Your ultimate 7-day Peru Itinerary (on a budget)

Peru is an amazing travel destination with so many places to explore. It’s no wonder many people find it hard to choose locations and activities when planning their Peru vacation itinerary. I created this ultimate 7-day Peru itinerary to help you make the most of your time while seeing all of my favorite highlights – and save money. I hope you enjoy your trip as much as I did!

Happy travels in Peru!

How much is a trip to Peru cost?

Saving money in Peru is all about avoiding overpriced tours and activities. Instead, travel hackers and budget travelers should prioritize sticking to local experiences as much as possible. For example, you can visit Machu Picchu without a guide and save $1,000 USD versus a guided tour for two.

Saving on your trip to Peru also depends on the seasonality of your trip. Traveling to the Sacred Valley during the high season could cost three times as much as visiting during the shoulder or low season.

During shoulder season, like when I went in November, hotel rooms are only $40-120 per night. I recommend exploring your preferred travel dates to get a sense of what your hotel room will cost while visiting.

Outside of hotel costs, Peru is very economical. Buying a genuine alpaca wool sweater might be $4-8 with a bit of negotiating, while dinner for two at a standard Peruvian restaurant is between $8-20.

How to get to Peru

As the capital city of Peru, Lima is one of the most affordable cities to fly to from the United States in South America. One of the easiest ways to get here on a budget is taking a positioning flight to an airport like Miami or Dallas, where flights will consistently be less than $350 roundtrip.

I flew to Lima on JetBlue with a great cash deal. You can find plenty of opportunities for cheap flights to Peru if you have flexibility in your travel dates.

Travel Tip! One of the best ways to find a cheap flight to Peru is by using a flight alert service like Going. If you have flexible dates you can easily find flights for as low as $250 roundtrip to Lima, especially if you can fly from a hub, like Miami or Dallas.

Another option to visit Peru on a budget is to use points and miles for your flights. American Airlines miles are valuable to Peru, with an economy ticket costing you just 30,000 miles roundtrip.

>> Want to learn more about budget travel hacking your trip to Peru? Check out my free resource library!

Your ultimate 7-day Peru itinerary

With just one week in Peru we’re going to maximize every second seeing the archaeological sites of Machu Picchu, the incredible city of Cusco tucked in the valley of the Andes and the amazing beachside capitol of Lima, too. It’s a week full of adventure, good food, and amazing views. Let the adventure begin! 

>> Don’t miss my helpful packing guide to ensure you have all the essentials!

Peru Itinerary Day 1: Arriving to Lima and ceviche introduction

Though some airlines offer a connecting flight from Lima to Cusco, you’ll save a lot of money by buying these tickets separately. While many people choose to skip Lima altogether, I recommend spending time exploring this amazing colonial coastal city before heading to the Sacred Valley.

Your flight will likely arrive in Lima in the early morning, so you’ll have most of the day on your arrival and the next day to explore Lima. Lima isn’t known for its outstanding public transportation, so I recommend taking a private transfer from the airport to your hotel.

Where to stay in Lima

I stayed at the Hyatt Centric in San Isidro on points. The hotel isn’t located in the most touristy area but honestly, the city is so spread out that any trip to Lima isn’t very walkable.

If you want to stay in a neighborhood more centrally located choose Miraflores. Hotel Antigua Miraflores is a beautiful property that’s the perfect place to stay.

Spend the afternoon in Lima

Once you check in to your hotel, you’ll likely be tired from your overnight flight. Take a few hours to get some rest before heading out into Lima for the afternoon. Even though the city is huge, Lima doesn’t have good public transportation for tourists and they also don’t utilize a car service app, like Uber, either.

Your best bet is to ask the hotel to call a taxi for you to help you get a fair price upfront.

From your hotel, head to the Miraflores neighborhood for a late lunch of ceviche de pescado. Ceviche is a perfect introduction to Lima! Punto Azul is known for their incredible ceviche, so start there. 

Afterward, take the time to walk towards the Inka Markets near Parque Kennedy to find some local handmade items. Be sure to take a detour to Parque Kennedy to see what’s not referred to as “Cat Park” for the large number of cats roaming around.

