The perfect 3-4 week travel itinerary for Peru

Peru is one of the most popular countries in South America. Why? It has an incredible diversity in activities, amazing cuisine and world wonder Machu Picchu can be found there. Traveling through Peru, you’ll encounter lagoons, mountain ranges in different colors, desert, beach and jungle.  Almost all of the climates we know of can be found in this country. If you have 3 to 4 weeks, here’s my recommended itinerary for Peru, with a great mix of culture, wildlife, hiking and delicious food.

Lima – Day 1-2

You’ll probably start your trip in Lima as this is where you can find the biggest airport. Lima is located at sea level, which makes it a good starting point. you want to slowly work your way up to more high altitude destinations so you can get acclimatized. Explore Lima’s best neighborhoods: Miraflores and Barranco, bike along the coastline and enjoy the many amazing restaurants. You have to try the Ceviche!

Lima to Paracas
Bus: You can book online or get the public bus. Travel time: 3-hours. Cost: one way adult tickets range from €12 to €21.

Paracas – Day 3

The laid back fishing village called Paracas should be on your list. It’s a great little stop on your way down the coast. The best things to do in Paracas are the boat trip around the Islas Ballestas and a visit to Paracas National Reserve.

Paracas to Huacachina 

Huachachina is only a 45-minute bus ride from Paracas. Unfortunately, there is no public transport. You can take a taxi from Ica or join a tour company.

Huacachina – Day 4-5

Huacachina is an oasis in the desert. Set in between the highest sand dunes in South America you can see a small lagoon and palm trees. It’s a unique sight and great for a day of dune buggy-ing. Spend one night in the desert after seeing the sun set behind the dunes.

Arequipa – Day 6-7-8

Arequipa, Peru’s pretties city! It is set in the shadow of the majestic Misti volcano. It is a destination with a rich history, culture, and breathtaking nature surrounding it. Whether you’re an outdoorsy adventurer looking to explore the landscapes of the Colca Canyon, interested in cultural experiences or a foodie ready to indulge in Peru’s renowned cuisine, Arequipa has something special in store. At 2,335m in altitude it’s also a great stopover to let your body get used to a higher altitude, before heading to Cusco.

You can find my full guide to Arequipa here.

Arequipa to Cusco

You can either take an overnight bus or fly to Cusco. We originally planned to take the overnight bus, bus I got a bad of altitude sickness in the Colca Canyon and we decided to spend the night in Arequipa and fly to Cusco the next morning.

Bus: Travel Time: 10 hours. The earliest bus departure from Arequipa is at 19:00 arriving to Cusco at 05:00 the following day. While the latest bus departure is at 21:00 and arrives at 08:00 the same day. The prices for the cheapest one way adult tickets range from €23 to €30.

Airplane: Travel Time:1 hour of flying  Cost: €23-€100

Colca Canyon – Day 9-10-11

Trekking through the Colca Canyon is an incredible experience. It’s one of the deepest canyons in the world! I highly recommend doing a multi day trek to really experience the canyon. We only had limited time and could only do part of a trek. If you want to know more about trekking in the Colca Canyon you can find my full Colca Canyon guide here.

Arequipa to Colca Canyon by bus

Arequipa to Cabanaconde: There are 2 bus companies traveling to Cabanaconde and these are their schedules departures: 01:00am Andalucia/ 04:30 Transandino / 12:30 Transandino / 13:30 Andalucia, price: 35.00 Soles/€8,50

Cabanaconde back to Arequipa: 06:30am Andalucia / 09:30 am Andalucia /11:30 Transandino / 13:30 Andalucia / 22:30 Transandino, price: 35.00 Soles/€8,50

Cusco – Day 12-13

Cusco is your starting point for visiting the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. This old town of Cusco is incredibly charming and filled with cobblestone-streets. Since the city is located at an altitude of 3.200 meters, you will need some time to get acclimatized. That’s why visiting the Arequipa (2325) before you visit Cusco is a good way to arrange your itinerary. Arequipa is also located at altitude, but slightly lower, so you slowly give your body time to adjust. Cusco is a beautiful city with beautiful architecture. Most sights are located outside the city, but it has stunning cathedrals, museums, and some incredible food for you to try!

You can find my full guide to Cusco here.

Sacred valley (visit from Cusco)- Day 14-15

Before attempting a high altitude trek, take a few days to explore the Sacred valley. Your body likely needs some time to get acclimatized and most sights in the sacred valley are located slightly lower than Cusco. I would say Pisac and Ollaytambo are the most impressive sights in the Sacred valley, but if you want to visit the Maras Saltmines, you can combine that with Moray.

Machu Picchu trough salkantay trek or Inca trail -Day 16-17-18-19-20

Machu Picchu is the main reason for a lot of people to visit Peru. It had also been on my list for a while and I’m happy to say that it lives up to the expectations. Especially after trekking it’s an incredible feeling to finally see the city slowly appear as you walk up. I personally chose to do the Salkantay trek and if you’d like to know more about the best ways to visit Machu Pichu and which hike to choose, read my guide here.

Rainbow Mountain (or Pallay Punchu) – Day 21

There are several ‘rainbow’ mountains you can visit from Cusco, but Vinicunca is the most well known. It’s located at 5,036 metres (16,522 ft) so its best to save this trip till last. You might also consider visiting Palccoyo or Pallay Punchu and if you have the time.

Not sure which rainbow mountain to choose, read this: Hiking Rainbow mountains Vinicunca, Palccoyo and Pallay Punchu 

From Cusco to Huaraz

This is quite the distance and I’d advice flying. Most likely, you’ll have a flight to Lima first, with a connecting flight to Anta (Ata Airport). From the airport it is still 2 hours and 20 minutes from the airport to Huaraz. So make sure your flight is in time to still take a bus.

Huaraz – Day 22-23-24-25

Huaraz is famous for it’s incredible hikes. Most located at high altitude, which is why I recommend putting it at the end of your trip. The Laguna 69 and Laguna Paron hike are among the most popular. Make sure to account for a day of acclimatization, before starting a hike.

Optional: Iquitos – Amazon

Iquitos, Peru is the gateway to the iconic Amazon River. I unfortunately didn’t have enough time during my trip to also visit Iquitos. However, if you’d like to see the rainforest, this is a good starting point.