Are you planning a visit to Peru and you’re not sure where to start? After having traveled around Peru for many years, I have created this 3 week itinerary that will take you around the country’s highlights.

From Lima to Machu Picchu, passing through the canyons in Arequipa, the heart of the jungle and one of the world’s highest lakes, this Peru itinerary makes it a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

3 Week Peru Itinerary Overview

In the 3 weeks of this itinerary you will visit the 3 main regions of Peru: the coast, the highlands and the jungle.

The itinerary begins in Lima, where you will spend a couple of days exploring the capital. You will walk around the main neighborhoods and visit the historical center.

After that, you will fly to Arequipa, a colonial city in the Andes. You will spend a couple of days enjoying the city while acclimating to the high altitude. After that, you will visit the Colca Valley and Colca Canyon, the highlights of Arequipa.

Then, you will fly to Cusco, which is probably the most beautiful and interesting part of this 3 weeks itinerary in Peru. You will have enough time to get to know Cusco, a few towns in the Sacred Valley and even the opportunity for some hiking. And of course, Machu Picchu awaits for you.

The itinerary then continues to the jungle, specifically to the Manu National Park. You will get to admire the Amazon, bathe in the river, and try to spot jungle animals from a hideout. You will go by bus and return to Cusco by bus.

Then you will take a bus to Puno, your final stop, where you will spend a couple of days visiting islands at lake Titicaca.

Take a look below for the detailed itinerary!

Day 1: Lima (Historic Center)

The first day of your 3 weeks itinerary will start in Lima, the capital of Peru. Lima is a modern city next to the Pacific Ocean. Generally, travelers stay either in Barranco or Miraflores, the two most popular neighborhoods for tourists.

On Day 1, you should visit the historical center and walk around the main square (Plaza Mayor). You can visit the San Francisco church, which has got some interesting catcombs which date to the colonial era. They say that there are hidden paths from those times which connect the catcombs with the sea, which served as escape routes in case of invasions!

In the afternoon, you can visit Museo Larco. There you will learn about the Moche, a pre-Incan civilization of Northern Peru, that specialized in erotic pottery. For sure a very unique thing to do in Peru! They also have a great restaurant at the museum.

Lima City Tour

Book a 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 and Miraflores, including a pre-Incan site and a local market.

Day 2: Lima (Miraflores and Barranco)

In the morning, visit Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Incan site in the middle of the Miraflores neighborhood. It’s a great introduction to the archaeological sites in Peru. They also have a nice restaurant at the site.

Then, continue exploring Miraflores. Walk around the malecón, the boardwalk overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and Parque Kennedy, the central area of Miraflores.

Afterwards, head to Barranco, the bohemian and artsy neighborhood of Lima. There are enough things to do in Barranco to fill your afternoon. You can walk around the Bridge of Sighs, visit La Feria de Barranco and shop in the cute boutique Dedalo. Consider having dinner at Merito if you can get a table

Days 3 and 4: Arequipa City

Take a flight to Arequipa, your first destination in the Andes of Peru. Arequipa is a beautiful colonial city surrounded by volcanoes, and lots to explore.

You should stay there for two days to start getting used to the altitude before heading to the Colca Canyon and avoid feeling sick on the bus on your way there.

There are many things you can do in Arequipa, such as visiting the Santa Catalina Monastery (a must-see), exploring its squares, visiting the San Camilo Market and more. Also, check out the Museo Santuarios Andinos, where you can see Juanita, a 500-year-old mummified Inca girl that was used in a sacrifice for the Sun god.

You can also visit Mundo Alpaca, where you can learn about the intricate techniques used to create the beautful alpaca textile and maybe get a nice sweater.

Arequipa City Tour

Book an Arequipa city tour: This tour takes you around the main attractions of Arequipa city, such as the Santa Catalina Monastery, and some of its most important neighborhoods.

Days 5 and 6: Colca Valley and Colca Canyon

On Day 5 of your 3 weeks itinerary, head to the Colca Valley for some magnificent landscapes of the Andes of Peru. You can either take a bus that will take you there (3 hours away from Arequipa city), or book a 2-day tour to the Colca Valley. On the way, you will pass by some beautiful places and probably get to see some vicuñas and alpacas roaming around.

Spend Day 5 on one of the small towns in the valley, like Chivay or Yanque, and take the rest of the day easy. Enjoy the views of the mountains and head to one of the hot springs. Or even better, book a hotel that already has hot springs on-site.

