Peru Highlights

Peru

Peru Highlights

Peru is best known as a tourist hotspot for the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, but the country has so much more to offer. Beautiful cities filled with world-class restaurants, geoglyphs etched into sand, remote indigenous communities, rugged ruins, dense rainforest, and pretty beaches – it’s a place to please all palates.

Length: 13+ days

Transportation: Hire drivers/taxis and train

Best Guide Book: Lonely Planet Peru

Packing List

Tipping Guide

Day 1 – Arequipa

Day 2 – Colca Canyon

Day 3 – Colca Canyon and Puno

Day 4 – Lake Titicaca

Day 5 – Cusco

Day 6 – Sacred Valley

Day 7 – Maras and Moray

Day 8 – To Aguas Calientes

Day 9 – Machu Picchu

Day 10 – Cusco

Day 11 – Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain)

  • Day tour to Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley
  • Dinner – choose one not tried the night before
  • Lodging – Same place (night 3/3)

Day 12 – Lima

Day 13 – Fly Home or Extend

  • Fly home
  • Alternatively – see below for extension options to see more of the country

Detailed Itinerary

For most people, visiting Peru means visiting Machu Picchu (and not much else). However, Peru is a vast country with incredibly different biospheres, and in one place you can visit towering mountain peaks (bring your altitude sickness medicine), sparkling alpine lakes, rainforest, desert, and an incredible amount of history. With less time, focus on Machu Picchu, Cusco and the Sacred Valley. With more time add in the Amazon or a trek in the mountains. We’ll add in these extension options at the bottom of the itinerary.

Of course, many people choose to trek to Machu Picchu which will take you 5 days (4 nights). If this is important to you (and it really is spectacularly beautiful) carve out time to do this.

To get around the country, it’s easiest to hire a driver. While you can rent a car, some roads are more difficult than others, and you miss out on the information and advice that a guide brings. They help deal with logistics and can accommodate whatever it is you may want to see. We are recommending the fantastic guides we used, but you can also find guides who can lead you around a certain region with a driver and car on Tours by Locals.

Day 1 – Arequipa

It’ll probably take you a day to get to Arequipa, and you have to fly through Lima. If you arrive at Lima late, book a room at the Wyndham Cost Del Sol (just across the street from the airport) before catching a morning flight to Arequipa the next day. Try to arrive morning or early midday to Arequipa.

Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru with an abundance of charm and character. The colonial city is set in the Andes in the valley between volcanoes. It’s a beautiful city to wander, with its colonial architecture made of white volcanic sillar stone.

Take a walking tour to experience it’s top sites: the Cathedral of Arequipa and the Santa Catalina Monastery. We used Rene via Tours By Locals (who was a great guide for 3 days of exploration).

Arequipa’s main square at night

Spend the rest of your day looking around the shops of the old town or grabbing a drink in one of the many charming courtyards.

Arequipa has an excellent dining scene and is famous for its stuffed peppers. Grab dinner at Zig Zag, Chicha Arequipa, or Zingaro Restaurante.

For lodging right on the pedestrian-only main square stay at Casa Andina Premium Arequipa. Other options include Palla Boutique Hotel and La Hosteria.

Day 2 – Colca Canyon

Enjoy breakfast at your lodging. Afterward, with your guide, head to the Colca Canyon. On this 3 hour drive you’ll pass by herds of vicuñas and alpacas, enjoy a mountain overlook at a pass 16,500 feet above sea level. Enjoy a snack or lunch while learning interesting facts about the country and countryside. Finally you will arrive in Colca Canyon, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Peru with a river winding through surrounded on either side by Inca terraces crisscrossing every hillside.

Colca Canyon

You’ll get to your lodging by midday (which is a good thing) to enjoy the famous Colca hot springs. We strongly recommend staying at Colca Lodge Spa and Hot Springs which has a series of natural hot spring pools that sit along the Rio Colca. You can explore their alpaca sanctuary, the nearby trails, or enjoy a massage onsite. All of the hotels have some version of hot springs but Colca Lodge’s are truly special. Have dinner on site and enjoy star gazing from the hot pools after dinner.

