10 days in Peru: Lima, Arequipa, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu

Lima's ceviche and museums first, then Arequipa's white-stone monastery to ease into altitude, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu on the 2026 circuit rules and Rainbow Mountain, ending with a Maido dinner. Best May to October (dry season).

1. Day 19:30 am – 9:30 pm · 5 stops
2. 9:30 am 1

   Clifftop Malecón and Parque del AmorLima

   Walk the Miraflores clifftop path over the Pacific, past the mosaic benches of Parque del Amor; paragliders launch from this stretch on clear afternoons. Free. Lima's garúa mist hangs from June to October; summer (December–March) is sunny.

   8 min by train or taxi · 1.7 km
3. 11 am 2

   Huaca Pucllana, a pyramid in MirafloresLima

   A 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid in the middle of the city. Entry is by guided tour only (Spanish and English groups leave regularly); day visits run Wednesday to Monday 9:00–17:00, closed Tuesdays. Night visits run Wednesday to Sunday by reservation.

   17 min walk · 1.3 km
4. 12:45 pm 3

   Ceviche lunch at La MarLima

   Gastón Acurio's lunchtime cebichería, on every recent Lima food list. Limenos eat ceviche at lunch, never at night. Order a classic-and-spicy ceviche duo, a tiradito and a chupe; no reservations, so arrive near opening.

   8 min by train or taxi · 4.7 km
5. 3:30 pm 4

   Barranco and the Puente de los SuspirosLima

   Lima's bohemian quarter of murals, old mansions and the wooden Bridge of Sighs, with steps down to the sea at sunset. Free; trip reports pair it with Miraflores in one afternoon.

   3 min walk · 150 m
6. 7:30 pm 5

   Dinner at Isolina Taberna PeruanaLima

   A Barranco taberna serving huge portions of criollo home cooking: lomo saltado, seco, ribs and a pisco sour. Portions are built for sharing, so order less than you think.

7. Day 210 am – 8 pm · 5 stops
8. 10 am 6

   Plaza Mayor and the colonial centreLima

   The UNESCO-listed historic centre around the Government Palace and cathedral, with carved wooden balconies on the side streets. Free; a guided walk of the centre is how most trip reports start Lima.

   5 min walk · 400 m
9. 11 am 7

   Catacombs of the Convento de San FranciscoLima

   A guided visit through the monastery's library and cloisters down into the bone-lined catacombs, two blocks from the Plaza Mayor. Tours leave regularly; no photos inside.

   9 min by train or taxi · 5.7 km
10. 1 pm 8

    Lunch on the Museo Larco terraceLima

    The museum's restaurant sits on bougainvillea-covered terraces over the gardens; entry to the café is free and the museum suggests reserving. Taxi from the centre takes about 20 minutes.

    3 min walk · 0 m
11. 2:15 pm 9

    Museo Larco's pre-Columbian collectionLima

    Peru's best introduction to the cultures before the Incas, with an open storeroom of thousands of pots and the famous erotic gallery. Adults S/ 50 on site or S/ 45 online; open daily including holidays (entrance on calle Navarra).

    13 min by train or taxi · 7.9 km
12. 6:30 pm 10

    Fly Lima to ArequipaLima

    About 1h30 in the air. Arequipa sits at about 2,300 m, a gentler first step up before Cusco's 3,400 m.

13. Day 39 am – 9:15 pm · 6 stops
14. 9 am 11

    Monasterio de Santa CatalinaArequipa

    A walled 16th-century convent town of blue and terracotta lanes, the reason most people come to Arequipa. Foreign adults S/ 45 (December 2025); open daily 9:00–18:00, last entry 17:00. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays it stays open by candlelight until 20:30, an alternative worth switching to.

    7 min walk · 550 m
15. 11:45 am 12

    Juanita at the Museo Santuarios AndinosArequipa

    Guided visits to the frozen Inca child sacrificed on Ampato volcano and the offerings found with her. Closed Mondays; about S/ 25 in recent reports.

    19 min walk · 1.4 km
16. 1 pm 13

    Picantería lunch at La Nueva PalominoArequipa

    The Yanahuara picantería that food writers single out: rocoto relleno, shrimp chupe, crispy cuy and chicha de jora. Picanterías are a lunch affair, so go early; on Sunday mornings it serves adobo.

    3 min walk · 200 m
17. 2:45 pm 14

    Mirador de Yanahuara and queso heladoArequipa

    White sillar arches framing El Misti volcano, a short walk from lunch. Travellers recommend a cup of Arequipa's queso helado (a cinnamon milk ice cream) from the vendors here. Free.

    18 min walk · 1.4 km
18. 4 pm 15

    Plaza de Armas and the cathedralArequipa

    One of South America's grandest squares, lined with white volcanic-stone arcades and the twin-towered cathedral; best at golden hour with the volcanoes behind. Free.

