7 Days in Peru: Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu Itinerary
Seven days in Peru is enough for Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, plus one big mountain day, as long as the order is right. Spend two days in Lima at sea level, fly to Cusco on Day 3 and rest, cross the Sacred Valley on Day 4 and sleep in Aguas Calientes so you reach Machu Picchu fresh on Day 5. Leave the highest day, Rainbow Mountain, for Day 6, when you have had three days at altitude. This is exactly how our Peru 7 days package runs, with flights, train, hotels and guides included from US$998 per person.
The 7-day Peru itinerary at a glance
| Day | Route | What you do | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Lima | Airport pickup and a free afternoon to settle in | Lima |
| Day 2 | Lima city tour | Huaca Pucllana, the historic center, San Francisco Monastery and its catacombs, Miraflores | Lima |
| Day 3 | Lima to Cusco | Morning flight and a deliberately free acclimatization day | Cusco |
| Day 4 | Sacred Valley | Chinchero, Moray, the Maras salt mines, lunch in Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, then the train | Aguas Calientes |
| Day 5 | Machu Picchu | Bus up, a two-hour guided tour, train and transfer back | Cusco |
| Day 6 | Rainbow Mountain | 4:30 am start, breakfast in Cusipata, a 90-minute hike up Vinicunca | Cusco |
| Day 7 | Cusco to Lima | Last walk in Cusco if your flight allows, then the flight to Lima | - |
Why this order works: altitude first, mountain last
Most one-week Peru trips go wrong in the same way: people fly straight from Lima to Cusco, at 3,400 m (11,150 ft), and book a big excursion for the next morning. This itinerary is built the other way round.
The first two days are in Lima, at sea level, so you recover from the long-haul flight before the altitude adds to it. Day 3 has nothing planned after you land in Cusco: walk to the Plaza de Armas at an easy pace, eat light and go to bed early. On Day 4 the Sacred Valley is lower than Cusco, and you sleep in Aguas Calientes, lower still, which helps most people feel better. Machu Picchu itself is at 2,430 m (7,970 ft), almost 1,000 m below Cusco.
Only then, on Day 6, do you go above 5,000 m at Rainbow Mountain. By that point you have had three nights in the Andes and a much better idea of how your body copes. Our guide to altitude sickness in Cusco explains what is normal in the first 48 hours and the few symptoms that are not.
Days 1 and 2: what to see in Lima
On Day 1 we meet you at Jorge Chávez Airport with a sign bearing your name and drive you to your hotel. Whatever time you land, the rest of the day is yours. Our advice is to stay awake until the evening, walk the neighborhood and have an early dinner; jet lag and altitude are a bad combination two days later.
Day 2 is a guided city tour. It starts with a panoramic view of Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid in the middle of Miraflores, then moves to the historic center: the Main Square, San Martín Square and the San Francisco Monastery, with its colonial religious art and underground catacombs. It ends in modern Lima, in Miraflores and the Park of Love on the cliffs above the Pacific. The evening is free, and Lima is the place to spend it at a good restaurant.
Days 3 to 5: Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Day 3. We take you to Lima airport for the flight to Cusco, and our transfer is waiting when you land. The day is free on purpose. If you feel fine, wander the historic center slowly; if you have a headache, rest. Both are normal.
Day 4. The Sacred Valley by bus: the weaving house and archaeological park of Chinchero, the circular terraces of Moray, the Maras salt mines, a buffet lunch in Urubamba and the fortress of Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo station you take the train to Aguas Calientes and sleep at the foot of Machu Picchu.
Day 5. We tell you what time to catch the bus up, according to the entry hour on your ticket, and you have a two-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu. In the afternoon you take the train back to Ollantaytambo and our transport on to Cusco. Machu Picchu tickets are sold by circuit and entry time, and the package ticket does not include Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain; our guide to Machu Picchu circuits and routes explains the options if you want to add a mountain.
Day 6: Rainbow Mountain, the hardest day of the week
We leave Cusco at 4:30 am for the community of Cusipata, about two hours away, where breakfast is waiting. From there it is a 90-minute hike up to Vinicunca, Rainbow Mountain, at over 5,000 m, the highest point of the trip and the reason it sits at the end. After the descent there is an Andean semi-buffet lunch at camp before the drive back to Cusco.
The hike is not technical, but the altitude makes every step slow. Horse rides and trekking poles at Rainbow Mountain are not included in the package, so carry some cash in soles if you want them. Dress in layers, with a warm hat and gloves for the top, and drink water steadily.
What to book ahead for 7 days in Peru
- Machu Picchu tickets. They are issued in your name and passport number for a fixed date and hour, and they cannot be changed afterwards. In the busy dry-season months, the best entry hours sell out early. They are included in the package, but we need your passport details to buy them.
- Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Not included. If you want one, tell us when you book: the mountain tickets are the first to sell out.
- Train and domestic flights. The Lima–Cusco and Cusco–Lima flights and the Voyager or Expedition train are included and issued with your passport data, so send names exactly as they appear on it.
- Your international flights. Arrive in Lima on Day 1 and fly home from Lima on Day 7 with enough margin after the Cusco flight.
- Travel and medical insurance. Not included, and worth having for a trip that goes above 5,000 m.
- A deposit. We confirm the package with a 40% deposit; the balance is paid before the trip starts.
What is included, and when to choose 9 days instead
The 7-day package includes airport transfers in Lima and Cusco, 6 nights in 3-star hotels in Lima, Cusco and Aguas Calientes, daily breakfast plus the lunches in Urubamba and Cusipata, both domestic flights, the round-trip tourist train, the Consettur bus up and down, the Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain entrance tickets, all the sites in the itinerary and a professional bilingual guide. Groups run from 2 to 16 travelers.
Not included: international flights, insurance, drinks and meals not listed, tips, horses at Rainbow Mountain, the Machu Picchu mountains and early check-in or late check-out.
If you can add two days, the Peru 9 days package adds Paracas, Ica and the Huacachina oasis on the coast, and the Humantay Lake hike in the Andes, before the same Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain days. It is the better choice if you want a gentler pace or one more high-altitude day before Vinicunca.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days enough for Peru?
It is enough for Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, plus Rainbow Mountain, if you follow an order that leaves time to acclimatize. It is not enough to add the Amazon, Lake Titicaca or the Inca Trail without dropping something.
Should I spend time in Lima or go straight to Cusco?
Two days in Lima first is the easier plan. You recover from the international flight at sea level, see the capital, and arrive in Cusco rested, which makes the altitude easier to handle.
Why is there nothing planned on the day I arrive in Cusco?
Because Cusco is at about 3,400 m and most people feel the altitude in the first 24 hours. A free day lowers the risk of altitude sickness before the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Which is the hardest day of the itinerary?
Day 6, Rainbow Mountain: a 4:30 am start and a 90-minute hike to a summit over 5,000 m. Days 1, 2, 3 and 7 are easy.
Are the domestic flights and the Machu Picchu train included?
Yes. The package includes the Lima–Cusco and Cusco–Lima flights, the round-trip tourist train, the Consettur bus and the Machu Picchu entrance ticket. International flights are not included.
How much does the 7-day Peru package cost?
From US$998 per person, with 3-star hotels, flights, train, entrance tickets and guides included. It is confirmed with a 40% deposit.
Official sources: Ministry of Culture of Peru: official Machu Picchu and Inca Trail tickets · Tu Boleto, the Ministry of Culture's official ticket platform for Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail · CDC Yellow Book: High Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness · UNESCO World Heritage: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu · UNESCO World Heritage: City of Cuzco