Day 3 – Colca Canyon and Puno

This morning you will head to Mirador Cruz del Cóndor, the best place to catch sight of the majestic Andean condor. On the way you’ll pull out at various stunning viewpoints. You may see women wearing traditional clothes with their alpacas dressed with fun neck pieces. While not mandatory to pay for a photo with snuggling the alpaca, try and give 1-2 soles to the women who are with them. Also notice the hats – everywhere you go in this country you’ll see different types. They are not only a fashion symbol but also represent marital status, place of origin, intentions, and more. They are extremely decorated and beautiful and don’t miss the chance to get a good look at them.

An Andean condor

Once you get to the condor lookout be prepared to watch the birds swoop right overhead. The number you’ll see depends on luck and conditions, but there is a really excellent chance you’ll see birds set against the beautiful canyon backdrop.

Driving out of the viewing area, stop in Maca and enjoy its church, main plaza, and artisan market. If you’re planning to purchase gifts in Peru, you will save some money doing it in smaller and less touristed areas, like Maca (not Cusco or Lima). Try the local sweet drink during your stop.

After you will head to Puno (about 5h30m). Along the way stop for lunch and stretch your legs at Laguna Lagunillas (an alpine lake high in the Andes at 14,000 feet).

Once you reach Puno, check into your hotel. The best place to stay is the GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca, set on a small island (reachable by car via a bridge) for its fantastic views of both Puno and the floating islands. Other options include Puno Casa Andina Premium Puno and Sonesta Posadas del Inca Lake Titicaca. If you want, now is your chance to stay on a floating island made of reeds in the middle of Lake Titicaca on Islas Uros. The locals have created state of the art lodging on their islands – expect real walls, running water with a shower, and plush bedding. They will cook for you, show you around their islands, and give you a taste of indigenous culture. The upside is adventure and a cultural immersion experience. The downside is it can be cold and you’ll have to coordinate with the islanders a boat ride from the mainland once you arrive in Puno (and get your guide tomorrow to pick you up from there) – absolutely doable if this is of interest to you. We recommend Amalia Titikaka Lodge or Walter Titikaka Lodge – the rooms are lovely and the owners are enthusiastic and incredibly kind.

For dinner in Puno either eat at your hotel at Los Uros, or head into town and the main historical plaza and eat at Mojsa. Other options include Alma Bar Restaurant, Valeria Restaurant, and Remix Pizzeria.

Day 4 – Lake Titicaca

Today is your day to explore the cultures of Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is vast and shared between Peru and Bolivia. It would be impossible to visit all islands in the lake in a single day, but it’s feasible to see the floating island of Uros and Taquile Island, both vastly different and fascinating and a true highlight of your Peru experience.

Our guide Sandra (with Tours by Locals) was excellent, and we highly recommend her, but you can do less expensive large group tours of Lake Titicaca if you prefer. Most tours visit these two islands, but it’s possible to work with a private tour guide to add Amantani Island as well.

Meet your guide and climb aboard your boat, sailing into the lake towards Uros, the handmade islands in the bay close to Puno. The Uros people are thought to be descended from the earliest inhabitants of Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater lake in South America and the highest of the world’s large lakes, and around 1,200 still live on the floating islands. Lake Titicaca is one of fewer than 20 ancient lakes on earth and is thought to be 1 million years old and the birthplace of the Inca civilization.

The Uru have preserved their floating lifestyle for hundreds of years, building mobile islands from the totora plant to be able to easily move their islands and protect themselves from invasion including against the Incas and Spanish. The Uros subsist on fishing, bird hunting, gathering from reed beds, and growing vegetables on the island. You’ll learn how they build everything from boats to the islands themselves from the totora roots. Depending on which tour you take, you’ll get to enjoy a ride in one of the reed boats around the islands, watching the locals going about their daily business.

