Peru in Ten Days: Lima, the Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu
From Lima's ceviche counters and colonial plazas to the terraces of Ollantaytambo and the cloud-wrapped citadel of Machu Picchu, this ten-day route threads together Peru's greatest hits at a humane pace.
Peru packs three civilizations' worth of wonder into a single trip: pre-Columbian pyramids buried inside a modern capital, Inca terraces that still grow corn, and a mountaintop citadel the Spanish never found. Lima, founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as the 'City of Kings,' is today one of the world's great food cities, while the Andean highlands around Cusco were the beating heart of Tahuantinsuyo, the Inca empire.
This route is built around altitude and rhythm. You start at sea level in Lima, then fly to Cusco but descend immediately to the lower Sacred Valley (around 2,800m) to acclimatize gently before tackling Cusco's 3,400m. Machu Picchu sits comfortably lower than both, so by the time you reach Cusco for the final stretch, your body is ready.
Practical notes: the dry season (roughly May to September) brings the clearest mountain skies, though Lima can sit under gray coastal fog called 'la garua' much of the year. Trains to Machu Picchu and entry tickets to the citadel are timed and sell out, so book early. Spanish helps but English is common in tourist zones, soroche (altitude sickness) is real, and coca tea is your friend.
At a Glance
1
Days 1-2 (2 nights)Miraflores, Lima
2
Days 3-4 (2 nights)Ollantaytambo & the Sacred Valley
3
Day 5 (1 night)Aguas Calientes & Machu Picchu
4
Days 6-8 (3 nights)Cusco
5
Days 9-10 (1 night)Miraflores, Lima
Lima
Lima earns its reputation slowly. First impressions are gray skies and sprawling traffic, but the city rewards you with a coastline of cliff-top parks, a UNESCO-listed colonial core, and a dining scene that regularly lands several spots on the World's 50 Best list. Base yourself in Miraflores or neighboring Barranco and you'll have the Pacific on one side and some of the planet's best ceviche on the other.
Getting there by planeFly into Jorge Chavez International (LIM). It's about 45-60 minutes by taxi or authorized car to Miraflores depending on traffic; agree the fare or use an app like Uber/Cabify.View on Trip.com
Settle in, then walk off the flight along the Malecon, the chain of green parks running along Miraflores' cliffs above the ocean.
Malecon de Miraflores & Parque del Amor
Miraflores
A breezy clifftop promenade where paragliders launch over the Pacific and Gaudi-style mosaic benches curl around a giant sculpture of embracing lovers. Time it for the late-afternoon light and watch the surfers below.
Huaca Pucllana
Miraflores
An adobe pyramid from the Lima culture rising right out of a residential neighborhood, dating to around 500 AD. Guided walks run through late afternoon and into the evening, when the ruins are floodlit.
Evening
Ease into Peru with a pisco sour as the fog rolls in off the sea.
Ayahuasca Bar
Barranco
A restored Barranco mansion turned characterful bar, all faded grandeur and inventive pisco cocktails. A fun first-night drink before dinner.
Dinner
Lima is a ceviche town, so start as you mean to go on.
La Mar
Miraflores
Gaston Acurio's lunchtime-famous cevicheria also serves dinner, with pristine raw fish, tiradito, and a leche de tigre that converts skeptics. Lively, buzzy, and a perfect introduction to Peruvian seafood.
Isolina
Barranco
A no-frills temple to Lima home cooking (comida criolla): huge sharing plates of slow-cooked osso buco, anticuchos, and tacu tacu in a corner taberna. Hearty and deeply satisfying after a travel day.
Good to know · Lima's tasting-menu icons Central, Maido and Kjolle book out weeks to months ahead; reserve online as soon as your dates are set if you want to dine at one. (book 1-3 months ahead)
Fuel up with a proper Peruvian coffee or a sit-down breakfast before heading downtown.
Puku Puku Cafe
Miraflores
A specialty roaster pouring single-origin Peruvian beans (the country grows superb coffee that mostly gets exported). Order a cortado and an alfajor.
Pan de la Chola
Miraflores
Lima's best artisan bakery, with sourdough, fresh juices, eggs, and excellent coffee. Worth the short wait for a table.
Morning
Head to the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site of balconied mansions, gilded churches, and bone-lined catacombs.
Lima Half-Day City Walking Tour
Historic Center
A small-group walk through the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, and the Monastery of San Francisco with its eerie catacombs. A guide brings the layered colonial history to life far better than wandering alone.
