Peru itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Pick the length first, then the route. The table below is the short version; the sections after it explain each route stop by stop.

Costs are 2026 estimates for one person, mid-range: hostel or simple hotel, public transport and trains where needed, paid entry to Machu Picchu and one or two other sites. Flights are extra.

Seven days is a Cusco-and-Machu-Picchu trip, not a Peru trip. Fly Lima–Cusco on arrival day if you can, or take the first morning flight, then go straight down to the Sacred Valley rather than sleeping in Cusco at 3,400 m. Two nights in the valley (Pisac or Ollantaytambo) lets you see ruins and markets while your body adjusts, then one night in Aguas Calientes for an early Machu Picchu entry, then three nights in Cusco for the city, Sacsayhuamán and Qorikancha. Book the Machu Picchu ticket and the train first; they set the dates for everything else.

Ten days adds Lake Titicaca. After Cusco, take the bus or the tourist train to Puno, spend two nights with a Uros and Taquile day, and fly home from Juliaca via Lima. This is the classic first-trip shape and the one most people should copy.

Fourteen days turns it into the southern loop: fly Lima–Arequipa, two nights in the white city, one night at Colca Canyon for the Cruz del Cóndor condor viewpoint, then Puno, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, and fly out of Cusco. Because Arequipa sits at about 2,300 m, this route climbs gradually, which suits travellers who are unsure about altitude.

Twenty-one days lets you add a third region. Two good options: Huaraz for the Cordillera Blanca and glacier lakes, or Tambopata for an Amazon lodge reached from Cusco. Both need 3–4 nights to be worth the travel. Do not add both to a three-week trip unless you fly the long legs and accept one-night stops.

Machu Picchu entry is a timed ticket with a daily cap, and the train to Aguas Calientes sells out in high season. Fix those two dates first, then build flights and hotels around them. Cusco–Machu Picchu trains and the buses up to the site are separate purchases.

Domestic flights (Lima–Cusco, Lima–Arequipa, Cusco–Lima) are cheap if booked early and expensive a week out. Long-distance buses are the budget option and are comfortable on the main routes, but a 20-hour Lima–Cusco bus is a bad use of a short trip.

Keep one buffer day on any route. Road blockades and strikes do happen in the southern sierra, and a spare day turns a ruined trip into a changed plan.

Altitude is the main risk on every route here. Cusco is about 3,400 m and Puno about 3,800 m. Sleeping low first, drinking water, and taking the first day easy prevents most problems. This is general information, not medical advice; talk to a doctor about medication before you fly.

The sierra dry season runs roughly April to October, with the clearest skies and coldest nights from June to August. The coast, including Lima, is warmer and sunnier from December to April. If your trip is mostly Cusco and Machu Picchu, aim for the dry season.

Rainbow Mountain and other high day trips from Cusco go above 5,000 m; only attempt them after you have adjusted. Check current conditions locally.

Entry rules, fees and opening times change. Confirm the Machu Picchu ticket rules and your own visa position before paying for anything non-refundable.