2 Weeks in Peru - 5 Unique Itineraries

Itinerary #1: Sacred Valley to the Amazon Rainforest

From Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu to the Nazca Lines and Colca Canyon, this wide-ranging itinerary takes travelers to Peru’s top attractions.

Move onto Lake Titicaca, where you’ll see the Uros Floating Islands from a boat, then continue onto Cusco. Check out the Spanish-built cathedral and the Coricancha, the Inca “Temple of the Sun,” then get some rest before the second week of the trip begins.

Start week two with a tour of the Sacred Valley, stopping to see Inca ruins, archaeological sites, and the textile market at Pisac on your way to riverside Ollantaytambo, where you’ll spend the night. Visit the salt mines of Maras and Inca-built terraces at Moray, then day-trip to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu on day ten.

The last few days of the trip will take you to the Amazon. After traveling to Puerto Maldonado, check into elegant but rustic Refugio Amazonas Lodge, your home base for the end of the journey. Enjoy excursions into the jungle, including a ride on a traditional canoe, a visit to a family-run farm, and wildlife-spotting adventures where you’ll see parrots, monkeys, and river otters in their natural habitats. Sleep for one more night in the rainforest, then back-track to Lima to catch a flight home. Learn more

Itinerary #2: Essential Peru & Rainbow Mountain Hike

Boat down a jungle river, hike to Rainbow Mountain, and witness indigenous traditions on the floating islands of Lake Titicaca on this lively adventure around Peru’s highlights.

Get to know Peru’s lively capital on the first days of the itinerary, taking guided city and food tours, then get ready to head into the Amazon. Catch a flight to Puerto Maldonado, then ride a boat along the Madre de Dios River to Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica lodge, your home base in the jungle.

You’ll spend the next few days on guided excursions, learning about the flora and fauna of the rainforest: keep an eye out for parrots, parakeets, and giant river otters. On day six, head back to civilization—namely, the ancient Inca capital of Cusco. Learn about the city’s indigenous and Spanish history on a city tour, including stops at the Spanish cathedral and various Inca ruins. 

Week two begins with a tour of the Sacred Valley, featuring stops at the traditional market and immense Inca fortress in Pisac and a relaxing evening in the historic riverfront town of Ollantaytambo. Stop at the Maras salt flats on your way to catch the train to Aguas Calientes, gateway to Machu Picchu.

On day ten, you’ll spend the day exploring the Incas’ world-famous citadel, and the following day, enjoy an incredibly scenic hike to Rainbow Mountain—you’ll see llamas and alpacas amid the red mountains as you walk. The last few days of the trip takes you to Lake Titicaca, where you’ll go on a boat tour and have the chance to interact with the islands’ native people. Catch a flight from Puno back to Lima to make your connection home. Learn more

Itinerary #3: Beyond the Highlights of Peru

Fly high in the sky over massive geoglyphs and venture into one of the world’s deepest canyons on a two-week tour of Peru’s most impressive natural and cultural attractions.

Touch down in Lima and spend the evening strolling around the capital city. On day two, you’ll board a small airplane to see the world-famous geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines from an aerial perspective. In the afternoon, try sandboarding on the towering dunes at Huacachina.

Return to Lima for a day of urban exploration before the next day’s trip to Arequipa. Tour the city’s historic center, then head out to Colca Canyon, enjoying the views of snow-capped volcanoes and quaint Andean villages near the natural monument. Afterward, take a dip in the natural hot springs at Calera.

Kick off the second part of the trip on Lake Titicaca, where you’ll take a boat tour to the Uros Floating Islands and Taquile Island, learning about indigenous boat-building traditions and sampling regional cuisine. On day eight, you’ll continue on to Cusco and learn about the ancient Inca capital and its later Spanish settlement. Check out Cusco’s bustling nightlife scene—pisco sours flow freely here—before the next day’s tour of the Sacred Valley. Shop for textiles in the market at Pisac, one of the stops along the way, before checking into your accommodations in charming Ollantaytambo.

Finish the journey with a short visit to the Maras Salt Flats and a hike along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: arriving in the legendary lost city is a perfect way to end your two-week adventure through Peru. Learn more

Itinerary #4: Culture of Northern Peru & Machu Picchu

Discover 5,000 years of civilization, from the Mochica pyramids to Machu Picchu, on a journey through Peru's Inca and pre-Inca cultures and ruins.

Begin the trip in Lima. On day two, head to Trujillo and tour the Temple of the Moon, a pre-Hispanic mud pyramid constructed by the Moche people who lived in the region around as early as 100 CE. Then visit the Rainbow Temple and the Chan Chan fortress, the world's largest mud-brick citadel.

Continue onto the pyramids at Tucume in the nearby region of Lambayeque. After a long and scenic drive to Cocachimba, relax for the evening before the next day’s hike to Gocta Waterfall. Look for the bright orange cock-of-the-rock—Peru's national bird—on your walk through the forest to the tall cascades.

Start the second week with a cable car ride to Kuelap Fortress, an ancient citadel of the Chachapoyas people who predated the Inca. The site is sometimes called the “Machu Picchu of the North.” You’ll head back to Lima for an evening of dining and nightlife in the hip waterfront neighborhood of Miraflores before moving onto Cusco and the Sacred Valley, home to a fascinating series of Inca ruins.

Overnight in Ollantaytambo, known for its well-preserved Inca architecture, and stop the next day in Moray to see three famous amphitheater-like terraces made by the Incas. Check into your hotel in Aguas Calientes and plan to get an early start for the next day’s journey to Machu Picchu. Touring the lost citadel on the last full day of the trip is the perfect way to finish the journey. Learn more

Itinerary #5: Inca Trail & Amazon Adventure

On this outdoorsy trip plan, you’ll hike along the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu, then spot monkeys and toucans in the wild in Manu National Park.

After a night in Lima, move onto Cusco, where you’ll get an overview of Inca history and Spanish settlement in Peru at the city’s museums and archaeological sites. On day four, head into the Sacred Valley, stopping at the textile market in Pisac and in Urubamba, the largest town in the region, for a traditional lunch.

Get some rest in Ollantaytambo before your four-day hike along the Inca Trail begins. On the first day of the hike, you’ll visit the archaeological site of Llactapata and picnic by a stream on your way to Yuncachimpa, where you’ll camp overnight. Hike along the Warmihuañusca Pass to Chaquicocha the next day, then continue through the tropical forest of Wiñaywayna. 

You’ll wake up early the following day for an unforgettable travel experience: the chance to see Machu Picchu at sunrise. Continue onward to Manu National Park via Cusco, checking into Bambu Lodge, a rainforest hotel. The next day, enjoy a boat journey down the Alto Madre de Dios river—the journey lasts about five hours—looking for aquatic birds, parrots, and monkeys on the way to Hummingbird Lodge.

Spot more native wildlife on the following day’s tour of the reserve, then spend the night in family-run Casa Matshiguenka. Go lake-hopping around Lake Salvador to Lake Otorongo on lake seven before visiting clay licks where parrots, deer, porcupines, and monkeys congregate. Travel back to civilization by boat, bus, and plane before catching a flight home from Lima. Learn more

More Great 14-Day Peru Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your Peru trip? Check out these other 14-day Peru itineraries, ranging from active, to cultural, to luxury, or family-friendly trips.

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