A canary-yellow Baroque church above a warren of catacombs holding the bones of an estimated 25,000 people. The library and tiled cloisters are highlights even if the crypts unnerve you.
Lunch
Eat where Limenos eat in the old center, or head back toward the coast.
Street Food, Market & Old Eateries Tour
Historic Center
A guided graze through the historic center's markets and century-old eateries, sampling everything from causa to anticuchos. The most flavorful way to understand Peru's culinary heritage.
Cult sandwich counter famous for roast pork (chicharron) and chicken sandwiches with hand-cut fries. Quick, cheap, and excellent.
Afternoon
See Peru's pre-Columbian story told through extraordinary ceramics and gold.
Larco Museum
Pueblo Libre
A beautifully presented private collection in an 18th-century mansion, with thousands of years of pottery, dazzling gold and silver, and a famously frank gallery of erotic ceramics. The garden cafe is a lovely spot to pause.
Evening
Drift through Barranco at golden hour, the city's most photogenic quarter.
Puente de los Suspiros & Barranco murals
Barranco
The 'Bridge of Sighs' and the lanes around it are draped in street art and lined with galleries. Walk down to the seafront balconies for sunset.
Dinner
Choose between a world-renowned tasting menu or a more relaxed Barranco bistro.
Central
Barranco
Virgilio Martinez's restaurant, ranked the world's best, builds a menu around Peruvian ecosystems by altitude. A once-in-a-lifetime meal that demands an advance reservation.
Maido
Miraflores
Mitsuharu Tsumura's Nikkei flagship marries Japanese technique with Amazonian and coastal Peruvian ingredients. Endlessly inventive and another World's 50 Best fixture.
Canta Rana
Barranco
A beloved, unpretentious Barranco cevicheria covered in football pennants, serving generous fresh ceviche and seafood rice. The relaxed, affordable counterpoint to the tasting menus.
Where to Stay
Miraflores is the easy choice for a first visit: safe, walkable, full of restaurants and cafes, and perched above the ocean. Barranco, just south, is the bohemian, arty quarter with the best nightlife and street murals. Both are a quick taxi from the historic center.
Belmond Miraflores Park
luxury
A polished oceanfront tower on the Malecon with a rooftop pool looking straight out to the Pacific. The most refined address in Miraflores and an easy walk to the cliff parks.
Reliable, comfortable, and perfectly positioned beside Larcomar mall and the paragliding cliffs, with big ocean-view rooms. A safe, full-service pick for a first or last night in the city.
Stylish, social, and central, with dorms and private rooms plus coworking space. Good value for travelers who want to be steps from Parque Kennedy without spending much.
Drop down from Cusco's airport into the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the air softens, warms, and thins less dramatically. Ollantaytambo is the valley's gem: a living Inca town where the original grid of cobbled lanes and water channels is still in daily use, crowned by a colossal fortress-temple that the Incas defended successfully against the Spanish. It's the ideal place to acclimatize gently and start tuning into Andean rhythms.
Getting there by planeFly Lima to Cusco (about 1h20m, from roughly $60-120), then transfer by private car or colectivo about 1h45m down into the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo. Going straight to the lower valley helps you avoid Cusco's altitude on day one.View on Trip.com
After landing in Cusco and transferring down, take it slow on day one of altitude. Explore Ollantaytambo's great terraced temple in the gentler afternoon light.
Ollantaytambo Archaeological Site
Ollantaytambo
Climb the giant stone terraces to the unfinished Temple of the Sun, where six monolithic pink granite blocks were hauled from a quarry across the valley. The views back over the town's Inca grid are superb. Entry is via the Boleto Turistico (tourist ticket).
Ollantaytambo old town
Ollantaytambo
Wander the cobbled lanes of the original Inca settlement, where stone canals still carry mountain water past doorways built five centuries ago. One of the few places you can walk an Inca town that was never abandoned.
Evening
Keep the first highland evening easy and warm; sip coca tea to help with the altitude.
Apu Veronica viewpoint
Ollantaytambo
From the upper edge of town, watch the last sun catch the snow on Nevado Veronica. A quiet, low-effort way to soak in the valley before dinner.
Dinner
Eat early and lightly while your body adjusts.
Chuncho
Ollantaytambo
El Albergue's farm-to-table restaurant celebrating native potatoes, Andean grains, and a serious selection of artisanal chicha and pisco. Ingredients come largely from their own organic plots.
