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The Ultimate 2-Week Peru Itinerary

Going to Peru? Planning an international trip to a foreign country can be a bit overwhelming if you’re never been before. Here is a 2-week Peru itinerary that will make sure you see all the best things to do in Peru.

Peru 2-Week Itinerary - The Best Things To Do in Peru - Cusco, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, Sacred Valley, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, Moray, Machu Picchu, Lima, Hucachina Desert Oasis and more!

The Ultimate 2-Week Peru Itinerary

The Ultimate Guide to Cusco, Peru: Best things to do, how long to stay, and best day trips to take from Cusco. Use these tips to help plan your trip to Cusco!

Peru Itinerary Day 1 — Arrive to Cusco

From the United States we first flew into Lima, Peru. We booked our flight to Lima with a US airline (Delta) and then our flight from Lima to Cusco we booked separately with Peruvian Airlines.

Check in to your hotel, settle in, maybe get a SIM Card, and grab lunch, a drink, or an afternoon snack at Marcelo Batata for fabulous rooftop view over Cusco.

See this post: Best Things To Do in Cusco, Peru

Where to Stay: JW Marriott Cusco


The Ultimate Guide to Cusco, Peru: Best things to do, how long to stay, and best day trips to take from Cusco. Use these tips to help plan your trip to Cusco!

Peru Itinerary Day 2 — Explore Cusco

Full day to explore Cusco. Definitely check out the Plaza de Armas and San Pedro Market. You can also visit some tour offices and arrange your day trips for the next 2 days.

See this post: Best Things To Do in Cusco, Peru

Where to Stay: JW Marriott Cusco


Rainbow Mountain, Peru. Don't go at 3 AM with the tour groups. Sleep in, miss the crowds, and have Rainbow Mountain all to yourself! Read this post for everything you need to know about hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru.

Peru Itinerary Day 3 — Rainbow Mountain Day Trip

Plan a day in Cusco to take a day trip to Rainbow Mountain! TIP: Hire a taxi and go on your own!

See this post: How to Hike Rainbow Mountain in Peru

Where to Stay: JW Marriott Cusco


The sacred Humantay Lake, one of the best day trips from Cusco, Peru!

Peru Itinerary Day 4 — Humantay Lake Day Trip

Another amazing day trip option from Cusco is Humantay Lake. As with Rainbow Mountain, you can go with a tour or go on your own.

See this post: Humantay Lake Day Trip from Cusco

Where to Stay: JW Marriott Cusco


What you shouldn't miss in the Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, and Moray. You can do this itinerary in 2 days as day trips from Cusco, or you can stay in the Sacred Valley itself.

What you shouldn't miss in the Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, and Moray. You can do this itinerary in 2 days as day trips from Cusco, or you can stay in the Sacred Valley itself.

Peru Itinerary Day 5 — Pisac & Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley)

Today, hire a taxi to take you from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, where you’ll be spending the next 2 nights. On the way you will see the Pisac market and ruins. Ollantaytambo is a super charming village in the Sacred Valley surrounded by mountains and ancient Inca ruins.

See this post: Day 1 in the Sacred Valley — Pisac & Ollantaytambo

Where to Stay: Apu Lodge Ollantaytambo


What you shouldn't miss in the Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, and Moray. You can do this itinerary in 2 days as day trips from Cusco, or you can stay in the Sacred Valley itself.

Peru Itinerary Day 6 — Maras & Moray (Sacred Valley)

Hire a taxi from Ollantaytambo to visit the Maras Salt Mines and the mysterious circular Inca ruins at Moray.

See this post: Day 2 in the Sacred Valley — Maras & Moray

Where to Stay: Apu Lodge Ollantaytambo


Everything you need to know about visiting Machu Picchu in Peru

Peru Itinerary Day 7 — Machu Picchu

Take the morning train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu, about 1.5 hours, direct. You’ll be spending the next 2 nights in Aguas Calientes, the small village at the base of Machu Picchu. Buy afternoon tickets for Machu Picchu this day — be sure to buy in advance!

See this post: Ultimate Guide to Machu Picchu

Where to Stay: Hotel La Cabaña Machu Picchu


Everything you need to know about visiting Machu Picchu in Peru

Peru Itinerary Day 8 — Machu Picchu

Be sure to buy tickets to hike Huyana Picchu in advance. Today you can you can do the hike to Huyana Picchu and the Sun Gate.

See this post: Ultimate Guide to Machu Picchu

Where to Stay: Hotel La Cabaña Machu Picchu


What you shouldn't miss in the Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, and Moray. You can do this itinerary in 2 days as day trips from Cusco, or you can stay in the Sacred Valley itself.

