Are you planning a trip to Peru and don’t know where to start and what to visit? I’m a Peruvian that has traveled extensively in Peru. There’s so much to see and do here! After all my trips, this is the Peru itinerary that I recommend to friends that have 10 days to travel around Peru.
Peru has so many places that are worth visiting. The ruins of Machu Picchu, Cusco (the old capital of the Inca empire), the Amazon rainforest, are some of the best. So with just 10 days in Peru, you should absolutely include them in your itinerary.
If you have the opportunity to stay for longer than 10 days, I suggest you take a look at this 3-week Peru itinerary. That itinerary includes visits to other Peruvian highlights, such as Arequipa city, the Colca Valley, Puno and Lake Titicaca.
Peru Itinerary – 10 Days: An Overview
This is an overview of your itinerary of 10 days in Peru.
- Day 1: Lima
- Day 2: Cusco city
- Day 3: Cusco city, Maras and Moray
- Day 4: Pisac and Ollantaytambo.
- Day 5: Machu Picchu
- Day 6: Manu National Park
- Day 7: Manu National Park
- Day 8: Manu National Park
- Day 9: Manu National Park
- Day 10: Lima. Fly back home.
Keep reading further for more details on what to see and do in each town, where to stay, recommended hotels and extra tips.
I’m also recommending tours that you might want to take in the city you are visiting. The ones I recommend for the first days are completely optional. On those days, you can do all the recommended sightseeing by yourself if that’s what you prefer.
But a tour to Manu National Park, for days 6-9 is basically something that you have to do if you want to visit the jungle. It’s not so easy to get to see the best of the jungle in Peru just by yourself.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 1: Lima
Lima will be your first stop in this Peru itinerary of 10 days, since it’s where international flights arrive. The itinerary of this day will depend on what time your flight arrives in Lima.
I’ll propose two plans for your first day. The first one is assuming you arrived the night before, or that you arrive in the early morning. In this case, you have the whole day to explore Lima. The second one is assuming you arrive later in the day.
Day 1 (if you have the whole day in Lima)
The two main touristic neighborhoods (besides Lima center), are Barranco and Miraflores, where is where you should stay. I have written a whole post about staying in Barranco vs. Miraflores, but in this case it doesn’t really matter if you just have one day. My suggestion would be Barranco.
So after arriving at the airport, head to your hotel in Barranco. From there, head to Lima center. You can get a taxi to Plaza San Martin, and from there walk to the main square.
Very near the main square, you will find San Francisco Church, which has some catacombs and interesting stories you shouldn’t miss.
From there, head to Larco Museum, in my opinion, the best museum in Peru. The museum features the art of the Moche, a pre-Inca civilization from the north of Peru. The most fascinating part is their collection of erotic pottery! You can have lunch at the museum, which has a very nice restaurant and garden.
In the afternoon, go to Miraflores. Ask the taxi to drop you at Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park). Walk around the area, which is full of bars, restaurants and shops. From there, you can walk to Larcomar, an open-air mall on a cliff overlooking the sea.
From there, you can either walk to Barranco, or take a taxi. The rest of the day will be to explore Barranco, the main square, the Bridge of Sighs, the Feria de Barranco, Dedalo shop and relax.
Tour for Day 1
Lima Highlights Tour: If you prefer to visit the city with a guided tour, this is a great option. You will visit Lima center, Barranco, Miraflores, plus a pre-Incan site and a local market.
Day 1 (if you arrive later in the day)
If you arrive later in the day, the best will be to stay in a hotel near Lima airport.
If you arrive in the evening, ideally just stay in your hotel resting to be ready to start your adventure on the following day. Lima airport is not close to any touristic sites.
But if you arrive in the afternoon and have some time, you can order a taxi from your hotel to Lima center. Start by visiting San Francisco Church and the catcombs, which close at 6pm (the tour lasts 45 minutes, so go before).