Hearts Cafe
Ollantaytambo
A cozy, traveler-friendly spot with soups, quinoa dishes, and box lunches, run as a social enterprise supporting local communities. Comforting and reliable at altitude.
Good to know · Sacred Valley sights including Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Moray and Chinchero require the Boleto Turistico (Cusco Tourist Ticket), sold at the sites or in Cusco; consider which version (full or partial) fits your plan. (buy on arrival) · Cusco and the Sacred Valley sit at high altitude; arrive hydrated, take the first day slow, and consider asking a doctor about acetazolamide before you travel.
Strong coffee and a hearty breakfast before a day of valley sights.
Coffee Tree Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo
A friendly cafe on the main plaza pouring good Peruvian coffee with egg breakfasts and pancakes. A reliable morning anchor.
Morning
Visit two of the valley's most surreal Inca sites, easily combined with a private driver or a half-day tour.
Moray
Maras
Concentric circular terraces sunk into the earth like a Roman amphitheater, thought to be an Inca agricultural laboratory where micro-climates were tested at different depths. Otherworldly and quiet in the early hours.
Maras Salt Pans (Salineras)
Maras
Thousands of small terraced salt ponds cascade down a hillside, fed by a salty spring and worked by local families since pre-Inca times. The white pans against red earth are unforgettable.
Lunch
Eat in Urubamba, the valley's culinary heart, or grab something simple near the sites.
El Huacatay
Urubamba
A garden restaurant in Urubamba blending Andean ingredients with global technique, a relaxed midday stop between sights. Try the trout or the alpaca.
Afternoon
Spend the afternoon at Pisac, where a hilltop citadel and a famous craft market share one valley town.
Pisac Archaeological Park
Pisac
A dramatic ridge-top complex of temples, terraces, and the largest Inca cemetery known, with sweeping valley views. Covered by the Boleto Turistico.
Pisac Market
Pisac
A sprawling artisan market for alpaca textiles, silver, and ceramics. Busiest and best on its traditional Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday days, but open daily.
Dinner
Back in Ollantaytambo, dine well before tomorrow's train.
El Albergue Restaurant
Ollantaytambo
On the train platform, this much-loved kitchen serves refined Andean cooking with produce from its own farm and a fine cellar. Pack and confirm tomorrow's train tickets while you're here.
Apu Ollantay
Ollantaytambo
A warm, central spot for trout, lomo saltado, and stone-oven pizza. Dependable comfort food after a full day in the valley.
Good to know · PeruRail and Inca Rail trains from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes sell out in high season; reserve your specific departure (the panoramic Vistadome cars are worth it) in advance. (book 1-2 months ahead)
Where to Stay
Stay in Ollantaytambo town itself to enjoy the ruins and lanes after the day-trippers leave, or in the wider Sacred Valley around Urubamba for resort-style comfort and gardens. Ollantaytambo is also where you'll catch the train to Machu Picchu, so basing here simplifies logistics.
Hotel Pakaritampu
midrange
A welcoming garden hotel a short walk from Ollantaytambo's train station, with hummingbird-filled grounds and the Veronica peak as backdrop. Convenient and comfortable for the valley.
A characterful inn literally on the train platform, run by the same family for generations, with an organic farm, sauna, and one of the valley's best restaurants. Unbeatable for catching the Machu Picchu train.
Aguas Calientes, officially Machu Picchu Pueblo, is the steamy little town at the foot of the mountain, hemmed in by cloud forest and the rushing Urubamba River. Nobody comes for the town itself; they come because it's the launchpad for the most famous archaeological site in the Americas, a 15th-century Inca estate perched on a saddle between two peaks and rediscovered by the wider world only in 1911. Stay the night here and you can be among the first through the gates.
Getting there by trainTake the scenic train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (about 1h30m, roughly $70-130 each way depending on class). The route follows the Urubamba River through deepening cloud forest.
An early coffee in Ollantaytambo before boarding the morning train down to the cloud forest.
Cafe Mayu (Ollantaytambo station)
Ollantaytambo
A convenient platform cafe for coffee and a pastry before you board. Keeps things simple on a travel morning.
Morning
Ride the train, settle into Aguas Calientes, and store your bags.
Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes
Sacred Valley
Glass-roofed carriages follow the Urubamba through tightening gorges as the landscape turns green and tropical. Roughly 90 minutes of pure scenery.
Lunch
Eat in town before heading up to the ruins, or save your appetite for after.
