This epic 8+ day itinerary in Peru will guide you to the top places and sites to see in Peru. From Lake Titicaca to Machu Picchu, you can make your trip 1-2 weeks long depending on your desired adventure level!
Getting to and Traveling Around Peru
You will likely fly into Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, the capital of Peru. To fly to other cities around Peru there are multiple domestic carriers. The major 3 are LATAM (https://www.latam.com/en_un/), Avianca (https://www.avianca.com) and Viva Air (https://www.vivaair.com/#/co/en).
Uber is also a safe mode of transportation for traveling around cities. We were even told not to take taxis while we were in Lima and take an Uber instead. Because you can watch where the Uber driver is taking you on the map, it is safer for you to recognize if you are headed in the right direction!
Elevation and Medicines to Bring
The majority of your journey through Peru will be at altitudes of 11,00 ft and above. Lima will be the only location you visit at sea level. Make sure you bring Diamox with you on your journey, or other elevation sickness medicine. Prepare yourself by drinking lots of water the day before and leading up to your arrival in the higher elevation cities.
Because you are going to a country where you should not drink the local water, bringing Imodium is a good way to assist you if you find yourself with a diarrhea problem. As with any traveling you do, please bring your local stock of cold medicine to help you through any problems you may experience while traveling.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of hotel options in Lima, Cusco and in the city Puno on the west-side of Lake Titicaca.
Below are wonderful airBnB options in each place:
Lima
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6181936?source_impression_id=p3_1625484720_Q59MuJyhSlA429lZ
Amantani/ Puno
Cusco
Hiking to Machu Picchu
There are many options to hike your way to Machu Picchu. You cannot simply set out on your own- you do need to book your travels through a tour company to hike the Inca Trail. There are many tour companies out there but the one we used was: Alpaca Expeditions: https://www.alpacaexpeditions.com/.
You have to secure a government-issued visa to hike the Inca Trail. The tour operator you choose will be able to secure the visa for you. Typically these sell out up to 8 months in advance, so keep that in mind when choosing a route and # of day/nights hike to Machu Picchu.
Visiting Machu Picchu Yourself
You have the option to just visit the archaeological site yourself, without hiking the Inca Trail. You can take the Peru Rail train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes where you can then catch a bus to take you to the top of the mountain.
Large bags are not allowed at Machu Picchu, so please make sure your backpack fits the dimensions. When you get your tickets to enter Machu Picchu there is a stand where they will stamp your passport to show you’ve visited one of the 7 wonders of the world!
Another option while you are at Machu Picchu is to hike Waynapicchu. This is the mountain in the background of Machu Pichu that you see in all of the pictures. This is a very steep trail up to the temple ruins at top.
Only 400 people are allowed to climb the mountain each day, so tickets for this must be reserved in advance. There are two entry times to start your climb.
Once you are ready to leave Machu Picchu, you will take a bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes. From there, you will board a train (https://www.perurail.com/) that will take you back to Cusco. Typically your tour operator will secure your tickets on the train back to the city.
Day 1: Sights of Lima
Morning
On your first day in Lima head to Basílica y Convento de San Francisco de Lima (http://museocatacumbas.com/). For 15 sols you can take a 45 minute tour of the Basilica and catacombs. There are about 25,000 bodies buried in the catacombs. While definitely macabre, it is a very cool thing to see!!
Lunch
After the Basilica you can walk the historic center, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, for a bit before taking an Uber to the Museo Larco. Enjoy a later morning snack and drink at La Muralla Restaurante (Jr. Amazonas cdra 1, Cercado de Lima 15001, Peru) right next to the Basilica. Or head to the Larco Museum to have lunch at their restaurant and cafe!
Afternoon
The Museo Larco (https://www.museolarco.org/) is a privately owned museum of pre-Columbian art, located in the Pueblo Libre District of Lima, Peru. The museum is housed in an 18th-century vice-royal building. It showcases chronological galleries that provide a thorough overview of 5,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history.