On Day 6, go early to La Cruz del Condor, a view point from where you will get to spot Condors overflying the Colca Canyon. By the way, the Colca Canyon is the 2nd deepest in the world, so you will enjoy stunning views!

Finish Day 6 by returning to Arequipa.

Day 7-9: Cusco city

On Day 7, take a flight to Cusco, the city that used to be the capital of the Inca empire. With so many things to see in Cusco, this will undoubtely be one of the highlights of your 3-week itinerary in Peru.

Spend Day 7 walking around the main square and the picturesque San Blas neighborhood. Explore its narrow cobble-stoned streets lined with local shops, cafes, churches and museums. If you want to try some delicious local food, I recommend Morena, one of my favorite restaurants in Cusco (they have vegetarian options).

Start Day 8 by having a fruit shake at San Pedro Market (the shake portion is a full blender!). Explore the goods at the market: you will find everything from local fruits and purple corn, to shamanic objects and hallucinogenic cactus. Then, head to Sacsayhuaman, an Inca archaeological complex just a 30 minute walk from the center.

In the afternoon, visit the Qoricancha Museum, which is a temple dedicated to the Sun which was converted into a Church by the Spanish.

Cusco City Tour:

Sacsayhuaman and Qoricancha Inca temples tour: This tour takes you around the Sacsayhuaman fortress, and the Qoricancha Inca temple, dedicated to the Sun god.

Day 9: Day trip to Maras, Moray and Chinchero

On Day 9 you will begin exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Go on a day trip to Maras and Moray, and possibly include the town of Chinchero. You could either book a tour to Maras and Moray and go by van, or book an ATV tour if you are up for an adventure.

Maras is a pink salt mine on the slope of a mountain, with an amazing view of the valley. The pools of water beautifully reflect the sky. You can walk around the pools, and if you want to take some Peruvian souvenir home, buying pink salt with special flavors like chili or herbs is always a good idea!

Moray is an archaological complex located near Maras, which is why normally both are visited together. Its circular concentric terraces remain a mystery, but the main theory is that they were a food lab. There’s also a great restaurant called Mil next to the ruins, by the main chef of Central restaurant in Lima (currently ranked as the #1 restaurant in the world).

Depending on the tour you take, you might also pass by Chinchero and visit a weaving center. The town is very famous for its textiles, so it’s a great spot to get a unique traditional piece.

Maras, Moray and Chinchero Tour

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.

Day 10: Pisac

On Day 10 you will continue to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Head to Pisac, a nice town known for its colorful traditional open-air market. You will find all kinds of traditional textiles, clothing and handicrafts there.

Later, go for a visit to the Pisac Incan ruins, which are not so far from the town. Most tourists visit Pisac on a day trip. So depending on the time of the day you go to the ruins, you might have them almost for yourself! Afterwards, you can have a nice hike down back to town.

Day 11: Ollantaytambo

Head to Ollantaytambo, a charming town still in the Sacred Valley. Most tourists go to Ollantaytambo to catch the train towards Machu Picchu, but don’t stay to visit the town. But this small town is worth visiting, and there are enough things to do in Ollantaytambo to spend a day there.

Start by visiting the Ollantaytambo archaeological complex. You will be visiting many ruins in your days in Cusco, but if you hire a guide you will see how they are all special!

Afterwards, have a nice lunch at El Albergue, one of my favorite restaurants in the whole Cusco region. It’s right next to the train station.

In the afternoon, take a stroll around the town and visit ALQA, a cute museum-shop with a vaerity of fair trade artisanal pieces.

Catch the train to Aguas Calientes at the end of the day and spend the night there.

Day 12: Machu Picchu

Day 12 will most likely be the highlight of your 3 week itinerary in Peru. You will wake up early and either catch the bus to Machu Picchu or do the 3-hour hike to get there.

Remember you must buy your tickets to Machu Picchu well in advance. If you want to explore more areas of the complex, I advise you to get the ticket that includes the entrance to Huayna Picchu (the mountain that appears on the background of the Machu Picchu pictures). That will give you access to that mountain, plus the Moon Temple area.

You will have an unforgettable day walking around the ruins and learning about their origins and significance. Even though the ticket is officially valid only for 4 hours, nobody will actually be checking. So if you want to spend a longer time there, I suggest getting a morning ticket.

In the late afternoon, take a train back to Ollantaytambo. From there, take a van back to Cusco city.

Day 13: Cusco city and hiking

Spend an easy morning in Cusco city, hanging out in the city and maybe visiting one of the city museums.