Mapacho Craft Beer & Peruvian Cuisine
Aguas Calientes
Riverside spot for hearty Andean plates, alpaca burgers, and local craft beer. A relaxed place to refuel before the climb.
The Tree House Restaurant
Aguas Calientes
An intimate kitchen serving polished Peruvian dishes a notch above the town's tourist norm. Good for a calmer, better meal.
Afternoon
Take the switchback bus up to Machu Picchu for an afternoon visit, when crowds thin and the light softens. Your ticket specifies an entry time and a circuit route.
Machu Picchu Citadel
Machu Picchu
The Inca estate unfolds in terraces, temples, and the famous Intihuatana stone against a backdrop of cloud-wrapped peaks. Follow your assigned circuit past the Temple of the Sun and the classic postcard viewpoint, and watch for llamas grazing the terraces.
Evening
Back in town, soak tired legs and toast the day.
Aguas Calientes hot springs
Aguas Calientes
The thermal pools that give the town its name sit at the top of the main street, a simple, steamy way to unwind after the citadel. Bring a towel and swimsuit.
Dinner
A celebratory dinner in town.
Indio Feliz
Aguas Calientes
A quirky, ship-themed institution run by a French chef, famous for ginger trout and generous three-course menus. The most reliably good meal in Aguas Calientes; reserve ahead.
Good to know · Machu Picchu entry tickets are timed, capped daily, sold by assigned circuit, and only official through the Ministry of Culture (tuboleto) or an authorized agency; they routinely sell out, especially for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain add-ons. (book 1-3 months ahead) · Buses from Aguas Calientes up to the citadel can be bought online or in town; lines form before dawn for sunrise entries, so buy bus tickets the day before.
Where to Stay
There's only one place to be: Aguas Calientes itself, so you can ride the first morning buses up to the citadel. Hotels range from simple guesthouses near the train tracks to riverside lodges and the famous mountainside Belmond just outside the gates.
Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel
luxury
A riverside five-star with a good spa and Andean-Novo cuisine, a short walk from the bus stop up to the ruins. The most comfortable in-town option.
Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire and remains the cultural heart of the Andes, a city where massive Inca foundations carry Spanish churches on their shoulders and Quechua is still spoken in the markets. At 3,400m it asks your lungs for patience, but rewards you with cobbled San Blas lanes, golden Baroque altars, and some of Peru's most exciting highland cooking. Use it as a base for the city's own sights and the spectacular day trips that ring it.
Getting there by trainTrain back from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (about 1h30m), then transfer by car about 1h45m up to Cusco. Many travelers buy a combined train-plus-transfer with their hotel or operator.
Breakfast in Aguas Calientes before the train, then ease into Cusco on arrival.
The Mapi / hotel breakfast
Aguas Calientes
Most Aguas Calientes hotels lay on early breakfasts timed to morning trains. Fuel up on eggs, fruit, and coca tea before you board.
Afternoon
Arrive in Cusco, settle in, and take the altitude gently with a short walk around the center.
Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun)
Historic Center
The Incas' most sacred temple, once sheathed in gold, with the Santo Domingo convent built directly on its flawless stonework. The clearest illustration anywhere of how Spanish Cusco was layered onto Inca Cusco.
Plaza de Armas
Historic Center
Cusco's arcaded main square, framed by the Cathedral and the Church of La Compania. Find a balcony cafe and let yourself acclimatize while you people-watch.
Evening
An easy first Cusco evening; keep alcohol light at altitude.
Limbus Restobar
San Blas
A San Blas terrace bar with arguably the best panoramic view over the city's rooftops, ideal for a sunset pisco sour. Go before dinner for the light.
Dinner
Cusco's dining punches well above its size.
Cicciolina
Historic Center
A long-running favorite above a courtyard, with a buzzy tapas bar and a Mediterranean-Andean menu. The lamb and the homemade pastas are reliably excellent.
Chicha por Gaston Acurio
Historic Center
Acurio's Cusco showcase for regional highland dishes done beautifully, from cuy to alpaca to river trout. Warm, handsome, and a safe bet.
Start with a serious coffee or a leisurely cafe breakfast.
Three Monkeys Coffee
Historic Center
Specialty roaster pouring some of Cusco's best espresso in a leafy courtyard. The flat whites and house granola breakfast are excellent.
Jack's Cafe
San Blas
A perennially busy San Blas corner cafe with huge breakfasts, fresh juices, and quick service. Expect a short morning wait.
