14-Day Peru Itinerary: Lima, Arequipa, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu
The classic two weeks in Peru, in the order that makes the altitude easy: Lima, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, then Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
This is the route we recommend when you have two weeks. You start at sea level in Lima, fly to Arequipa (2,335 m), cross the Colca Canyon to Lake Titicaca and sleep in Puno, the highest point of the trip at about 3,830 m. When you reach Cusco on day 9, you’re already acclimatized and sleeping lower than the night before, so the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu feel easy. Why this order works for the altitude.
Arequipa and the ColcaThe white city and the condors
Lake TiticacaSillustani, the Uros and Taquile
Machu PicchuGuided visit, train from Ollantaytambo
Altitude done rightUp step by step, Cusco last
Day by day
Day1
Day 1: Arrive in Lima
Arrival
Pickup at Lima airport and transfer to your hotel in Miraflores.
Evening
Walk the clifftop Malecón over the Pacific and have your first ceviche.
Walking tour of the historic center: the Plaza de Armas and cathedral, the Jesuit church, the San Ignacio chapel and colonial sillar mansions. Meeting point half a block from the Plaza.
11:00
Optional: the Santa Catalina Monastery, about one extra hour.
13:00
Lunch at a picantería (not included). Try rocoto relleno or chupe de camarones.
Sunset
Free time. Walk to the Yanahuara viewpoint to see the Misti behind the arches.
Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes along the Urubamba river.
08:00
Arrival, 30-minute bus up to the citadel and a guided visit of about 2.5 hours.
14:55
Return train to Ollantaytambo.
18:30
Back at your hotel in Cusco.
Train round trip
Bus up and down
Entrance and guide
Breakfast and lunch
Night in Cusco
Day14
Day 14: Fly to Lima and home
Morning
Transfer to Cusco airport and flight to Lima (about 1 h 20 min), where you connect with your flight home. The flight isn’t in the base price: we can book it and add it to your quote.
Cusco airport drop-off
Make it yoursThis trip is a starting point. Pick what you’d change and we’ll include it in your quote.
Times are the usual schedule of each tour and are confirmed with your final itinerary. Prefer Machu Picchu at opening time? Add a night in Aguas Calientes.
What’s included
Airport pickup and drop-off in Lima
Arequipa airport pickup
Cusco airport drop-off on the last day
Pickup at the Cusco bus station
All tours in the itinerary, in group, with guide
Colca full day ending in Chivay, and shared van from Chivay to Puno
Ruta del Sol tourist bus from Puno to Cusco
Private transfer from Maras to your hotel in the Sacred Valley
Machu Picchu train, bus, entrance and guide
Lunch on the Uros and Taquile day, breakfast and lunch on Machu Picchu day, buffet lunch in the Sacred Valley
Not included
Domestic flights Lima – Arequipa and Cusco – Lima (we book them, see prices)
International flights
Hotels (quoted on request)
Colca tourist ticket (S/ 70 for foreign visitors), Taquile entrance (S/ 15) and Cusco’s Boleto Turístico
Meals not listed, tips and travel insurance
Prices
Base tripTours and transfers, per person, group tours, based on 2 travelers.
From $1,016
Base trip + domestic flightsTours, transfers and both domestic flights with a checked bag (refundable fares). Hotels not included.
About $1,355
12-day versionSkip the day in Lima and see the Sacred Valley, Maras and Moray in one full day, ending at your hotel in the Valley for the night before Machu Picchu.
From $853
Flight Lima – ArequipaOne way. Carry-on only and non-refundable, or with a checked bag and refundable.
About $112 / $182
Flight Cusco – LimaOne way. Carry-on only and non-refundable, or with a checked bag and refundable.
About $95 / $157
Night on Lake TiticacaSwap day 8 for the 2-day homestay: Uros, a night on Amantaní and Taquile. Adds one day.
+ $26
Humantay Lake or Rainbow MountainAn extra day at the end, when you’re acclimatized.
+ $65 each
Private toursYour own guide and vehicle.
On request
Hotels3★, 4★ or 5★ in each city.
On request
Want hotels included? Choose “Include hotels in my quote” in the form and pick 3★, 4★ or 5★.
Questions about this trip
Why Arequipa and Puno before Cusco?
Because it goes up step by step. Arequipa (2,335 m) is a gentle start, Puno (about 3,830 m) is the highest night, and Cusco (3,399 m) comes last, when you’re acclimatized and ready for the hikes. More in our guide to acclimatization in Peru.
Are the domestic flights included?
Not in the base price, because fares change with the dates. We book both flights for you and add them to your quote: Lima – Arequipa is usually about $112 one way with carry-on only, or $182 with a checked bag and refundable; Cusco – Lima about $95 or $157.
Can I do it in 12 days?
Yes. Skip the day in Lima (you fly to Arequipa the morning after you land) and see the Sacred Valley, Maras and Moray in one full day, ending at your hotel in the Valley for the night before Machu Picchu. It becomes 12 days, from $853 per person, and keeps the full Lake Titicaca part and the altitude order. We don’t recommend going shorter if you want Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu in the same trip.
How is the bus from Puno to Cusco?
It’s the Ruta del Sol, a tourist bus with a guide that takes a full day and stops at Pukara, the La Raya pass, Raqchi and Andahuaylillas. It’s a way to see the altiplano, not just a transfer.
Are hotels included?
No. We quote them on request in each city, 3★ to 5★. Chivay, in the Colca, has simpler options than the cities.
Can I add the Amazon?
Yes. The easiest way is a short flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado after Machu Picchu and 3 or 4 days in Tambopata. Tell us in the form and we add it.