    4 min walk · 300 m
19. 7:30 pm 16

    Dinner at Chicha, ArequipaArequipa

    Gastón Acurio's take on Arequipa cooking in a colonial courtyard by the monastery: adobo croquetas, locro de pecho, alpaca carpaccio and crisp pork belly. Takes reservations.

20. Day 48:30 am – 9 pm · 5 stops
21. 8:30 am 17

    Fly Arequipa to CuscoArequipa

    A short hop up to 3,400 m. Take the first afternoon slowly, drink water, skip alcohol tonight; trip reports that rested on arrival day felt far better on the hills later.

    2h 24m by train or taxi · 317 km
22. 12:30 pm 18

    Andean lunch at Pachapapa in San BlasCusco

    A courtyard restaurant on Plaza San Blas with a wood oven: ají de gallina, kankacho (roast lamb) and soups that help at altitude. About US$12–35 a head (2026).

    8 min walk · 550 m
23. 2:30 pm 19

    Qorikancha, the Inca sun templeCusco

    The finest Inca stonework in Cusco, with the Santo Domingo convent built on top of it. An easy, mostly flat visit for the first afternoon; paid separately from the Boleto Turístico.

    7 min walk · 550 m
24. 4:30 pm 20

    Plaza de Armas at duskCusco

    The cathedral and La Compañía church light up as the sun drops. Free; sit on a balcony café if your legs need a rest.

    3 min walk · 200 m
25. 7:30 pm 21

    Dinner at Chicha por Gastón AcurioCusco

    Cusco's best-known modern Peruvian kitchen: pan-seared trout, rocoto prawn spaghetti, cuy. About US$35–50 a head (2026 guide); reserve.

26. Day 59 am – 9 pm · 6 stops
27. 9 am 22

    Sacsayhuamán's giant wallsCusco

    The zigzag fortress of 100-tonne stones above the city. Buy the Boleto Turístico Integral here: S/ 130 for foreigners, valid 10 days, and it also covers Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero later this week (Machu Picchu is separate).

    10 min walk · 750 m
28. 11 am 23

    Down via the San Cristóbal lookoutCusco

    Walk downhill from Sacsayhuamán past the San Cristóbal church terrace, the classic view over Cusco's red roofs. Free and downhill all the way.

    12 min walk · 900 m
29. 12:30 pm 24

    Lunch at the San Pedro marketCusco

    Juice stalls, soup counters and cheap set lunches; a 2026 guide puts a meal at US$8–11. Try the fresh fruit juices and a caldo de gallina. Keep an eye on bags.

    12 min walk · 900 m
30. 2:15 pm 25

    Museo de Arte PrecolombinoCusco

    A small, beautifully curated collection of pre-Inca art in a colonial mansion; trip reports give it about S/ 20. The MAP Café glass box in the courtyard is a well-regarded fine-dining option.

    5 min walk · 350 m
31. 4 pm 26

    San Blas lanes and workshopsCusco

    The steep artisans' quarter above the plaza, full of weaving and silver workshops and small galleries. Free to wander; markets around Av. El Sol and San Blas are where trip reports shop.

    4 min walk · 250 m
32. 7:30 pm 27

    Dinner at CicciolinaCusco

    A second-floor tapas bar and restaurant: alpaca in mushroom and pisco sauce, paiche ceviche, house pasta. About US$17–35 a head (2026).

33. Day 68 am – 5:15 pm · 6 stops
34. 8 am 28

    Drive down into the Sacred ValleyCusco

    Hire a driver or join a tour for the day; the classic loop runs clockwise from Pisac to Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, which drops you 600 m lower than Cusco for the night.

35. 9 am 29

    Pisac's terraces and citadelPisac

    Agricultural terraces sweeping round a mountainside, with temples and the largest known Inca cemetery above. Covered by the Boleto Turístico; get dropped at the top and walk down to town.

    8 min by train or taxi · 2.6 km
36. 11:30 am 30

    Pisac marketPisac

    The town's handicraft and produce market at the foot of the ruins; textiles and ceramics, with the busiest day on Sundays. Bring small soles.

37. 1:15 pm 31

    Lunch in UrubambaUrubamba

    Every Sacred Valley loop stops for lunch in Urubamba, the valley's market town; set menus cost US$3–7 and mid-range restaurants more.

38. 3 pm 32

    Moray's circular terracesMaras

    Concentric Inca terraces sunk into the earth, thought to be a crop laboratory. Covered by the Boleto Turístico.

    9 min by train or taxi · 5.4 km
39. 4:15 pm 33

    Salineras de MarasMaras

    Thousands of salt pans cascading down a valley, still worked by local families. Not on the Boleto Turístico: pay the small community fee in soles at the gate. Then continue to Ollantaytambo for the night.

