10 Day Itinerary Peru: Machu Picchu hike, Cusco, and Lima (2025)
Peru is a truly magical country. From the delicious foods, rich Andean culture, and breathtaking landscapes, to visiting one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Peru is filled with unforgettable bucket-list experiences. But with so many different things to see spread across the country, it can be challenging to figure out how to properly plan your trip. We have now visited Peru twice and experienced some of the best that the country has to offer. Below we’ve outlined our Peru itinerary showcasing Machu Picchu on the Salkantay Trail, the Sacred Valley, the incredible gastronomy of Lima, and the the option of visiting the wonders of the Peruvian Amazon.
Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
Quick Peru 10 Day Itinerary Summary
If you are short on time and just want a quick overview of the itinerary, here is a summary of what you will be doing each day:
Day 1: Arrival in Cusco from Lima, cooking class
Day 2: Acclimate in Cusco, visit local sights like Sacsayhuaman
Day 3: ATV tour to Moray and Maras, try Cuy for dinner
Day 4-7: Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu (4 days)
Day 8: Sacred Valley tour or Rainbow Mountain tour
Day 9: Arrival in Lima and explore Miraflores or Barranco
Day 10: AM food tour in Lima and then departure
🛌 Where to Stay in Cusco:
Mid-Range: Andenes by Mountain Lodges
Luxury: Antigua Casona San Blas
🛌 Recommended hotel in Lima: Second Home Peru (like being in an art museum!)
How many days do you need in Peru?
Peru is a country filled with so much culture, history, incredible hikes, and fascinating ruins that it deserves a minimum of 10 days. In fact, we feel that a two-week or 16-day visit would be ideal to see most of the main highlights around Cusco.
With 10 days, we encourage you to stay around the Cusco region since there is truly so much to do there. From embarking on the Inca Trail or Salktantay Trail, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, to Rainbow mountain, you can easily spend your entire time there.
Other fascinating regions that you can consider including is Puerto Maldonado in the Peruvian Amazon or Arequipa, to embark on the Colca Canyon Trek (one of our favourite hikes in Peru).
If this is your first trip to Peru, then we would recommend this 10 day Peru Itinerary which includes the best of the Cuzco region as well as some highlight gastronomy experiences in Lima. In case you have more or less time available, we will also highlight some alternative options for organizing a 7 days or two weeks trip.
Peru 10-day Itinerary Overview
In this itinerary, you’ll explore Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Lima—three places we believe offer the best introduction to Peru. After visiting the country twice, we’re convinced this combo gives you the richest taste of Peruvian and Andean culture, incredible food, and breathtaking landscapes.
These are some of the highlight experiences you can expect during the trip:
- Cooking class in Cusco (must do! the food is restaurant-quality!)
- ATV tour to Moray and Maras (See the incredible landscape of Sacred Valley on this adventure!)
- Exploring the local markets of Cusco (our favourite was San Blas)
- 4 days Salkantay Trek or Inca Trail
- Visiting Machu PIcchu
- Rainbow Mountain/Palcoyo Mountain or the Sacred Valley
- Experiencing the food and art scene in Lima (We did this super-fun food tour!)
Peru Itinerary: Day-by-Day Guide
Below, we’ll walk you through how to plan each day in Peru—what to do, where to stay, and the ideal itinerary order—so you can make the absolute most of your trip.
Day 1: Arrival in Lima + flight to Cusco + Cooking class
International Flight arriving in Lima’s Airport
The majority of international flights arrive at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru’s capital. Rather than spending the day in Lima, we suggest waiting at the airport and catching the next direct flight to Cusco. The reason for this is that traffic in Lima is pretty bad, and reaching the main neighbourhoods of Miraflores or Barranco can take close to 1 hour.
Luckily, there are flights departing from Lima to Cusco practically every hour, making it convenient to reach your destination.
Arrival in Cusco
Once you arrive at Cusco’s airport (Alejandro Velsaco Astete Airport), you will be a quick 15-minute drive away from the historic center of Cusco. You can catch a taxi at the stands outside or book a transport ahead of time. The cost should be about 10-15 soles, or 3-5$.
If you don’t want to worry about figuring out which taxis to take, you can also use WelcomePickups and have a private driver come get you. All their drivers are very professional, speak english, and wait for you right in the Arrivals hall.
Cooking class in Cusco (must-do!)
One of the best ways to introduce yourself to the history, culture, and get an inside scoop on the city is by doing a cooking class. You’ll start your journey at the local markets, where you’ll be introduced to the unique fruits and vegetables native to Peru.
