lists and several that have even made it onto the World’s 50 Best. Virgilio Martinez’s famed “Central” still holds first place in the entire world, but the options are truly endless.
There are also great bars for trying Pisco, Peru’s famous grape brandy, such as Antigua Taberna Queirolo which also serves good food.
For some more ideas on where to eat, check out our guide to Lima’s best restaurants.
A night out in Barranco
After dinner, grab a taxi and head next-door to the Barranco neighborhood for drinks at the trendy bars around Puente de los Suspiros and the Parque Municipal. Barranco is slightly more bohemian than Miraflores, and you have lots of live music bars of every type and some good peñas (clubs that play live traditional music).
Overnight in Lima
Day 2: Paracas & Reserva Nacional de Paracas
Today you will travel down the south coast to Paracas and in the afternoon explore the coastal desert reserve of Reserva Nacional de Paracas.
Paracas/El Chaco is a busy coastal village that serves as the base for wildlife-watching boat trips to the Islas Ballestas and visits to the desert reserve of Reserva Nacional de Paracas, where interesting geographic formations, beaches, and wildlife-watching spots line the shore.
Considering you’ll 3.5 hours to travel, you’ll only have time to visit the reserve on land today, so the boat trip will be saved for tomorrow.
Morning
Travel from Lima to Paracas
Take a south-bound bus down the south coast of Peru with a company like Cruz del Sur (their terminal is on Javier Prado in La Victoria neighborhood) to the traveler hub of Paracas (also known as El Chaco). The ride takes about 3.5 hours.
Once you get into town, go grab a good lunch that will hold you over for your afternoon exploring. One of the best spots for seafood on the entire South Coast, Inti-Mar, is the obvious choice for lunch among several options on the town’s seafront.
Afternoon
Reserva Nacional de Paracas
After lunch, you’ll have ample time to explore Reserva Nacional de Paracas. This hammerhead-shaped peninsula south of Paracas is an interesting opportunity to explore Peru’s coastal desert landscape on a more in-depth level.
You can go wildlife-watching at the park’s visitor center (for flamingos), in Punta Arquillo (for sea lions and seabirds), or at Playa Yumaque (for birds and even dolphins), swim at beaches like Playa La Mina, and observe the area’s intriguing geology at red-sand beach Playa Roja and bulky sea stack La Catedral.
You can take a tour, averaging around three hours, arranged on the day (or, for more peace of mind and to save time, in advance) with an agency in Paracas.
Alternatively, you could explore some of the peninsula-hugging reserve on a bike ride, via a 20-mile loop along minor roads that takes in sights like the reserve visitor center and its adjoining museum (which displays interesting artifacts found at nearby ancient sites), Playa Roja, and Playa Yumaque.
Evening
Return to Paracas town from the Reserve and relax along the shoreline, where there are several low-key, lively restaurants.
Or, since you’re in pisco country here (this is one of the biggest areas for cultivating the crop), you could instead taste some of Peru’s best Pisco sours in the place the drink is named after - the town of Pisco. It’s just a 20-30 minute taxi ride away.
In Pisco, you can visit any number of bars serving this famous drink, but legendary artisan joint Taberna Don Jaime is one of the best.
Overnight in Paracas
Day 3: Islas Ballestas boat trip and Huacachina
Enjoy a boat trip to the wildlife-rich Islas Ballestas before heading over to try sand sports on some of Peru’s mightiest dunes at Huacachina. You’ll end the day in Nazca.
Your 3rd day is spent seeing more of Peru’s southern coastline, with time for a great boat trip out to the wild-life rich Ballestas islands and then a visit to Huacachina’s unbelievably large sand dunes.
Huacachina is a pleasant (if extremely touristy) town, and it’s a nice place to either relax by a pool or take a sand buggy ride in some scenery that is sure to be unlike anything you’ve seen before.
You’ll end the day with a nighttime arrival to Nazca, where you’ll spend the night.
Morning
Islas Ballestas boat trip
Take a morning boat trip to the offshore island chain the Islas Ballestas. To visit, you’ll need to go on an organized tour with one of the many Paracas-based agencies. Tours typically last about 2 hours and they start running from around 8:00 AM.
On the way to the islands, which are known as the “poor man’s Galápagos”, you’ll see the huge and striking geoglyph (ancient land drawing) of La Candelabra on the Reserva Nacional Paracas.
Around the islands themselves, wildlife you can spot includes sea lions, pelicans, and penguins.
Assuming you set off on an early tour, you should return from the trip by late morning, giving you time to gather your belongings and have a light lunch back in Paracas before leaving for Huacachina, Peru’s ground zero for sandboarding and sand sports more generally.
Afternoon
Travel to Huacachina
For getting to Huacachina from Paracas, you have two options: taking a taxi/private transfer all the way to the sand dunes in Huacachina (about 1.5 hours driving), or taking a taxi or colectivo (shared taxi) to Pisco, then catching a bus from there to Ica (which is the gateway to Huacachina), before finally taking a 20-minute taxi ride on to Huacachina.
The latter option is significantly cheaper, but will take about 3 hours in total. I’d suggest taking the direct taxi/transfer to save time.
Hang out in Huacachina
Huacachina is a tiny little oasis town around a lake just off Peru’s southern coast. Massive sand dunes surround the town and it’s become a favorite stopover for those traveling from Paracas to Nazca.
Agencies and hotels along the main street can offer both sand board rentals for sandboarding, where you climb one or many more of the nearby sand dunes independently and then slide down them, or dune buggy rides, for which you’ll have to sign up to a tour.
You can also buy a day pass at one of various little hotels with pools and just spend a few hours relaxing in the sun.
After a few hours of sandy thrills and some refreshments in Huacachina, it’s time to continue on to the town of Nazca, where you’ll be staying tonight.
Travel to Nazca
To get to Nazca, you can either return to Ica, where you can catch a bus running the 2.5-hour route, or hire a driver/taxi to take you directly there.
You should arrive by around 8pm if you’ve travelled by bus today, or likely a fair deal earlier if using taxis/private transfers for either or both legs of your journey.
Nazca, close to mystery-steeped ancient sand drawings the Nazca Lines, will be your base tonight. It’s small desert town that serves as a base from which to visit the nearby Nazca lines, a series of mysterious geoglyphs (massive drawings in the ground) that are only visible from the sky.
Evening
Nazca has plenty of decent places to eat and drink, with lots of restaurants clustered in the blocks around Plaza Bolognesi, such as La Encantada with its Peruvian-European menu.
