The Ultimate Itinerary Guide for Peru

Peru is the perfect start to adventures in South America. A trip through Peru will take you along colonial cities, colorful local markets, the Andes mountains and even a desert oasis. Of course, famous sites such as Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain and the mysterious Nazca lines should not be missed on your trip. Peru is on many people’s bucketlist and rightly so, it is a fantastic country with lots of activities.

We were lucky to be able to visit the country and we were amazed by the great food, the beautiful landscapes and the colorful people. We have created the ultimate itinerary through Peru that will take you to all the highlights of the country.

How to Get Around Peru

Peru is a very large country and therefore we do not recommend to rent a car, but use the very good bus system in the country instead. Peruvian buses are luxurious with large chairs, and most buses even have WiFi and a personal screen to watch movies and series while travelling. It is very easy to book buses through 12GO or Bookaway, where you can compare timetables and prices of the many bus companies. We can recommend Cruz del Sur, in our opinion the most reliable company in the country.

Another option to get around the country is Peru Hop. This is a hop-on and hop-off company that have a set itinerary and timetable and they will pick you up at your ho(s)tel at your starting point and drop you off at your destination ho(s)tel. It is an easy option and if the itinerary fits yours, then feel free to go for it. However, it is quite expensive compared to arranging the buses yourself, and you are way less flexible. Some top sights such as Colca Canyon and Huaraz are not part of their itinerary.

The Best Places to Visit in Peru

From the Amazon Rainforest, to the beautiful Colca Canyon and the mysterious Inca city of Machu Picchu, Peru is a very diverse country with lots of things to do. Below you will find the best places to visit with everything you need to go before you go.

1 week itinerary: If you are spending just a week in Peru we would recommend the Cusco area. Machu Picchu is a true highlight and should not be missed on a visit to Peru. Add some amazing daytrips from Cusco and you have a perfect 1-week holiday.

2 week itinerary: If you have 2 weeks to travel in Peru, we recommend to combine either the Lima to Arequipa journey in combination with the Cusco area, or to combine Arequipa and the Colca Canyon with the Cusco area.

3 week itinerary: If you have 3 weeks or more you can make the most of your holidays in Peru. It is recommended to start in Lima and slowly make your way down to Arequipa, Colca Canyon and finally in the Cusco area. With this route you increase the altitude step-by-step, reducing the chance of altitude sickness. If you feel like you have a few days left, you can add the hiking-town of Huaraz or the Amazon rainforest of Iquitos.

Lima

A trip through Peru often starts in the capital: Lima. The city itself is not the most interesting, but it is a good starting point for your trip. Visit the colorful Barranco neighbourhood during the day and have a good dinner in this area. Order one of the famous Peruvian dishes, Lomo Saltado and Ají de Gallina are our favorites! This post will tell you more about what to do in Lima.

All you need to know about visiting Lima can be found in our Lima guide.

Huacachina

Once you are ready to start travelling the country, it is time to go to the desert oasis of Huacachina. The oasis is in the middle of huge sand dunes and sandboarding and a buggytrip through the dunes should be at the top of your to-do list.

Huacachina is also the ideal starting point for a day trip to Paracas and/or Naza. A boat tour at Paracas will take you to the Ballestas island, part of the Paracas National Parc, and also referred to as ‘Little Galapagos’. You can find sea lions, penguins and different birds in this protected area. The Nazca lines of Nazca are world-famous. There are many huge figures of different mammals, insects and geometric figures, which are best viewd from the sky!

Find more about these daytrips in our Huacachina guide!

Travel time Lima-Huacachina: The bus from Lima to Ica will take around 5 hours, followed by a short 10-minute taxi to Huacachina.

Arequipa

The white city of Arequipa is a beautiful city in Peru. The colonial city is mostly white, since the builings are made of a white volcanic rock named ‘sillar’. You can see the illusive volcano Misti from the city and the constant temperature around 23°C, makes is a very comfortable city. It is a good city to get used to the altitude, Arequipa lies at ~2300 meters.

Read our article to get to know the best things to do in Arequipa.

Travel time Huacachina-Arequipa: Take a taxi to Ica and prepare for a 13-hour journey from Ica to Arequipa. Consider the luxurious nightbuses that take off between 20:00 and 22:00.

Colca Canyon

When you got used to the altitude it is time to travel to the beautiful Colca Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. The canyon lies at an altitude of 3600 meters. Life in the villages in the canyon is still very authentic, and mass tourism has not found its way yet. It is possible to do different treks, soak in the thermal waters, and enjoy he Peruvian culture.

We bundled all our knowledge about Colca Canyon in this article!

Travel time Arequipa – Colca Canyon: The most common place to stay in the canyon is in Chivay. A trip from Arequipa to Chivay takes around 3 hours.

Cusco

Cusco is our favorite city in Peru, lying at an altitude of 3400 meters you have to get used to the altitude before planning any hard trekkings. The city itself has a lot of history and there are numerous good bars and restaurants to enjoy yourself. Different daytrips to for example the Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake start from here. Cusco is also the gateway to the most famous activity of Peru: Machu Picchu.

Here you can find all you need to know about visiting Cusco.

Travel time Colca Canyon – Cusco: There are no direct public buses from Colca Canyon to Cusco, but there is a private company that have direct buses taking 10 hours. Another option is to fly from Arequipa, or take the public bus back to Arequipa and take a bus from Arequipa to Cusco. This bus will take you about 14 hours, with a 3 hours bus ride to Arequipa and another 11 hours to get to Cusco.

Machu Picchu

The most famous location in Peru is Machu Picchu, and rightly so. This old Incan city lies on a mountain surrounded by jungle. There are several multi-day treks that take you to the gate. Alternatively, you can take a train to Aguas Calientes and visit the site from there. Visiting Machu Picchu by sunrise is a magical experience. Find everything you need to know about your visit to Machu Picchu in this article.

Travel time Cusco – Machu Picchu: You can trek for 4 days or take a 2,5 hour train to Aguas Calientes. From here, a bus can take you to the entrance in about 20 minutes.

Puno

Puno is the ideal location to visit the Titicaca lake. Unfortunately we were not able to visit Puno due to the unrests in Bolivia at the time of travelling. We have heard very mixed stories about this place. Some loved it and some thought it was not authentic anymore.

However, we would definitely have a stop here if we would combine Peru and Bolivia.

Travel time Cusco – Puno: Buses will take around 7 hours between Cusco and Puno.

Huaraz

Huaraz is a hiking paradise for both beginners and advanced trekkers. The town is surrounded by snow-covered mountain tops and you will find blue lakes all around. It is quite a detour, but worth it if you want to do treks. The most famous one day hike is the Panorama Hike to Laguna 69.

Travel time Lima – Huaraz: Huaraz lies north of Lima and public buses will take around 8 hours to get there.

Iquitos

Iquitos is the biggest city in the Peruvian jungle with over 400,000 people. The city lies on the Amazon river and is the gateway to get into Peru’s Amazon Rainforest. The only way to get to Iquitos is by boat or plane. Visit the driving markets and visiting the jungle are not-to-be-missed activities.

How to get to Iquitos: A flight from Lima to Iquitos takes around 2 hours.