Even before I spent 10 amazing days in Peru, I knew it would have everything I look for in a travel experience. Which is absolutely breathtaking natural beauty, kind welcoming people, insanely good food, uniquely atmospheric hotels, and many opportunities for adventure and cultural immersion. At the time I was desperately hungry for that giddy feeling I get when I’m just wandering around in a new place. It’s when I feel most awake and most alive. When I arrived in Peru I hadn’t been on an international trip in two years because of the pandemic. In retrospect, I can’t think of a better place to remind me why I love to travel, why I’ve chosen travel as my career, why I love that my job is helping other people travel better. 

With a 10-day Peru itinerary you can’t see everything the country has to offer but you can fit in a few very different and dynamic destinations for first time visitors in your itinerary – Lima, the Amazon River and Rainforest, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, and Cusco. A 10 day trip to Peru is only going to make you want to come back, or extend your trip (I have recommendations on how to do that below!) to two or three weeks. As always, I am available to plan and book your next trip to Peru (please reach out directly!) or I hope this is helpful in figuring out where to go and what to do in magical Peru.

General Peru Travel Tips

• Be a respectful visitor. There are unique customs, history in Peru just like anywhere else. The vast majority of Peruvians are catholic and thus the culture is somewhat conservative in terms of dress and behavior. 
• Altitude – there are parts of Peru that sit at VERY high elevations, high enough that it can cause health problems. There are two things you can do to be prepared for the altitude: 1. Educate yourself on the signs of 
• What to wear in Peru and what to pack: Peru is a fairly conservative country but you don’t need to worry about covering up as much as in other places. In the Amazon jungle it can be very hot and humid, and buggy. Lima tends to be cold, rainy and foggy. Cusco sits at a high elevation so while it may be warm and sunny during daylight hours the temperature will drop dramatically when the sun goes down so laters are important.

Who is this 10 day Peru itinerary for?

This Peru itinerary is my personal experience and recommendation. If you want to learn a little more about me and my travel style. But generally, I am fascinated by foreign cultures, I am a huge foodie, I appreciate interior design and beautiful crafts (and love shopping for them when I travel!), and I love unique atmospheric hotels. I believe splurging on a good hotel is a worthy use of my travel funds.

• Travelers who appreciate luxury and amazing design in hotels as much as they love adventure and authentic culture
• Experienced adult (15+) travelers – couples, friends or families
• People who understand the value of having a guide. You can do this itinerary on your own but I did it with a driver and a guide, both knowledgeable and professional local people who added depth to my experience. Hiring a local guide and driver is a great way to relieve yourself of a lot of stress and frankly a lot of lost time sorting out buses and other transportation. It is also a great way to put some of your travel funds directly into the hands of local people. 

A note about the Inca Trail

Machu Picchu is surely the jewel of Peru and the main draw for most international visitors. The itinerary below does not include a multi-day Inca trail trek but this is a deal-breaker for many travelers. It’s all about priorities. If you want to do a multi-day trek you’ll need an additional four days. The other option is a half day trek where you take the train partway from Cusco, to Ollantaytambo, and then pick up the trail (with a guide) and arrive at the ruins midday. However you decide to do it I believe it’s important to spend a night in Aguas Calientes rather than trying to squeeze a visit to Machu Picchu into a day trip.

Best time to visit Peru

Peru is basically a year-round destination. Amazon river cruises run year round, and there are two seasons there – the high water season and the low water season. The experience and activities vary depending on when you go but one isn’t really better than the other. If you’re visiting Machu Picchu however there IS a good and bad time to go. If you want good weather for Machu Picchu it’s best to go between May – October, maybe stretching it between April and November. But from December – March it’s really best to avoid Machu Picchu… it can be rainy and muddy, and the Inca Trail actually closes in February.

Where to stay in Peru

I’ll suggest one or two hotels for each night in the itinerary below. Please be aware these are high end (4 and 5 star) hotels because that was my experience there, courtesy of my job. In Lima, Cusco and Aguas Calientes there are lots of options for any budget.

10 Days Peru Itinerary

1. Arrive – Lima 
2. Amazon 
3. Amazon
4. Amazon
5. Sacred Valley
6. Sacred Valley
7. Machu Picchu
8. Cusco
9. Cusco
10. Cusco – depart

Day 1 Lima 

Lima is a huge city and there is plenty to see, but with just 10 days in Peru overall I recommend keeping your time here short. On arrival day you can squeeze in a couple of activities that will give you a crash course – let’s call it Peru 101! I highly recommend starting with some kind of culinary experience, like a coffee/chocolate tasting and lunch with a local chef who can give you an introduction to Peruvian cuisine that will set you up for knowing how and what to order for the rest of your trip. And then perhaps a late afternoon or early evening visit to the Larco Museum. I almost never recommend spending time in a museum when you’re in a new city and time is precious, but the Larco museum is special. They also have a beautiful bar and restaurant, so you could easily stop off for dinner and/or a drink to keep evening plans simple ahead of your onward trip the next morning. I have a forthcoming blog post on things to do in Lima if you have more time there.  