Overnight in Nazca
Day 4: Nazca
This is a busy day, but one that perfectly maximizes your time. In Nazca, fly over the Nazca Lines before seeing two other important archaeological sites: the Cantalloc Aqueducts and Chauchilla Cemetery.
The Nazca lines and the Aqueducts and Cemetery are remains from the Nazca culture, a civilization that flourished in the region from 100 BC to 800 AD and predates the Inca by over 1,000 years.
Most visitors to the area fly over the Nazca lines and quickly leave, but it’s worth it to spend a bit more time and enjoy some of these lesser visited sites, where you may not even encounter other tourists.
After the day in Nazca, you’ll take an overnight bus to Arequipa.
Morning & Afternoon
Nazca lines flyover
This morning, when visibility in the desert is at its optimum, it’s time to see the Nazca Lines, the striking collection of 1200-odd huge lines, figures, animal and plant drawings etched in the desert.
The line drawings date back some 1500 years, and are a Unesco World Heritage Site. The lines have become one of the world’s greatest mysteries, for they are on a scale that can only be appreciated from the air, which begs the question as to how a culture living well over a millennium before human flight as we know it was possible could ever make these astonishing shapes in the stony sand.
Do a flyover to see these lines in the detail they deserve. Aeroparacas have a Nazca-based office and a good reputation, but you will need to have your tour booked in advance.
The flyover itself only takes 30-40 minutes, so afterwards there will be a good amount of time to see some of the other fascinating nearby sights left by ancient civilisations in the desert around Nazca.
Cantalloc Aqueducts
After the flyover, have a good lunch and then grab a taxi for the 2 mile trip outside of town to the Cantalloc Aqueducts, some 30-odd wood- and stone-built waterways built for irrigation purposes by the Nazca culture during the first millennium AD.
Chauchilla Cemetery
Next, continue (with your taxi) to Chauchilla Cemetery, about 15 miles further from Naza. The cemetery has a museum with a collection of bones and mummies attributed to the Nazca civilization that are thought to date back almost 1000 years.
You can either hire a private taxi to take you to the aqueducts and the cemetery, or sign up on a group tour in Nazca. Allow a few hours to see both.
Evening
In early evening, board an overnight bus (luxury operator Cruz del Sur is always my recommendation) to take you southeast through Peru to the beautiful colonial city of Arequipa, gateway to some of the world’s most incredible canyons.
Overnight on the Nazca to Arequipa sleeper bus!
Day 5: Arequipa
Your 5th day in Peru is dedicated to exploring the delightful colonial city of Arequipa, home to some of Southern Peru’s finest sights, including the colorful and wonderful Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a 16th-century monastery.
Arequipa looks starkly different from both Lima and Cusco (as well as other Andean cities) and it also has historically been somewhat separate from the rest of Peru, both politically and geographically. The city’s defining feature is its white stone construction. The stone, called “sillar”, is volcanic in origin and gives the city an elegant, almost glistening aesthetic.
Dominating the horizon are a series of volcanoes, and the city feels more desert-like than what you’ll see as you head into the Andes.
Arequipa is simply a pleasant place to wander around, and this enough is reason to visit, but it is also the jumping off point for visits to Colca and Cotahuasi canyons.
Morning
Your overnight bus should have you arriving fairly early in the morning into the delightful colonial city of Arequipa, which will be your base for the next two nights.
On arrival, deposit your luggage/check in to your accommodation (ideally, you’d stay in the Unesco-listed city center) and then set off on foot within the city for some exploring.
Go for a walk in the city center
First up, head to the central Plaza de Armas, where you will see the spectacular cathedral – the only one in Peru to occupy an entire city block – made out of white stone.
Pasaje Catedral behind the cathedral has lots of good (if touristy) places for coffee and breakfast, or you could visit a quality nearby café like Coffee Roaster – Kaffeehaus on Calle Melgar a couple of blocks further out.
Museo Santuarios Andinos
Easily occupying your time between now and lunchtime will be Museo Santuarios Andinos, where the highlight is gazing at the mummy ‘Juanita’, a body almost perfectly preserved in the ice from the Inca Empire’s heyday in the 1450s. Expect to spend an hour or two in the museum.
San Lazaro District
Before lunch also make some time to walk around the pretty San Lazaro district which is just off of the historic center. It’s very photogenic.
Afternoon
Lunch at a Picantería
Lunch in Arequipa is an experience in itself, as it is the center of the must-try picantería culture: cheap, set-menu communal restaurants where diners all sit together at long tables, sampling local specialties like ocopa (cooked potato doused in spicy, creamy sauce) and rocoto relleno (stuffed peppers). Try La Nueva Palomino picantería in Yanahuara district (take a taxi here).
Monasterio de Santa Catalina
After this iconic experience, head to arguably the city’s premier sight, the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a mighty colonial monastery dating from 1580, full of beautiful cloisters and offering many interesting insights into how the nuns lived their lives.
Mirador de Yanahuara
Round off the afternoon with a pre-sunset walk up to Mirador de Yanahuara, a viewpoint offering a panorama of the historic city center, with the 19,100-ft El Misti volcano rising spectacularly behind. For a treat to accompany the view, the square behind the viewpoint often has a vendor or two selling queso helado, a local ice cream. It’s wonderful.
Evening
The historic center has some great venues for eating out. These days, even celebrity chefs have been attracted to Arequipa. The famed-restaurateur Gastón Acurio now has a restaurant here, Chicha, where the menu mainly reflects the cuisine likely to have dominated meals in Inca times (alpaca carpaccio, ceviche, river prawns). It’s expensive, but fantastic.
After dinner, head to Avenida Dolores, 2.5 miles south of the Plaza de Armas, which is a great place for a lively local night out with plenty of salsa clubs. But be warned – your day trip to the Cañon de Colca starts early tomorrow, so don’t stay out too late!
Overnight in Arequipa
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Day 6: Colca Canyon day tour
Today, head on a day trip to one of Peru’s standout sights: the exquisite and enthralling Cañon de Colca, one of South America’s deepest canyon systems.
Many visitors spend the night in/around the canyon, and it’s a nice thing to do if you have the time. On this itinerary you don’t, so I’ve explained how to do it as a day trip.
Colca Canyon is really best explored over the course of at least 2 days (and I think 3-4 is even better to let you get deep into the canyon, go hiking, and see some of the towns out here), but because you have limited time, I’ve recommended visiting on a full day trip from Arequipa.
It’s not enough time to truly appreciate the terrain, but it will let you get a taste.
Morning & Afternoon
Colca Canyon day trip
Today you’re headed on a day trip to one of Peru’s standout sights: the exquisite and enthralling Cañon de Colca (Colca Canyon), one of South America’s deepest canyon systems. Here, river-laced passages snake through sheer rock walls for more than 60 miles, with dramatic scenery changes along the way.