In the afternoon, go for a hike on the walking trail that leads to Tambomachay, Zona X and the Temple of the Moon. It’s a beautiful walk along the mountains and the countryside. You can book a tour if you prefer, but the walk is easy and it’s totally ok to just go walking by yourself.

Or if you had enough of hiking, spend an easy afternoon taking a Peruvian cooking class.

Day 14-17: Manu National Park

You will spend days 14-17 of this 3 week Peru itinerary on an adventure in the jungle.

There will be a difference with the previous two weeks, where you could have chosen to go everywhere by yourself, without a tour. But to visit the jungle it is very advisable that you book a tour.

Otherwise you will miss all the interesting spots plus it will be very difficult to reach the different places. Believe me, I’ve done this before with some friends and we were stranded in the middle of the jungle for two days waiting for a boat to pass by…

So book a 4-day/3-night tour that will take you from Cusco to the jungle of the Manu National Park. Spend the days enjoying the jungle and resting at night in a typical jungle lodge.

During your trip, you will pass by cloud forests and the tropical raiforest among giant trees and search for medicinal plants. You will also visit the jungle by peque peque and get a chance to swim in the river.

You will do walks around the jungle to try to spot giant capybaras, caimans and birds. There will be also many opporunities to admire the tropical birds, including the Cock-of-the-Rock, which is the Peruvian national bird.

On Day 17, you will drive back to Cusco.

Manu National Park Tour

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.

Day 18: Route of the Sun, from Cusco to Puno

In the early morning, hop on a comfortable bus and takeThe “Route of the Sun”. This is a stretch of road that connects both cities, with interesting stops along the way.

Starting from Cusco, the bus will first pass through the town of Andahuaylillas. Andahuaylillas is famous for its 400 year old church. The church is also known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Andes” due to its beautiful frescoes (maybe the nickname is a bit exaggerated but it’s a nice church!)

The next stop is Raqchi, where you can see the ruins of an Inca temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha (the Sun god).

Finally, before arriving to Puno, you will visit the town of Pucara. You will see that the roofs of the houses have a couple of ceramic bulls on them. These are called the Pucara bulls, because they originated in this town and actually are used throught the Andes. Locals put them on their roofs because they believe they protect the house.

Route of the Sun Tour:

Book the Route of the Sun tour: This full-day tour takes you on a bus from Cusco to Puno, stopping along the main points of interest.

Day 19: Lake Titicaca – Uros floating islands and Amantani island

This will be your first day at Lake Titicaca, where you will be visiting islands, which is the one of the top things to do in Puno. Get on a boat and enjoy the views from the highest navigable lake in the world.

Your first stop will be the Uros floating islands. These are man-made reed islands made by the local people, who have to rebuild their islands every 10 years! You will see how everything they use is made of reeds: their houses, boats and handicrafts.

Afterwards, go to the quiet Amantani island, at the heart of lake Titicaca. There, you will be able to immerse yourself in the tranquil and rural way of life of the locals in one of the less touristic islands of the lake.

Spend the day with a host family. You will have lunch with them and share activities with them in the afternoon. Later, you can hike to the highest peaks of the islands, where you will find Mother Earth and Father Earth temples. From there, you will have beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

In the evening, have dinner with your host family and enjoy a traditional dance at the community center.

Day 20: Lake Titicaca – Taquile island

After having breakfast with your host family at Amantani, hop on a boat again and head to Taquile island.

At Taquile, you can hike around the island and admire not only the lake but also the Bolivian mountain range on the horizon.

Afterwards, you will have another opportunity to interact with the native people of the lake. You will have lunch at the backyard of a local family, and learn more about the unique customs and traditions of the island.

For example, you will learn that Taquile is famous for its textiles. If you are curious ask more about it! You might learn some interesting things, like how the little tail of the chullo (the knitted wool caps that men wear) can indicate whether the wearer is looking for a partner.

After lunch, you will head back to Puno city. You can enjoy your last night having dinner at a nice restaurant with views of the lake.

Lake Titicaca Islands Tour

Book the tour to Uros, Amantani island homestay, visit to Taquile island: It includes everything mentioned above.

Day 21

On the last day of your 3 week Peru itinerary you will head to Juliaca airport, which is around 50 minutes away from Puno city, to take your flight back to Lima.

Have an easy day resting before your flight home.

You can stroll around the boardwalk area. And if you need to so some last minute shopping you can head to the Mercado Inca in Miraflores, for some traditional souvenirs.

