Before you go: altitude, tickets and the route
Three decisions shape this trip more than any single sight. Get them right and the loop below runs like clockwork.
Order the trip for the altitude
Cusco is 3,400 m— don't sleep there on arrival. Fly into Cusco but descend straight to the lower Sacred Valley (~2,800 m) to acclimatize, do Machu Picchu (lower still), and save Cusco for last. Ascend gradually and you'll dodge most altitude sickness.
Book Machu Picchu first — the circuit ticket
The hardest ticket: a timed, circuit-based entry on the official tuboleto.cultura.pe — Circuit 2 has the postcard view. The 2026 daily cap is lower, so it sells out months ahead. Buy the citadel ticket first, then the train and shuttle.
Go in the dry season
Travel May–September for clear Andean skies (May and September the sweet spots); the Inca Trail is closed every February. See our best-time-to-visit-Peru guide. Fly into and out of Lima, with the short Lima–Cusco flight at each end.
Days 1–2 · Lima
Lima: the coast, and the food
Start in Lima — the coastal capital, a sprawling city of colonial grandeur, Pacific cliffs and, above all, some of the best food in the world. Give it two days to eat, explore and rest at sea level before you head up into the Andes.
Getting there
Fly into Lima (Jorge Chávez, LIM) and base in Miraflores or Barranco on the coast (not the further-out historic centre). The onward flight to Cusco is about 1h20. Spend these low-altitude days well — you'll gain 3,400 m tomorrow.
Colonial Lima & the Larco Museum
The UNESCO-listed historic centre — the Plaza Mayor and the bone-lined catacombs beneath the San Francisco monastery — and the Larco Museum's dazzling pre-Columbian gold and ceramics. The city's deep, layered history in a morning.
Miraflores & Barranco
The clifftop Malecón parks above the Pacific in Miraflores, and bohemian Barranco next door — street art, the Bridge of Sighs, and the best bars in the city. Lima's most walkable, seaside side, and a fine place to base yourself.
The food
Lima is a global food capital: ceviche and tiraditos, a pisco sour at sunset, and — if you've planned far ahead — a tasting menu at Central or Maido, among the best restaurants on earth. Even the humblest spots serve extraordinary food.
Use these sea-level days to rest before the altitude. Book Lima's top restaurants (Central, Maido) 6–12 months ahead if they're on your list; the rest of the food scene needs no reservation and is superb. Base in Miraflores or Barranco for the coast and the walkability.
Days 3–5 · the Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley: acclimatize among the Inca ruins
Fly to Cusco, then descend straight into the Sacred Valley of the Incas — a string of Andean villages, terraced ruins and salt pans along the Urubamba, lower than Cusco and perfect for acclimatizing. Three days to adjust, explore, and reach the Machu Picchu train.
Getting there
A ~1h20 flight (Lima → Cusco) lands you at 3,400 m — so head straight down to the Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo or Urubamba, ~2,800 m) to sleep lower and acclimatize; don't linger in Cusco yet. Take the first day slow: coca tea, plenty of water, no alcohol. Ollantaytambo is the train hub for Machu Picchu.
Pisac
The terraced hilltop ruins above the town, and the famous Pisac market of textiles and crafts in the valley below. A gentle first-day outing while your body adjusts to the thin mountain air.
Maras, Moray & Chinchero
The thousands of dazzling white salt pans of Maras cascading down the hillside, the concentric agricultural terraces of Moray (an Inca crop-laboratory), and the weaving village of Chinchero. The valley's most photogenic corners.
Ollantaytambo
The living Inca town of cobbled lanes and water channels, with a mighty terraced fortress rising above it — and the station where the Machu Picchu train departs. Base here for your last night before the citadel.
The Sacred Valley (~2,800 m) is the smart place to acclimatize — lower than Cusco (3,400 m), which is why this itinerary saves Cusco for the end. Take the first day easy, hydrate hard (aim for several litres), skip alcohol, and ask a doctor about altitude tablets before you travel if you're concerned.
Days 6–9 · Machu Picchu & Cusco
Machu Picchu & Cusco: the citadel, then the Inca capital
The train to Machu Picchu, the lost citadel of the Incas — and then up to Cusco, the empire's ancient capital, saved for last now that you're acclimatized. Four days for the wonder, the Inca capital and its ruins.
