8 Days in Peru

Arrive at Jorge Chávez Airport (LIM). Taxi to Miraflores ($20). Check into Hotel B (4★, $200/night) — a Belle Époque mansion turned artsy boutique hotel in Barranco.

Walk the Malecón — Lima's 10km cliff-top park along the Pacific. Paragliders sailing off the cliffs, sunset over the ocean, and the "Love Park" (Parque del Amor) with Gaudí-esque mosaics.

Pisco sour at Ayahuasca Bar ($8/drink) — a stunning Barranco mansion-turned-bar. The perfect introduction to Peru's national cocktail.

Dinner at Maido ($70/tasting menu) — consistently ranked in the world's top 10 restaurants. Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cuisine that will change how you think about food.

Flight from Lima to Cusco (1 hr 20 min, $80-150). Altitude: Cusco is at 3,400m (11,150 ft) — take it slow!

Check into Palacio del Inka (5★, $250/night) — a 500-year-old mansion with Inca walls in the lobby. Rest and acclimate.

Gentle walk around Plaza de Armas — Cusco's magnificent main square. The Cusco Cathedral ($8) and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús are stunning examples of Spanish colonial architecture built on Inca foundations.

San Pedro Market (free) — Cusco's central market. Browse the fresh juice stalls, Andean textiles, and the "witch doctor" section with traditional remedies. Try a fresh-squeezed juice ($1).

Light dinner at Morena ($20/person) — modern Peruvian in a courtyard. The alpaca steak is a must-try (lean, tender, sustainable). Early to bed.

Full-day Sacred Valley tour ($45/person guided). First stop: Pisac market and ruins. The market (best on Sundays) has the best textile shopping in Peru. Buy alpaca sweaters and colorful tapestries.

Pisac Ruins (included in Boleto Turístico, $45 for 10-day pass) — Inca terraces carved into the mountainside high above the valley. The Intihuatana (sun temple) and the largest Inca cemetery discovered.

Lunch at Tunupa ($25/person buffet) — riverfront restaurant in Urubamba with a spectacular buffet of Peruvian dishes. The outdoor terrace has gardens and river views.

Ollantaytambo — the "Living Inca City" with original Inca streets and water channels still in use. Climb the fortress temple: 200+ terraced steps to the Sun Temple, with massive stone blocks that were somehow transported from a quarry 6km away.

Visit a chinchilla and alpaca farm. Feed the llamas and learn about traditional Andean weaving techniques.

Dinner at Chicha ($25/person) — Gastón Acurio's Cusco restaurant celebrating regional Peruvian cuisine. The cuy (guinea pig) is for the adventurous.

Early train from Ollantaytambo or Poroy to Aguas Calientes (1.5-2 hrs, $70-140 round-trip on PeruRail Expedition or the panoramic Vistadome).

Bus from Aguas Calientes up the mountain (25 min, $24 round-trip). The switchback road climbs 400m through cloud forest.

Machu Picchu (entry $55/person, pre-booked). Enter at the Sun Gate or through the main gate. Hire a guide ($30/person, 2 hrs) — essential for understanding the history, astronomy, and architecture.

Explore independently. The classic photo from the Guardhouse (where all the postcards are taken), the Sun Temple, the Room of Three Windows, and the Intihuatana stone (sun dial).

Lunch at Indio Feliz ($20/person) in Aguas Calientes — Franco-Peruvian restaurant in a quirky garden setting. The trout ceviche is excellent.

Optional: climb Huayna Picchu (the peak behind Machu Picchu in all the photos, $15 extra, 1.5 hrs round-trip — very steep with sections of stairs open to the void). Must be pre-booked.

Return train to Cusco. Arrive back in the evening, exhausted and euphoric.

Late dinner at LIMO ($35/person) — pisco bar and restaurant on the Plaza de Armas with a balcony overlooking the square.

Qorikancha (Santo Domingo, $8/person) — the Inca's most important temple, covered in gold before the Spanish. The Spanish built a convent on top of the Inca foundations, and the contrast is striking.

Saqsayhuamán ruins (included in Boleto Turístico) — massive Inca stone walls with blocks weighing up to 200 tons, fitted without mortar. The zigzag walls represent a puma's teeth (Cusco is shaped like a puma).

Lunch at Cicciolina ($25/person) — Mediterranean-Peruvian in a colonial courtyard. The tapas bar in the front is great for a lighter lunch.

ChocoMuseo (free) — learn about Peruvian chocolate making. The 2-hour workshop ($25/person) lets you make your own chocolate from beans.

San Blas neighborhood — Cusco's artisan quarter. Narrow cobblestone alleys, galleries, and the best views of the city from the plaza. Shop for silver jewelry and original art.

Dinner at Pachacútec ($35/person) — restaurant run by graduating students of a culinary school for underprivileged youth. Excellent food and a great cause.

Early pickup (yes, 3:30 AM). Drive 3 hours to the trailhead (4,300m / 14,100 ft). Breakfast en route. The early start is brutal but essential — you beat the crowds and the afternoon clouds.

Begin hike to Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain, 5,200m / 17,060 ft). 5 km hike with 900m elevation gain. Take it VERY slowly — the altitude is extreme. Horses available for hire ($20) for those struggling.

Summit: the famous rainbow-colored mountain — stripes of turquoise, gold, maroon, and lavender created by mineral deposits over millions of years. The photos are surreal. Expect some crowds at the summit but the surrounding views are vast and empty.

Descend (much faster — 1 hr down). The return walk offers views of Ausangate, the sacred mountain of Cusco.

Picnic lunch provided by the tour. Drive back to Cusco (3 hrs). Collapse at hotel.

Recovery dinner at Kion ($20/person) — Chinese-Peruvian (chifa) comfort food. The lomo saltado with fried rice is perfect after a day at altitude.

Sleep in after yesterday's adventure. Then half-day tour to Maras and Moray ($25/person).

Moray — mysterious concentric circular terraces that the Incas used as an agricultural laboratory. Each level has a different microclimate; the temperature difference between the top and bottom is 15°C!

Maras Salt Mines ($3/person) — over 3,000 salt terraces cascading down a mountainside. These pinkish salt pools have been harvested since Inca times. The contrast of white salt, green valley, and blue sky is stunning.

Lunch at a countryside restaurant near Maras. Fresh trout from the mountain streams ($12/person).

Return to Cusco. Free afternoon: explore artisan markets, try coca-infused chocolates, or simply rest on a Plaza de Armas bench watching Andean life unfold.

Farewell dinner at Casa Qorikancha ($40/person) — an elegant restaurant in a restored colonial mansion with views of the Qorikancha temple. The tasting menu pairs Andean ingredients with international technique.

Last visit to San Pedro Market for souvenirs: Andean textiles, alpaca scarves, and bags of coca leaves for altitude tea. Get a final fresh juice from the market ladies.

Flight from Cusco to Lima (1 hr 20 min). Connection to international flights from LIM. Allow 2.5+ hours for international check-in at Lima.