Floating islands of the Uros people

Afterwards you will head to Taquile Island out in the main part of the lake. On this island you will learn about the Taquileños’ way of life. They still wear their traditional garments, forgoing western dress, and embrace many interesting traditions which you will learn about including that men knit while women weave, the significance of the headwear, belts braided out of human hair, and more. The weaving is actually recognized by UNESCO. After watching a weaving demonstration and traditional dance, make your way up to the top of the island for lunch at a local restaurant. If you feel like you’re huffing and puffing, it’s probably because the highest point reaches 13,287 feet. As you wander along the island, enjoy the immense otherworldly beauty; the island is so picturesque surrounded by turquoise water it almost feels transported from the Mediterranean.

After Taquile, you’ll take your boat back to Puno. Enjoy dinner at a restaurant you didn’t try the night before and head to bed early – tomorrow is an early start.

Day 5 – Cusco

Today you will be on a train all day – but believe us, it’s worth it. This is no ordinary train. Take PeruRail’s Titicaca Train, a luxury rail experience that winds along one of the world’s highest train tracks from Puno over the Peruvian Andes to Cusco over about 10 hours. It is a remarkable train ride and you can enjoy elegance and impressive scenery. Of note, this train only leaves twice a week so you may need to adjust your trip accordingly. Your only other option is to take a long and boring bus (which we don’t recommend).

PeruRail’s Titicaca Train

The train itself is a throwback to the golden era of train travel, with wood-paneled cars and early-twentieth century décor. Enjoy the observation deck as you speed by villages, getting a true taste of life across the Andes, grab drinks in the bar car, enjoy fine dining and high tea in your luxury seats, watch traditional dance, listen to live music, and learn how to make the famous pisco sours – the journey will zip by.

Once you arrive in Cusco, if you’re still hungry head to dinner at Cicciolina (a great tapas restaurant). Alternatively choose from Chicha, Marcelo Batata, Pachapapa, Limo, Incanto, Map Cafe, La Bodega 138, Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse, Jack’s Cafe, and Los Toldos Chicken (for something more casual).

The Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel is lovely and in a great location. Other options include Andenes al Cleio, Inkaterra La Casona,, Belmond Hotel Monasterio, Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza, and the JW Mariott El Monasterio.

Day 6 – Sacred Valley

In the morning meet your guide. We cannot recommend Hernan Hermoza Gamarra enough, he’s extremely organized, flexible, easy to work with, and will tailor your trip to what you want to see. Alternatively, you can either drive and do this on your own, arrange taxis through the Sacred Valley, or hire different guides for each day.

Start your day by visiting Pisac. Pisac is a village at the southern end of Peru’s Sacred Valley. Head to Pisac Archaeological Park, an old Incan citadel including ancient temples, plazas, Inca tombs, and a large sundial (Intihuatana). From here you’ll be able to see the Quitamayo Gorge and surrounding Urubamba Valley. For an extra highlight take the easy walk down to the village (4km) and pass by more Inca ruins perched dramatically above the valley. Once back in town, Pisac is known for its craft market, but know it’s both the largest and most touristy in the region – watch out for mass-produced goods. Arguably more interesting is its produce market on Sundays.

The Inca citadel at Pisac

Push further into the Sacred Valley, stopping along the way for lunch at Kampu in Urubamba. Head clear across to the other end of the valley to Ollantaytambo and the Sun Temple. Ollantaytambo was an important religious, military, and agriculture center for the Incas and still contains amazing ruins and the archaeological zone preserves houses, streets, and canals from the Tahuantinsuyo era. Here, the Inca faced the Spanish troops of Francisco Pizarro and won a victory. It’s also the launching point for both the train and trek to Machu Picchu.

The premiere site is the Sun Temple, soaring ruins once worshipping the sun god and still an impressive site. The stones are massive, and you’ll climb right to the top for a closeup to the architecture and great view of the valley below. Across the way you’ll see Inca storehouses which, with additional time, you can climb up to. Along with the Sun Temple you can enjoy Ollantaytambo’s craft market and Mañay Raqay Square.