Getting there
From Ollantaytambo, the train reaches Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) in about 1h20 (PeruRail or Inca Rail; book 1–2 months ahead), then a shuttle bus climbs ~25 minutes to the gate (first buses around 5:30 a.m.). Your timed citadel ticket — bought months ago — sets your circuit and entry hour. Afterward, the train back and up to Cusco (3,400 m).
Machu Picchu
The breathtaking 15th-century Inca citadel on its cloud-forest ridge. Go early on your timed circuit — Circuit 2 for the classic Guardian's House postcard view — walk out to the Sun Gate, and, if you booked the separate ticket, climb Huayna Picchu for the aerial view. The trip's summit in every sense.
Cusco: the Inca capital
The Plaza de Armas, the Qorikancha (the Inca Sun Temple, with a Spanish church built on top), the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuamán above the city, and the artisan quarter of San Blas. Layers of Inca and colonial history in one walkable, high-altitude centre.
An optional high-Andes day
With a spare day, hike Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) or the turquoise Humantay Lake — both stunning high-altitude day trips near Cusco. Rainbow Mountain tops 5,000 m, so only attempt it once you're well acclimatized, late in the trip.
Machu Picchu's entry is strict: arrive for your printed time slot (30-minute grace, no re-entry), stick to your assigned circuit (rangers enforce it), and buy the citadel ticket before the train, not the reverse. Cusco is the highest base, so it's the right place to end — by now you're acclimatized. Save the 5,000 m Rainbow Mountain day for late in the trip.
Getting around
A flight, a train and a shuttle stitch the trip together. Here are the legs and the 2026 options.
| Leg | Options (2026) |
|---|---|
| Lima → Cusco | Fly ~1h20–1h40 (LATAM / Sky; the fast way). Or overland by Peru Hop over several days (arriving acclimatized). Cusco = 3,400 m. |
| Cusco → Sacred Valley | ~1–1.5h by road; base at Ollantaytambo / Urubamba (~2,800 m, lower than Cusco — the place to acclimatize first). |
| Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu | Train Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes ~1h20 (PeruRail / Inca Rail, ~$70–150 each way, book 1–2 months ahead) + Consettur shuttle ~25 min up (~$24 return, first ~5:30 a.m.). No road. |
| Machu Picchu entry | Buy FIRST on tuboleto.cultura.pe: a timed hour + circuit (Circuit 2 = postcard view). 2026 daily cap ~2,500; book 6–9 months ahead for peak. Strict slot, no re-entry. |
| Inca Trail (alternative) | 4-day trek in place of the train — permits 4–6 months ahead (500/day), closed every February. |
| Order, airport & money | Fly into/out of Lima; Lima↔Cusco by air; loop Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu → Cusco (last, highest). Currency is the sol (PEN, S/). |
The other quiet upgrade is context. An Inca terrace or a Machu Picchu stone you understand is one you remember — so before Ollantaytambo or the citadel, it helps to have the story in your ears rather than reading a sign in the thin air.
Plan it with HipiMind
Plan this trip by talking
A trip with flights, a train, a shuttle, a strict timed-ticket wonder and real altitude to manage is exactly where a planner earns its keep. That is what HipiMind is built for. It is a voice-first AI travel assistant: describe your trip out loud — “ten days in Peru in May, Lima, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu” — and it turns the conversation into a day-by-day itinerary with every stop and travel leg placed on a map. Because it maps the whole loop, it can order the days to acclimatize you safely (Sacred Valley before Cusco), remind you to book the citadel ticket before the train, slot in Machu Picchu on a timed circuit, and time the trip to the dry season — and fix the plan before you book.
For each place, ask HipiMind to generate a long-form audio guide — the rise of the Inca empire, the making of Machu Picchu, the conquest of Cusco — and listen hands-free as you go. It is interruptible: pause to ask a question, get an answer, and resume where you left off. It plans and narrates in the language you speak, across 32 languages, right in the browser — no app to install.
The free tier includes 3 voice sessions and 1 audio guide per calendar month. HipiMind Plus is $7.99/month ($59/year) with 60 voice sessions, 20 audio guides, and full trip memory across journeys. HipiMind plans and narrates — it does not book flights, trains, permits, hotels, or tickets, and it is not a GPS-triggered on-site tour; confirm times, fares, and reservations with the provider.
Peru itinerary FAQ
How many days do I need for Peru (Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu)?