Sign up with an Arequipa agency (reserve in advance) for a tour that will enable you to see some of the key sights in a short space of time.
You’ll begin in the early hours of the morning (often 2-3am!) for the 14-hour tour, heading from Arequipa across the edge of the Reserva Nacional de Salinas y Aguada Blanca, where you will spot vicuñas and perhaps Andean foxes on a starkly beautiful volcano-dotted tract of protected Andean plain.
The tour will continue to the lofty viewpoint of Paso de Patapampa at in excess of 16,000 feet of altitude and on to Chivay, gateway town for the canyon, where you’ll perhaps get to bathe in the hot springs.
The furthest the day tour gets into the canyon is the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint – the day’s highlight – where you’ll likely get to spot Andean condors, the world’s largest birds of prey, swooping on thermals with the plummeting 3900-foot rock walls of the canyon beneath.
It will then be time to turn back from the canyon and return the same way to Arequipa.
Evening
After a thrilling day in the canyons, you will likely want to stay close to your lodgings in central Arequipa this evening. An excellent choice for food (burgers), drinks, and live music all in one venue is Woodstock near Monasteiro de Santa Catalina.
Overnight in Arequipa.
Day 7 - Arequipa to Puno (and a visit to Sillustani)
Depart Arequipa early in the morning and make your way through the vast Altiplano en route to the city of Puno, gateway to Lake Titicaca.
If you take an early bus, you’ll have time to see a bit of Puno and explore one of the Altiplano region’s most interesting archaeological sites, Silluststani.
The only way to get between Arequipa and Puno is the bus, so that’s what you’ll be doing today.
Puno is the jumping-off point for exploring the islands on Lake Titica, one of the planet’s highest navigable bodies of water, South America’s largest lake, and one of Peru’s best places to discover ancient indigenous cultures and traditions.
Puno itself is an almost entirely nondescript and modern city that sprawls along the shores of the lake. Walking down its main street, Jiron Lima, is pleasant enough, but there’s not much of interest in the town itself. The reason to visit is really just because it’s the base for visits to Lake Titicaca.
Even so, it is known as Peru’s folkloric capital - you have both ethnic Quechua and Aymara peoples here (in addition to others) - and interesting cultural events, almost all of them accompanied by parades featuring organized dance groups, happen all throughout the year. So be sure to check with your hotel if anything is going on, or just head down to the main street in the evening and see for yourself.
Morning
Bus from Puno to Arequipa
This morning, leave Arequipa for the 6-hour bus journey to Puno, a city of about 120,000 people sitting right on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The ride through the Altiplano (high plateau) is beautiful, so enjoy the views and relax after the previous busy days.
Also prepare yourself for a change in altitude. From Arequipa’s relatively mild 2,300 meters, you’ll be climbing to a breath-busting 3,800 in Puno.
I’d recommend an early bus so that you can make the most of your time.
Afternoon
Arrival to Puno
Assuming you get an early bus, you’ll be arriving into Puno a bit after midday.
On arrival in, I’d recommend heading straight to your hotel, checking in, and then going to grab lunch (if you didn’t eat while on the bus - packing a lunch is never a bad idea).
Sillustani archaeological site
Next, pop over to a travel agency to sign up for an afternoon tour of Sillustani.
Sillustani is a collection of ancient chullpas or funerary towers, likely erected by the pre-Columbian Colla culture to remember their dead. Some of the towers are almost 40 feet tall and the effect, backed by wild Andean plains (altiplano) and a lake that attracts a variety of birdlife is impressive: it’s the Titicaca shoreline’s most impressive ancient site.
Tours here take around three hours, with about half of that being out-and-back travel time (45 minutes each way).
If you don’t want to go with a tour, you can also just hire a taxi driver in town to take you out to the site and wait til you’re ready to head back to town.
Take a look around Puno
Once back in Puno, it’s time to get an insight into the city that bills itself as the folklore capital of Peru. A great place to do this is the Museo de la Coca y Costumbres, where you can learn about the importance of the coca plant to Andean culture and see many traditional regional costumes - worn both in daily life by indigenous peoples here and at festivals.
There’s not a ton to see in Puno as the city is pretty nondescript, but go for a walk down the main street (Jiron de Lima), take a peak at the docks if you want, or climb up to the Kuntur Wasi viewpoint for a gorgeous view over the lake. The viewpoint involves a climb of 620 steps, but you can also take a cheap cab.
Evening
In the evening, take it easy and have a leisurely dinner. Jirón Lima has most of Puno’s restaurants and bars. La Tabla del Inca is an interesting and atmospheric choice for Andean-European fusion cuisine.
Overnight in Puno.
Day 8: Lake Titicaca: Islas Uros & Taquile
Enjoy a day on Lake Titicaca exploring the floating Uros Islands and lovely Taquile island. In the afternoon, you’ll also have time to visit the archaeological site of Ichu near Puno.
Today, take an early morning ferry boat or join an organized tour for the highlight of any Lake Titicaca trip: visiting the islands in the middle of the lake.
You’ll visit the Uros floating islands which are close to Puno and then Isla Taquile, which is significantly further away.
To support tourism that benefits the communities here, it is best (and perfectly straightforward) to go independently. That said, it is easiest to just arrange a full-day tour with a local operator. This also gives you the advantage of having a guide who will explain things to you.
Boats to both Uros and Taquile leave regularly from Puno’s little port, beginning at around 6:00 am. You can book as part of an organized tour (with the option to also visit Taquile) or just take a standard “ferry”.
Also always ask about boat return times as schedules change frequently.
While on the islands, be sure to ask before taking photographs of the people, and take some snacks/drink with you for the long boat rides.
Morning
Islas Uros (Uros Islands)
Your first port of call should be the Islas Uros – human-made islands constructed from the tortora reeds that grow on the lake. The reeds are also used to build the island houses and make the islanders’ boats.
The Uros Islands are floating islands made from a reed that grows in the lake. The Uros people - a distinct ethnic group - have lived on them for centuries. Originally inhabitants of the mainland, the Uros fled to these islands as a way to escape subjugation by the ascendant Inca empire.
Now, some people continue to live on the islands, practicing semi-traditional ways of life while others actually live primarily on the mainland, coming out to their homes on the islands to cater to visiting tourists. Visits are quite touristy, but it’s still an entirely unique thing to see and do and you should.
Isla Taquile
After finishing your tour of the Uros Islands, either continue with your tour group to Taquile island (or take another ferry out there).