The Sun Temple at Ollantaytambo

While you can choose to stay in town, we recommend staying at other places in the Sacred Valley. Andenia Hotel Boutique Valle Sagrado is intimate and lovely with beautiful gardens, great food, and a fun bar. Other options in the area include Tambo del Inca, Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba, Aranwa Sacred Valley, Rio Sagrado, and Sol y Luna.

Day 7 – Maras and Moray

Start your morning by visiting Chinchero, a small Andean village high in the plains above the Sacred Valley believed by the Inca to be the birthplace of the rainbow. It’ll give you a good sense of life in Andean villages. You’ll get beautiful views overlooking the valley and may be able to see the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Vilcambamba and Salkantay on the horizon. It has a colorful Sunday market, and the village itself is made of adobe houses from which you’ll watch locals heading in and out in their traditional dress.

In the main plaza you can see a massive stone Inca wall (this town may have been used as a sort of country resort). In the main plaza you’ll also see an adobe colonial church dating from the early 17th century, built upon the foundations of an Inca temple of palace. Stop in at an artisan center, where you’ll learn about their textiles, weaving and natural dying techniques. The women artisans of Chinchero create elaborate designs using ancestral techniques to weave sheep, alpaca, and baby alpaca wool.

After Chinchero, make your way to the Maras Salt Mines, a UNESCO world heritage site. The mines are located at the lower part of the Salineras stream and made of 4,500 salt wells formed into stepped terraces. The saltwater passes from well to well through a main irrigation channel and has been in use since the pre-Inca times. Here you’ll see workers mining the salt with long picks and you’ll see the salt wells in various states of the process: pink, white, and brown. The salt extraction is an elaborate process and has been done in the same way for centuries.

The Salineras Salt Mines

From the salt mines head to the ancient Inca site of Moray. These Inca ruins have been a mystery for a long time, comprised of nested stone rings thought to be a large-scale agricultural experiment. Different crops were thought to have been grown at various levels with the highest being used for storage. Based on soil extraction, many of the terraces are comprised of soil imported from other parts of the region. The temperature at the top of the circles varies from the bottom by as much at 15 degrees Celsius, creating a series of micro climates that match the varied climates across the Incan empire and therefore thought to be a test to see what crops could grow in different regions and further proof of the Inca’s remarkable knowledge.

The Inca terraces at Moray

Finish your day at Mil with a late lunch (plan for 1:30 or 2pm, lunch will take three or four hours). Sitting at the top of the Moray ruin, this splurge is totally worth it. Mil is a both a food lab and immersion center where you’ll enjoy an 8 course meal with wine or juice pairings that focuses on innovative ways to use the surrounding ecosystem. Along with nearby indigenous communities, the food staff cultivate and harvest a wide array of crops and herbs. The food and experience are both remarkable and well worth it.

Day 8 – Aguas Calientes

Today is pretty low key. Enjoy a lazy morning, get lunch (if you’re staying at Andenas try La 58 Restobar) or opt to see a few more Inca sites in the valley, then head to the train station in Ollantaytambo where you’ll catch the train to Aguas Calientes. The 1.5-hour train ride winds through the mountains until you reach the town closest to Macchu Picchu.

The town of Aguas Calientes isn’t the most interesting; it’s a functional base camp for Macchu Picchu. Enjoy a beer at one of the restaurants or breweries like Mapacho overlooking the river, wander the craft market near the train station, visit the local hot springs Baños Termales (don’t expect glamor or luxury), visit a very small butterfly refuge Mariposario de Machupicchu, or take a 3 hour hike to Los Jardines de Mandor, a lovely manicured garden with picturesque waterfalls and a swimming hole. If you don’t have a guide for Machu Picchu (a mistake) you can gain some information at the Machu Picchu museum.

Dinner may be included in your hotel stay; if not head to Indio Feliz (make sure to order the frozen lemonade).