In the afternoon you can go for a massage (I recomend Sentidos Thai if you are up for a Thai massage!).

Another option, would be to do a food tour. Lima is one of the top cities in the world in terms of good food and restaurants, so you will find several good food tours. Here you can find my review of the Lima Gourmet Food Tour, which is possibly the highest ranking one.

If you arrive in the early morning you can book their daytime food tour, or if you arrive later in the day, there’s the evening tour option. The tour takes you to several restaurants, including the one in the pre-Incan site Huaca Pucllana and in Barranco as well.

If you would like something more special and fancy for your last night in Lima, have dinner at one of the top restaurants in Lima. You can try Central, the #1 restaurant in the world in 2023, if you feel like having a gourmet dinner. Just make sure to book several months in advance!

Lima Tour:

Lima Gourmet Food Tour: A food tour that takes place in the afternoon/evening with excellent reviews.

Peru 3-Week 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 (Nights 1-2, 21)
–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)

Best tours in Lima
Lima Highlights Tour

2. Arequipa City (Nights 3-4, 6)
Best hotels in Arequipa:
1. Casa Andina Premium Arequipa (High-end. In an 18th century mansion)
2. Selina Arequipa (Mid-Range)
3. Refugio Ecologico (Budget. I’ve stayed here. Spacious and quiet rooms).

Best tours in Arequipa
1. Arequipa city tour

3. Yanque (Colca Valley) (Night 5)
Best hotels in Yanque:
1. Colca Lodge Spa & Hotsprings (High-end. Hot springs inside the hotel!)
2. Killawasi Lodge (Mid-range)
3. Miskywasi Bed & Breakfast (Budget)

4. Cusco City (Nights 7-9, 12-13, 17)
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. Sacsayhuaman and Qoricancha Inca temples tour
2. Maras, Moray and Chinchero tour

5. Pisac (Night 10)
Best hotels in Pisac:
1. Pisac Inca Guest House (Mid-Range)
2. Rumi Lodge Pisac (Budget)

6. Ollantaytambo (Night 11)
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)

7. Manu National Park (Nights 14-16)
Best tour including accomodation at Manu National Park:
1. 4-day/3-night tour to Manu National Park

8. Puno City (Nights 18, 20)
Best hotels in Puno
1. GHL Hotel Lago Titicaca (High-end)
2. Sol Plaza Hotel (Mid-Range)

Best tours in Puno:
1. The Route of the Sun: full-day tour from Cusco to Puno

9. Lake Titicaca (Night 19)
Best tour including accomodation:
1. Uros, Amantani island homestay, visit to Taquile island

10. Lima
1. Daytime Lima Gourmet Food Tour or the Evening Tour (the highest-rated food tour in Lima.)

Well-Known Locations That I Skipped in this Peru Itinerary (and Why)

There are a couple of well-known locations that are missing form this itinerary. Here is why I didn’t include them. I’m mentioning them anyhow if you are looking to do some tweaks to this Peru itinerary.

If you are planning a trip to Peru you might have already read about Paracas and Huacachina. Basically, most tourists traveling to Peru plan a visit to those since they have become increasingly popular in the past years.

I have been several times to both Paracas and Huacachina and I do recommend them if you are spending a longer time in Peru. But the main reason they have become so popular is because they are relatively near Lima. And because many people continue their trip by bus from there to Arequipa, and they are a nice stop along the way.

Another location that I skipped is the Rainbow Mountain, in Cusco. The main reason I skipped it is because visiting implies being picked up at 4am and getting back at 4pm to Cusco.

The mountain is great, but you will spend most of the day sitting in a minivan. For me, you can make better use of your time in Cusco, but that’s me. You might want to include it and visit it instead of something else.

I also skipped Huaraz, one of the best places for hiking in Peru. I love Huaraz, its beautiful turquoise lakes and mountains. The main reason I didn’t include was just because of the limited time (3 weeks in Peru might seem like a lot but time flies!) and because it’s not on route.

But if you want to include it, I would maybe do one or two days less in Cusco, skip Puno and go to Huaraz instead.

Final Thoughts

This 3-week Peru itinerary will take you around the highlights and landmarks of Peru. If you are thinking of staying for a longer time, you can also take a look at this off-the-beaten-path destinations. And if you are looking for a shorter itinerary, check out this 10-day Peru itinerary.

Are you looking for a more detailed itinerary or for an itinerary of a specific location?

I have traveled extensively in Peru and live here, and I provide the service of personalized itineraries. You can contact me here.