Boats to Taquile take about 1.5 hours from the Uros Islands or Puno’s port. On arrival, be sure to check return boat times to Puno, which change frequently.
Placid and pretty Isla Taquile is further out into the lake and it’s a hilly, rocky island inhabited mostly by ethnic Quechua people. It’s beautiful and the views over the lake are amazing. It’s a lovely place to walk around, with steep terraces shelving up to a conical hilltop.
The island is famed for its production of high quality textiles (which can be purchased from the cooperative in the island’s main square) and many visits can include a lunch at a local family’s home which often entails a meal of trout from the lake, weaving demonstrations, and sometimes traditional dancing.
The best walk is the climb up to the viewpoint in the middle of the island giving incredible views of the lake backed by Andean peaks.
Expect to spend 2-3 hours here.
Afternoon
Ichu ruins
Arriving in Puno by around 3pm, you’ll have time before sundown for an afternoon walk around the pre-Columbian temple of Ichu just outside the city.
Get a taxi to take you out to the beginning of the 15-minute climb up to the ruins and ask the driver to wait for the hour while you explore the site.
Evening
With a long onward journey to the ancient Inca capital of Cusco on the cards for tomorrow, you won’t want to make tonight too late of a night. So soak up the special atmosphere of a restaurant like Mojsa on the Plaza de Armas and then take a walk down lively Jiron Lima before settling in for the night.
Overnight in Puno.
Day 9: Travel from Puno to Cusco
You have 3 different options for how to get from Puno to Cusco, but all of them pass through an open, windswept terrain known as the Altiplano (high plateau). The journey is beautiful, but long.
You have 3 options for how to get between Cusco and Puno: luxury train, tour bus, or standard (but comfortable) long distance bus. I typically just recommend the standard bus, but with a reputable company like Cruz del Sur.
The fastest journey between Puno and Cusco takes 7-8 hours, while the tour bus and train are full-day journeys.
If you opt for the regular bus, figure that you’ll get into Puno in the late afternoon.
Today is purely a travel day and you’ll be passing through the windswept and fairly barren Altiplano (high plains). The journey is pretty, albeit a bit monotonous.
Morning & Afternoon
Travel to Cusco
Today, it’s time to head north on a long journey to the marvelous city of Cusco. To get there, you can take a public bus, a tour bus, or the train.
Whichever option you choose to negotiate the next leg of your Peruvian adventure, you’re going to take the majority of the morning and afternoon doing it, so you might as well embrace it and enjoy the journey as much as possible.
The options are headlined by one of Peru’s and South America’s few remaining long train journeys, courtesy of either the PeruRail Titicaca train or the Belmond Andean Explorer. Both trains follow the same route, which runs across the altiplano along one of the world’s highest regularly-used set of tracks and train stations.
These are both luxury trains (the Belmond even more so) and prices for the journey are as steep as the altitudes you’ll be passing through. Nonetheless, if you have the budget for them, they’re a pleasure.
Of the two companies/routes, PeruRails ten-hour train journey, departing Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, is the only feasible option for this itinerary. The Belmond Andean Explorer is far more expensive and departs much less frequently.
Alternatively, tourist buses such as the Inka Express service, also cover the Puno to Cusco route in about the same amount of time and they are a far cheaper, though less spectacular option. These buses stop off at several sights along the way, such as the beautiful church in Andahuayillas.
Whether you opt for the train or tourist bus, lunch is included with both experiences.
Finally, for the cheapest option, you can also take a standard direct bus (no touristic stops or lunch), which runs the route in 7-8 hours. Many buses will stop at a roadside rest stop (which may or may not have a simple restaurant) about halfway through the journey.
Evening
Evening wander in Cusco’s historic center
Depending on what time you depart from Puno, you could arrive in Cusco as early as 4pm (if you take the standard bus), and between 5 and 6pm if you take the train or tourist bus.
Cusco served as the ancient capital of the Inca empire from the 13th to the 16th centuries, and after your long journey you’ll likely be in the mood for a good dinner. Thankfully, Cusco’s range of eating options are second only to Lima.
After a stroll around the Plaza de Armas to get a feel for the city, dine in one of the prettiest and best restaurants in town, Ciccolina, a block northeast of the Plaza de Armas. There, you can enjoy inventive Italian-inspired dishes made with Andean ingredients in a lovely colonial property.
For more ideas on where to eat, check out our guide to dining in Cusco.
Overnight in Cusco.
Day 10: Cusco’s main sights
A stunningly preserved colonial gem and the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco is a highlight of any trip to Peru.
Today you’ll explore the city center and then venture out into the surrounding hills to look at atmospheric Inca archaeological sites like Sacsaywaman
Depending on what you do on your final day of this trip, today may be your only full day in Cusco, so use your time wisely.
The city is a paradise for walkers with pleasant streets, charming squares, lots of alleyways to duck down, great restaurants, and Colonial architecture all around. Hints of the city’s Inca past can be seen as well, chiefly in the massive stone foundations of countless buildings.
You’ll spend the morning and early afternoon exploring the historic center of the city and then enjoy a visit to some wonderful archaeological sites on the city’s edge later in the day.
Morning
Historic center
Cusco’s colonial center is fairly compact, all centered around the Plaza de Armas, the main square. The square is ringed by 3 different churches and a series of lovely colonial buildings with wooden balconies and porticoes.
In the square, be sure to enter the 16th and 17th-century cathedral, which has a terrific collection of escuela cuzqueña (Cusco school) art – a style that combines classic European religious themes with indigenous Peruvian motifs. Be sure to check out the painting of The Last Supper which looks pretty standard until you notice that cuy (guinea pig - a traditional local meal) is being served as the Disciples’ main course.
If you head uphill from the square, you can walk up Calle Triunfo, a lovely street lined with buildings whose foundations feature original Inca foundations of massive stones. You’ll pass by the famous 12-sided stone and should make a detour to visit pretty Plazoleta Nazarenas, a lovely square flanked by colonial mansions (now converted into luxury hotels) and two decent museums - the Inca Museum and Museo Machu Picchu.
San Blas neighborhood
Continue uphill into the charming Cantalloc Aqueducts whose pedestrianized streets are perfect for wandering. Visit the Iglesia de San Blas which has a beautifully carved wooden pulpit, browse the shops and vendors around the adjacent square (Plaza San Blas), and, energy permitting, climb the many steps up to Limbus Restobar for a drink on its terrace, offering incredible views over the city. Then, just wander the neighborhood’s pretty pedestrian streets at random, enjoying the tranquil and scenic atmosphere.