For lodging we recommend El Mapi, Casa del Sol Machupicchu, Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel, Tierra Viva Machu Picchu, Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu, or Susanna Inn Machu Picchu Hotel. Skip the ultra luxury Belmond Sanctuary Lodge; the exorbitant price isn’t worth it. You don’t actually get early or late access to Machu Picchu without the crowds anymore (which used to be the one reason to splurge and stay there).

Day 9 – Machu Picchu

Today you’ll be getting up early for Machu Picchu. Aim to get on one of the earliest buses. You’ll need to purchase a ticket in advance to visit (including if you want to climb one of the peaks behind Machu Picchu). They will check this ticket when you board the bus from Aguas Calientes. Be careful when buying your ticket, as each ticket offers an opportunity to see different parts of Machu Picchu and different viewpoints for photos. We strongly recommend Circuit Two (High Long), the other circuits won’t let you see everything. The complexity of the ticket system is another reason to hire a good guide, who will walk you through the options. If you’re buying tickets directly, you must purchase them through the government’s official website. Make your selections carefully, as your tickets are nonrefundable, non-changeable, and non-transferable. Our Machu Picchu page has more information on tickets and getting to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu

If you want to hike one of the mountains around Machu Picchu, you should buy an additional ticket to climb the mountain (if you just buy the mountain ticket, you won’t be able to see much of the ruins). Your mountain options are Huayna Picchu (the big mountain behind Machu Picchu in the famous pictures of the ruins), Huchuy Picchu (a small sub-summit of Huayna Picchu, an easier hike, but the views aren’t nearly as good), and Machu Picchu Mountain (the mountain above the sun gate on the opposite side of the ruins from Huayna Picchu). Again, there’s more information on our Machu Picchu page.

Machu Picchu is obviously incredible, and likely a highlight of your trip. Not exaggerating, Machu Picchu is one of the most stunning places in the world. Likely constructed as an estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti, the city of Machu Picchu was built in the middle of the fifteenth century and remains perched improbably on a plateau among sheer mountains. Take your time exploring all its nooks and crannies as well as the many varied photo points. We recommend the hike to Huayna Picchu afterwards to give you an incredible view over the ruins.

Machu Picchu and its surrounding terraces from Huayna Picchu

Afterwards, return via bus back to Aguas Caliente, grab lunch, and take an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo where you can then have your driver pick you up to get to Cusco (about an hour dive).

Have dinner at one of the places you didn’t try before in Cusco.

We recommend you stay in the same lodging as your last night in Cusco as well.

Day 10 – Cusco

Today is your day to explore the lovely city of Cusco. Cusco is an Andean city filled with colonial charm, cobblestone streets, and towering Baroque churches. Among markets (both food and textiles), you’ll find preserved Incan ruins all nestled in a valley underneath rolling hills.

Start your day at the Plaza de Armas, Cusco’s main historic plaza before wandering through the San Blas district and plaza full of some of Cusco’s prettiest architecture and quaint shops. Hatunrumiyoc is an Inca road and remnant of the city’s past and its cobblestone leads through the neighborhood that is full of small boutique shops and galleries. Korikancha is an impressive site. It was once the Inca Temple of Sun and lined with gold. The Spanish then built the Church of Santo Domingo on top of the ruins. Today you’ll see a stark contrast between church and temple foundation and you can walk through the Spanish and Inca sections. Afterwards head to San Pedro Market, a huge fruit, vegetable, and meat market that spills outside from the covered stalls to the street. You’ll find everything here: a myriad of Peruvian vegetables and fruit, meat, fish, spices, cheese, coffee, chocolate – you name it, you’ll find it. Inside are areas of prepared food counters where you’ll see locals slurping up soup or eating rice and eggs. This is the cheapest place to eat in the entire city and is a colorful slice of life of Cusco.

