You can have just four days of a long holiday or 30 of your long-awaited vacation. No matter how much time you have, you can put together a comprehensive travel itinerary around Peru. And, best of all, there are daily (and direct) flights between Lima, the Peruvian capital, and several Brazilian cities.
I have been to the ancient territory of the Incas twice. The first was in 2012, the year I visited Machu Picchu. The second was in 2016, when I had the opportunity to visit Lake Titicaca, among other attractions. I combined these two experiences – and the desire for a third trip – in this text, in which I recommend six travel itineraries through Peru. And I’m sure it’s possible to create many others, even combining them with destinations in neighboring countries, such as Bolivia and Chile.
Shall we start from the basics? If you want to go to Peru, you probably dream of visiting a special place: Machu Picchu.
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Machu Picchu
4 or 5 day itinerary in Peru
Option 1: Cuzco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Four days to visit Machu Picchu? If it’s full days, not counting travel, it’s enough, although I’m the first to agree that the Velha Montanha region deserves much more. Okay, Machu Picchu only takes up one day of the itinerary, but Cuzco and the Sacred Valley are just as incredible and demand more.
If you have so little time and want to visit Machu Picchu, buy tickets to Cuzco and just make the connection in Lima. Take advantage of the first day to wander around Main Square and dealing with altitude sickness. The next day, it’s time to discover the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Moray, Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Red Red and Tambomachay They are some of the most visited places in the region, but the options don’t stop at this list.
And after visiting these Inca ruins, take the train to Aguas Calientes, spend the night there and watch the day begin at Machu Picchu. Return to Cuzco the same night and enjoy your last day in the city or taking tours of the surrounding ruins. The texts below help with trip planning.
See too: How to buy entry to Machu Picchu
What is the tour of the Sacred Valley in Cuzco, Peru like?
Machu Picchu: Our tips and trip reports
Cuzco or Aguas Calientes? Where to set up your base to visit Machu Picchu
Cusco, not Peru
Option 2: Lima
In my opinion, Lima is the second most interesting capital in South America – second only to Buenos Aires. And, look, in terms of the historic center, the Peruvian capital easily beats Argentina. Just as Salvador and Rio de Janeiro were the capitals of Portuguese America, Lima was the center of Spanish America, which explains the many colonial buildings you will find there. However, Lima also has Inca and even pre-Inca ruins in the middle of the city! Point for Peru.
And I didn’t even need to talk about Peruvian cuisine, which is one of the most interesting you’ll try out there. You only have four or five days in Peru and you’ve already seen Machu Picchu? Have no doubt: spend all your time in Lima. Get to know the Main Squarevisite a Church of San Francisco (and its catacombs), take a look at the Miraflores and end your days in the bars of Ravine.
Visit pre-Columbian ruins, such as the Huaca Pucllana or the Pachacamacand reserve space in your budget for good restaurants, like the fantastic The sea. It’s going to be an incredible trip – and I guarantee you won’t feel like leaving Lima behind.
See too: What to do in Lima, Peru
Urban Kitchen: Peruvian Cooking Class in Lima
The sanctuary of Pachacamac, in Lima: a thousand years of history
Where to stay in Lima, the best neighborhoods
Lima
7 to 10 day itinerary in Peru
Option 1: Lima, Cuzco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
With a week of travel I would tend to go directly to Cuzco and not even stop in Lima. I think this is the ideal time to get to know the ancient Inca capital calmly, not suffer from altitude sickness, explore the Sacred Valley and freak out at Machu Picchu. After 10 days things change and you can now fit Lima into the same trip. There’s no secret – get off in Lima, spend two or three full days there and then head to Cuzco, combining the two itinerary options I listed above.
See too: How to deal with altitude sickness
Moray, no Sacred Vale
Option 2: Lima, Arequipa, Colca Valley and Lake Titicaca
This was the itinerary for my second trip to Peru, an invitation from Submarino Viagens and the country’s tourism body. We spent seven whole days there – there was time to do everything, but I think this trip would be even better with 10 days. Arrive in Lima, spend two or three nights and begin to adapt to Peruvian flavors.