If you still have time, head to Larco Museum to see their erotic pottery collection. The museum closes at 7pm. You can have dinner there, since the restaurant stays open until 10pm (the latest you can reserve a table is for 8:30pm).
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 2: Cusco City
The second day of your Peru itinerary of 10 days, you will already start exploring the Andes of Peru.
Take an early flight to Cusco and spend the day in Cusco city. Something very important to be aware of is that Cusco is at a high altitude, at 3300 meters. This means that you should take the day easy, avoid alcohol and walk slowly. Altitude sickness is very common among tourists, which can cause headaches, lack of breath and even nausea.
To prevent altitude sickness, drink coca leaf tea, a popular drink of the Andes in Peru. You will find it everywhere in Cusco city. Otherwise, buy an altitude sickness pill at any pharmacy, which will help if you are already having some altitude sickness symptoms.
Spend the morning exploring the area around the main square. Walk around the cobblestone streets, small shops and markets. Make sure to visit San Pedro Market. Cusco city is possibly the most beautiful city in Peru, so take your time and enjoy it.
For lunch you will have plenty of options. Cusco if full of restaurants of all kinds and for all budgets. Relatively to the sice of the city, there’s way more variety in Cusco than in Lima. I have been to Cusco more times than I can remember and I always find a new to place to visit.
In the afternoon, visit Sacsayhuaman ruins, one of the nicest Inca ruins you will find in the area. You can either walk, take a taki, or take a tour to Sacsayhuaman. Even if you don’t take a tour, I recommend you hiring a guide there, since the place will only make sense if you learn about it.
By the way, if around the city you see any ladies in their typical clothes with llamas and you take a picture with them, tipping is expected.
Also, Cusco is a safe city so you shouldn’t have problems wandering around at any time of the day.
Tour for Day 2
Book a Cusco Private Tour: This private tour will take you to the main landmarks in Cusco. You will visit the Sacsayhuaman ruins, the cathedral, the Qoricancha temple (Sun temple), and three other ruins.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 3: Maras, Moray, Chinchero, Cusco City
Day 3 will also be in Cusco, but in the morning, visit Maras, Moray and Chinchero, all located in the Sacred Valley.
These are 3 locations that are relatively close to each other, so are generally visited together. Thwy are about 1 and a half hours away from Cusco city.
This will be your first visit to the Sacred Valley. Potentially you could go from Cusco to the Sacred Valley by yourself by public transport. The thing with doing it by public transport is that it’s more tricky between Maras, Moray and it implies a lot of walking. Which can be great if you don’t mind! You would also have to wait to hail a bus at the road to get back to Cusco, but sometimes they are full when they pass by.
I recommend booking a tour, so that you can make the most out of your day, or otherwise hiring a taxi.
Chinchero
Chinchero is a town that is renowned for its textiles. Some tours will take you to the main weaving workshop of the town. You will be able to see how they make every piece and realize that a single small carpet can take up to a month to be finished.
Once, when I visited Chinchero, I asked a girl from the workshop to teach me how to weave, and I spent the day making a woven belt. I understood why every piece is so valuable. It really takes forever to make each piece!
You will also explore the archaeological site and, depending on the day, possibly visit their traditional market.
Maras
Maras is one of my favorite spots in the Sacred Valley. It’s a salt mine, composed of pans on the slope of a mountain where locals have been producing pink salt since the times of the Incas. You can also get some nice souvenirs at the shop, like pink salt of several different flavors. I love the chili flavored salt that they sell there.
Moray
Then you have Moray, which is an archaeological site that most likely used to be an agricultural food lab. The site is formed by terraces at different altitudes, so the Incas probably used it to see how different seeds grew at different elevations.
You will be back in Cusco around 3pm or 4pm. You can spend the rest of your day just relaxing or continue exploring the city.
Tours for Day 3:
Book the Maras, Moray and Chinchero tour: This tour departs in the early morning, takes you to the three sites and takes you back to Cusco at 3pm.
