Peru Itinerary by Days: 6 to 15 Day Tour Packages Compared

Peru in 6, 7, 8, 10 or 15 days: what fits, what to cut, how to acclimatize from Lima to Puno and the from price of each package. Best months: May to October.

Ten days is the best length for a first trip to Peru: Lima, the Sacred Valley (about 2,800 m), Machu Picchu, Cusco (3,399 m) and one or two high day hikes. Seven days covers the classics only. Two weeks adds Lake Titicaca (3,812 m) or Bolivia. Our packages run from US$880 for 6 days. Go between May and October.

The Urubamba river in the Sacred Valley. At roughly 600 m below Cusco, this is the step that makes every itinerary easier on the body. Photo: McKay Savage, CC BY 2.0

Quick facts: the altitude staircase

Every Peru itinerary is a set of steps up and down. These are the ones that matter, with the source for each figure.

The short version

• 6 to 7 days: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. No high mountain hike.
• 8 to 10 days: the same, plus Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake or the South Valley.
• 10 to 15 days with Bolivia: Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and the Uyuni salt flat.
• 12 to 15 days in Peru: Titicaca and, in the 15-day route, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.
• Best months: May to October for dry trails. Cusco's rainy period runs from December to May.
• The altitude rule: above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping altitude by no more than 500 m a night, says the CDC. Plan the high hikes after three nights in the Andes, not before.

How many days do you need in Peru?

You need at least 6 days to see Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu with the Sacred Valley, and about 10 to add a high mountain hike at a sane pace. Below six, skip Lima and fly straight into Cusco. Above 12, the question becomes direction: south to Titicaca and Bolivia, or along the coast and through Arequipa.

How should an itinerary climb? Acclimatization in steps

The safest Peru itinerary climbs in steps, sleeping low first and high later. The CDC's guidance for high-altitude travel gives three numbers worth remembering:

1. Avoid going from low altitude straight to a sleeping altitude above 2,750 m (9,000 ft) in one day.
2. Two or three nights at 2,450 to 2,750 m before going higher is "markedly protective" against altitude sickness.
3. Above 3,000 m, raise your sleeping altitude by no more than 500 m (1,650 ft) per night, with an extra night for every 1,000 m gained.

The CDC also names Cusco and La Paz as places where you can sleep lower than the airport for a night or two. Near Cusco, that place is the Sacred Valley.

A flight from Lima to Cusco takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, according to LATAM, and lifts you from sea level to 3,399 m. Most of our Lima and Cusco packages land you in Cusco, give you an afternoon city tour and then take you down to the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes on the next day. That descent is the reason the plan works. In all our packages the high hikes, Rainbow Mountain at 5,100 to 5,200 m and Humantay at 4,200 m, come after at least three nights in the Andes.

The gentlest climb of all is overland. Our Complete Peru 15 days goes from the coast to Arequipa (2,335 m), up to Chivay in the Colca Canyon (3,633 m) and Puno (3,827 m) before reaching Cusco, according to our itinerary. Our Cusco altitude guide covers symptoms and what to do on day one.

The big table: every length side by side

Six to ten days: the highest point and the starting price of each package. Infographic: Viajes Cusco Perú

Eleven to fifteen days: the longer trips, including Bolivia and the Complete Peru route. Infographic: Viajes Cusco Perú

The "over 4,800 m" figure for Sol de Mañana comes from our itinerary. Prices are from our October 2026 price list, in 3-star hotels. The 11-day Peru and Bolivia costs less than the 10-day version on the current list, so compare both before you choose.

6 days in Peru

• What fits: a Lima city tour on arrival day, a full day on the coast at the Ballestas Islands, a pisco winery and the Huacachina dunes, then a flight to Cusco and an afternoon city tour of Qoricancha and Sacsayhuamán. Day 4 is the Sacred Valley (Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo) with the train to Aguas Calientes. Day 5 is Machu Picchu.
• What you cut: any high hike.
• Altitude steps: sea level, then Cusco for one night, then down to 2,040 m, then back to Cusco.
• Best month: May to October.
• Our package: Lima and Cusco 6 days, from US$880.