40. Day 77:30 am – 5:30 pm · 5 stops
41. 7:30 am 34

    Ollantaytambo fortress at openingOllantaytambo

    Climb the steep terraces to the unfinished Temple of the Sun before the tour buses from Cusco arrive. Covered by the Boleto Turístico.

    5 min walk · 400 m
42. 9:30 am 35

    The Inca grid of Ollantaytambo townOllantaytambo

    A town still laid out on its Inca street plan, with stone water channels running beside the lanes. Free.

43. 12 pm 36

    Lunch in OllantaytamboOllantaytambo

    Eat near the plaza before the train; the station is a 10-minute walk downhill.

44. 2 pm 37

    Train to Aguas CalientesOllantaytambo

    PeruRail or Inca Rail along the Urubamba gorge, about 1h20–1h50. Mid-2026 budgets put the round trip at US$110–150 per person; the leg back to Cusco costs more than this one. Book weeks ahead in dry season.

45. 4:30 pm 38

    Buy the Consettur bus ticket in Aguas CalientesAguas Calientes

    Buy tomorrow's shuttle the evening before to skip a queue: US$24 return for foreigners (2026). First buses leave around 5:30 and take 25–30 minutes to the gate. Early night.

46. Day 85:30 am – 6:30 pm · 4 stops
47. 5:30 am 39

    First buses up to the gateAguas Calientes

    Queue early for your slot. Entry is in hourly slots from 6:00 to 16:00 with a 30-minute tolerance, after which you can be turned away; your passport must match the ticket name.

48. 6 am 40

    Machu Picchu on Circuit 2 (Clásico)Machu Picchu

    Book route 2-A (Ruta diseñada) or 2-B (Terraza inferior) of the Circuito Clásico, which trip reports call the most complete: the postcard view plus most of the ruins, about 2.5–3 hours. Since 1 May 2026 foreign adults pay S/ 163 including the new SERNANP conservation fee. Tickets sell only on tuboleto.cultura.pe; June–August sells out 2–3 months ahead. Climbing Huayna Picchu needs the separate, pricier route 3-A instead. Guides are optional. One-way routes, no backtracking.

49. 11 am 41

    Lunch back in Aguas CalientesAguas Calientes

    Ride the bus down and eat in town; Aguas Calientes is the priciest stop of the trip, so keep it simple.

50. 2:30 pm 42

    Train back to CuscoAguas Calientes

    Trains run to Poroy or San Pedro for Cusco, or to Ollantaytambo with a connecting van (about 4 hours door to door). Pick a Vistadome seat on the river side for the gorge.

51. Day 96:30 am – 8:30 pm · 4 stops
52. 6:30 am 43

    Van to the Vinicunca trailheadCusco

    A full-day group tour (about US$98 in a first-hand report, breakfast included). Travellers recommend the later 6:30 pickup over the 3:30 one; acclimatise in Cusco first, which this plan does.

53. 9:30 am 44

    Hike to Rainbow MountainPitumarca

    The striped ridge tops out near 5,200 m from a 4,300 m trailhead; everyone who has done it says the altitude, not the distance, is the hard part. Entry about S/ 30 in cash. Go slowly, turn back with a bad headache, and choose a tour carrying oxygen.

    3 min walk · 0 m
54. 1 pm 45

    Back to CuscoPitumarca

    Lunch is usually included on the way down; rest when you get in.

    38 min by train or taxi · 83 km
55. 7 pm 46

    Dinner at Morena Peruvian KitchenCusco

    An easy, relaxed Plaza de Armas restaurant for tired legs: braised osobuco, wok-style cuy, surf and turf. About US$11–29 a head (2026).

56. Day 109 am – 10:30 pm · 4 stops
57. 9 am 47

    Last morning around San BlasCusco

    A last coffee and any souvenirs you passed on earlier; workshops open from mid-morning.

    8 min by train or taxi · 4.7 km
58. 12 pm 48

    Fly Cusco to LimaCusco

    About 1h20. Morning flights out of Cusco are the most reliable; afternoon weather can delay departures.

    4h 21m by train or taxi · 575 km
59. 4:30 pm 49

    Sunset on the Miraflores cliffsLima

    Paragliders launch from the clifftop park here; a tandem flight costs about US$75 in a first-hand report if you want one last thrill. Otherwise just watch the sun drop into the Pacific.

    11 min walk · 850 m
60. 7:30 pm 50

    Farewell dinner at MaidoLima

    Mitsuharu Tsumura's Nikkei restaurant, named World's Best Restaurant in 2025. The tasting menu was S/ 1,190 without pairing in mid-2025; the counter's à la carte nigiri and sanguchitos cost far less. Book weeks to months ahead.