The complete itinerary
Complete Peru itinerary: 82 days, hotels and bookings
82 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel.
82 days €119
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Travel in Peru: day-by-day itineraries
The heart of the Inca empire and much more: Machu Picchu suspended in the clouds, the sacred valley of the Urubamba, Cusco with its cyclopean walls, Lake Titicaca and its floating islands, the Nazca lines drawn for the gods, the condor canyons of Arequipa and the Amazon thrown in. Peru is a history lesson in an outsized setting, served by the most celebrated gastronomy in Latin America. The great Andean journey par excellence.
- Capital
- Lima
- Currency
- Sol (PEN)
- Language
- Spanish, Quechua
- Direct flight
- ≈ 12 hr 30 from Paris
- Time difference
- -6 hr in winter, -7 hr in summer
Itineraries
Our trip ideas in Peru
Or take it one module at a time
Module
Lima and the south coast in 6 days: itinerary and hotels
Six days between capital and desert: colonial catacombs, sea lion islands, an oasis in the hollow of the dunes and the Nazca lines seen from the sky.
6 days €39
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Module
Titicaca and the road to Cusco in 7 days: itinerary and hotels
Seven days between the world's highest great lake and the coloured mountains: kayaking at Capachica, Taquile island, chullpas, the last Inca bridge and the fortress of Waqrapukara.
7 days €39
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Module
Inca Trail and Machu Picchu in 9 days: complete itinerary
Nine days towards the wonder: four days' walking on the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate, then Machu Picchu explored from every angle, ticket after ticket.
9 days €39
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Module
Peru's Great North in 9 days: itinerary and hotels
Nine days in pre-Inca Peru: the Moche huacas of Trujillo, Chan Chan, Atahualpa's ransom in Cajamarca, the funerary cliffs of Chachapoyas, Kuélap and the treasures of Sipán.
9 days €39
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Module
Arequipa and the canyons in 10 days: itinerary and hotels
Ten days in the deep south: the white city, the Cotahuasi and Colca canyons among the deepest in the world, oases, hot springs and the flight of the condors.
10 days €39
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Module
Choquequirao and Vilcabamba in 10 days: trekking itinerary
Ten days of adventure off the beaten track: the Humantay lagoon, the great trek down the Apurímac canyon to Choquequirao, then Vitcos and Espíritu Pampa, the last refuges of the Incas.
10 days €39
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Module
Cusco and the Sacred Valley in 10 days: itinerary and hotels
Ten days in the heart of the Inca empire: the capital and its fortresses, the Sistine Chapel of the Andes, Pisac, Chinchero, Moray, the Maras salt pans, Ollantaytambo and a night suspended from the cliff.
10 days €39
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Module
Tambopata and Cordillera Blanca in 10 days: itinerary and hotels
Ten days of absolute contrasts: three nights in a luxury lodge in the southern Amazon, then Huaraz, the sanctuary of Chavín and four days of trekking beneath the icy giants of the Cordillera Blanca.
10 days €39
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Module
Lima, Caral and the Tahuayo in 11 days: itinerary and lodges
The finale: the Lima of the viceroys, the oldest city in the Americas, then eight days of deep immersion in the Tahuayo Amazon, the most species-rich region in the entire lowland Amazon.
11 days €39
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The right season
When to go in Peru?
From May to September, the Andean dry season offers blue skies and firm trails: it is the ideal window for Machu Picchu and the treks, with the July-August crowds as the trade-off. From October to April, the rainy season turns the Andes green, peaking from January to March (the Inca Trail closes in February) but suits Lima and the coast well, then under their best sun.
- January : In-between
- February : Avoid
- March : In-between
- April : Pleasant
- May : Ideal
- June : Ideal
- July : Ideal
- August : Ideal
- September : Ideal
- October : Pleasant
- November : Pleasant
- December : In-between
- Ideal
- Pleasant
- In-between
- Avoid
Quick guide
Understanding Peru
Getting around
The premium buses (Cruz del Sur) eat up the long legs in comfort; domestic flights save whole days. The sacred valley train remains the only access to Machu Picchu; book early.
Money
The sol (PEN). Withdraw in the cities, keep change for the markets and the colectivos. Tips are welcome, guides and porters count on them. Machu Picchu tickets are bought weeks in advance.
Language
Spanish, plus Quechua and Aymara in the Andes. English remains limited off the main circuits: a few phrases of Spanish transform the trip.
Useful apps
The official Machu Picchu ticketing app, Redbus for the coaches, Rappi in the cities, and a pocket oximeter in the first-aid kit: altitude commands respect.
Accommodation
Haciendas of the sacred valley, colonial hotels in Cusco and Arequipa, Titicaca families for a night on the islands. Gain altitude gradually, Cusco sits at 3,400 m.
Etiquette
Accept the mate de coca offered on arrival, ask before photographing Quechua people in traditional dress, a small coin is customary, and bargain gently, never aggressively.
The iconic places
Machu Picchu
Cusco
The lost citadel of the Incas, discovered in 1911, set on its spur between two peaks. At dawn, as the mist lifts, time stands still.
Cusco
Cusco
The navel of the Inca world: twelve-angled walls, a cathedral on a temple of the Sun and the lanes of San Blas. The most beautiful city in the Andes.
Sacred Valley
Urubamba
Pisac, Ollantaytambo, the salt pans of Maras and the terraces of Moray: the granary of the Incas, between summits and sacred river.
Lake Titicaca
Puno
The highest navigable lake in the world, its floating Uros islands of totora reed and a homestay night on Amantaní, unforgettable.
Rainbow Mountain
Vinicunca
Mineral strata of red, ochre and turquoise at 5,036 m. The climb has to be earned, the landscape looks painted.
Colca Canyon
Arequipa
Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon: at the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint, the condors glide at eye level.
Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.
- Machu Picchu : The lost citadel of the Incas
- Cusco : The capital of the Inca empire
- Ollantaytambo : The fortress of the sacred valley
- Maras salt pans : 3,000 terraced salt pools
- Rainbow Mountain : The coloured strata of Vinicunca
- Lake Titicaca : Floating islands and homestay nights
- Colca Canyon : The flight of the condors
- Arequipa : The white city and its monastery
- Nazca Lines : The geoglyphs seen from the sky
- Huacachina : The oasis ringed by giant dunes
- Lima : Miraflores and the Peruvian table
- Iquitos : The gateway to the Amazon