7 days in Peru

• What fits: the 6-day route plus Nazca. You sleep in Nazca after Huacachina, fly over the lines in the morning, then take a regular bus back to Lima, arriving around 11 p.m.
• What you cut: sleep. It is the longest day of the trip, so if the lines do not matter to you, the 6-day version is the better week.
• Altitude steps: identical to 6 days, top at about 3,800 m.
• Best month: May to October.
• Our package: Lima and Cusco 7 days, from US$900.

8 days in Peru

• What fits: the 7-day route plus Rainbow Mountain on day 7, after Machu Picchu.
• What you cut: a free day. Rainbow Mountain means a pre-dawn start and a walk to 5,100 to 5,200 m.
• Altitude steps: the mountain comes after three nights in the Andes, which follows the CDC logic of climbing late.
• Best month: May to October. Andina gives the same window for Vinicunca.
• Our package: Lima and Cusco 8 days, from US$1,190. See our Rainbow Mountain guide.

9 days in Peru

• What fits: the 8-day route plus Humantay Lake, the turquoise glacier lake at about 4,200 m.
• What you cut: Lake Titicaca. The route ends in Cusco. For the lake, go to 12 days or more.
• Altitude steps: two high days back to back, sleeping in Cusco.
• Best month: May to November for Humantay, according to Peru's tourism inventory.
• Our package: Lima and Cusco 9 days, from US$1,660. Read our Humantay Lake guide.

10 days in Peru

• What fits: everything above plus the South Valley (Tipón, Pikillacta and the church of Andahuaylillas). This is the version we suggest for a first visit, with a gentler day between the two high hikes.
• What you cut: Titicaca, again, and Bolivia.
• Altitude steps: the high days come on days 7 and 9, with the lower South Valley between them.
• Best month: May to October.
• Our packages: Lima and Cusco 10 days, from US$1,720. If you prefer the lake and Bolivia to the high hikes, the Peru and Bolivia 10 days, from US$1,817, takes a night bus from Cusco to Puno after Machu Picchu, sails to the Uros and Taquile, crosses to La Paz and ends on the Uyuni salt flat.

Puno spreads down to Lake Titicaca. At 3,812 m the lake sits about 400 m above Cusco, which is why it belongs late in the trip. Photo: Omar Vega Ramos, CC BY-SA 4.0

11 days in Peru and Bolivia

• What fits: the 10-day Bolivia route plus a second day on the salt flat, with high lagoons, the Siloli desert and geysers.
• What you cut: time in La Paz, which you see in one day.
• Altitude steps: two nights in transit by bus (Cusco to Puno, La Paz to Uyuni). Sleep on them if you can.
• Best month: May to October for the Peruvian part.
• Our package: Peru and Bolivia 11 days, from US$1,647.

12 days in Peru

• What fits: two very different routes. The Peru and Bolivia 12 days, from US$2,047, adds Bolivia's lagoons and volcanoes, the Sol de Mañana geysers and a flight from Uyuni back to La Paz. The Complete Aymara Baptism 12 days, from US$1,377, adds an Andean community day, a mystical tour near Cusco, Rainbow Mountain, the Route of the Sun by bus to Puno and a night with a family on Amantaní Island, then flies to Lima from Juliaca.
• Altitude steps: the Aymara route climbs in the right order: Cusco, then the 5,100 m mountain, then the lake.
• Best month: July for dry lake days. SENAMHI's Puno bulletins record almost no rain in July.

13 and 14 days in Peru (two weeks)

• What fits: the Peru and Bolivia route at a calmer pace. The 13-day version crosses the altiplano by day on the Route of the Sun, with stops at Andahuaylillas, Raqchi and the La Raya pass, and spends a night in a basic Andean refuge in Bolivia's high desert. The 14-day version adds the Ballestas Islands and Huacachina on the coast and an extra night in La Paz.
• What you cut: high hikes near Cusco.
• Best month: May to October.
• Our packages: Peru and Bolivia 13 days and Peru and Bolivia 14 days, both from US$3,247.