Morning
Explore the religious heart of the city and the artisan quarter above it.
Cusco Cathedral
Historic Center
A Baroque giant on the plaza holding hundreds of colonial Cusco-School paintings, including a famous Last Supper featuring roast guinea pig. Built with stones hauled from Sacsayhuaman.
San Blas neighborhood
San Blas
Climb the steep lanes to the little white church of San Blas and its astonishing carved pulpit, passing artisan workshops and viewpoints. The prettiest corner of the city.
Lunch
Eat among the locals at the central market, or sit down for something refined.
Mercado de San Pedro
Historic Center
A riot of fruit stalls, juice counters, and cheap caldo and lunch menus. Pull up a stool at a busy comedor for a soup-and-main menu del dia.
Morena Peruvian Kitchen
Historic Center
A bright, modern bistro near the plaza doing fresh ceviche, quinoa bowls, and well-built sandwiches. Easy, tasty, and good value.
Afternoon
Head to the Inca sites on the hill above Cusco, walkable or a short taxi ride.
Sacsayhuaman
Cusco
Monumental zigzag walls of limestone blocks, some weighing over 100 tons, fitted so tightly a blade won't slip between them. The views back over Cusco's red rooftops are tremendous; covered by the Boleto Turistico.
Qenqo, Puca Pucara & Tambomachay
Cusco
A trio of smaller Inca sites above Sacsayhuaman: a carved ritual rock, a roadside fort, and the elegant 'bath of the Inca' water shrine. Easy to combine in an afternoon loop.
Dinner
Sample inventive Andean cooking back in the center.
Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse
Historic Center
Alpaca, beef, and trout seared at the table on volcanic hot stones, with great sauces and a fun atmosphere. Book ahead, it fills fast.
Pacha Papa
San Blas
A rustic San Blas courtyard opposite the church serving traditional Cusco fare, including clay-oven specialties. Atmospheric and authentic.
Most big day trips leave very early, so grab a quick coffee and a packed breakfast.
La Valeriana
Historic Center
Cusco's beloved bakery for flaky empanadas and famous three-milk cake, perfect to grab on the way out. Open early enough for pre-dawn departures.
All day
Devote your last full Andean day to one of Cusco's showstopper excursions. Both are high-altitude, so only attempt them now that you're acclimatized, and dress in layers.
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)
Pitumarca
A full-day trip to the striped mineral peak at over 5,000m, with a roughly 90-minute hike from the trailhead. Surreal scenery, but genuinely demanding altitude; horses are available to ease the climb.
Humantay Lake
Mollepata
A turquoise glacial lake beneath the sacred Salkantay peak, reached by a steep hour-long hike from Soraypampa. Fewer people than Rainbow Mountain and arguably more beautiful.
South Valley: Tipon, Pikillacta & Andahuaylillas
South Valley
A gentler alternative if you'd rather skip extreme altitude: Inca water terraces at Tipon, a pre-Inca Wari city, and the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes' church at Andahuaylillas. A relaxed, culture-rich day.
Dinner
Round off Cusco with a memorable final dinner.
MAP Cafe
San Blas
A glass cube inside the Pre-Columbian Art Museum's colonial courtyard, serving refined contemporary Peruvian tasting plates. The most special-occasion room in the city.
Limo Cocina Peruana
Historic Center
A balcony restaurant on the Plaza de Armas for Nikkei dishes, ceviche, and pisco cocktails with a view over the square. Lively and dependable for a last night.
Where to Stay
The historic center around the Plaza de Armas puts you among the major sights and restaurants. San Blas, the artists' quarter climbing the hillside above, is quieter and prettier but steeper (mind the altitude on those stairs). Both are walkable and atmospheric.
Belmond Hotel Monasterio
luxury
A 16th-century monastery turned hotel beside the cathedral, with a gilded chapel, courtyards, and optional oxygen-enriched rooms to ease the altitude. Cusco's grandest stay.
A historic mansion across from the Qorikancha with a spa and handsome rooms, comfortable and central without quite the Monasterio price. A refined mid-to-upper pick.
You'll loop back through Lima to fly home, and the capital makes for a fitting finale: one more chance to chase the perfect ceviche, watch paragliders drift over the Pacific, and toast the trip from a Barranco rooftop. With limited time, lean into food and the coast rather than racing across the city.
