Perfect One Week Travel Itinerary for Peru.

Unlike a lot of my trips, my visit to Peru in April wasn’t one I’d been planning for years. Don’t get me wrong, I’d always wanted to go to Peru, but it wasn’t one of the destinations I already had a pre-built itinerary for.

We were originally supposed to be going to Ecuador to do the Galapagos, and then we changed it to Peru six months before the trip.

With limited vacation days and just one week to see the best of Peru, I wanted to pack as much in as possible.

And boy did we succeed!

So, ready to discover the best of Peru in just one week? Let’s go!

How to get to Peru

You’ll need to fly directly into Peru’s capital city, Lima, and then get internal flights from there.

From the UK & Europe: There are daily non-direct flights to Lima from most European cities.

From the US: Fly direct with major US carriers. I flew with Delta from NYC.

Day 1 – Arrive in Lima

Fly into Lima so you land in the morning Peruvian time. You’ll then have the day to explore the historic district in Lima and get your body used to the new timezone.

Where to stay: Sheraton Lima

I spent my first night at Sheraton Lima, which is just a 20-minute walk from the historic centre. It’s a 5-star hotel, but very retro in its architecture and style, and 100% feels as though you’re in a James Bond movie from the 70s.

I actually really enjoyed staying here for my first night, but don’t think you could really stay any longer than one night.

What to do: Lima Day 1

Explore the historic district on your first day in Lima! Honestly I totally fell in love with Lima the day I visited the historic district, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – it’s sooo beautiful and felt very relaxed.

I personally did a self-guided tour covering all of the destinations below, but you can book a tour that takes you to the main below sites for only £20!

  • Plaza San Martin
  • Iglesia de la Merced
  • Plaza Mayor de Lima
  • Catedral de Lima
  • Lunch and Pisco Sours at Museo del Pisco
  • Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
  • Municipal Palace of Lima
  • Lemongrass lemonade at Casa Tambo
  • Dinner at Mayta, Miraflores
  • Drinks at Carnaval, San Isidro

See my full self-guided tour itinerary in my two day guide to Lima!

Day 2: Fly to Cusco

The following day you’ll fly out to Cusco in the morning – but don’t panic, you’ll be back in Lima later in the week!

The flight is only an hour, and when you arrive in Cusco you’ll want to rest as much as possible as the altitude will be a shock to your body. It really wipes you out that first day. Drinks lots of coca tea to acclimatise and take things easy!

Where to stay: Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel

Check-in at the Aranwa Cusco Boutique and enjoy the complimentary coca tea they offer on arrival to help with the altitude.

I loved my stay at the Aranwa Cusco, it was the most perfect location, and the hotel itself was gorgeous!

Things to do – Day 1 in Cusco

On that first day enjoy a relaxing, healthy lunch at Qura, and then explore the main square (Plaza Mayor de Cusco), and Cusco Cathedral.

When you’re at a higher altitude you have to eat more calories and drink and eat more frequently, so stop off at Cercanía Pan y Café for a coffee (or coca tea) and one of their insane blueberry muffins. Then stop by the Church of the Society of Jesus.

For dinner, head to Morena Peruvian Kitchen and try one of their incredible passionfruit pisco sours, the Guacamole del Huerto, Croquetas de Choclo Con Queso (local corn and Andean cheese), and Ceviche de Trucha (Fresh Andean trout ceviche).

  • Lunch at Qura
  • Plaza Mayor de Cusco
  • Cusco Cathedral
  • Coca tea & blueberry muffin at Cercanía Pan y Café
  • Church of the Society of Jesus
  • Dinner at Morena Peruvian Kitchen
  • Museo del Pisco

Day 3: Explore Cusco

On your second day in Cusco (day 3 of the trip), you’ll be exploring more of Cusco. Start the day with breakfast at Aulita – their french toast is ah-mazing! Then head to Qorikancha, the Convent of Santo Domingo, which is built on the site of the Inca temple of the sun.

After the museum, pop to the San Blas neighbourhood for shopping on these cute little laneways. You can also wander over to Hatun Rumiyoc Street, which is an ancient Inca cobbled street and where you can find the famous twelve-angled stone.

Pachapapa is just a couple of minutes walk from Hatun Rumiyoc Street. Pachapapa is such a great restaurant and I had the most delicious lunch here!

After lunch visit the Church of San Cristóbal Viewpoint, and then get a taxi up to Saqsaywaman, an ancient Inca citadel and UNESCO World Heritage site. This is where you’ll see lots of llamas and alpacas!

Finally, you’ll want to go to Chicha, one of Gaston Acurio’s restaurants, for dinner. Gaston is known as the ‘Godfather of Peruvian cuisine’, and a lot of his food focuses on native, local Peruvian ingredients.

  • Breakfast at Aulita Cafe
  • Qorikancha – Convent of Santo Domingo
  • San Blas for a Drink at L’Atelier & Shopping
  • Lunch at Pachapapa
  • Church of San Cristóbal Viewpoint
  • Saqsaywaman
  • Dinner at Chicha Cusco

Read my guide on the 8 Best Places to Eat & Drink in Cusco, Peru!

Day 4: Explore the Sacred Valley

Your third day in Cusco (day 4 in the overall itinerary) will be spent exploring the Sacred Valley.