15 days in Peru

• What fits: the most complete routes we run. The Complete Peru 15 days, from US$2,084, is the one for Peru only: Lima, Ballestas and Huacachina, the Nazca lines, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon and the Cruz del Cóndor, Lake Titicaca, the Route of the Sun, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, Humantay and a free last day. The Peru and Bolivia 15 days, from US$3,057, swaps Nazca, Arequipa, Colca and Humantay for La Paz and two full days in southern Bolivia, with a night near Laguna Colorada.
• What you cut: nothing essential.
• Altitude steps: the Complete Peru route climbs in the gentlest steps of any package here.
• Best month: May to October.

The Uyuni salt flat on February 4, 2016, with a film of water turning the salt into a mirror. It sits at about 3,650 m. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

How do you cut a 14-day plan down to 10, or 10 down to 7?

Cut by region, not by day. Dropping one day from every stop leaves you rushing everywhere. Dropping a whole region keeps the rest of the trip intact.

Never cut the night at the lower altitude. It is the cheapest insurance in the whole trip.

Before you book: flights, borders and what is included

Check in your written quote what is included, domestic flights among them. If you cross into Bolivia, check Bolivia's own entry rules for your passport before you book. For what each price covers, line by line, read our guide to Peru all-inclusive packages. For the timing question, see the best time to visit Machu Picchu. Our Lima to Cusco guide compares the flight with the long bus ride.

What we do and what we do not do

We are Viajes Cusco Perú, a tour operator in Cusco, and every package in the tables above is ours. We adjust the order of days when your dates allow it. We do not sell international flights or insurance.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need in Peru? Plan 6 days for Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, 10 days to add high hikes, and 14 to 15 days for Lake Titicaca or Bolivia.

Is 7 days enough for Peru? Yes for Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Seven days leaves no room for a safe high-altitude hike.

What is the best 10-day Peru itinerary? Lima and the coast, then Cusco, the Sacred Valley with a night in Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, and two high day hikes after several nights in the Andes. Our 10-day package starts at US$1,720.

Can you see Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca in 10 days? Yes, in our Peru and Bolivia 10 days, which uses a night bus from Cusco to Puno. For a calmer pace, choose 12 days or more.

What should a 2-week Peru itinerary include? Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, plus either Arequipa and Colca or La Paz and the Uyuni salt flat.

Should I go to the Sacred Valley or Cusco first? Sleeping lower first is better. The CDC names Cusco as a place where travelers can sleep below the airport altitude for one or two nights, and the Sacred Valley is that lower place.

What is the best month for a Peru itinerary? May to October, the dry months in the Andes. Cusco's rainy period runs from December to May, according to Peru's Geophysical Institute.

When should I do Rainbow Mountain in my itinerary? After at least three nights in the Andes. In our 8, 9 and 10 day packages it comes on day 7.

How much does a 2-week Peru tour cost? Our 14-day Peru and Bolivia package starts at US$3,247 per person and the Complete Peru 15 days at US$2,084, before international flights.

Choose your number of days

If you are still deciding, start with the Lima and Cusco 10 days, the itinerary we recommend for a first trip. With one week, take the Lima and Cusco 6 days. For two weeks in Peru only, the Complete Peru 15 days climbs in the gentlest steps. To add Bolivia, open the Peru and Bolivia 15 days or browse all Peru and Bolivia packages and Peru itineraries. If you only have a long weekend in Cusco, the Machu Picchu and Cusco 4 days is the shortest route we still call relaxed.

Updated October 2026. Itineraries and prices checked on October 20, 2026, against our own package pages and price list. Altitudes from the CDC, the Instituto Geofísico del Perú, the MINCETUR tourism inventory, PeruRail, Inca Rail, Andina and Guinness World Records, as listed in the table. Acclimatization guidance from the CDC Yellow Book, flight time from LATAM, rainfall from SENAMHI Puno.