Qorikancha and San Pedro Market
End the morning by heading back down into the center and making your way to Qorikancha, once the most important temple in the entire Inca world and now a Dominican monastery. Visit the site and then walk over to the San Pedro Market to see the different foods, plants, medicinal products, and more being hawked by vendors.
Afternoon
This afternoon, either have a quick lunch in Cusco, or better yet, throw together a picnic lunch and enjoy it in a wonderful location above the city.
Sacsaywaman
After lunch (or with your picnic supplies packed up) get a private taxi to whisk you uphill to some of the wonderful Inca sites in the green hills overlooking Cusco. The most important of these is Saqsaywamán, site of the annual Inti Raymi festival of the sun, and a 15th-century Inca citadel.
Here, you’ll be able to wander around an expansive field studded with massive stone walls comprised of some of the largest carved stones you’ll have ever seen. The site is incredible and the views over the city are wonderful. Give yourself at least an hour to enjoy it.
Q’enqo and Tambomachay
With enough time this afternoon, you could also fit in visits to Q’enqo and Tambomachay, two other ruin suites that are a bit further up the road that leads out of Cuysco.
Q’enqo is a ceremonial rock plastered in symbols such as the puma, condor, and llama that were of importance to Inca culture, while Tambomachay is a stone bath thought to be connected to worship of an Inca water deity. Both are very atmospheric and small enough to be explored in about 30 minutes each.
Evening
This evening, I’d recommend taking it easy and just soaking in Cusco’s pleasant and lively high-altitude atmosphere. Walk around the lit up streets, meander in squares, and have a great dinner at one of the city’s many excellent and cozy restaurants.
If you didn’t make it to Limbus Restobar in San Blas earlier today, having a drink on the terrace after dinner and watching the city lights sparkle beneath you is a very atmospheric way to end the day.
Overnight in Cusco.
Day 11: Sacred Valley: Chinchero, Maras & Moray, evening train to Aguas Calientes
Today is all about the Sacred Valley and your first stop is Chinchero, a pleasant town with excellent textiles. After, you’ll see some of the valley’s most interesting ruins, Maras and Moray, before you take an evening train up to Aguas Calientes, the little village at the base of Machu Picchu.
Hire a private transfer this morning to maximise your time in the alluring Sacred Valley which stretches northwest beyond Cusco through verdant mountainsides speckled with traditional towns and villages and ancient Inca ruins.
The Valley is a stretch of land that encompasses the fertile Urubamba river valley north of Cusco. It was an important agricultural center for the Inca empire (and remains one today) and has a series of charming towns with colonial cores and fascinating Inca archaeological sites on their outskirts. Machu Picchu lies at its far Northwestern edge.
Beyond Machu Picchu, Pisac and Ollantaytambo are the two most famous towns (and archaeological sites), but you have lots of others like Maras, Moray, Tipon, etc.
The valley also has strong traditions of textile and ceramic production.
Outside of cultural attractions, the entire area is visually stunning. Snowcapped peaks dominate every horizon while fields of corn and crops, all different hues of green and gold, fill the ground. Those looking for adventure or outdoors activities can hike, bike, white water raft, ride ATVs, horseback ride, and much more.
You can also take cooking classes and engage in traditional culinary experiences like “pachamanca”.
Morning
Chinchero
With an 8am start from Cusco, you’ll be in the pretty little Andean town of Chinchero within an hour. Known to the Incas as the birthplace of the rainbow, today Chinchero is most famous for its excellent textile production. You can see demonstrations of traditional weaving techniques being done at the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales in the town center, but there are other cooperatives as well.
The town itself is small, but full of pretty colonial architecture. The surrounding countryside is lovely too and you have some nice short hikes nearby.
There are also Inca ruins and a pretty church.
Morary
Leaving Chinchero in late morning, allow an hour for the drive to the wonderful archaeological site of Moray.
You’ve almost certainly already seen photos of the site, but it’s made up of a series of circular terraces shelving up from a depression in the ground, increasing in size as they get closer to ground level.
What exactly Moray was is up for debate, but one commonly offered theory is that the terraces were a sort of agricultural testing ground for growing crops from around the Inca empire in a single location. The different levels may have mimicked growing conditions and altitudes of different areas in the empire.
Give yourself two to three hours to look around the site and enjoy a fantastic lunch at Peruvian celebrity chef Virgilio Martinez’s delightful Mil restaurant which is right on the edge of the ruins.
Afternoon & Evening
Maras salt pans
Continue in mid afternoon to Salineras de Maras, one of the most impressive ancient sites in the Sacred Valley. It’s a half-hour drive from Moray and the nearest town is Urubamba, the Sacred Valley’s main center.
Salineras are salt pans, and here a thermal spring at the valley top feeds into 3000-odd salt pans (wells), scattered down the valley slopes, from which salt has been extracted since at least Inca times. It’s a bizarre, impressive and refreshingly different site from the region’s myriad other ruins.
Spend an hour or so looking around here.
Ollantaytambo
After visiting Maras, you’ll continue to the town of Ollantaytambo. You won’t visit the town or archaeological site today (you’ll do that later), but should instead head straight to the train station to catch a late evening train (either at 7pm or 9pm depending on your preference) to the gateway town for Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes.
You can while away time waiting for the train with drinks, snacks, or dinner at one of the area’s best restaurants, El Albergue, or the attached Café Mayu, run by the same people.
Train to Aguas Calientes
From Ollantaytambo, it’s a two-hour train journey to Aguas Calientes, the little village at the base of Machu Picchu and where you’ll be spending the night.
There’s really nothing to do in town, so I’d just recommend heading straight to your hotel and getting to bed early so you’ll be well rested for your visit to Machu Picchu tomorrow.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Hello, World!
Day 12: Explore Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, for many the highlight of a trip to South America, really needs no introduction. Today is dedicated to exploring this imposing and spectacularly situated Inca citadel and hiking up to some of its best viewpoints.
In the evening, you’ll take the train back down to Ollantaytambo where you’ll spend the night.
Today you’re dedicating the entire day to fully exploring Machu Picchu. While the main ruin site is visitable in about 3 hours, you should also give yourself to do an additional hike/walk at the archaeological site.
To enjoy Machu Picchu to the fullest, get up to the site as early as possible (before people arriving from Cusco and the Sacred Valley begin to arrive) and plan to spend at least 5 or 6 hours.
In the evening, you’ll take the train from Aguas Calientes and head back to Ollantaytambo, where you’ll spend the night.