Gain insights into their remarkable agricultural history, which is a crucial aspect given that many of the ruins and attractions in the Sacred Valley are interconnected with their advanced knowledge of agriculture.
- Chef cooking
- Tiradito
- Alpaca steak
- Peruvian fruit parfait
Once you’ve gathered all your fresh ingredients, you’ll head to their private kitchen to learn how to prepare some of Peru’s signature dishes. Our class lasted about four hours and covered everything from shaking up a classic pisco sour, to making Tiradito (or sometimes ceviche), cooking a perfectly tender alpaca steak, and finishing with a colorful fruit parfait.
Honestly, this was one of the best cooking classes we’ve ever taken—not just because it was fun, but because we actually made dishes I’d happily order in a restaurant.
If ever you’re vegetarian or vegan, we got you covered with this Vegetarian Peruvian Cooking class + market tour: You will be preparing dishes such as causa, vegetarian ceviche, tamal, and picarones while enjoying a glass of pisco sour.
Where to Stay in Cusco
For your first visit to Cusco, we recommend staying in the historical centre. Having now visited Cusco twice, we overall preferred the Eastern side of the historical centre, where you’ll just be steps away from San Blas Market (our favourite spot for smoothies and breakfast), as well as the bohemian neighbourhood of San Blas where you can find creative cafes, artisan boutiques, and charming cobblestone streets.
Mid-Range: Andenes By Mountain Lodges
Andenes By Mountain Lodges is a boutique hotel nestled in San Blas featuring a perfect blend of colonial charm and modern comforts. Housed in a Colonial mansion, the hotel features 16 elegantly appointed rooms, a spacious Apart Sutie for families, complimentary breakfast, and a perfect serene garden to relax in.
Luxury: Antigua Casona San Blas
For a stunning stay in a family-owned historical boutique hotel, make sure to check out Antigua Casona San Blas. Housed in a beautifully restored 16th-century mansion, it features open-air courtyards, artisan-crafted interiors, and a welcoming atmosphere that reflects the city’s rich heritage. Other highlights include their spa, hyperbaric chamber, and on-site yoga studio!
Day 2: Discover Cusco, Acclimate, Visit local markets, Sacsayhuaman
Acclimating to the altitude in Cusco
The perfect way to spend your first full day in Cusco is strolling around the downtown area and giving your body the time to acclimatize to the altitude. At an elevation of 3400m above sea level, the first thing you will notice is that you will be out of breath doing any physical activity. We simply walked up the stairs to get to our hotel and had to stop to catch our breath.
During most of your trip to Peru, especially in Cusco, the sacred valley, and Machu Picchu hike, you will be at risk of altitude sickness (”Soroche”). Fortunately, the locals have several local remedies that can help with the acclimation process including drinking coca leaf tea, garlic soup, Muna (mint leaf tea) or chewing on coca leaves.
It is recommended that you have 2-3 days to acclimate before embarking on any strenuous hikes like the Salkantay Trail.
Discover the Cusco historic center
Cusco previously served as the capital of the Inca Empire and today stands as a UNESCO World Heritage site. As you stroll through Cusco’s cobblestone streets, you’ll encounter a fascinating blend of Inca and Spanish colonial architecture, vibrant local markets, and bustling plazas.
Due to its relatively small size, Cusco is easily walkable and most sights are reachable within a 20-30 minute stroll. Although given the high altitude of the city, this stroll may turn into what feels like a trek!
These are some of the main highlight things to see in Cusco:
- 12-angle stone: Located on Hatun Rumiyoc Street, this famous stone wall showcases the remarkable precision of Inca stonemasonry. It is a gigantic stone with 12 different corner angles that was cut so perfectly to join the other stones that you can’t even slip a razor blade through the crack.
- Plaza de Armas: Cusco’s vibrant central square, framed by elegant colonial buildings and the impressive Cathedral of Santo Domingo. It’s the perfect spot to sit back, relax, and soak in the rhythm of daily life as the city buzzes around you.
- San Pedro Market or San Blas Market: San Pedro market is the largest and most famous market in Cusco. You will likely be visiting this market during your food tour. If you are seeking a more local and authentic experience, make sure to visit San Blas Market. We were one of the only tourists there and enjoyed an amazing smoothie while chatting with the fruit vendor.
- Sacsayhuaman: An ancient Incan fortress located on the outskirts of Cusco. It showcases massive stone walls that once again stands as a testament to their incredible engineering prowess.
