Quick answer: 10-day Peru itinerary. Best months: May-September (dry season). June-August peak season. Avoid February (Inca Trail closure + heaviest rains).. Total cost: US$2200-3500 mid-range / US$6000+ luxury per person. Includes Machu Picchu, internal flights, hotels..
Ten days lets you do Peru’s classic gold standard — Lima for food, Cusco + Sacred Valley for acclimatization, then Machu Picchu. This itinerary balances altitude-friendly pacing with cultural depth. Built across 2 personal Peru trips.
Day-by-day breakdown
Day 1
Arrive Lima. Stay in Miraflores or Barranco. Acclimate at sea level. Dinner at Maido or Central if you booked 1+ year ahead.
Day 2
Lima food day: Pisco sour at Bar Inglés. Lunch ceviche at La Mar. Afternoon: Centro Historic. Evening: street food crawl in Mercado de Surquillo.
Day 3
Fly Lima → Cusco (1h20m). Arrive 3,400m altitude. Easy day acclimating. Sleep early.
Day 4
Sacred Valley descent (lower altitude helps acclimatize). Visit Pisac ruins + Ollantaytambo. Stay overnight in valley.
Day 5
Sacred Valley morning. Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town) by train (90 min).
Day 6
Machu Picchu sunrise (first bus 5:30am). 4-hour visit + Huayna Picchu hike if booked 6+ months ahead. Train back to Cusco evening.
Day 7
Cusco city tour: Plaza de Armas + Qoricancha + San Pedro Market. Coca tea breakfast. Afternoon: San Blas artisan district.
Day 8
Day trip from Cusco: Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) full-day or Salt Mines + Moray (closer, easier on altitude).
Day 9
Fly Cusco → Lima → home or extension. Final lunch at Astrid y Gastón if open.
Day 10
Departure from Lima. Or add Lake Titicaca / Colca Canyon for +3 days each.
What to book ahead
- Machu Picchu: Tickets release 6 months ahead. Sell out for peak dates. Buy via boletomachupicchu.com or official ticketmachupicchu.gob.pe.
- Train to Aguas Calientes: PeruRail Vistadome or Inca Rail 360. Book 1-2 months ahead. ~US$80-150 each way.
- Lima top restaurants: Central, Maido, Astrid y Gastón all book 6-12 months ahead. Less famous spots (Isolina, La Picantería) book 1-2 weeks.
- Inca Trail (alternative to train): 4-day trek requires permits 4-6 months ahead. Limited to 500 people/day.
A local insider tip
Skip the over-touristed Sun Gate (Inti Punku) at Machu Picchu and instead hike up to Huayna Picchu (book the 7am or 10am slot 6+ months ahead). The view from Huayna Picchu is the iconic ‘over Machu Picchu’ shot. Sun Gate is from the Inca Trail — but tourists swarm it in early morning.
Best time for this trip
May-September (dry season). June-August peak season. Avoid February (Inca Trail closure + heaviest rains).
The Routing Mistake That Wrecks Day Two
The most common Peru itinerary error is sleeping in Cusco the night you land. Cusco sits at 3,399m, while the Sacred Valley towns sit roughly 500-600m lower: Ollantaytambo at 2,850m, Urubamba at 2,870m. Flying Lima to Cusco drops you straight into the worst of the altitude during the first 24-48 hours, which is exactly when most people lose a day to headaches and nausea. Smart routing transfers you from the Cusco airport directly to Ollantaytambo, sleeps there one to two nights, then returns you to Cusco partially acclimatized.
The second trap is the ticket itself. Machu Picchu now runs a circuit system policed by park rangers, and the classic Guardian’s House postcard view is on Circuit 2 (routes 2A and 2B) only. Buy the wrong circuit and you physically cannot reach that viewpoint; rangers can remove you for leaving your assigned route. Circuit 2 routinely sells out months ahead, so it has been gone through late September 2026 at times. Book the named circuit, not just “a Machu Picchu ticket,” and remember entry is tied to your printed time slot with only a 30-minute grace window and no re-entry.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Peru?
Yes for Lima + Cusco + Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu. 14 days adds Lake Titicaca or Colca Canyon. 21 days for full country.
How much does 10 days in Peru cost?
Backpacker: US$900-1300. Mid-range: US$2200-3500. Luxury: US$6000+ (premium Belmond Hiram Bingham train).
Will I get altitude sickness in Cusco?
Many do. Spend Day 1 doing very little, drink coca tea, eat light. Going to Sacred Valley (2,800m) Day 2 helps acclimatize before Cusco’s 3,400m.
Best time for Machu Picchu?
May-September dry season. June-August peak. Sunrise is best photography. Book 4-6 months ahead.
Is Peru safe?
Touristed routes (Cusco-Sacred Valley-Machu Picchu) very safe. Lima Centro and certain neighborhoods (Miraflores, Barranco) safe; avoid sketchy areas at night.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.