Morning & Afternoon
Machu Picchu
Get an early start to Machu Picchu today. Buses for the 25-minute run up to the entrance to the site start running at at 5.30am and it’s worth getting there at the beginning of the day to see this exquisite historic sight early when there are fewer tourists. Separately, make sure you have purchased your tickets to Machu Picchu well in advance - at least several weeks before visiting.
Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel, built in the 15th century atop an Andean ridge and never discovered by Spanish conquistadors following its abandonment, or by anyone else, until American Hiram Bingham’s rediscovery of the site in 1911.
There is so much to see here: the Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock, a formidable site overview, the Incas’ ceremonial baths and a triumvirate of temples including the Temple of the Three Windows, which prettily frames the mountains behind, and the Temple of the Condor with its condor head carving.
The list above is just covering the ruins, but many adventurous tourists like to take on the hikes up one of the two mountains flanking the complex. Top choice is the more precipitous mountain of Wayna Picchu, which limits its visitor numbers, but the higher mountain is Cerro Machu Picchu, which yields even better views.
To do justice to seeing the ruins and to take in one of the two viewpoints, allow at least five to six hours.
When you’re ready to go, head back down to Aguas Calientes (it will likely be mid-afternoon), where you’ll have time for an afternoon soak in the Las Termas hotsprings.
Evening
Train back to Ollantaytambo
Take an evening train for the two-hour ride back to Ollantaytambo, your base for tonight. You have a few options for train class, and I always recommend the Vistadome which has big windows and offers lovely views.
A wander in Ollantaytambo
Once in town, go for dinner close to the Plaza de Armas and enjoy a walk around the lovely little stone center. As you wander, you’ll hear the quiet babble of running water all around you; the town has a series of open irrigation canals that run along the sides of streets. It’s incredibly atmospheric, especially when surrounded by the Andes’ towering peaks. Enjoy it.
Ollantaytambo is also the location of some fascinating historic sights, some of which you will have time to explore tomorrow.
The ruins are very atmospheric in the end of day light, so I’d recommend walking over to see them and snap some photos.
Overnight in Ollantaytambo.
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Day 13: Sacred Valley: Ollantaytambo and Pisac
On your second full day in the Sacred Valley, you’ll get to explore the stunning archaeological sites of Ollantaytambo and Pisac, before returning to Cusco.
Pisac. Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
This is going to be a busy day with a lot of sightseeing.
You’ll spend the morning at the Ollantaytambo ruins and then the entire afternoon in Pisac, a sort of New Age-influenced colonial town that is home to an interesting market (best on Sundays), an astonishing archaeological site, and some great restaurants. The town itself is also very charming.
Your day ends in Cusco, likely arriving in the early evening.
The vast majorities of visitors to these sites visit coming from Cusco, and they always visit Pisac in the morning and then Ollantaytambo in the afternoon. You’ll be doing the reverse, meaning that you’ll get to enjoy both sites with almost no other visitors.
Because you’ll have your luggage with you today and have multiple stops to make, you’ll realistically want to enlist the services of a private driver for the day.
With a driver, you’ll be able to leave your luggage in the car while you visit Pisac town and market and will be able to make lots of stops to enjoy the scenery. If you’re traveling with a small pack, you could also take combis/colectivos between the various places you’ll visit, but it would of course be less comfortable.
Morning
Ollantaytambo Ruins
After an early breakfast, take a few hours to explore the mighty Ollantaytambo Ruins, comprising a temple and fortress complex distinguished by flurries of steeply-shelving terraces that cascade down green mountainsides. The ruins were interestingly the site of one of the Inca’s relatively few victories over the Spanish conquistadors in 1536.
The site opens at 7:00 am and I very much recommend getting there as early as possible so that you can enjoy the ruins without any of the crowds. If you go in before 8:00 am, you’ll often have the entire site to yourself, which makes a visit so much more enjoyable.
If you have the energy, also walk up to the lesser-explore Pinkuylluna ruins on the adjacent hillside. These ruins receive of a fraction of the visitors and they offer great views over the main archaeological site. Entrance to them is free.
Transfer from Ollanta to Pisac
After you’ve explore the ruins in Ollanta, take a late-morning transfer for the 1.5-hour drive from Ollantaytambo to Pisac. Along the way, I’d recommend stopping in Urubamba for a quick look around. There’s not much to see in town, but you’re passing through anyways so…
Afternoon
Pisac town and market
Get lunch right when you arrive into Pisac and then start exploring the town, which boats the Sacred Valley’s biggest market. Pottery and weavings made with sheep and alpaca wool are important local handicrafts and you’ll see a lot of them here.
The town is most famous for its Sunday market which is a local affair, but the main square has vendors and artisans in it every day of the week. Know that much of the wares sold here are no different than what you’ll find in Cusco and bargaining is expected. Also, keep in mind that much of what you’ll see sold as alpaca and baby alpaca is actually made with synthetic or less valuable fibers.
The town center is full of great restaurants, so you should also plan on having lunch while here. Vegetarians and vegans will be very happy with the large selection available to them.
Pisac ruins
After wandering through the market, turn your attention to the highlight of a visit here: the climb up to the Pisac Ruins, which will take the remainder of the day. It is a 2-hour hike from town up to this Inca citadel, but as you’ll have a driver, I’d recommend saving your energy and instead get dropped off right at the top of the sight.
The steep-sided ruins, comprising terraces interconnected by Inca steps and bulky doorways and topped by a temple, are not only of interest in themselves, but also provide some of the Sacred Valley’s most beautiful panoramas.
The site is huge and it takes a few hours to explore it properly. For me, the best experience is to start at the entrance and then weave your way through the entire site and following the well-marked path all the way back to Pisac town. Give yourself 3-4 hours to do it all.
Evening
It will likely be early evening by the time you’ve finished in Pisac, so get back in your private transfer and continue the rest of the way to Cusco.
This will be your third night in Cusco and you may already be familiar with the parts of the city you like best by now.
For dinner, you could try guinea pig (or lots of other wonderful treats) in the lovely outdoor courtyard of Pachapapa.
For more restaurant ideas, check out our Cusco restaurant guide.
Overnight in Cusco.
Day 14: Free day in Cusco (or day trips)
Seeing as you’ve already had a full day and a few evenings to explore Cusco, I set aside your last day in Peru for a day trip out of the city. However, you could just as easily spend the day lounging around Cusco and taking it easy.
For the final day of your trip, you have the choice between enjoying a relaxing day back in Cusco (stroll around town, get a massage, make your own chocolates….) or one of many good potential day trips.
If you’re feeling up for another active day, consider a visit to the brightly-colored Rainbow Mountain, try some river rafting in the pretty countryside near to Cusco, or tour some of the region’s stunning churches and chapels on the Ruta del Barroco Andino.