💡 With such a rich history and so many stories behind each structure, it can be worthwhile to do a guided tour. Check out this half-day, small group, walking tour where you’ll visit the top Inca and Colonial sites in Cusco, including Sacsayhuaman.
Day 3: ATV Trip to Moray and Maras, try Cuy for dinner
ATV trip to Moray and Maras
Moray is an archeological ruin located in the Sacred Valley and was believed to be an agricultural laboratory used by the Incas before the 15th century. One of the most remarkable things you’ll notice about Moray is the unique circular terraces built into the mountainside.
Maras showcases thousands of small terraced salt pools used in the pre-Inca times and is still operational today. Moray and Maras are frequently combined together as a day trip and can be done by ATV tour or bus tour.
We recommend doing the ATV tour since you will be able to see the Sacred Valley countryside as you ride along the agricultural fields. It is also very fun driving an ATV!
Recommended Moray and Maras Tours
🏍️ Moray and Maras ATV tour: This is the tour that we did and we had a blast! Riding an ATV is fairly easy and the guides will explain to you how to drive it before your departure.
🚌 Bus day tour to Moray and Maras: this is a bus tour that will bring you to Moray, Maras salt mine, as well as the Maras town. You will also have the opportunity to try out the local corn drink Chicha.
🏔 Moray + Maras + Sacred Valley tour: If you would like to combine visiting Moray, Maras, and the Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Pisac) in one trip, then this tour is perfect for you. We feel it may be too much crammed in one day but if you are short on time, then this could be a great option.
Evening: Try cuy for dinner
Cuy, or guinea pig, holds cultural and culinary significance in Peru, particularly in the Andean regions such as Cusco. In Cusco, cuy is a traditional dish that has been part of the local cuisine for centuries. Although this may not be for everyone, it is one of the unique experiences that can be had in Cusco.
Several restaurants serve it around town and can be prepared in the oven or deep fried. We would recommend trying the deep-fried version as everything tastes better after being deep-fried! Alternatively, if cuy sounds too adventurous but you would still like to sample another local delicacy, try the Alpaca Steak. It was surprisingly tender and delicious!
Day 4-7: Salkantay or Inca Trail (4 day hike)
The biggest highlight of our trip to Peru was doing the 4 day 3 night Salkantay trail to reach Machu Picchu. While there are various methods to reach Machu Picchu, we consider the multi-day hike to be among the most rewarding and enriching experiences you can have in Peru. To reach Machu Picchu, you will have the option of the classic Inca trail or the alternative Salkantay trail.
Should you do the Inca trail or Salkantay Trail?
The Inca trail is the historic and iconic route used by the Incas to reach the citadel of Machu Picchu. This sacred trek is filled with important Incan ruins as well as beautiful mountain vistas.
The Salkantay Trail is an alternative trek that focuses more on the natural beauty of the Andean mountain range and includes the breathtaking Laguna Humantay. We’ve hiked in some incredible places, but the mountains here are so epic they can stand shoulder to shoulder with Nepal’s Himalayas and Italy’s Dolomites.
One of the coolest parts of the trek? You get to sleep in glass domes, where you can admire the sky lit up with millions of stars. We went with the Salkantay Trek, and honestly, it was the kind of journey that sticks with you forever. From hiking up to the jaw-dropping Laguna Humantay, witnessing the perfect Milky Way, and crossing through so many different ecosystems of the Peruvian Andes, the trek was unforgettable!
At the end of the day, both the Inca Trail and the Salkantay Trail are amazing treks leading you to Machu Picchu—but each showcases different highlights of the Andes along the way. Depending on your time and energy, you can choose anything from a quick 2-day trek to a full 6-day adventure, giving you flexibility in both the distance you cover and the level of challenge you want to take on.
Learn more about the Salkantay Trek experience
To learn more about which hike to do or to see what you’ll experience on the Salkantay trail, check out our Salkantay hiking guide.
My Essential Travel Gear
📸 Camera: Olympus EM1 Mark II
🔘 Wide Lense: Leica 8-18mm, f2.8-4.0
🔘 Zoom Lense: Olympus 12-100, F4.0 Pro
🎒 Camera Sling: WANDRD 6L Rogue
🎒 Camera Backpack: Shimoda Explore and PGYTECH One Pro Flex
🪝 Camera attachment onto backpack: Peak Design Capture
💾 Portable Hard Drive: Crucial X8/X9 2TB
☁️ Essential Backup of all my photos and files in the Cloud: BackBlaze
🥾 Favourite Hiking Boot: Han Wag GoreTex Hiking Boot
Should you book your Machu Picchu Trek in advanced?