Where to stay in Lima

My top suggestion is Hotel B, a gorgeous, luxe-bohemian style boutique hotel in Barranco. More hotels in Lima can be found in my longer article on the best boutique luxury hotels in Peru.

Days 2 – 4  Luxury Amazon River Cruise

Take a morning flight (about 1 hour in the air) from Lima to Iquitos, the largest city in the world that is inaccessible by road – you can only get to Iquitos by flying, or traveling on the Amazon river. This is where you’ll start a 3-night adventure aboard the gorgeous Aqua Nera, a cruise that is so unlike a typical cruise I really have a hard time calling it that. 

Get ready to immerse yourself in the jungle and all that that entails – flora, fauna and local life – and see (maybe even swim in) the world’s largest river. I saw pink (yes pink) river dolphins, tons of birds, monkeys, anaconda, and caiman (a river alligator). In fact I saw an anaconda killing a caiman. I caught a piranha and ate it for lunch. I jumped in the opaque brown water (it’s full of sediment so it appears very muddy!)… just for a couple of minutes. It was cold and murky but definitely worth the thrill.

The food and experience aboard the luxurious riverboat was fabulous – there is a gorgeous bar, a top deck plunge pool, a billiards room… but the best was my suite, which had floor to ceiling windows that allowed the outside in. Without it actually coming in… there was not a bug in sight indoors on Aqua Nera. 

You can read many more details about my Amazon adventure in a more detailed article, coming soon.

Days 5 – 7 Sacred Valley

With two full days in the Sacred Valley, there is more than enough to do. If you want to be active you can go white water rafting, mountain biking, paragliding, horseback riding, hiking, etc. You can also wander the villages, visit famous archeological sites, and shop for beautifully hand-crafted souvenirs.

Where to go in the Sacred Valley

On my first day we packed a lot in. We walked around Ollantaytambo, went to the salt pans of Maras, and the strange supernatural-looking formations of Moray. We had a private shaman ceremony in the middle of an empty field backdropped by snowcapped mountains, followed by lunch whipped up by an incredible chef.

On the second full day we explored the village of Pisac and learned about the difference between alpaca and vicuna wool (and of course did some shopping), and then had a really incredible experience visiting the women of a village called Amaru which sits up in the clouds at about 12,000 ft. Probably the highest elevation I’ve been to and I could feel it! We had a delicious lunch there and watched the women demonstrate their weaving and dyeing techniques. 

Sacred Valley Peru travel tips

I was so grateful to have the company of an amazing informed guide and a trusty driver who navigated the windy mountain roads with ease. If you really want to immerse yourself in the sacred valley I really recommend planning the trip ahead of time and having a guide and driver so you can really make the most of your time there (contact me!). A full blog post about things to do in the Sacred Valley is coming soon!

Where to stay in the Sacred Valley

There are a number of beautiful five star hotels in Peru’s Sacred Valley.

Day 8 – Machu Picchu

Once the full citadel came into view it truly took my breath away. I would be shocked if anyone who has ever visited Machu Picchu felt underwhelmed by it; for me, it was 1000 times better in person than any photo I’ve seen. And when you see photos they tend to be from just a handful of spots. There are so many special vantage points and places to hear about the fascinating history of the place. Our guide, Edgar, was so knowledgeable about all the intricacies, I couldn’t imagine visiting without him let alone a guide in general, though it seemed like most people there were kind of just wandering around on their own. We stayed until close to sunset, and golden hour was beyond magical in such a mystical place.

How to get to Machu Picchu

You can hike the Inca Trail for several days, you can do a combination of train and hiking, or you can just take the train. With limited time in Peru and SO much to see, I opted to just take the train on this trip. We woke up early and picked up the train from Ollantaytambo, and it was about 90 minutes from there to Aguas Calientes, which is the town at the foot of Machu Picchu. The citadel sits on top of a mountain and there is one hotel up there – the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge – but most people stay down below. Either way you can only get up to the citadel by bus. 

Arrival to Machu Piccu

We arrived on the train and made our way to our hotel to check in and get lunch before our afternoon visit to Machu Picchu. Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo is conveniently right near the train station. After a very hearty 3 course lunch we boarded the public bus for a very windy and scenic trip up the mountain. The 20 minute ride flew by, even though we were packed in like sardines, because here and there we’d catch a glimpse of the ruins, fueling our anticipatory excitement. At the top we entered through the gates and from there it was about a 15-20 minute hike up to the ruins. You do technically walk on the Inca Trail for a few minutes which was nice since we had skipped the main hike. 