Getting there by planeFly Cusco to Lima (about 1h25m, from roughly $60-120). Book a morning or midday flight to leave the afternoon and evening free in the capital.View on Trip.com
Land back in Lima, drop your bags in Miraflores, and head straight for a long, leisurely seafood lunch, the meal Lima does best.
El Mercado
Miraflores
Rafael Osterling's airy, sun-washed cevicheria, a lunchtime institution for impeccable raw fish and seafood rice. Go on the late side to beat the rush.
La Picanteria
Surquillo
Hector Solis's homage to Peru's regional picanterias, where you pick your whole fish and share big family-style plates. Boisterous, authentic, and excellent value.
Evening
Spend a final golden hour by the sea or among Barranco's murals.
Parque del Amor at sunset
Miraflores
Watch the sun sink into the Pacific from the mosaic benches as paragliders circle overhead. A fitting goodbye to Peru's coast.
Barranco art walk
Barranco
Wander the Bajada de Banos and the lanes around the Bridge of Sighs, ducking into galleries and pisco bars. The city's most atmospheric evening stroll.
Dinner
Make the last dinner count with one more standout Lima table.
Astrid y Gaston
Miraflores
Gaston Acurio's flagship in a restored Miraflores hacienda, a defining restaurant of modern Peruvian cuisine. Go for the tasting menu or order classics a la carte.
Maido
Miraflores
If you couldn't get in earlier, try again for Mitsuharu Tsumura's celebrated Nikkei cooking. A genuine bucket-list meal to end the trip.
Osso
San Isidro
Renzo Garibaldi's butcher-restaurant for serious meat lovers, with house-aged cuts and charcuterie. A satisfying, less formal final-night option.
Good to know · Build in a comfortable buffer for the Cusco-to-Lima flight on your return; afternoon Andean weather and frequent schedule shifts make a morning departure the safest bet before any onward international connection.
Ease into your departure day with a great Lima coffee and a final pastry.
Arabica Espresso Bar
Miraflores
A minimalist San Isidro and Miraflores favorite for expertly pulled espresso and good pastries. The kind of calm, polished send-off your last morning deserves.
Colonia & Co
Barranco
A handsome all-day cafe in Barranco for eggs, avocado toast, and strong coffee in an old townhouse. Lovely for a relaxed final breakfast.
Morning
Squeeze in one last easy highlight near the coast before heading to the airport.
Mercado Indio / Inka Market
Miraflores
A covered warren of stalls on Avenida Petit Thouars for last-minute alpaca knits, ceramics, and souvenirs. The best place to spend your remaining soles.
Faro de la Marina & Malecon walk
Miraflores
A short, scenic stroll along the cliff path past the little lighthouse for a final look at the Pacific. Low-key and lovely before you transfer out.
Lunch
Grab one final Peruvian bite before the airport run; allow about an hour to Jorge Chavez, more in heavy traffic.
La Lucha Sangucheria
Miraflores
A quick, perfect last taste of Peru: a chicharron sandwich and a chicha morada at this Miraflores institution. Fast enough to fit before a flight.
Punto Azul
Miraflores
A no-fuss neighborhood cevicheria for one final plate of ceviche or a generous arroz con mariscos. Good food without a long, lingering meal.
Where to Stay
Stay in Miraflores again for the easiest airport access and the comforts you know, or switch to Barranco if you want your last night among Lima's galleries and bars. Either way, keep it close to the coast.
Belmond Miraflores Park
luxury
Return for a polished final night with a rooftop pool over the Pacific. Indulgent and supremely convenient to the airport road.
In ten days you'll have tasted Lima at its world-class best, walked an Inca town still living in its original streets, stood among Machu Picchu's terraces at altitude, and explored the imperial heart of the Andes in Cusco. It's a route that balances logistics with wonder, acclimatizing you gently while delivering Peru's greatest sights and flavors. Pack layers, book your trains and Machu Picchu tickets early, and come hungry.
Top Activities in Lima
Lima Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour
A walking food crawl through bohemian Barranco sampling up to 14 Peruvian dishes, fruits, and drinks with local hosts. Consistently rated among Lima's best experiences.
Hit the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the catacombs of San Francisco with a knowledgeable guide in a small group. The efficient way to see the colonial core.
Premium Paracas & Huacachina Day Trip with Sunset Toast
A long but rewarding day south to the Ballestas Islands' wildlife and the desert oasis of Huacachina, with dune buggies and a pisco toast. Run by Peru's most-reviewed operator.