For this 10 day Peru Itinerary, we feel that the 4 day Salkantay Trek to be ideal. This way you will have time to see some of the other main sites of Peru including the famous Rainbow Mountain and Lima.
We highly recommend booking your Salkantay Trek in advance to lock in a spot with a reputable company. Sure, you’ll see plenty of advice online about waiting until you arrive in Cusco to score a cheaper deal, but in our experience, that often means ending up with lower-budget, less reliable operators.
We even met a fellow trekker who booked last-minute and ended up on a tour where the food ran short and the guide got drunk mid-trek and was acting unprofessionally. Not exactly the Machu Picchu memory you dream of. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it’s worth paying a little extra to ensure you get the kind of unforgettable adventure we had.
Our Recommended Salkantay Trekking Tour (the one we did!)
We highly recommend booking this 4-day Salkantay Trek Tour that we did! It is done in a small-group to ensure more personalization, includes sleeping in the incredible glass dome, visiting Laguna Humantay, and of course Machu Picchu. As you can see, they are rated 5/5 stars with over 3400 happy perfect reviews!
This post is part of our series about Peru. If you want to learn more about Peru, planning your trip, and some of the best experiences there, check out the guides below:
Day 8: Exploration day in Cusco or Day Trips
After the 4 day hike to Machu Picchu, you will likely be fairly tired. Spend Day 8 slowly exploring some of the other sites in Cusco. These include:
- Qoricancha: Incan temple of the sun
- Inka Museum
- San Blas neighbourhood and trying out their Cafe scene (we recommend going to L’Atelier Cafe Concept)
- La Merced Church
- Santa Catalina Convent
Alternative: Day trips from Cusco
If you still have the energy, then we would recommend doing a Sacred Valley Tour or going to the Rainbow Mountains.
Sacred Valley Tour
In this Sacred Valley valley Tour, you will get to discover Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero, home to some of the most impressive and ancient Inca ruins. It’s one of the best ways to dive into the Incas’ remarkable agricultural engineering and see some of their most beautifully preserved historical sites.
Rainbow mountain or Palccoyo mountain Tour
If you are all ‘ruined’-out, then check out Rainbow Mountain or its alternative, Palccoyo Mountain. Here you can witness the stunning multi-coloured mountain slopes of Peru created by the presence of different minerals in the soil.
If you’re wondering which one to do, Rainbow mountain is the classic route and involves a strenuous 3 hours hike to reach the viewpoint (Although there is an ATV Rainbow mountain option!).
Palccoyo mountain on the other hand, has slightly less vibrant colours, but entails only a short 30-45 minute hike to reach the scenic point.
The landscape of both are breathtaking, but keep in mind that they are located about 3-4 hours drive from Cusco each-way, and at an altitude of close to 5,000m above sea level!
Day 9: Arrive in Lima, Explore Barranco or try out Michelin star Maido
Take an evening flight on Day 8 or a morning flight on Day 9 to arrive in Lima. We would recommend staying in either Miraflores or Barranco. Both neighbourhoods are safe, beautifully situated along the coast, and have tons of entertainment.
Once you’ve settled into your hotel, you can spend the remainder of your day exploring the neighbourhoods.
Discover Barranco
Barranco is a Bohemian and artistic district filled with art galleries, colonial architecture, and charming restaurants. You can easily spend an afternoon roaming the street admiring the myriads of wonderful street art.
Also, make sure to explore the areas around the Bridge of Sighs as it is a very charming area and has some delicious restaurants.
🍴 Recommended restaurants to try: Isolina and El Muelle, both in Barranco
Neighbourhood of Miraflores
Miraflores is a more modern and commercial district known for its upscale vibe and vibrant nightlife. It is the perfect area to shop and has some incredible bars and restaurants with ocean views.
Make sure to spend some time exploring Malecón de Miraflores, a picturesque coastal boardwalk offering stunning views of the ocean and various art sculpture displays.
Tasting Menu in Lima
If you are looking for a truly unique experience, try out Maido, one of the famous Michelin-star restaurants of Peru. They are renowned for their elaborate Japanese Omakase tasting menus. Make sure to reserve at least 2-3 months ahead of time though. We did the tasting menu and it was absolutely delicious!