After wandering the amazing streets of Miraflores, book your dinner with a local through EatWith. EatWith allows you to book cooking experiences and dinners with locals at affordable prices. I love the ability to learn more about a culture through food, and there’s no better way to do that than with someone who lives there.

Peru Itinerary Day 2: Lima in one day

As I mentioned earlier, Lima is a huge city with almost 10 million residents. And there really isn’t an epicenter that easily takes you to all the tourist attractions in the city. Because of that, I recommend booking a private sightseeing tour.

I booked this one with Airbnb and was very impressed with how much I could customize my experience while still seeing all the must-see highlights of Lima easily.

The tour starts around 10:00 in the morning and will last until the late afternoon. It’ll include lunch with some local markets and all the highlights around Lima, too. I recommend working with the guide via the link to talk through some of your must-see attractions. For such little time, you’ll have in Lima, it’s well worth the money to have the time to see everything worth seeing.

After your full day head to one of my favorite restaurants in the world for dinner, Primos Chicken Bar. (Really, I ate here twice!) You have to get the rotisserie chicken (pollo a la brasa) and sides, the same way the locals do. If you’re tired from your long day out, you can even get it delivered.

Peru Itinerary Day 3: Fly to Cusco and eat local

Flying to Cusco offers a lot of flight times but the one stipulation is that flights only operate during the day. This is due to the challenging location of the airport between mountains. I’d recommend booking an early flight from Lima to Cusco to have more time in the Sacred Valley.

Do you have to fly to Cusco? Pretty much yes. You can take an overnight bus that will take upwards of 26 hours through windy roads. But with a roundtrip ticket less than $100, it's worth the expense to just book a flight.

From the Cusco airport, you can find taxis ready to take you into the city center for around $10-15. Do negotiate, as tourists are often charged double the local rate.

You can also take a local bus that runs outside the airport gates for just $0.25. The bus runs about every 5 minutes without a set schedule. The ride will be about 30 minutes. or, if you are a planner, you can also take a private transfer from the airport directly to your hotel starting at just $10.

Where to stay in Cusco

• Hilton Garden Inn | I stayed here on my trip to Cusco to use my Diamond benefits and the stay was really nice. The only negative of the Garden Inn is it’s up on the hill overlooking town, which makes the climb up and down a bit challenging if you’re not in shape.
• Hotel Encantada Casa Boutique Spa | Super nice hotel at less than $100 a night, which is becoming increasingly hard to find in Cusco
• Hotel Rumi Punku | Villa-style property with a beautiful central garden perfect to sip your morning coffee

>> Check out my Cusco Itinerary for more amazing places to stay!

After checking in to your hotel, head into town and enjoy a local lunch at San Pedro Market. Here you can get your first glimpse of the Peruvian dishes of the mountains. Be sure to try a Peruvian empanada and chicken stew (estofado de pollo).

Spend your afternoon walking the San Blas neighborhood and stopping in the many amazing art galleries along the way. On your walk be sure to check out the 12-angled stone. At the top of the neighborhood stop for a drink (I recommend a Pisco sour) and dinner at Limbus Resto Bar for a fantastic view of the valley below.

Cusco is an ideal location for stargazing, due to its high altitude and clear skies. Spend your evening with an incredible view at the Cusco Planetarium. Just be sure to book your tickets in advance.

Peru Itinerary Day 4: Cusco activities and driving to the Sacred Valley

Start your day in Cusco with a cup of coffee at one of the many amazing shops around town. Three Monkey’s Coffee is a great choice with it’s beautiful courtyard to enjoy your morning.

After breakfast, consider what activity you’re most interested in. After all, this is your last morning in Cusco! Here are some suggestions:

• If you love handicrafts: Spend your morning visiting the Centro Artisanal Cusco and Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco to learn more about the art of weaving. The traditional textile museum includes demonstrations within their free museum. You can buy authentic alpaca sweaters at the artisanal market for around $5, too.
• If you love the mountains: Enjoy horseback riding the surrounding mountains during a half-day tour. You’ll see some amazing views of Cusco and get to spend the day riding a horse, too!
• If you love local foods: Take advantage of a half-day cooking class with a market tour. You’ll learn all about the importance of foods within the Sacred Valley and the different dishes cooked here.
• If you love history: Take the time to visit the Convento Santo Domingo and Qorikancha to learn more about both the indigenous culture and the colonial influence in Cusco.