Peru Itinerary Day 9 — Pinkuylluna Hike & Cusco

Take the morning train from Machu Picchu back to Ollantaytambo. If you haven’t had time to do the Pinkuylluna Hike yet you can do that now before returning to Cusco. After the hike you can pick up your luggage from the hotel and catch a taxi, bus, or collectivo (shared taxi) back to Cusco. There will be many leaving from the main square in Ollantaytambo. A collectivo from Ollantaytambo to Cusco is 10 soles.

See this post: Pinkuylluna Hike in Ollantaytambo

Where to Stay: JW Marriott Cusco


The Ultimate Guide to Lima, Peru! Best things to do, where to stay, and the best day trips to take from Lima. Use these tips to help plan your trip to Lima!

Peru Itinerary Day 10 — Lima

Today you will fly from Cusco to Lima. Spend the afternoon exploring Miraflores or the Barranco district.

See this post: Best Things to Do in Lima, Peru

Where to Stay: Airbnb in Miraflores


A real oasis in the desert of Peru! This is one of the best day trips you can take from Lima. Huacachina, Peru.

Peru Itinerary Day 11 — Day trip to Paracas and Huacachina

Take a day trip from Lima to Paracas and Huacachina. In Paracas you’ll take a boat to the Ballestas Islands to see penguins and sea lions, and in Huacahina you’ll see a real-life desert oasis. You’ll also take a high-speed dune-buggy ride through and go sand boarding down the steep dunes of the desert!

See this post: Huacachina and Paracas Day Trip from Lima

Where to Stay: Airbnb in Miraflores


The Ultimate Guide to Lima, Peru! Best things to do, where to stay, and the best day trips to take from Lima. Use these tips to help plan your trip to Lima!

Peru Itinerary Day 12 — Lima

Full day in Lima to explore Miraflores and the Historic District of Lima.

See this post: Best Things to Do in Lima

Where to Stay: Airbnb in Miraflores


Rainbow Mountain, Peru. Don't go at 3 AM with the tour groups. Sleep in, miss the crowds, and have Rainbow Mountain all to yourself! Read this post for everything you need to know about hiking Rainbow Mountain in Peru.

Peru Itinerary Day 13 — Depart Lima


The sacred Humantay Lake, one of the best day trips from Cusco, Peru!

Tips for Traveling to Peru

  • Cell Service — If you want to stay connected in Peru, you can get a SIM card from a Movistar or Claro store. I got a SIM Card from a Movistar store as soon as I arrived in Cusco Peru, but it was a bit of a hassle. I had to wait in line for at least 30 minutes, sign and fingerprint more paperwork than I had to sign to sell my house, and then I had to go to the market next door to buy a data plan — after all that I couldn’t even buy a data plan in the official Movistar store. You will also need to show your passport. However data is only 10 soles per GB, so the price was great.
  • Always make sure to ask the price of a taxi before you get in, and never accept the first offer. Always have cash for the taxis, and since you agree on the price beforehand, tipping is not customary.
  • Peru is very safe. However, Peru is a bit of a “high pressure sales” country, so we often had people come up to us and ask us to buy something, if we needed taxi, wanted a massage, or trying to get us to go into their restaurant.
  • Bring toilet paper with you everywhere you go.
  • Have headache medicine on hand in case of altitude sickness.

2 Week Bolivia Itinerary

Going to Bolivia next?

Check out our ultimate 2-week Bolivia Itinerary!


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Peru 2-Week Itinerary - The Best Things To Do in Peru - Cusco, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake, Sacred Valley, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras, Moray, Machu Picchu, Lima, Hucachina Desert Oasis and more!

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7 Responses
  1. Macy

    Hi! I’m planning a trip to Peru and it will be similar to the itinerary you had! Do you have any suggestions or tips on how to pack for 2 weeks in Peru? For example did you check in any bags and did you travel with a backpack or suitcase, etc.? 

    1. Amanda

      I had a carry-on size suitcase and a standard size backpack (not like a big backpacker backpack or anything lol). I brought Tide detergent with me to wash clothes in the sink. You may need a backpack to take the train to Machu Picchu — some sites say they don’t allow suitcases on the train. We didn’t see any suitcases on the train, only backpacks. Hope this helps! :)

  2. Giovana

    Beautiful pictures! You made me laugh with your suggestion to always bring toilet paper. I am from Peru, live in the US now and last year my family and I traveled to Peru to visit my family, and yes, toilet paper was a “must have” in your bag, lol.

    Glad you enjoy your trip!!

  3. Wendy Mosier

    I’m so glad to see you still active. I was familiar with your blog years ago, but never subscribed. It was fun to see another Alabama girl. Today found me searching for chicken recipes and your fiesta chicken bowl came up. Your picture looked familiar so I perused your recent posts and here I am. Your Peru pictures, as well as others, are amazing!

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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