If you are looking for something less fancy and expensive, then check out Matsuei. These two recommendations are Japanese since Peru is known for their Nikkei food, a blend of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine.
Where to Stay in Lima
Lima’s reputation for safety isn’t the best, but neighborhoods like Barranco and Miraflores are generally safe for travelers. We stayed in Barranco and felt comfortable exploring the vibrant street art at night—though, as always, we stuck to well-lit areas and stayed alert.
Our base was the incredible Second Home Peru, a boutique hotel that doubles as the former residence of one of Lima’s most celebrated artists. Staying here feels like sleeping inside a living museum, with galleries of artwork and a stunning garden overlooking the ocean—it was easily one of the most unique stays of our Peru trip.
Day 10: Explore Miraflores, Departure from Lima
Food tour in Lima
On your final day, spend the remaining time exploring what you were unable to complete on Day 9. Alternatively, you can embark on a morning food tour to discover some of the best Traditional Peruvian food that Lima has to offer.
We did our food tour with The Lima Gourmet Company and the experience was excellent! It included 22+ tastings as well as several drinks over a period of 5 hours. You are driven from location to location and get to spend a good amount of time at each stop. The guide will also explain to you the history and culture of Lima as well as the story behind the dishes.
During our tour, we were referred to as her Limeñas! At first, I thought it meant Lemons, which was weird, but it turns out Limeñas are the native locals of Lima! Makes way more sense now…
If you want this incredible Food tour experience, check out Food Tour with Lima Gourmet Company!
Head to Lima Airport (Jorge Chavez)
Before returning to the airport, ensure that you allocate sufficient time for the journey, considering the potential heavy traffic congestion in Lima. You can take Uber to reach the airport or if you prefer a more secure and professional service, you can arrange your transport through WelcomePickups!
And thus concludes your journey through the beautiful and fascinating country of Peru!
Shorter stay: Peru itinerary 7 days
If you only have 7 days in Peru, then I would recommend that you skip out on Lima, and reduce the hiking on days 4-7 to the shorter Machu Picchu trip of 2 days. Lima was our least favourite part of the trip since it is a fairly crowded and less safe city. The coastal views are beautiful and the food is amazing, but if pressed for time, Lima provided the least unique experience in Peru.
As for the hike, personally the 4 day Salkantay trek was the absolute highlight of our trip. If you wanted to still do the whole trek, then with 7 days, you only have time to arrive in Cusco to acclimate, maybe see one day’s worth of sites, and then embark on the hike. If this is your main objective in visiting Peru, then it is definitely doable in 7 days.
Otherwise, if hiking is not a priority, but exploring Machu Picchu is, then you can do the 2-day direct trip to Machu Picchu. To reach Machu Picchu, you will take the train to Aguas Calientes and then a bus up to the entrance. Ideally, if you just want to see Machu Picchu, you will need 2 days since the most beautiful views of the citadel are early in the morning.
With the hike shortened, you will have two additional days to explore Cusco or spend 1-2 days in Lima.
Peru itinerary 7 days – Overview
A possible one week itinerary in Peru could look something like this:
- Day 1: Arrival in Lima, flight to Cusco, cooking class
- Day 2: Stroll around Cusco, acclimate, visit local markets, Sacsayhuaman
- Day 3: Visit Moray + Maras, or day trip to Sacred Valley
- Day 4-5: 2 day trip to Machu Picchu
- Day 6: Day trip to Rainbow Mountain or Palcoyo Mountain, return by 5 pm, evening flight to Lima
- Day 7: Explore Barranco art district, or food tour, Departure from Lima
Longer stay: Peru two week itinerary
If you have more time in Peru, then I would highly recommend going to visit Tambopata National Reserve to experience the Peruvian Amazonia. Due to the park’s protected status and secluded location, It is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Here you can find thousands of species of butterflies, birds, and mammals including tapirs, otters, and even jaguars!
How to explore Tambopata National Reserve
The best way to explore this region is by booking a stay at one of the lodges located deep within the jungle. Staying in the jungle rather than in the main city of Puerto Maldonado will increase your chance of natural animal sightings and also enhance the immersive experience.
Tambopata, one of the main National Reserves in the Peruvian Amazon, is also easily accessible from Cusco thanks to the daily one-hour direct flights from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (the main city hub of Tambopata).
Once there, we would recommend staying for a minimum of 3-4 days. We ended up staying for 4 days and felt like this was the perfect amount of time to experience the Amazonia.