After you finish your activity, head back to your hotel to grab your bags. Then to the car rental to rent a car to drive into the Sacred Valley. Don’t worry – you can 100% drive yourself. The worst part of driving out of Cusco is just getting out of Cusco! Once you’re out of town, your stress will fade as you take in truly incredible views from the nicely paved roads.

BUDGET TRAVEL TIP! Compare your rental car options with AutoSlash to get the best price. Be sure to use a travel credit card with primary rental car insurance coverage so you won’t be on the hook for any damage to the car!

You’ll want to stay in the Sacred Valley for a few days. I stayed at the Glass House on the Rock and truly loved it. If you don’t mind a little isolation and want some incredible views… stay here. But if a more remote spot isn’t for you, consider Ollantaytambo as an alternative with many hotel options.

Peru Itinerary Day 5: Explore the Sacred Valley

Though some destinations in the Sacred Valley are short in distance, you’ll find longer driving times between places to see in the Sacred Valley. Keep that in mind when planning how many activities you want to do today.

I recommend starting your day at Salineras de Maras, the salt mines. This site is a Unesco World Heritage site and they are certainly amazing to visit.

Here driving yourself will easily save you $40-50 per person! It’s the perfect destination to get some amazing photos and learn a bit about salt production in the Sacred Valley. If you want a souvenir, you can purchase salt, a great gift!.

After visiting the mines head to one of the many Incan archeological locations in the Sacred Valley. Moray is the closest and probably the most interesting of the sites. Do your research to find which ancient Inca ruins site is best for you. Here there are some locals selling water, popsicles, and snacks. Grab a quick bite for lunch.

If you’re up for a little adventure, head to Sam’s Zipline for an epic view and heart-stopping ride. But if that’s not for you, you can spend your afternoon walking the quaint streets of Urubamba nearby.

Alternative Day Option: If you prefer to spend your day hiking you can take a day trip to Rainbow Mountain. Tours are pretty inexpensive and it is an all-day activity. I haven't personally done it but many of my friends said they wish they were in better shape or had waited until they acclimated more to the altitude. 

Peru Itinerary Day 6: Getting to Machu Picchu

Though you can hire a private guide or join a group tour to visit Machu Picchu, I really recommend visiting on your own. You’ll save hundreds of dollars per person, can go at your own pace, and take advantage of a personalized experience, and timeline that works for you.

>> To get step-by-step instructions for this day, see my guide to visiting Machu Picchu on your own. This will give you all the details you need to have a successful visit, including buying your tickets, and which route to choose.

But in summary, you’ll need to get to Ollantaytambo to take the train to Aguas Calientes. From there you’ll take a bus up the mountain to arrive at the entrance to Machu Picchu, the heart of the Inca Empire. It’s super rewarding and I can’t recommend visiting enough. 

If you’d rather hike the Inca Trail there are two ways to do it,  you can go with a guided tour on the full trek or the train will stop once for the day hike option. 

Peru Itinerary Day 7: Leaving the Sacred Valley and heading home

Depending on where you’re staying in the Sacred Valley, it will likely take a few hours to get your rental car back to Cusco. Luckily, most of the rental companies are located right across the street from the airport, so it should be a seamless process to get from the rental car drop-off to check in to your flight.

Your Peru itinerary ends at the Cusco airport, where security is really easy. It took us only fifteen minutes or so to get through check-in, immigration and customs, and security. So don’t plan on getting there super early, or you’ll be sitting around for a long time.

From here, you’ll have to book your flight home on a separate reservation but usually these flights are later in the evening. Spend time at one of the many airport lounges in Lima with the help of a travel rewards card, like the Capital One Venture X.

FAQs

More Peru Tips + Inspiration

I hope you enjoyed getting some inspiration for your upcoming trip to Peru! I loved my trip in a country with so much rich history and amazing sites, too. If you need more on Peru be sure to check out the posts below:

• Find some more things to do and restaurants in Cusco with my complete itinerary
• If you’re planning on visiting Machu Picchu I have a complete guide on how to do it on your own
• The Maras Salt Mines are a must for me, be sure to check out my complete guide to visiting