Trip highlights
- 14-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Sun Gate
- 2Rainbow Mountain at dawn — painted geological stripes
- 3Humantay Lake turquoise glacial waters
- 4Sacred Valley Pisac and Ollantaytambo
- 5Lima's world-class ceviche culture
Daily spend
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Day-by-day plan
Arrive Lima
Tuesday, June 1
Est. spend
$250
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport
Jorge Chávez International Airport, Callao, Lima
LIM is 15km from Miraflores (the best base). Taxi from official Green Taxi stand: S/65–80 ($17–21). Uber costs S/40–55 ($11–15). Stay in Miraflores or Barranco for the best restaurants and safety.
Altitude note: Lima is at sea level, but Cusco is at 3,400m. Fly to Lima first (1 night), then fly to Cusco. This helps with acclimatisation before any trekking.
☀️ Afternoon
Miraflores Cliff Walk and Larcomar
Malecón de la Reserva, Miraflores, Lima
Miraflores sits on 80m cliffs above the Pacific — the Malecón cliff walk passes paragliders launching from the cliff edge. Larcomar shopping centre is built into the cliff. The view of Lima's Pacific coast is extraordinary.
Paragliding from the Miraflores cliffs is possible with tandem operators (from $40) — the thermals from the Pacific below keep pilots airborne for 20+ minutes over the coastal district.
🍽️ Meals
Central, Miraflores
Peruvian · $120 · Virgilio Martínez's restaurant — #1 in Latin America and one of the world's great dining experiences. The 17-course 'Altitudes' tasting menu traverses Peru's ecosystems. Book 3 months ahead.
Lima Food & Fly to Cusco
Wednesday, June 2
Est. spend
$180
per person
🌅 Morning
Lima ceviche breakfast — Mercado de Surquillo
Mercado de Surquillo No 1, Surquillo, Lima
Peruvian ceviche is best eaten for breakfast when the fish is freshest — Mercado de Surquillo (Miraflores' local market, not the tourist Surquillo) has ceviche stalls open from 7am with the morning catch. This is how Lima eats.
Order leche de tigre (tiger's milk) — the ceviche marinade drunk as a shot. It's one of the most flavour-concentrated liquids in Peruvian cuisine. Hangover cure by tradition.
☀️ Afternoon
Fly Lima to Cusco — acclimatisation afternoon
Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport, Cusco
1-hour flight to Cusco (CUZ, 3,400m elevation). The altitude hits immediately — headache and breathlessness are normal on arrival. Spend the afternoon resting in your hotel, drinking mate de coca (coca leaf tea), and avoiding physical exertion.
Altitude medication (acetazolamide/Diamox — prescription drug) is recommended for those sensitive to altitude. Start 2 days before arrival in Cusco. Consult a travel health clinic 4 weeks before departure.
🍽️ Meals
Cicciolina, Cusco
Peruvian/Mediterranean · $35 · The best restaurant in Cusco. The upstairs bar is one of the finest bar spaces in Peru — warm, wood-panelled, and the pisco sours are perfect.
Sacred Valley — Pisac & Ollantaytambo
Thursday, June 3
Est. spend
$130
per person
🌅 Morning
Pisac Inca ruins and Sunday market
Pisac Archaeological Park, Cusco Region
The Sacred Valley (Urubamba Valley) starts 30km northeast of Cusco. Pisac has a massive hilltop Inca citadel (multiple agricultural terraces, a solar observatory, and ceremonial baths) and the best traditional market in Peru (Sunday is the biggest). Combined entry with the Boleto Turístico: S/130 ($35).
The ruins are a strenuous 90-minute hike above the village or accessible by taxi to the top. The views from the citadel down the Sacred Valley are extraordinary — one of the finest Inca perspectives.
☀️ Afternoon
Ollantaytambo — the living Inca town
Ollantaytambo, Urubamba Province, Cusco
Ollantaytambo is the only continuously inhabited Inca town in Peru — the original Inca urban grid still exists with open channels running with mountain water through the streets. The Inca fortress above the town (the stairs are steep, 200 steps) is the last battle site where the Incas successfully repelled the Spanish. Entry with Boleto Turístico.
