16 DAYS IN PERU
Updated: Apr 23
Alpacas and Llamas, Pisco sours, Machu Picchu and rainbow coloured mountains - what more could you want? A 16 day itinerary to allow you to experience the very best Peru has to offer
Things to do in advance
Book flights from UK to Lima (adds 2 days onto itinerary)
Book Peru Hop in advance online
Book the Inca Trail well in advance (6-9 months before)
Book your accommodation for peace of mind however there are always spaces in hostels along the way
Book internal flights, particularly Arequipa to Cusco as there are less flights (use Peruvian for cheaper flights and a checked bag included)
Miraflores, Lima
Day 1
9am - Cafe de La Paz for Huevos Benedictos
10am-1:30pm - Free walking tour
1:30pm-2:30pm - Lunch in Downtown Lima or La Lucha Sangucheria in Miraflores
2:30pm - 3:30pm - catch the bus back to Miraflores/ enjoy a stroll to Parque Kennedy or Miraflores Central Park
3:30pm - 5pm - Huaca Pucllana
5pm-6:30pm - Relax
6:30pm onwards - Explore the Larcomar shopping centre and enjoy dinner at Mangos
Lima to Huacachina
Day 2
5:45am - Depart Lima with Peru Hop
10am-1pm- Ballestas Islands Tour (organised by Peru Hop on the day) and explore Paracas
2:15pm - 3pm - Arrive at Huacachina and check into your accommodation
3pm-4pm - Explore Huacachina
4pm-5:30pm - Sand buggy experience/ Sand boarding/ walk to top of dunes to enjoy the sunset
5:30pm-6:30pm - Relax
6:30pm-7:30pm - Happy hour cocktails at Desert Nights Bar on the terrace
7:30pm - 9pm - Dinner at the Wild Olive
9pm onwards - Dance and drink the night away at the Wild Rover Hostel
Huacachina to Arequipa
Day 3
10am-11am - Breakfast at Banana’s Adventure
11am-1pm - Explore Huacachina/ walk to top of dunes/sand boarding
1pm - Depart Huacachina
2:30pm - El Catador wine tour and tasting
4pm - Nazca Lines viewpoint
6:30pm - 7pm - Dinner in Nazca
7pm/7:30pm - Depart Nazca for overnight bus journey
Arequipa
Day 4
5:30am -Arrive in Arequipa
5:30am-9am - Get some rest
9am-1pm - Free walking tour
1pm-2:30pm - Lunch at Las Gringas
2:30pm-3:30pm - Alpaca wool shopping
3:30pm-4:30pm - Walk to Puenta Bolognesi Bridge for volcano views
4:30pm-6pm - Explore Plaza de Armes and visit Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
6pm-7:30pm - Happy hour at Casa Andina on the terrace
7:30pm-8:30pm - Relax
8:30pm onwards - Dinner at Zigzag
Day 5
9am - Coffee/breakfast at Coffee Roaster - Kaffeehaus
10am-11:30am - Mundo Alpaca
12pm-1pm - Lunch at Hatunpa
1pm-3pm - Walk to and explore Yanahura
3pm-5pm - Santa Catalina Monastery
5pm-6:30pm - Relax
6:30pm-7:30pm - Happy hour at Puku Puku on the terrace
7:30pm onwards - Dinner at Kao
Day 6
9:30am - Coffee/breakfast at Chaqchao
11am-1:30pm - Peruvian Cooking Experience
1:30pm-3:30pm - Alpaca wool shopping in the market
3:30pm-6pm - Taxi ride to visit Sachaca Tower (7-10 euros from centre)
6pm-7:30pm - Drinks at Katari rooftop terrace
7:30pm onwards - Dinner at Chicha
Cusco
Day 7
6:30am-10am - Fly to Cusco
10am-11am - Breakfast at La Rabona
11am-1pm - Check in to hotel/apartment and unpack
1pm-3:30pm - Free walking tour
3:30pm-5:30pm - Visit Cristo Blanco/Sacsayhuaman
5:30pm-7pm - Explore San Blas area, book up excursions
7pm onwards - Dinner at Hanz Craft Beer
Day 8
2:45am-2/3pm - Rainbow Mountain excursion (opt for Pisac instead if you don’t want to hike - sights include Incan ruins, accessible by bus and excursion with local travel companies)
3pm-5pm - Relax
5pm-7pm - Explore Plaza de Armas
7pm-9pm - Dinner at Pachapapa
9pm - Drinks at Republica Del Pisco (if you can stay awake)
Day 9
9am-10am - Breakfast in hotel/apartment or Greens Organic
10am-12pm - Explore San Pedro Market
12pm-2pm - Lunch at Monkey Cafe
2pm-5pm - Visit the Machu Picchu museum/planetarium, enjoy a beer in Parque de San Francisco
5pm-6pm - Relax
6pm- 7:30pm - Drinks at Nuevo Mundo
7:30pm onwards - Dinner at La Bodega
Day 10 - Day 13 - Inca Trail
Cusco
Day 14
10am-11:30am - Breakfast at JC’s Cafe