From there head to Arequipa. LATAM and Avianca are some of the airlines that operate this route, lasting 1h30. It is also possible to go by land, but keep in mind that taking the road in Peru involves going up and down mountains, which makes the journey quite time-consuming. This applies not only to this itinerary, but also to the previous ones, when traveling between Lima and Cuzco.
Arequipa
Spend two days in Arequipa, the white city. Get to know the Main Squareperhaps the most beautiful in Peru, the Santa Catalina Monasterya Chapel of Saint Ignatiusnicknamed the Sistine Chapel of Arequipa, and the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, where there is the mummy of Juanita, an Inca girl who, at the age of 12, was sacrificed to the gods and dumped in the snowy mountains around the city. And don’t forget to go to the viewpoints overlooking the volcanoes that surround Arequipa, such as the Carmen Altomy favorite, and the It’s burningwhich is located in a historic square.
See too: What to do in Arequipa
Colca Valley and one of the deepest canyons on the planet
Santa Catalina Monastery: visit to the past
Go on a two-day trip (with an overnight stay) through Colca Valleya region full of villages with little colonial churches and which has the second largest canyon in the world, 4150 meters deep – twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, in the United States.
From the Colca Valley you have two options. I returned to Arequipa and from there I took a flight to Puno (actually to Juliaca, a neighboring city where the airport is located). It is also possible to take a bus from Chivay, one of the villages in the Colca Valley, directly to Puno. Regardless of your choice, the next day will be on the banks of the highest navigable lake in the world.
Colca Valley
Titicaca is Puno’s biggest attraction. Two nights are enough to do the two main tours, but if you have an extra night you’ll have time to sleep on one of the islands and watch the day begin in the middle of the day. Titicaca.
In addition to wandering around the center of Puno, set aside a day to tour the Uros Floating Islands and for Taquile. And at least half a day to get to know Sillustani and its funerary towers.
See too: The funeral towers of Sillustani, in Puno, Peru
Tour of the Uros Floating Islands in Peru
Tour of Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca
Lago Titicaca, no Peru
Option 3: Lima, Huaraz, Ica, Paracas and Nazca
This is the trip I haven’t taken yet, but I intend to take. After focusing on Machu Picchu, the Colca Valley and Titicaca, the highlight is the Nazca lines. To complete this itinerary, I chose cities closer to the coast of Peru.
This itinerary can be done entirely by land, by bus, as trips generally don’t exceed eight hours and can be done at night, saving a hotel night. The disadvantage, of course, is being more tired during the tours. Furthermore, Huaraz is north of Lima, while the other destinations are south of the capital, which requires you to make a connection in the city. I’ve already traveled by bus through Peru, with Cruz del Sur, and I found the vehicles super comfortable – sometimes much better than the Brazilian ones.
After spending two days in Lima, head to Huaraz (400 km; between 6h and 8h by road). The city is a great base for discovering the White Mountain Rangego hiking and visit blue water lagoons, such as Parón it’s at 69. Spend two nights there, then head back to Lima, from where you will catch another bus, this time to Ica (320 km; between 4h and 5h journey). There you will meet the Huacachina Oasis and you can take a day trip to Paracas e as Islands Crossbows.
Huacachina Oasis, Ica (Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons)
From Ica continue to Nazca. The 122 kilometers that separate the two cities allow this tour to also be done on a day trip basis. After the flyover (yes, you will fly to see the lines), return to Lima and enjoy the rest of your time there.
Nazca linens (Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons)
20 to 30 day backpacking trip in Peru
It’s easy to combine all the destinations mentioned above in the same backpacking trip: you just need to have time. You can get between cities by mixing bus trips with flights, depending on convenience and available fares.
An interesting itinerary would be: Lima (four days), Ica (three days), return to Lima to catch the flight to Arequipa (three days), Colca Valley (two days), Cuzco and Sacred Valley (five days), Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu (one day), Puno and Lake Titicaca (three days).
Do you think there are a lack of interesting destinations in Peru or do you have other tips? Leave a comment.