Ollantaytambo is the base for the Inca Trail departure — stay overnight here and depart at 5:30am for the trailhead. The Pink House Hotel and El Albergue (by the train station) are the best options.
🍽️ Meals
El Albergue Restaurant, Ollantaytambo
Peruvian · $25 · Adjacent to the Ollantaytambo train station. The quinoa risotto with local vegetables is the best example of Peruvian Andean cuisine.
Inca Trail Day 1
Friday, June 4
Est. spend
$650
per person
🌅 Morning
Inca Trail Day 1 — Km 82 to Wayllabamba
Km 82, Piscacucho, Urubamba Province
The 4-day Classic Inca Trail begins at Km 82 (Piscacucho trailhead). Day 1 is 13km through the lower valley — passing Inca ruins, crossing the Urubamba River, and ending at Wayllabamba camp (3,000m). The trail is surrounded by cloud forest with hummingbirds.
The Inca Trail permit costs $550–650 per person including the government fee, guide, cook, and porters. 500 permits issued daily. Book 6+ months ahead at a SERNANP-licensed agency. Porters carry group equipment; bring a personal day-pack only.
🍽️ Meals
Trail cook — included
Peruvian camp food · $0 · All meals on the Inca Trail are included. The camp cooks produce extraordinary food — ceviche, roasted chicken, soups — at altitude using simple equipment. The quality exceeds expectations every time.
Inca Trail Day 2 — Dead Woman's Pass
Saturday, June 5
Est. spend
$30
per person
🌅 Morning
Inca Trail Day 2 — Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass)
Warmiwañusca Pass, Inca Trail, Cusco Region
The hardest day of the trail — 12km with 1,200m elevation gain to Dead Woman's Pass (4,215m), the highest point of the trail. The descent to Pacaymayu camp is equally steep. The views from the pass across the Cusco highlands are extraordinary.
Start walking by 6am before the sun heats the trail. Take the ascent slowly — there's no shame in the 'Inca pace' (very slow and steady). The porters carrying 25kg loads will pass you and have camp set up before you arrive.
🍽️ Meals
Trail camp dinner
Peruvian · $0 · Included.
Inca Trail Day 3 — Cloud Forest
Sunday, June 6
Est. spend
$20
per person
🌅 Morning
Inca Trail Day 3 — Wiñay Wayna
Inca Trail Day 3, Cusco Region
Day 3 is the most beautiful day of the trail — cloud forest, Inca ruins at Sayaqmarka and Phuyupatamarka, and the extraordinary Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) terraced complex with its ritual baths and cascading agricultural platforms. The afternoon ends at the Wiñay Wayna campsite for the final night.
Wiñay Wayna (at the end of Day 3) is the finest Inca complex on the entire trail. Take an extra 30 minutes to explore all the terraced levels — most hikers rush through to reach camp.
🍽️ Meals
Final camp dinner
Peruvian · $0 · The celebratory dinner at Wiñay Wayna camp — the cooks and porters put on their best effort for the final night.
Inca Trail Day 4 — Machu Picchu
Monday, June 7
Est. spend
$60
per person
🌅 Morning
Inca Trail Day 4 — Machu Picchu via Sun Gate
Inti Punku (Sun Gate) → Machu Picchu
The final day — departure at 3:30am to reach the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) at sunrise. The first view of Machu Picchu below you, in the valley, with the morning mist and the mountains behind is the image that has made the Inca Trail the most famous walk in the world. Descend to Machu Picchu for 3 hours of guided exploration.
The Sun Gate arrival is the culmination of 4 days of walking — the emotional impact is real. The fog often clears by 7am to reveal the full citadel. After exploring Machu Picchu, the afternoon train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo is included in most trail packages.
🍽️ Meals
Indio Feliz, Aguas Calientes
French-Peruvian · $30 · The best restaurant in Aguas Calientes (the village below Machu Picchu). The trout in tamarind sauce is outstanding.