11:30am-1pm - Visit Koricancha and enjoy an ice cream in the gardens
1pm-3pm - Shop for souvenirs
3pm-5pm - Have a picnic in Parque de San Francisco
5pm/6pm - Relax
6pm-7:30pm - Limbus rooftop cafe for drinks
7:30pm - Dinner at Cicciolina
Day 15
10am-11:30am - Breakfast at Qura bowl bar
11:30am-1pm - Enjoy the sun before heading back to Lima
1pm-5pm - Uber to airport and fly to Lima
5pm-6pm - Check in
6pm-7pm - Explore Barranco at night
7pm-9pm - Dinner at LA73
9pm onwards - Drinks at Ayuhascha
Day 16
10am-11:30am - Breakfast at La Bodega Verde
11:30am-12:30pm - Visit the Bridge of Sighs
12:30pm-4pm - Explore Barranco by day, look out for the colourful houses, visit the Frederick Villarreal Park, the Municpal de Barranco Park and take the Bajada de los Banos - walk to the Pacific Ocean
4pm-5pm - Drinks and Burgers/Sandwiches at the Barranco Beer Company
5pm - Check out and grab an Uber to the airport to head home
Optional Extras in place of the Inca Trail
Colca Canyon The second deepest canyon in the world and the best place in all of South America to see the Andean Condor. The canyon creates a crescent shape between the El Misti and the Chacani Volcanoes. It is said to be between 3,300 and 3,400m deep and at the midpoint of the valley the town of Chivay sits at 3,500m high. Acclimatisation is advised and the organised treks will allow you to ease in gently working up from Arequipa’s 2,335m elevation. The treks vary but the most popular are the 1, 2 or 3 day treks: 1 Day Trek
Departs Arequipa at 3:30am and returns at 5:30pm
7 hour of bus travel in total
Sightseeing but no time for hiking
2 Day Trek - No Hiking
A more leisurely trip for those with more time to spare
Departs Arequipa at 8am and returns 5pm the following day
Sights include Aguada Blanca Nature Reserve, Chivay and Condor’s Cross
Includes 1 night stay in a basic hotel
2 Day Trek - Hiking
A jam packed 2 days full of tough hiking and sightseeing
Departs Arequipa at 3:30am and returns 5pm the following day
Day 1 - around 5-6 hours of difficult hiking
Day 2 - 5am start and another 5-6 hours of difficult hiking
Includes 1 night stay in bungalows near the oasis
Nature reserves, Condor sighting and Archeological ruins along the way
3 Day Trek
A more leisurely trip spending longer in the canyon and includes hiking
Departs Arequipa at 3am and returns 5pm 2 days later
Day 1 - Condor’s Cross and 3 ½ hours hiking
Day 2 - Gentle hike to points of interest including a descend to the deepest part of the trek
Day 3 - 3 hour uphill hike to Chivay, lunch stop and back to Arequipa
Includes two nights accommodations in rustic huts
For prices and more information visit: https://www.peruhop.com/tours/colca-canyon/ Chacani Volcano The highest stratovolcano in Southern Peru at a whopping 6,075m above sea level. This is one for those who wish to accomplish something unique and visit somewhere off the beaten track. Acclimatisation is a must and this can be difficult starting from Arequipa which sits must lower than base of Chacani at 5,100m. There are 1 or 2 days treks available and they are not for the faint hearted: 1 Day Trek
Depart Arequipa at midnight for a 3 hour drive to base
The hike begins at 3am and you will reach the summit around 9:30am/10am. This is uphill and tough and the little oxygen near the top makes it all the more difficult
The descent is around 2 ½ hours
Return back to Arequipa around 3pm
2 Day Trek
Depart Arequipa at 9am
Day 1 includes a visit to a nature reserve and a 2 hour hike to arrive at base camp at 5,200m to get acclimitised
Day 2 begins between 2-4am for 4-6 hour uphill climb to the summit and 30 minutes to enjoy the view. There is a 2 hour descend before returning to Arequipa at around 3pm
For prices and more information visit: https://www.peruadventurestours.com/en/arequipa/chachani_volcano.html
Peru without the hiking
Enjoy a more relaxing trip to Peru without hiking sky high mountains. You can still experience just as much nature, beauty and culture this country has to offer