You also need to factor in the transport time from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, then the 1-hour drive to the river, and then likely a 1-2 hour boat road to reach the lodge.
During our trip planning research, fellow travelers agreed that allocating only two days would be insufficient, recommending an ideal stay of 3-4 days instead.
where to stay in Tambopata
There are several lodges available in the area ranging from very basic to very luxurious. The more basic ones tend to be located within Puerto Maldonado, the main city, whereas the more expensive ones are located remotely within the jungle, requiring a boat ride to reach.
Given that the reason for visiting the Amazon is to fully immerse in the rainforest and see the animals, picking a location deeper in the jungle seemed the ideal option.
After much research, we ended up picking Refugio Amazonas with Rainforest Expeditions. Their beautiful lodge is located deep within the rainforest and provides an all-inclusive and high-quality experience.
Reserve your Refugio Amazonas Tambopata Lodge stay here!
Recommended two week itinerary peru
So for a 14 day itinerary in Peru, you would take the initial 8 days of our 10 day itinerary and then add on these modifications:
- Day 9: Instead of departing to Lima, take a flight to Puerto Maldonado, then transport to Amazon Lodge (lodge day 1)
- Day 10: Explore the Amazon, Macaw Clay lick (lodge day 2)
- Day 11: Explore the Amazon, watch tower and oxbow lake (lodge day 3)
- Day 12: Morning explore Amazon, departure from Amazon Lodge (lodge day 4), flight to Lima
- Day 13: Explore the street art of Barranco, Food tour in Lima or do it on your own, or try out Michelin star Maido
- Day 14: Explore Miraflores, Departure from Lima
Best time to visit peru
The optimal time to explore Peru is between May and September when the weather is moderate, dry, and the skies are clear. Given that one of the primary motivations for traveling to Peru is to experience Machu Picchu, it becomes crucial to choose a period when the visibility of the citadel remains unhampered by clouds or fog. Consequently, selecting months with the lowest average rainfall is advisable.
The peak season, spanning from June to August, experiences heightened crowds both in the cities and along the hiking trails. During this time, obtaining a permit to visit Machu Picchu can also be challenging.
For a more favourable experience, we recommend considering the shoulder months, specifically late April to May and late September to early October. During these periods, the weather remains pleasant, and crowd levels are comparatively lower, enhancing the overall enjoyment of your visit.
Month | Average High (°C) | Average Low (°C) | Average Rainfall (mm) |
---|---|---|---|
January | 19°C | 6°C | 158 mm |
February | 19°C | 6°C | 143 mm |
March | 19°C | 6°C | 112 mm |
April | 20°C | 5°C | 46 mm |
May | 20°C | 1°C | 15 mm |
June | 19°C | 1°C | 5 mm |
July | 19°C | 1°C | 3 mm |
August | 20°C | 2°C | 7 mm |
September | 20°C | 3°C | 24 mm |
October | 21°C | 4°C | 59 mm |
November | 21°C | 5°C | 80 mm |
December | 20°C | 5°C | 107 mm |
Is peru expensive to visit?
We would consider Peru a very affordable country to visit in South America. Our accommodations cost around 30-40$ per night, meals ranged between 15-30$ for two, and transport was cheap. The most expensive activities will likely be doing the Inca trail/Salkantay trek or visiting the Amazon rainforest.
As a point of reference, in 2022, we paid around 500USD per person for the 4 day 3 night Salkantay trek (the price has since gone up to around 690$). For the Amazon experience, we booked an exclusive lodge deep in the Peruvian Amazon called Refugio Amazonas.
Their lodge is all-inclusive of the meals, lodging, and activities, and cost us around 1200USD for the two of us for 4 days 3 nights. This was during a Black Friday sale we were lucky to snag, but originally it would’ve cost close to 1800-2000USD.
This is certainly in the pricier range but is due to its remote location and high quality of service. You can always find cheaper options closer to the main city of Puerto Maldonado.
Overall, we feel Peru is not expensive to visit and you get great value per dollar.
Summary: 10 day itinerary peru
Peru holds a special place in our hearts, and in the span of 10 days, you can explore the key highlights in the vicinity of Cusco and Lima. However, we highly recommend extending your stay to two weeks for a more profound immersion into the unique experiences that Peru has to offer.
The adventure of reaching Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, through the 4-day hike is a journey that will forever be etched in our memories.
We hope you found this itinerary helpful and please let us know if any of the information is not up to date. Our goal is to provide you with the most complete and helpful travel guides!
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