I recently hosted my very first group trip to Peru & Bolivia with Inertia Network for 10 full days, with 6 full days in Peru and 4 in Bolivia. Both places have been on my bucket list for years and I was super excited to finally take others with me on an adventure of a lifetime! To be honest, I would have never been able to plan my own trip to either Peru & Bolivia and I’m glad Inertia Network was able to help me plan the perfect itinerary. Here’s the perfect 6 day Peru itinerary on everything you need to see and do!

There are so many things you need to know and prepare for before visiting places like Cusco and Machu Picchu where many people tend to get altitude sickness. To prepare for your trip, check with your doctor for altitude medication. I also stocked up on Advil to help with any mild headache but I did not need them.

DAY 1 – LIMA

WHERE TO STAY

Country Club Lima is a luxury property in the upscale district of San Isidro district.

Staying around Miraflores district is a great option for various hotel options such as the Swissotel Lima.

WHAT TO DO

• Plaza San Martin
• Ceviche apparently evolved from Lima so you cannot leave without trying local ceviche! I highly recommend eating ceviche at La Muralla!
• Catacombs of the Monastery of San Francisco
• Miraflores is a district with beautiful beaches, shopping, parks, and many other tourist attractions

DAY 2 – CUSCO

Take a short flight from Lima to Cusco and explore the city! Most places will need lots of planning, tickets, and transportation so I highly recommend hiring a guide.

TOUR GUIDE: Ask for Juan from Apurimac Adventures!! He is amazing and will make sure your trip is flawless!

WHERE TO STAY

Novotel Hotel is conveniently located near the main square.

WHAT TO DO

• City Tour
• Lunch at La Casona Del Inka for the best view of the city
• Sacsayhuamán is a fortress temple complex with beautiful views of Cusco and plenty of llamas! Tickets are around $70 but definitely hire a tour guide to handle all logistics

La Casona del Inka View

Sacsayhuamán

Cusco

DAY 3 – SACRED VALLEY

The Sacred Valley is a region in Peru’s Andean highlands roughly an hour and a half from Cusco.

WHAT TO DO

• Izcuchaca District to visit the local market
• Moray Inca Ruins is an archaeological site
• Maras Salt Mines has thousands of individual salt pools on a hillside that dates back to the Incan times.

Izcuchaca Market

Moray Inca Ruins

Maras Salt Mines

Photos by: @matthew.erichel & @her.wandering.footsteps

DAY 4 – LARES

Experiencing a local homestay with the local Quechua Tribe and a full day on the Lares Trek. We woke up early and headed out to the village where the local Quechua Tribe greeted us with open arms and a warm welcome. After having a local lunch at the home we embarked on our hike. Due to the altitude, this was a very tough hike for all of us. The hike is roughly 3 miles but it took us more than half the day! We all had an experience of trying a local delicacy in Peru, Guinea Pig! It tasted like Turkey in my opinion but I highly suggest giving it a try when in Peru. The next morning the Quechua Tribe taught us more about their crafts and performed for us. This was truly one of the most local & authentic experiences I’ve ever had and one I will never forget. One thing to note is with this experience is it’s very authentic meaning no showers or central air-conditioning.

If you’re interested in an experience like this, Apurimac Adventures can help.

DAY 5 – LARES & AGUAS CALIENTES

Local train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, a town in the Urubamba River Valley and gateway to Machu Picchu. Purchase train tickets with Peru Rail if planning your own trip without a tour guide. Spend the day exploring the town and staying at a local hotel before heading out to Machu Picchu the next morning.

DAY 6 – MACHU PICCHU

Machu Picchu can be quite stressful if you don’t know what you’re doing! Since we had our tour guide, Juan planned everything for us. All we had to do was wake up at 4 am and line up for the shuttle buses by 4:15 am so we could be one of the first few people in Machu Picchu! Our group did not do the hike and only had entrance tickets for the morning and made it for sunrise!

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Purchase tickets months in advance since there are a limited number of tickets available per day
• Best time to visit is April/May or Sept/Oct
• The shuttle bus operates from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, it takes 35-40 minutes. Our group lined up by 4:15 am to get on the first bus at 5 am
• Huayna Picchu hike, tickets must be purchased in advance. Find out if there is availability here or from your tour guide

After Machu Picchu, our group headed back to Cusco the following day and began our next adventure in Bolivia! Check out my post on the 7 Amazing Places to Visit in Bolivia. I thought 6 days was just scratching the surface of Peru but if you have extra time I highly recommend spending an extra few days in Lima and Cusco. There is so much to see and do and I definitely can’t wait to go back and visit the Rainbow Mountain next!

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