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Andean mountains above the floor of the Sacred Valley, Peru

Sample journey · 14–18 days

Peru — Andean landscapes & cultural discovery

Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lake Titicaca

Photo: Paul Daly / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many people first picture Peru through Machu Picchu, but the country is far larger than one famous site. In Lima the food tells the story of the Pacific, the Andes and generations of immigrants; in the Sacred Valley Inca terraces are still farmed and Quechua is still spoken in the markets.

This sample journey is shaped around altitude: the lower valley first, and Cusco afterwards. Walkers could reach Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail or an alternative route, while others might take the train along the river gorge. Both roads lead to the same place.

The route

The journey

  1. Lima
  2. Sacred Valley
  3. Machu Picchu
  4. Cusco
  5. Lake Titicaca
  1. Peruvian ceviche with red onion, sweet potato and corn, served in Lima

    01Days 1–2 · Lima

    A city best understood through its food

    An easy first day: a walk through Barranco and sunset over the Pacific from the Miraflores clifftops. On the second, a market visit with a local cook, ceviche for lunch and the Larco Museum, where pre-Columbian Peru starts to make sense.

  2. Inca terraces and the village of Ollantaytambo beneath the mountains

    02Days 3–5 · Sacred Valley

    Villages, terraces and a gentle acclimatisation

    A flight to Cusco and straight down into the Sacred Valley, which lies lower than the city and makes adjusting easier. Pisac's market and terraces, the circular fields of Moray, the Maras salt pans and Ollantaytambo, an Inca town whose streets are still lived in. The days are short and the evenings quiet.

  3. Early sunlight across Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu

    03Days 6–7 · Machu Picchu

    On foot or by train

    From Ollantaytambo the train follows the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes, where a night lets you go up to Machu Picchu early in the morning. For walkers there's the classic Inca Trail (permits are limited, so plan well ahead), the one-day Short Inca Trail, or the quieter Salkantay and Lares routes.

  4. The rooftops of Cusco and surrounding hills in evening light, seen from near Qenqo

    04Days 8–10 · Cusco

    Inca walls, colonial courtyards

    Back in Cusco, you'll usually feel more at home with the altitude. The workshops of San Blas, Qorikancha, where a colonial church stands on Inca temple foundations, the San Pedro market and the walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city. One day could go to a weaving cooperative in a mountain village.

  5. The rocky shore of Taquile Island and the wide blue of Lake Titicaca

    05Days 11–14 · Lake Titicaca

    Optional: the high lake

    The journey to Puno is by scenic train (it runs only on certain days) or by road across the Altiplano. On the lake, Taquile Island with its weaving traditions and, if you'd like, a night with a family on Amantaní. From nearby Juliaca you fly back to Lima and home. With less time, this chapter could be skipped, flying from Cusco straight to Lima.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Lima's kitchens

    A market visit with a cook and a plate of ceviche: lunch, and a story about the country.

  2. 02

    Ollantaytambo

    A living Inca town, with stone water channels and terraces rising above the roofs.

  3. 03

    Machu Picchu in the early morning

    After a night below, you can be among the first up, while cloud still rises from the valley.

  4. 04

    A night on Amantaní

    A simple night with a local family and an evening above the lake, one of the most personal ways to glimpse Andean life.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More active

    The four-day Inca Trail or the Salkantay trek, plus a mountain-biking day or a hike to Humantay Lake from Cusco.

  • More relaxed

    More nights in the Sacred Valley, the train to Machu Picchu, and a direct flight from Cusco to Lima in place of the Titicaca leg.

  • With children

    Shorter transfers, weaving and chocolate workshops, an alpaca farm and more rest days at altitude.

  • Extensions

    A few days in the Amazon near Puerto Maldonado, or Arequipa and the Colca Canyon on the way to Titicaca.

Practical considerations

  • The Andean dry season usually runs from about May to September, though mountain weather can change quickly.
  • The classic Inca Trail usually closes in February for maintenance, and permits in other months often sell out well in advance.
  • Machu Picchu is visited on timed tickets with set circuits, so the day is worth planning ahead.
  • In the first days at altitude it helps to move slowly and leave time for rest, which is what this pacing is for.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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