Lima - Miraflores and Barranco
Day 1 - Miraflores
9am-10am - Check into your accommodation
Cafe de La Paz for Huevos Benedictos
10am-1:30pm - Free walking tour
1:30pm-2:30pm - Lunch in Downtown Lima or La Lucha Sangucheria in Miraflores
2:30pm - 3:30pm - catch the bus back to Miraflores/ enjoy a stroll to Parque Kennedy or Miraflores Central Park
3:30pm - 5pm - Huaca Pucllana
5pm-6:30pm - Relax
6:30pm onwards - Explore the Larcomar shopping centre and enjoy dinner at Mangos
Day 2 - Barranco
9am-10am - Walk (20 minutes) or catch the bus to Barranco
10am-11:30am - Breakfast at La Bodega Verde
11:30am-12:30pm - Visit the Bridge of Sighs
12:30pm-4pm - Explore Barranco by day, look out for the colourful houses, visit the Frederick Villarreal Park, the Municpal de Barranco Park and take the Bajada de los Banos - walk to the Pacific Ocean
4pm-5pm - Drinks at the Barranco Beer Company
5pm-7pm - Relax/Explore Barranco at night
7pm-9pm - Dinner at LA73
9pm onwards - Drinks at Ayuhascha
Arequipa
Day 3
9am-11am - Take an morning stroll along the Bajada de los Banos
11am-12pm - Breakfast at La Panetteria
12pm- 3pm - Take an Uber to Lima airport and fly to Arequipa
3pm-4pm - Check into your hotel/apartment, unpack/relax
4pm-6pm - Wander around the streets of Arequipa and find Plaza de Armes
6pm-7pm - Happy hour at Puku Puku on the terrace
7pm-9pm - Dinner at Kao
Day 4
9am-1pm - Free walking tour
1pm-2:30pm - Lunch at Las Gringas
2:30pm-3:30pm - Alpaca wool shopping
3:30pm-4:30pm - Walk to Puenta Bolognesi Bridge for volcano views
4:30pm-6pm - Explore Plaza de Armes and visit Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa
6pm-7:30pm - Happy hour at Casa Andina on the terrace
7:30pm-8:30pm - Relax
8:30pm onwards - Dinner at Zigzag
Day 5
9am onwards - 2 day Colca Canyon excursion
Day 6
Colca Canyon excursion
3pm - Return to Arequipa
3pm-5pm - Relax
5pm-7pm - Visit the Santa Catalina Monestery
7pm onwards - Dinner at AQP Burger Company
Day 7
9:30am-10:30am - Coffee/breakfast at Chaqchao
11am-1:30pm - Peruvian Cooking Experience
1:30pm-3:30pm - Visit Mundo Alpaca
3:30pm-6pm - Taxi ride to visit Sachaca Tower (7-10 euros from centre)
6pm-7:30pm - Drinks at Katari rooftop terrace
7:30pm onwards - Dinner at Chicha
Cusco
Day 8
9am-10am - Uber to Arequipa airport
10am-1pm - Fly and arrive into Cusco/ Check in to your accommodation
1pm-3:30pm - Free walking tour
3:30pm-5:30pm - Visit Cristo Blanco/Sacsayhuaman
5:30pm-7pm - Explore San Blas area, book up excursions
7pm onwards - Dinner at Hanz Craft Beer
Day 9
9am-9pm - Join a Sacred Valley Tour and explore Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo
9pm - Book an overnight stay in Ollantaytambo
Day 10
9am-10am - Breakfast at Heart Cafe
10am-12pm - Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
12pm-1pm - Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
1pm-5pm - Explore Machu Picchu
5pm-6pm - Bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes
6pm-8pm - Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
8pm onwards - Train from Ollantaytambo to Cusco
Day 11
10am-11am - Breakfast at La Rabona
11am-12pm - Explore San Pedro Market
12pm-2pm - Lunch at Monkey Cafe
2pm-5pm - Visit the Machu Picchu museum/planetarium, enjoy a beer in Parque de San Francisco
5pm-6pm - Relax
6pm- 7:30pm - Drinks at Nuevo Mundo
7:30pm onwards - Dinner at Pachapapa
Day 12
10am-11:30am - Breakfast at JC’s Cafe
11:30am-1pm - Visit Koricancha and enjoy an ice cream in the gardens
1pm-3pm - Shop for souvenirs
3pm-5pm - Uber to the airport to fly to Lima and then Lima to UK
Other recommendations
Bus from Miraflores to Barranco The buses arrive approximately every hour. Look for the bus with Chorrillos on it. The buses can be cramped and busy and can often take as long as walking when you factor in finding the correct bus stop, purchasing tickets etc. Miraflores to Barranco is walkable by starting from the Larcomar shopping centre and following the coastal route.