Head right out of town (either by car or a hike) to Saqsaywaman, an ancient Inca religious site with incredible stonework and views. It is comprised of a large fortress and temple complex that was once part of the former Inca capital of Cusco. From here you’ll also see the Cristo Blanco – the massive statue of Christ that stands above the city. Other sites around Cusco include Q’enqo, a religious site for the Inca primarily used for funerals and sacrifices, Puka Pukara or the “Red Fortress,” and Tambomachay, the Inca baths.

Sacsayhuaman

Spend the rest of your afternoon wandering Cusco’s historic district marveling at the colonial architecture sitting upon Inca ruins, visit the Pre-Columbian art museum housed in a colonial mansion set atop Inca ruins, perusing art shops in the San Blas district, and getting a drink, perhaps at Hanz Craft Beer & Restaurant sitting up above the Plaza de Armas. For dinner pick a different option than the night before.

Day 11- Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain)

Rainbow Mountain (aka Vinicunca) has mostly become famous because of Instagram, but it really is a site to behold. Until recently it was covered in permafrost, but due to climate change, rapid melting has revealed a colorful mountain behind. The minerals in the earth cause the sandstone to turn the colors of yellow, maroon, and turquoise. Rainbow Mountain is located in the Vilcanota range, home to one of Peru’s tallest peaks, Ausangate.

Rainbow Mountain

The trip in total takes about 12 hours (and is an approximately 3 hour drive each way). Most tours leave around 3 or 4am (we recommend this early departure to avoid the droves of other tourists who will be visiting the mountain). You need to be physically prepared to climb to 16,500 feet above sea level. It’s a steep hike that can be challenging. Horses are also available for at least part of the way up. There are a number of different guides at a wide variety of price ranges; most of the tours are pretty similar, though the quality of the guides and included food can vary. We recommend Rainbow Mountain Travels: they’re more expensive than some, but the guides are good, and the have one of the earliest departure times from Cusco, which will get you to the mountains before the crowds arrive.

After climbing to the view point, find the trailhead to Red Valley (make sure your tour company includes this option), and make the additional, and easier, hike (an additional 20 soles) which is well worth it. The valley is a vivid red and offers sweeping views and a break from the crowds of Rainbow Mountain (in fact, we had it entirely to ourselves on the day we visited, even though Rainbow Mountain was swarmed).

The Red Valley

You can join a group trip or hire a private driver/guide for this excursion. In the afternoon, take a nap, or again enjoy wandering around Cusco.

Day 12 – Lima

Take a morning flight to Lima. Depending on your flight home you may want to stay close to the airport at the Wyndham Costa del Sol. If you’re not leaving too early, Miraflores is Lima’s best neighborhood, and we recommend the the Casa Andina Premium Miraflores or Hotel de Autor. Either way, take a day tour of Lima (we enjoyed it with Sandra Sanchez).

Start in downtown Lima and visit San Martin Plaza, Union Street, the Main Square, Government Palace, Lima Metropolitan Cathedral (where Pizarro is buried). Next head to the San Francisco Convent and catacombs – which are just as creepy as they sound. Then walk to the Convent of Santo Domingo, which houses the National University of San Marcos, the oldest university in the Americas. After this historic center, visit the Larco Museum, a huge collection of pre-Columbian art spanning 5,000 years and a famous erotic archaeological collection. This is a good spot to grab lunch at the onsite café. Finally end in Miraflores, Lima’s most upscale neighborhood, and see the the Park of Love, a park overlooking the ocean with a huge kissing sculpture and mosaic walls and the Lima Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca site built 900 years before Machu Picchu.

For drinks before or after dinner head to Gran Hotel Bolivar, Barra 55, Barranco Beer Company, or Café Victoria.

Grab dinner at Astrid y Gastón or pick a restaurant from our Lima Restaurant Scene.

Trip Extensions

Peru is incredible, and there is certainly more to see! If you find yourself in the lucky position and have more time we recommend:

1 extra day:

  • Sacred Valley: river rafting or horseback riding
  • Nazca Lines

2-3 extra days:

4 -5 extra days:

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