Where to stay in Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu

I had a wonderful stay at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Inkaterra is a fabulous Peruvian luxury travel company that pioneered sustainable tourism in Peru. Their hotels are beautiful and honor their environment and history. They also have gorgeous design and excellent food, as well as amazing staff and service.

Travel tips for visiting Machu Picchu

• You are very limited with the amount of luggage you’re allowed to bring on the train, just one medium sized backpack so basically an overnight bag. Since we had a private driver and guide for our time in this part of Peru we were able to leave most of our luggage behind, and I’m not really sure what other people do with their stuff!
• We visited both in the afternoon on the first day and then the early morning on the second day. I highly recommend visiting twice, at different times of day, because the light and the experience are both really different.

Days 9-10 Cusco

After our morning visit back to Machu Picchu we boarded the train back toward Cusco. We disembarked at , where our driver Freddy met us and zipped us to our hotel in the center of Cusco. I was told this shortened the trip by about an hour, which was great. We arrived tired but so happy to the beautiful Inkaterra La Casona, housed in an old 16th century manor house. This is one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever stayed at or seen (and, as a travel designer I have seen a lot of hotels!). 

There is SO much to see and do in Cusco that one night really isn’t enough, but if you fly out late on the 10th day you can do a little exploring. You can visit the famous San Pedro market, which was much less touristy than I thought it might be. You can visit the ___ open air museum, the ruins of Sacsayhuaman. Wander the streets of San Blas, where boutiques with everything from little knick knack souvenirs to some of the most beautiful and affordable couture pieces. Cusco is a very walkable city, small and safe. The vibe could not be more different from Lima. 

A complete guide to Cusco is forthcoming with tips on where to eat, shop and wander.

Avoiding Altitude Sickness in Peru

Altitude sickness can be a problem for some people while others aren’t bothered. There is really no way to know how you’re going to manage if you’ve never been at a high elevation. It can typically occur starting at 8,000 feet above sea level. Machu Picchu sits just around that level. Cusco is at over 11,000 feet, while many parts of the Sacred Valley where the hotels are like Urubamba are somewhere in between. My number one advice is NOT to stay in Cusco on arrival. Get picked up and head directly down to a lower elevation. Those 2K or so feet will make a huge difference especially if you’re coming from sea level. Other tips:

• Eat lightly on your first afternoon/night and at least the next morning
• DON’T drink alcohol the first night. This can be a bummer if you’re on vacation but one night sacrificing too much food and drink will allow you to feel better for the rest of your trip
• You can try Coca leaf tea….some say it has a placebo affect and doesn’t really do anything but probably can’t hurt
• HYDRATE! Take your time. Don’t do anything too strenuous for the first 24 hours.

How to plan a longer trip to Peru if you have more time

If you’re able to spend 12 days, two weeks, or longer in Peru, you should! There is so much to see and do in Peru. You can expand your trip, and I’ve given some suggestions on ways to do that below. The above 10 days in Peru itinerary is for people who want to pack a lot in and move at a fairly quick pace. If you don’t want to do that I suggest expanding to two weeks while covering the same regions and experiences. All of that is outlined below. You are welcome to contact me and I can talk you through the best way to see and experience Peru for your own unique travel style.

My recommendation for where to spend the extra time in regions that you’re already visiting on the above Peru itinerary depends on your interests and the type of traveler you are. If you have an urban sensibility and you love food, spend another day or two in Lima. Perhaps visit the northern area of Calico and do a street art tour. If you’re a foodie who doesn’t love big cities, add time in Cusco where there are tons of great restaurants but there is still a more relaxed vibe. Likewise, Cusco is your place to focus time if you’re a fashion, art, design and shopping lover. If you love nature and wildlife, spend more time in the Amazon! Opt for the 4-night or 7-night Aqua Expeditions itinerary or maybe even move onto the southern Amazon and stay in a jungle lodge, which will be quite a different experience than you had on the Aqua Nera river cruise. I plan bespoke trips to Peru and can customize something for your exact interests and dates.

Other famous places in Peru

If you have more than ten days and want to see more of Peru rather than spend more time in places you’re already visiting, these are my suggestions for where else to go. Although I haven’t made it to any of these spots yet, these are places I’ll visit on my next trip based on the intel that has been shared by my Peruvian business partners and locals I met in Peru:

• Lake Titicaca
• Colca Canyon
• Rainbow Mountain