The Museum also has a….unique… collection of erotic pottery. For those travelling with kids, you might want to skip this separate exhibition (it’s in its own room), especially if you aren’t ready to have “the talk” yet…
Dinner
Make a reservation ahead for an amazing dinner experience at Astrid y Gaston. Led by Gaston Acurio, he has helped establish Peruvian cuisine on a global level, as prior to the 1990’s it had not been well-known internationally. Many critics also credit him for transforming Peru into a culinary destination for tourists and foodies. His restaurants showcase distinctive elements of Peruvian cuisine in a modern and attractive style.
The restaurant has a menu you can order from, but if you have the time- I would suggest the tasting menu which has over 10 courses and takes about 3 hours! Definitely, not one to bring the kids to- but if it’s just you and your significant other- I would recommend the tasting menu to sample a bit of everything!
Day 2: Travel to Lake Titicaca
Morning
In the morning, head to the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima to board your flight to Juliaca, Peru. This is a quick 1.5-2 hour flight; however, you are going from sea level to 3,825 metres (12,549 ft) above sea level. So give yourself some time to adjust and take it easy when you land!
Now, Juliaca may look like you’ve landed in a post-apocalyptic world, thanks to the half-made buildings and dirt roads, but keep moving! Once in Juliaca you can either take a taxi or hire a private car to drive you from Juliaca to the port of Chifron, near Capachica. At the port you can hop on a collective boat to Amantani island.
These collective boats run back and forth between the island and the mainland to bring island locals back and forth. Many of the locals will go onto the mainland to sell their farming product and for other necessities.
Once on the island, settle into your AirBnB and get used to the altitude. One of the plants in Peru that will help with the altitude is called muña, also sometimes called Andean mint. You can use muña in tea as a pick me up and to help with any altitude sickness you may be experiencing.
Afternoon
Sit out on the terrace of your AirBnB and enjoy the beautiful deep blues of Lake Titicaca. The island of Amantani does not have any vehicle traffic and many houses use solar power for electricity. Therefore, this is a perfect place to view the billions of stars at night and clearly see the milky way. It is truly the most beautiful night sky you will ever see.
Day 3: Uros Floating Islands and Exploring Amantani
Morning
Book a boat with your AirBnB guests or take the collective to the mainland in order to catch a taxi to Puno. From there you can catch a guided boat tour to the Uros floating iIslands.Peru is home to approximately 2,000 Uros people. Around 1,200 still live on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. Harvested from vast beds that grow in abundance on the lake, the humble totora plant forms the backbone of Uros life. Homes, boats, and the islands themselves are all made of totora reeds.
Afternoon
If you feel up to it and have time when you get back from your floating islands excursion, the island of Amantani has two mountain peaks, Pachatata (“father earth”) and Pachamama (“mother earth”), with ancient Inca and Tiwanaku ruins on top of both. Spend your morning hiking to the top of both hilltops, which can be done in about an hour. You can see the beauty of the island and the lake from the tops of each point.
The hillsides on the island are terraced, mostly worked by hand, and planted with wheat, quinoa, potatoes, and other vegetables. Livestock, including sheep, also graze the slopes.
Day 4: Bus drive to Cusco from Puno
Day tour:
Head to Puno in order to catch a tour bus from Puno to Cusco. Inka Express is a trustworthy service and what we used to get to Cusco: https://www.inkaexpress.com/. For US$50 you depart Puno at 6:45am and arrive in Cusco by 5:00pm. The bus stops at 5 tourist stops with a guide to speak with you about the stops, includes a buffet lunch, and drinks on board the bus.
Evening/Dinner
When you arrive in Cusco, catch a taxi or an Uber to your hotel/AirBnB in Cusco and get settled. Once you’ve unpacked, walk to Centro Historico and enjoy the people watching and the beauty of Cusco.