Morning & Afternoon
Pick an option!
Rainbow Mountain
This popular trip entails a three-hour one-way drive to a trailhead near Pitumarca, where you begin the 6-mile out-and-back hike up to a viewpoint beneath the spectacular Rainbow Mountain, so called because its slopes are colored in the stripes of the mountainside’s 14 different minerals. The distance is not the tough thing with this trek, but the climb to over 16,400 feet means altitude fatigue can be a concern.
This is almost certainly the most popular non-Sacred Valley day trip from Cusco, so know that it can get very busy. Also, it’s unlikely that the colors you’ll see in real life match what you’ll have seen photos of. Many tour operators require a rather brutally early morning pick up time for tours as well, meaning that you won’t get much sleep.
It’s certainly not my favorite activity near to Cusco and we don’t typically recommend it, but it’s extremely popular, so we’ve listed it.
White water rafting
A fun, thrilling day’s excursion from Cusco is taking a short trip south of the city to some stretches of rapids on the upper Río Urubamba river. The Chuquicahuana section is the toughest with Class III to V rapids, while easier and closest to Cusco is the lovely Pampa to Huambutio section, a great introduction to rafting for families. Whichever section you choose, you’ll see relatively uncrowded and idyllic Andean countryside as you paddle.
A longer day trip for rafting would involve driving out to a section of rapids on the Apurimac river. It’s a long day though, so I usually think rafting the Urubamba makes more sense.
Ruta del Barrocco Andino
Another great and more leisurely option for exploring a different part of the Cusco region is to tour the Ruta del Barroco Andino, which combines several intriguing religious sights southeast of Cusco.
Sites include the magnificent churches in Huaro, Canincunca, and Andahuayillas – the latter known as the ‘Sistine Chapel of South America.’ All three occupy beautiful settings, especially the chapel in Canincunca, which stands next to a pretty lake.
Free day in Cusco
If you just want to take it easy, then I’d suggest a relaxed day hanging out in town. There are a number of good spas that offer massages and wellness treatments, you could do a chocolate making class at the ChocoMuseo, learn to make Pisco cocktails at Museo del Pisco, take a cooking class, etc.
Or you could just wander around town, with plenty of time spent people watching in squares and any of the city’s lovely little cafes.
Evening
For your last night in Cusco (and Peru) treat yourself to one of the city’s best meals at Morena in the Plaza de Armas. The food here is a mix of comida criolla (coastal food) and Andean, so you’ll find a bit of everything. The setting is lovely, the service excellent, and the food diving. Don’t skip dessert - they’re ice cream dish served inside a cacao pod is fabulous.
After dinner, head over to Museo del Pisco where you can sample myriad versions of Peru’s famous grape brandy. Raise a toast to a wonderful adventure in Peru: you’ve covered many of this South American nation’s finest highlights, and in just 14 days!
If you don’t have an early flight tomorrow, round things off with some live rock or salsa music at Ukuku’s, near the Plaza de Armas.
Ways to adapt this itinerary
This itinerary is jam packed and it includes almost exclusively overland travel. While I like the eco-friendly aspect of overland travel, that’s actually not why I’ve done it this way. It’s just because flying between many of these destinations either isn’t possible or doesn’t save you any time.
So, if the idea of long overland travel days doesn’t appeal to you, I’d recommend removing the South Coast destinations; Paracas, Nazca, and Huacachina. By removing those 3 days from the itinerary, you eliminate most of your long travel days and have the possibility of taking flights between your primary destinations.
Because removing the South Coast destinations would give you 3 days to allocate elsewhere, you could slow things down a bit and spend an extra day in each of Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco/Sacred Valley, add all 3 days to Cusco (Inca trail hike?), or change things up even more and spend 3 days in the Amazon.
Just some ideas… Now let’s have a look at the itinerary!
Things to consider when planning a Peru itinerary
Before getting into this itinerary, I’ve tried to cover some of the main topics I imagine you’re wondering about. I can’t cover everything in just a few paragraphs though, so for more a more comprehensive overview of how to plan a trip to Peru, have a look at our Peru travel guide.
When to visit
Here’s a quick overview of my preferred time to visit Peru as well as a few tips on visiting at other times of year. For a detailed overview, you can read our guide to visiting Peru in every season.
Dry season
For most visitors, coming to Peru during dry season (May through November) is the right choice. In the Andes, you’ll get warm days with crisp evenings, and you won’t have to worry about rain washing out trails or making sightseeing impossible.
In the Amazon, even dry season can still be wet, but you won’t get rain all day, meaning you’ll still be able to head out and enjoy nature.
This is peak season however, so you should expect higher prices and crowds in places popular with tourists.
Keep in mind that this advice is not true for the coastline, which is often shrouded in mist during these months.
Shoulder season
To get still good weather, but with fewer crowds, focus on the months of September and October. Both because North Americans’ and Europeans’ summer breaks are over and because dry season is starting to give way to rainy season, this is a sort of shoulder season. I think it’s an ideal time to visit because weather is still mostly good, and there are far fewer other tourists in the country.
Rainy season
Visiting in the low season (November to April - with the exception of mid-to-late December which gets quite busy again), can be a good idea if you’re prepared for some potential trade offs. Prices are low, crowds are sparse, and everywhere feels a bit more relaxed and authentic.
However, the potential for rain does mean that you’ll likely have days where sightseeing is not terrible pleasant, views will be obscured by fog, rain, and mist, and you may have days get washed out and activities cancelled. If you have a flexible schedule, this shouldn’t be an issue.
This is also an ideal time for Amazon cruises as water levels are high, everything is green and lush, and wildlife are out in abundance.
December to May is also the perfect time for visits to the Peruvian coast because days are typically clear and sunny, free of the grey skies and mist that are typical almost all the rest of the year.
Where to go on a first trip
If it’s your first time visiting Peru and you have two weeks, I think that the absolute must-visits are Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Arequipa and Colca Canyon. Outside of these 4 destinations, I think that where you should choose depends on what interests you.
Lake Titicaca is very interesting if you’re interested in indigenous culture and handicrafts/textiles, but it’s a long journey from anywhere else in Peru and you need at least 3 days for it.
Arequipa is a lovely and elegant city that also serves as the gateway to two of the Americas deepest canyons: Colca and Cotahuasi. Here, you can hike, enjoy hot springs, and watch condors glide majestically in the skies above you. But there are also volcanos, verdant valleys, and much more to do beyond just this. I’d want at least 5 days to explore this part of Peru.