Cusco Recovery & Humantay Lake
Tuesday, June 8
Est. spend
$110
per person
🌅 Morning
Humantay Lake day hike
Humantay Lake, Mollepata, Anta, Cusco
The turquoise glacial lake at 4,200m above Cusco — a 2.5-hour round-trip hike from the trailhead (2 hours from Cusco by car). The electric-blue lake below the Humantay glacier is one of the most photogenic sights in Peru. Entry S/30 ($8).
The colour of Humantay Lake changes with the light — deep blue-green in morning sun, almost turquoise in overcast conditions. Early morning has the best light and fewest people.
🍽️ Meals
Limo, Cusco
Peruvian · $30 · Creative Peruvian fusion in a Cusco colonial house. The causa (chilled potato terrine with seafood) and the alpaca tenderloin are both outstanding.
Rainbow Mountain
Wednesday, June 9
Est. spend
$80
per person
🌅 Morning
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) dawn hike
Vinicunca, Quispicanchi, Cusco
Departure from Cusco at 3am — the 3-hour drive and 4km hike (4,200–5,200m) to the painted mountain. The mineral-rich geology creates red, yellow, green, white, and turquoise stripes in the mountainside. One of Peru's most recent tourist phenomena (the glaciers retreated to reveal the colours in 2015).
The hike is genuinely hard at 5,200m — the altitude affects everyone. Take it extremely slowly, use the horse option (S/60) for the steep final section if needed, and bring altitude medication. The crowd at the top peak by 9am — arrive before 8am.
🍽️ Meals
Trailside lunch, included in tour
Peruvian · $0 · Tour operators provide lunch at the base camp before the hike.
Cusco Last Morning & Fly Lima
Thursday, June 10
Est. spend
$160
per person
🌅 Morning
Cusco Plaza de Armas morning walk
Plaza de Armas, Cusco
The Plaza de Armas — the Inca Huacaypata (weeping place, the Inca ceremonial centre) now surrounded by Spanish colonial cathedral and churches. The Cathedral de Cusco (1654) has the Last Supper of Cusco painting with guinea pig on the table instead of lamb.
The Last Supper of Cusco (Marcos Zapata, 1753) in the cathedral's Beato Abad Chapel is the most famous example of the indigenous Andean adaptation of Catholic imagery. Entry included in the cathedral ticket.
☀️ Afternoon
Fly Cusco to Lima and depart
Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport
1-hour flight back to Lima for international connections. Lima airport has excellent ceviche at the Tanta restaurant airside.
🍽️ Meals
Chicha por Gastón Acurio, Cusco
Peruvian · $25 · Gastón Acurio's casual Cusco restaurant. The best anticuchos (grilled beef heart skewers, Peru's greatest street food) in a proper restaurant setting.
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
May–September: dry season in the Andes, clear skies for Rainbow Mountain, and the only season for the Inca Trail. October–April: wet season — the Inca Trail is closed in February for maintenance. Machu Picchu is less crowded in shoulder months (May, September).
🛂 Visas
Peru is visa-free for US, UK, EU, Canadian, Australian, and most Latin American citizens for 90 days. No advance application required.
💱 Currency
Peruvian Sol (PEN). 3.75 PEN per USD. Peru is affordable — the Inca Trail permit is the major cost ($550–650/person). Lima restaurants range from S/10 ($2.70) street food to S/450 ($120) fine dining.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 105
ambulance: 106
tourist police: (01) 574 8000
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- Altitude acclimatisation is critical. Spend 2 nights in Cusco (3,400m) before any strenuous trekking. Drink 4+ litres of water daily. Avoid alcohol for the first 2 days. Mate de coca (coca leaf tea) helps — it's legal in Peru and genuinely effective.
- Book the Inca Trail permit 6 months ahead — maximum 500 people per day is strictly enforced and the trail is fully booked by January for the May–September season.
One thing worth not skipping
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