One of the best things I did in Cusco was the Sacred Valley tour! The 6.5-hour tour cost me under £15 through GetYourGuide, and they took us to Maras, Moray, and Chinchero, which are all located in the Sacred Valley.

It was such an amazing day and I’d highly recommend doing it! What I would say though, is you go to a much higher altitude than Cusco and Machu Picchu, so just be prepared and take things slowly.

After the tour you’ll be dropped back near your hotel in Cusco. Relax and enjoy drinks at Monasterio, a Belmond Hotel when you get back, see the beautiful Plazoleta de las Nazarenas, and then head back to the hotel to relax and freshen up for dinner. End the day with dinner at KUSYKAY.

  • Chinchero Centro Culture Parwa
  • Moray archaeological site
  • Maras Salt Mines
  • Drinks at Monasterio, a Belmond Hotel
  • Plazoleta de las Nazarenas
  • Relax in your hotel
  • Dinner at KUSYKAY

Day 5: Visit Machu Picchu

Now, it’s your last day in Cusco and finally time to visit Machu Picchu!

If you are doing Machu Picchu, you can book a Machu Picchu day trip tour from GetYourGuide, but you need to make sure you book your tour at least 1-2 months in advance! They sell out very quickly and once they’re sold out for the day you want to visit, that’s it, there are no more due to the limit in tourist number to Machu Picchu.

The tours all cost around £250 per person, and just be warned, it will be a very early morning start to maximise the day, and will be a looooong day of travelling.

Is it worth it though? I actually don’t know because I have a tachycardia condition and no tours would let me travel with them because they don’t allow anyone with any kind of cardiac condition 😀 But, my friend Pia, who I travelled to Peru with, did a 4-day trek before meeting me in Cusco and assured me that Machu Picchu was incredible!

If you’re wanting more of a luxury vibe, you can book the Belmond Hiram Bingham train for around £900pp – this is at the top of my bucket list for the next time I visit Peru!!

Read my full four-day Cusco & Sacred Valley travel guide!

Photo from Unsplash

Day 6: Fly to Lima

On day six of the itinerary, you should fly back to Lima at lunchtime, so you’ll have the afternoon to explore. Stay in the neighbourhood of Miraflores to see a different side of Lima to the historic district!

Where to stay: Iberostar Selection Miraflores

Featuring a rooftop pool complete with a bar, we had a blissful stay at the contemporary Iberostar Selection Miraflores, and loved the rooftop sunsets. The rooms are also stunning and super luxurious, with the most incredible bathrooms!

Things to do – Miraflores:

Spend the afternoon relaxing – visit the famous Parque Kennedy (named after President JFK), and stop by the Larcomar shopping centre to see the incredible views from this cliffside shopping centre.

Then head back to your hotel and laze by the rooftop pool, before enjoying sunset drinks at 27Tapas (the restaurant that’s attached to the rooftop pool). Get changed and freshened up, and then get an Uber to Astrid y Gaston, another of Gaston Acurio’s restaurants.

His restaurants in Peru are known for being very fairly priced so local Peruvians aren’t excluded from dining there. Our whole meal at Astrid y Gaston only cost around £40 each, for three courses plus a cocktail and service charge!

Read my Astrid y Gaston review!

The food and cocktails were honestly so incredible and I haven’t stopped raving about Astrid y Gaston to everyone who’ll listen since I got home from Peru! It was one of my favourite restaurants in Peru (if not the favourite), and if you visit Lima you HAVE to visit! Just make sure you book a table 6-8 weeks in advance.

  • Parque Kennedy
  • Larcomar shopping centre
  • Sunset drinks at 27 Tapas
  • Dinner at Astrid y Gaston

Day 7: Fly out of Lima

Book your return flight for the evening on day seven, so you’ll have the majority of the day to enjoy Miraflores. Get an Acai bowl breakfast at the well-regarded La Verde Bio Factoria, and then walk along the El Malecón (Miraflores Boardwalk), Lima’s scenic clifftop walkway that stretches for six miles!

Dotted along the route are lots of parks, sculptures, cafes, and a lighthouse, so there’s loads to see on the route and a pretty place to sit to enjoy the view. You’ll end up at Cala Restaurante in Barranco, a seafront restaurant with a beautiful, uninterrupted view over the water.

I loved the traditional ceviche, and then I had the spinach and mushroom gnocci for mains which was beautiful!

After lunch, head up to the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC) for some Peruvian art and culture, before getting an Uber back to the hotel to collect your luggage and go to the airport.

  • Acai bowl breakfast at La Verde Bio Factoria
  • Walk along El Malecón (Miraflores Boardwalk)
  • Lunch at Cala Restaurante Barranco
  • Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC)
  • Fly out of Lima!

See my full Lima & Miraflores itinerary in my two day guide to Lima!

The Perfect 1-Week Peru Itinerary

Ta-da! And that’s a wrap on the perfect 1-week itinerary for Peru! I honestly think it includes all the main sights you’ll want to see in Peru and gives a great combination of city-exploration and countryside wandering.

I really, really loved the Sacred Valley and highly recommend doing that day trip to visit Chinchero, Moray, and Maras.

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Catherine Lux
Catherine Lux

Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of Content Marketing at Amazon by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.

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