Book an ATV Quad Tour to Maras and Moray: Are you up for an adventure? Visit Maras and Moray riding an ATV.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 4: Pisac, Ollantaytambo
On Day 4 of your 10 days in Peru, your itinerary will continue in the Sacred Valley, visiting Pisac and Ollantaytambo.
Again you have the option of doing this by yourself by public transport or taking a tour. If you do it by public transport, this will take longer since minivans or buses don’t depart at fixed times, but whenever they are full of passengers.
Pisac
Start this day by exploring Pisac, one of the nicest towns in the Sacred Valley. Pisac is famous for two things: its market and the Pisac ruins.
The market is a colorful and lively place. You will have the chance to see handicrafts, clothes, textiles and other local products. It’s a great place to get some souvenirs from Peru. Before the pandemic, there used to be a Sunday market which was bigger. For now, there’s a market every day, but it’s smaller.
You can have lunch in Pisac and either continue directly to Ollantaytambo or visit its ruins. The ruins are located on the top of a mountain. For me, they are some of the nicest ruins in Cusco, besides Machu Picchu. The reason you might not want to visit them is because you will be visiting other great ruins in Ollantaytambo as well.
If you want to visit the ruins, doing the Pisac route by yourself, without a tour, can be an advantage, because you can get to see them without other groups of tourists around. When I have visited the ruins this is the way I’ve done it and it has been great, since they are kind of empty when the groups are gone. But take into account that you will either need to hike from Pisac town (3 hours) or take a 20-30 soles taxi to get there.
From Pisac, head to Ollantaytambo. If you go without a tour, you will need to ask where the buses to Ollantaytambo pass and wait for one on the road. Again, there are no fixed schedules.
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a town where most tourists pass by to take the train towards Machu Picchu. Most people don’t spend the night there, but it’s a cute town to explore.
In Ollantaytambo, explore the archaeological site, which is just a couple of blocks away from the main square. Walk around the ruins, ideally with a guide, to learn about the significance that this site had for the Incas. You can also find the ruins of a small Sun temple at the top.
On the way to the ruins, you can also find the Chocomuseo, a small shop where they sell everything related to chocolate and cacao. My favorite things that I have bought at their shop in Ollantaytambo and which can be great gifts from Peru are cacao tea, cacao liquor and cacao lip balm.
You can also visit ALQA, a museum-shop where can find all sorts of Andean textiles, clothing, pottery, etc. The owners of the shop travel themselves to several far away communities in the Cusco region and have a fair-trade relationship with the artisans. Unlike the things that you can find in most shops in Cusco, the items here are not mass-produced. They also have a restaurant and time to time host different events.
Tours for Day 4
Book a group tour to Pisac and Ollantaytambo: This tour will take you to Pisac Market and the Ollantaytambo ruins. The tour returns to Cusco, but you can stay in Ollantaytambo.
Book a private tour to Pisac and Ollantaytambo: This private tour will pick you up from your hotel, take you to Pisac market, Pisac ruins, the local market of Urubamba and the Ollantaytambo ruins. It includes a visit to a farm where you will walk around the farm and see how chicha is made. At the farm, you will enjoy a gourmet picnic made with their own organic produce. It’s a very highly-rated tour and worth it if it’s within your budget.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 5: Machu Picchu
On day 5 of your 10 days in Peru, you will be finishing the first half of your itinerary by visiting one of the New 7 Wonders of the Modern World: Machu Picchu.
From Ollantaytambo, take the train to Aguas Calientes (also called Machu Picchu Pueblo). Take an early train to make the most of your day.
From Aguas Calientes you can either take the bus to Machu Picchu or hike to Machu Picchu. The hike takes around 3 hours and it’s uphill. I have hiked to Machu Picchu twice and I didn’t find it so difficult, even during the rainy season. I’m not a big hiker but I’m relatively fit, if you find that useful.