Head to Chola Soy for the absolute BEST sandwiches you will ever have. This is a small sandwich shop serving up traditional peruvian dishes via sandwich form. The food is delicious and the price is the best in town. For about 15 sols you can get a whole sub.
Day 5: Rainbow Mountain + Optional Red Valley
All Day Tour:
Your journey today starts early with a tour to Vinicunca, aka, “Rainbow Mountain.” Rainbow mountain is just southeast of Cusco with an altitude of 5,200 metres (17,100 ft) above sea level. According to the Cultural Landscape Office of the Decentralization of the City of Cusco, the seven colors of the mountain are due to its mineralogical composition.
Depending on the tour you choose, you will start out early with a pick up from your hotel. You will then stop in the Cusipata District for some Peruvian breakfast before heading to the trailhead. The hike is not technical but does include large elevation gain at an already high altitude, making the hike challenging.
There are options to take a donkey to the top. They sit about ⅓ of the way up the mountain, so you see many people start ditching their walking plans for the donkeys once they come across them!
The view up top is spectacular to see the colors of the mountainside. A short walk from the summit will take you to a lookout over the Red Valley. There are options to continue hiking through the Red Valley for those experienced hikers looking to put in the miles for the day! Otherwise, you can go to the lookout point from the valley and head back down to the beginning of the trailhead.
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/1247774?af&c=.pi0.pk120661082613_514937899438_c_327749537888
https://www.peruhop.com/rainbow-mountain-tour/
Dinner
For a fine dining experience and a view of the Plaza de Armas from the second story, head to Limo (Portal de Carnes 236, Cusco 08002, Peru).
Day 6: Explore Cusco's Churches and City
Morning
Take today as a day of rest after your long hiking journey yesterday at Rainbow Mountain. Start your morning with coffee and breakfast at Cafe Dwasi (Heladeros 160, Cusco 08002, Peru). Be sure to grab a bag of beans to take home with you! You can sip your Peruvian coffee and reminisce of your amazing trip.
Start by visiting Catedral de Cusco, the main church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Cusco and Iglesia del Triunfo. These two buildings are enormous to explore together and were built between 1560-1654.
Next head to Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco de Asis. This was a beautiful monastery to walk around and was built in 1572. You can go up to the roof of the monastery to see the bell tower and a great view of the city of Cusco.
Afternoon
A short walk from the monastery is the San Pedro Market (Thupaq Amaru 477, Cusco 08002, Peru). Browse the stalls for food, drink and a little shopping.
Option1:
Then, after you have gotten your fill of the mercado, hop in a taxi or Uber to head to Saqsaywaman, an Inca complex surrounded by walls that were made by fitting stones tightly together without mortar. You will have another amazing view of the Cusco valley and city.
Option 2:
Not into another archaeological site or church? Then why not take a Peruvian cooking class? You can learn how to make lomo saltado and other delicious Peruvian dishes to make at home: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/322141?checkin=2021-08-12&checkout=2021-08-15¤tTab=experience_tab&federatedSearchId=5f473817-5654-410a-821e-ef6ff1be83eb&searchId=§ionId=e58f5cf7-e738-454b-a845-cc6d411da634&source=p2.
Day 7: Sacred Valley
Day long tours:
A visit to Cusco would not be complete without making your way to the Sacred Valley. Book a tour on a bus to hit the major archaeological sites and complexes in the Sacred Valley:
https://www.peruspiritadventure.com/sacred-valley-extended-day-tour-cusco/
Day 8+ Machu Picchu
Depending on your tour company, they have options for a 2 day, 4 day and 7 day hike to Machu Picchu.
If you find there are no longer any visas left to hike the Inca Trail, there are alternative treks you can book through tour companies to still arrive at Machu Picchu. These alternative treks follow through Salkantay or the Lares Trek.
We decided on the 7 day/6 night Salkantay + Inca Trail. Below is a gallery of photos of our trek to Machu Picchu. A truly once and a lifetime experience.