Peru’s South Coast is home to some fabulous natural places like the Paracas Nature Reserve and Huacachina sand dunes, as well as the Nazca lines and vineyards outside of Pisco. It’s a wonderful place to visit for those who like deserts, adrenaline sports, and history, but travel times between these places are far and overland travel, typically by bus (and including a night bus) is the only way to get between them. It’s an area very popular with backpackers.
The Peruvian Amazon is a world entirely its own and fascinating for practically anyone, but especially nature lovers, birdwatchers, and anyone interested in plant-based medicine and indigenous cultures. However, you really need 3-5 full days to experience any of the region (focusing either on the area around Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado), so it’s not something you can do in just a day or two.
The Central Highlands offer stunning scenery, amazing hiking, and authentic local culture without the trappings of mass tourism, but they are remote and travel to them is harsh.
Huaraz and the high Cordilleras are a dream for hardcore hikers, trekkers, and mountain climbers. The views and panoramas are astonishing for anyone, but it’s not a destination I recommend visiting unless you want to hike.
Then we have Northern Peru which I think you should look at as two separate parts: coastal desert and interior cloud forest. On the coast, you have incredible ruins from pre-Inca civilizations like Chan Chan and Caral, some nice beach towns, and a few interesting coastal cities. Inland, the cloud forests guard little-visited treasures like the ruins at Kuelap and the Gocta waterfall.
For more inspiration on where to go, check out our guide to 19 beautiful places in Peru.
How to get around
On any extended trip to Peru you will invariably wind up using multiple different types of transportation. While you can make most trips work almost entirely with overland travel, if you’re trying to see many different places and are tight on time, you will need at least a few domestic flights, a couple of long-haul bus rides, and either a few organized tours or private transfers.
While you can find some direct flights between cities in Peru, know that most flights between smaller places will involve a layover in Lima. Cusco is an exception to this, and you can usually find direct flights to places like Arequipa, Puerto Maldonado, and Juliaca (for getting to Puno and Lake Titicaca).
Trains are not a viable form of transportation in Peru, although there are a few tourist trains that make journeys like Cusco to Machu Picchu and Cusco to Lake Titicaca and even on to Arequipa. These journeys tend to be luxury options though and extremely expensive.
For overland travel, you should almost always plan on taking a bus. There are many private bus companies that run routes all over Peru, with Cruz del Sur being one of the largest and most reputable. When you book with a reputable and higher-end bus company, buses usually have large, lie-back seats, and they are safe and fairly comfortable.
Another option for those traveling overland is to book with Peru Hop, a tourist bus that makes stops along a common southern route (part of which this itinerary takes) between Lima and Cusco. You can get off in different stops, stay for however long you want, and then catch any of their buses when they next pass through the destination you’re in. It’s quite touristy and very much a backpacker type of service, but it’s reasonable and convenient.
More Two Week Peru Itineraries
The above itinerary provides a good introduction to Peru and covers a lot of the “must-visit” places for any first trip. However, Peru has countless wonderful places to visit and no single itinerary is going to be right for everyone.
To give you some more ideas on what you could do with two weeks here, we’ve put together a host of other sample itineraries. They’re short, but they give you something to start thinking about!
Two week outdoors-focused itinerary with Amazon and Inca Trail
If your main goal for visiting Peru is to get out into nature and you want to do one of the multi-day hikes to Machu Picchu, I think you should focus on the Cusco area and Amazon. The hikes take 3-5 days, so you don’t really have time to add in another part of the country.
Day 1: Explore Lima
Day 2: Lima to Puerto Maldonado and into the Amazon. Afternoon arrival to lodge.
Day 3: Amazon hiking, boating, and wildlife spotting in/around Tambopata reserve
Day 4: More Amazon
Day 5: More Amazon
Day 6: Flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco and enjoy an evening in the city
Day 7: Full day to enjoy Cusco
Day 8: Sacred Valley - Sacsayhuaman and Cusco archaeological sites and then Chinchero, Maras, and Moray
Days 9-11: Inca Trail Hike finishing at Machu Picchu
Day 12: Sacred Valley - leisurely visits to Ollantaytambo and Pisac without the crowds
Day 13: Free day in Cusco: enjoy the city or take a day trip
Day 14: Return to Lima
Two week southern highlights with Amazon and Arequipa
This itinerary is a variation on the detailed itinerary in this article, but we’ve removed the South Coast section and cut down on the time in Cusco in order to make a very short trip to the Amazon possible.
Day 1: Explore Lima
Day 2: Lima to Puerto Maldonado and into the Amazon
Day 3: Amazon
Day 4: Amazon
Day 5: Puerto Maldonado to Cusco
Day 6: Enjoy Cusco
Day 7: Sacred Valley - Sacsayhuaman, Maras, and Moray
Day 8: One-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu
Day 9: Sacred Valley visit en route to Cusco (Ollantaytambo and Pisac), evening in Cusco
Day 10: Bus from Cusco to Puno (Lake Titicaca)
Day 11: Uros Island and Lake Taquile day trip
Day 12: Puno to Arequipa
Day 13: Enjoy Arequipa
Day 14: Colca Canyon day trip
Two week trekking itinerary with some highlights
If you're an experienced hiker and you want to enjoy some of Peru’s most incredible mountain landscapes, you have to spend time in Huaraz and the Cordilleras Blanca and Huayhuash. Huaraz is Peru’s outdoors adventure capital and you have a great collection of day treks as well as multi-day hikes.
Because of the extremely high altitude here, you need to give yourself at least 5 days for acclimatization and hiking. The itinerary below is all day treks, but you could also do an 8-12 day thru hike on the Santa Cruz trek…
Day 1: Enjoy Lima
Day 2: Morning flight from Lima to Huaraz, acclimatize in town in the afternoon and get set up for hikes/tours.
Day 3: Acclimatize in Huaraz in the morning and take a short acclimatization hike to Laguna Wilcacocha near town.
Day 4: Laguna 69 day hike
Day 5: Lake Rajucolta hike
Day 6: Laguna Paron day hike
Day 7: Flight from Huaraz to Cusco (layover in Lima), afternoon and evening in Cusco
Day 8: Relax day in Cusco - have a massage and see the city
Day 9: Sacred Valley - Chinchero, Maras, and Moray
Day 10: 1-day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu (overnight in Pisac)
Day 11: Return to Cusco, visiting Pisac and Ollantaytambo en route. Evening in Cusco
Day 12: Morning flight to Arequipa, afternoon in town
Day 13: Arequipa to Colca Canyon. Overnight in Chivay
Day 14: Full-day hiking in Colca Canyon
More Peru travel info
For more advice on planning your trip to Peru, have a look at some of our other guides and itineraries!
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