Whichever way you decide to go, make sure to buy your Machu Picchu entrance tickets in advance. This is very important. Especially if you go during the high season (May to September, especially June to August). Tickets sometimes are sold out weeks or months in advance. If you didn’t plan in advance you can still buy them through some tour agencies, though at a higher price.
Whenever you buy your ticket, you will see that you can choose among several options. You can either get the general Machu Picchu ticket, or a combination of the general area plus a specific location (like the Huayna Picchu Mountain or the Inca Bridge). Depending on which ticket you choose, you will be able to choose from different available times.
Spend the day around Machu Picchu and enjoying one of the highlights of your Peru itinerary.
Get back to Aguas Calientes and take the train back to Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo take a colectivo minivan back to Cusco, or hire a private transfer to get back.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 6: Manu National Park
This day the second part of your Peru 10-day itinerary begins, with a trip to the jungle.
While you could have chosen to do the first part by yourself or by taking tours, I highly recommend that you do this part with a tour. Tours take you to places and sites for spotting wildlife that you wouldn’t be able to get on your own.
You can read about my experience here going from Cusco to Manu National Park without a tour, to understand that it might not be the ideal choice if you have only 10 days in Peru. It’s a great adventure but not an easy one!
Luckily, there are several tours that will take you from Cusco to the Manu National Park, which is one of the most biodiverse spots in the world. For this Peru itinerary I have chosen one of the most highly-rated ones, if not the most.
Your day will start with a very early pick from your hotel, from where you will start your journey, passing after some hours through the cloud forest. There you will have your first hike around the jungle.
You will have the opportunity to see monkeys, orchids, and lots of birds, including the Cock-of-the-Rock (the national Peruvian bird).
You will spend the evening at a lodge in the jungle.
Tour for Day 6
Book a 4-day/3-night tour to Manu National Park: The tour departs from Cusco and takes you back to Cusco on the last day. It includes meals and accommodation in jungle lodges.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 7: Manu National Park
Your adventure in the jungle will continue. On the second day, you will take a bus to the port of Atalaya. From there, you will take a 40-minute ride on a boat that will take you to your next jungle lodge.
You can spend your free time swimming in the river. In the afternoon, there will be a guided walk around the jungle to try to spot caimans, birds, and medicinal plants.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 8: Manu National Park
Day 8 of your 10-day Peru itinerary will start with another walk in the jungle. You will be able to see giant trees, medicinal plants and orchids. You might be able to spot tapirs.
In the afternoon, you will do another walk, towards Lake Machuwasi, where you will spot the largest rodent in the world (the Capybara), caimans and birds.
That night, you will do a walk in the jungle to try to spot some night animals. During the night walk that I did in the jungle we were able to spot several tiny frogs of different colors and insects. The jungle really comes alive with lots of sounds that you have no idea where they are coming from!
You will spend the night at another lodge.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 9: Cusco
After breakfast, you will begin your trip back to Cusco.
Even though you could already travel back to Lima on Day 9, I don’t recommend so. First, because you might just want to rest and have an easy afternoon after your several-hour ride back from the jungle.
But also because occassionally it can happen that there might be some issue with the roads, so better be safe. For example, during the rainy season it could happen that the road gets blocked because of some landslide and you have to wait until it’s cleared.
So spend the afternoon in Cusco. Take it easy for the rest of the day. You might just want to rest or walk around the city.
If you still want to do some sightseeing, you can visit the Qoricancha temple. The Qoricancha used to be the most important temple dedicated to the Sun in the times of the Incas. Its walls were once covered in gold. When the Spanish arrived, they converted the temple into a Christian church. However, much of the original structure has been preserved.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary, Day 10: Lima
On the morning of the last day of your 10-day Peru itinerary, take a flight back to Lima.
If you still have free time (or the whole day) before your flight home, you can stroll around the boardwalk area of Miraflores or Barranco.