About ten days is the sweet spot for this classic loop — roughly two days in Lima, three in the Sacred Valley (acclimatizing), and four for Machu Picchu and Cusco. That's enough to adjust to the altitude gradually, see the Inca ruins of the valley, reach Machu Picchu, and explore Cusco without rushing. Seven days is possible but tight (and gives your body less time to acclimatize); with two weeks you could add Lake Titicaca, Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, a stint in the Amazon, or the Rainbow Mountain day. For a first visit, ten days is the classic answer.
How do I deal with the altitude in Cusco and the Andes?
Take it seriously and let it shape your route. Cusco sits at 3,400 m (11,150 ft), high enough that many visitors feel altitude sickness if they arrive and stay put. The proven approach — and the reason this itinerary is ordered the way it is — is to fly into Cusco but head straight down to the lower Sacred Valley (around 2,800 m) to sleep and acclimatize for the first couple of nights, then visit Machu Picchu (lower still), and only base in Cusco (the highest point) at the end. Beyond that: take the first day easy, drink several litres of water a day, avoid alcohol on arrival, eat light, try coca tea (a local remedy), and ask a doctor about altitude medication before you travel.
How do I get to Machu Picchu from Cusco or the Sacred Valley?
There's no road to Machu Picchu, so it's a train-plus-shuttle affair. From the Sacred Valley, take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (also called Machu Picchu Pueblo), about 1h20 on PeruRail or Inca Rail (book one to two months ahead; roughly $70–150 each way). From Aguas Calientes, a shuttle bus climbs about 25 minutes up the mountain to the citadel gate, with the first departures around 5:30 a.m. Crucially, your train ticket does not include entry to the citadel — buy the timed Machu Picchu ticket separately and first, then back-time the train and the shuttle so you arrive with time to spare before your entry slot. Alternatively, hike in via the multi-day Inca Trail.
How do I book Machu Picchu tickets, and which circuit should I choose?
Buy your entry on the official platform, tuboleto.cultura.pe (the Ministry of Culture's site), as soon as your dates are fixed — it releases about six months ahead and, with the daily visitor cap reduced for 2026, sells out months in advance for peak dates. Entry is by a timed hour and a set circuit that rangers enforce: Circuit 2 (routes 2A/2B) is the one with the classic Guardian's House postcard view, and it's the first to sell out, so book the named circuit, not just 'a Machu Picchu ticket.' Your slot allows a 30-minute grace window and no re-entry, and the popular Huayna Picchu climb is a separate, limited add-on. Book the citadel ticket before the train.
What's the best order for the trip?
Lima → the Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu → Cusco, which is dictated by the altitude as much as the geography. You arrive at sea level in Lima, fly up to Cusco but descend immediately to the lower Sacred Valley to acclimatize, drop lower again for Machu Picchu, and only settle into high Cusco at the end, once your body has adjusted — a gradual ascent that greatly reduces altitude sickness. Fly into and out of Lima, with the short Lima–Cusco flight at each end of the Andean portion. Reversing it (Cusco first) is the common mistake that leaves people ill on day two.
When is the best time to do this trip?
The Andean dry season, May to September, is the best window — clear skies over Machu Picchu, stable trails and reliable train service — with May and September the sweet spots (dry but fewer crowds and lower prices than the June–August peak). Avoid February, when it's the wettest month in the Andes and the classic Inca Trail is closed for maintenance. June brings Inti Raymi (24 June), Cusco's spectacular Festival of the Sun, but book everything far ahead as prices spike. Whatever the season, reserve Machu Picchu entry, the train, and any Inca Trail permits months in advance. Our best-time-to-visit-Peru guide has the full seasonal picture.
How can HipiMind help me plan a Peru trip?
A trip with flights, a train, a shuttle, a strict timed-ticket wonder and real altitude to manage is exactly where an AI planner earns its keep. HipiMind is a voice-first AI travel assistant: describe your trip out loud — 'ten days in Peru in May, Lima, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu' — and it turns the conversation into a day-by-day itinerary with every stop and travel leg placed on a map. Because it maps the whole loop, it can order the days to acclimatize you safely (Sacred Valley before Cusco), remind you to book the citadel ticket before the train, slot in Machu Picchu on a timed circuit, and time the trip to the dry season — and fix the plan before you book. It can also generate long-form audio guides for Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. It plans and narrates but does not book flights, trains, tickets or permits, so make those reservations yourself, early.
Sources
Transport options, ticket rules and the itinerary structure in this guide were grounded in the following official and authoritative sources (checked August 2026). Fares, the Machu Picchu ticket rules and train schedules change — verify before you travel.