La Panetteria This trendy, hipster cafe is the perfect breakfast/brunch spot. It sells sandwiches made with freshly baked bread, refreshing chia seed bowls and it is vegan/vegetarian friendly. You can get breakfast to go if you’re in a hurry or bag a seat in this small and cosy cafe to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Location: Av.Almte. Miguel Grau 369, Barranco 15063
Hearts Cafe Another cafe which welcomes vegan and vegetarian guests with open arms. This cafe offers American style breakfast options including various cooked options to fill you up ready for your day ahead. Location: Avenida Ventiderio, Ollantaytambo
AQP Burger Company This homemade burger company is the place to find the best fast food in Arequipa. The burgers are fresh and tasty and served in brioche buns with hand cut chips. The perfect place to stop off during a busy day of sightseeing or wanting to catch a quick bite before heading back to the hotel. Sacred Valley Tour - worth getting the Boleto Turistico Del Cusco There are various sacred valley tours available going to different locations including Pisac, Maras, Moray, Ollantaytambo, Urubamba and Chinchero. I would suggest you find one which focuses on Pisac, Urubamba and ends in Ollantaytambo. The excursions will be in the region of £40-£60 per person for a full day trip. Pisac is particularly popular for its Incan ruins and the market. In Urubamba you will find the Urubamba river and beautiful countryside. Ollantaytambo is not only the transport hub and your gateway to Machu Picchu. Here you will also find the Ollantaytambo ruins, a great view of the town from the Pinkullyuna hill (if you can face the 1-2 hour hike) and some very highly rated restaurants. There is also the option to visit each destination individually or pick and choose your favourites however if you don’t book with a tour operator it may be worth purchasing the Boleto Turistico del Cusco as this will cover attractions both in Cusco and your entrance to ruins in the Sacred Valley.
Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes This exquisite train journey takes you through the sacred valley of he Incas and is said to be one of the most beautiful routes in the world. Don’t use this as an opportunity to catch up on sleep and make sure you find a window seat with a perfect view. The train journey takes around 2 hours and tickets cost between $140-$200 for standard tickets. If your budget allows splash out on the Hiram Bingham luxury train experience for an eye watering $950pp.
Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu Bus tickets can be purchased in person at Av. Hermanos Ayar S / N, before Puente Ruinas or online at https://www.ticketmachupicchu.com/. A return journey is around $24pp and bus comes every 15 minutes.
Machu Picchu Museum Visit this museum either before or after your trip to Machu Picchu to learn more about the Incan citadel. The museum holds the largest collection of Incan artifacts in the world. The museum is open from 9am-5pm Monday-Saturday and it costs around $6pp to enter. Location: 320 Santa Catalina Ancha, Cusco, Peru 080101320
Planetarium Learn about Incan astronomy at one of the most popular attractions in Cusco. The trip begins at Plaza Regocijo del Cusco and after around 15-20 minutes you will arrive at the planetarium. Choose a clear night and book before 1pm when the office closes. Tickets cost around $15 pp.Location: Fundo Llaullipata carretera a Sacsayhuaman Km2, Cusco 08002, PeruOffice Location: Lucrepata E- 16
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