If you need to so some last minute shopping you can head to the Mercado Inca in Miraflores, for some traditional Peruvian souvenirs.
And if you have the time, something that you shouldn’t miss is indulging in a gastronomic experience. Did you know that Lima has some of the best-ranked restaurants in the world? In case you are still spending the night of 10 day in Lima, I recommend a special dinner to finish your trip.
Depending on your preferences, here are some recommendations for some of the best restaurants in Lima here:
If you don’t mind the budget and are looking for something extra special, book at Central restaurant. You might need to book months in advance, as it is ranked as the best restaurant in the world (as of 2024). They are located in Barranco so you could have an afternoon in Barranco and finish your day with some gourmet dining.
If you are looking for some typical Peruvian food in a more traditional place, I recommend you Isolina, also in Barranco. You will also need to book in advance. I live in Lima and I pass by Isolina very frequently and there are always long lines to enter.
Another option, would be to take an evening food tour. You will find several good food tours in Lima, but if you want to join one of the highest ranking ones I suggest you to book the Lima Gourmet Food Tour.
That tour takes you to several restaurants, including the one in the pre-Incan site Huaca Pucllana and in Barranco as well. You can read here my review of the food tour (I joined the morning tour instead of the evening tour, though, but the idea is similar).
Tour for Day 10:
Lima Gourmet Food Tour: A food tour that takes place in the afternoon/evening with excellent reviews.
Peru 10-Day Itinerary Cheatsheet
It can be a little confusing to plan these kind of long itineraries. To make it easier, below I’ve listed the recommended hotels for each of the stops in your Peru itinerary. I’ve also listed the corresponding tours.
1. Lima (Day 1)
–Best hotels in Lima:
1. Hotel B (High-end. I’ve been here, My FAVORITE.)
2. Second Home Peru (Mid-range. I’ve also been here, beautiful sea views.)
3. Viajero Kokopelli Lima (Budget)
4. Or choose a hotel near Lima Airport
Best tours in Lima
1. Lima Highlights Tour
2. Lima Gourmet Food Tour
2. Cusco City (Days 2 and 3)
Best hotels in Cusco:
1. Palacio del Inka Hotel, by Marriott (High-end)
2. Hotel Encantada Casa Boutique Spa (Mid-range)
3. Amaru Colonial (Budget)
Best Tours in Cusco:
1. Cusco Private Tour (to the main highlights of the city)
2. Maras, Moray and Chinchero tour
3. ATV Quad Tour to Maras and Moray:
3. Ollantaytambo (Day 4)
Best Hotels in Ollantaytambo
1. El Albergue (High-end. My favorite, the restaurant there is amazing)
2. Humantay Lodge (Mid-range, next to the river)
Best Tours to Pisac and Ollantaytambo:
1. Group tour to Pisac and Ollantaytambo
2. Private tour to Pisac and Ollantaytambo:
4. Manu National Park (Nights 14-16)
Best tour including accomodation at Manu National Park:
1. 4-day/3-night tour to Manu National Park
5. Lima
Lima Gourmet Food Tour (the highest-rated food tour in Lima)
Final Thoughts: Why these Destinations?
You might be wondering why did choose these destinations? Well, Cusco and Machu Picchu are places that you must absolutely visit in Peru.
Also, the Peruvian jungle is one of the most biodiverse ones in the planet. While there are other natural reserves in the jungle that are equally worth visiting, I selected Manu National Park due to its relative proximity to Cusco.
If you would want to visit other well-known locations in the jungle, like Iquitos, you would need to take a flight to Lima and from there fly to Cusco.
There are other places that are very much worth visiting in Peru, like Arequipa or Huaraz.
Or more off-the-beaten path locations in Peru, like Chachapoyas or Ayacucho.
You might consider exploring those places if you plan on staying a longer time in Peru. For a 10-day visit to Peru, I recommend sticking to this itinerary or something very similar. For a longer stay, you can also check out my 3-week Peru itinerary.
