Inca stonework in the high Andes, Machu Picchu at dawn and Amazon rainforest, all within a short flight of Cusco.
Peru is the Andes first. Cusco, the old Inca capital, sits at 3,400 metres, and Machu Picchu lower down at 2,430 metres on a ridge above cloud forest. Around them run the terraces, markets and hacienda hotels of the Sacred Valley.
It suits travellers who like walking and history, and families with teenagers. We plan it in order: fly to Cusco and head straight down to the valley to sleep lower, then return to Cusco once you have adjusted.
The honest caveat is altitude. Almost everyone feels breathless for the first day or two, and a rushed plan costs you good days. Machu Picchu tickets are timed and sell out in the dry season, so book early.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Sleep the night before in Aguas Calientes, below the site, and take the first buses up the switchback road. Entry is by timed ticket on a set circuit, so we choose the circuit around what you want to see. A private guide makes sense of the stonework and keeps you moving ahead of the groups.
The four-day trail from Km 82 climbs over Dead Woman's Pass and ends at the Sun Gate above Machu Picchu. Permits are limited and go months ahead, and the trail closes every February for maintenance. If permits have gone, the one-day trail from Km 104 still arrives through the Sun Gate.
The valley between Pisac and Ollantaytambo is lower and warmer than Cusco, which makes it the right place to start. Walk the salt pans at Maras and the circular terraces of Moray, visit Pisac market, and stay in a hacienda with gardens. Ollantaytambo is also where the train leaves for Machu Picchu.
Cusco rewards slow mornings: the Qorikancha, where a church sits on Inca walls, the lanes of San Blas and the fortress of Sacsayhuamán above the city. Allow two full days and walk gently.
A short flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, then a boat upriver, takes you to lodges on the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers. Guides lead dawn walks, canopy towers and night boat trips for caiman. Three nights is right. Expect rain from December to March; the forest is at its most active then.
Most trips begin in Lima, and it is worth a night for the food alone: ceviche at lunch in Miraflores, a tasting menu in the evening and a clifftop walk in Barranco. Book the best-known tables early.
Split the Andes between the Sacred Valley and Cusco. The valley suits space, gardens and the first nights at a gentler altitude; Cusco suits walking to dinner. A night in Aguas Calientes buys the early start at Machu Picchu. In the Amazon, choose a lodge by how far upriver it sits.
We match each trip in Peru to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsSample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Two nights eating well in Lima, three in the Sacred Valley to get used to the altitude gently, a night at the foot of Machu Picchu so you can visit twice, and three in Cusco to finish. A private guide throughout.
The Andes have two seasons. From May to September the skies are dry and clear, days are warm in the sun and nights near freezing. That is also when Machu Picchu is busiest, so the early timed tickets matter most.
The rains run roughly from December to March, heaviest in January and February, when the Inca Trail closes. Lima works the other way: grey through the southern winter, sunny from December. April, May, September and October strike the balance.
Lima for food, the Sacred Valley to adjust to altitude, Machu Picchu at opening time, Cusco on foot and three nights in the Tambopata rainforest. 11 nights.
Land in the evening and transfer to a hotel in Miraflores. Dinner nearby, then an early night before the flight to Cusco.
Fly to Cusco and drive straight down to the valley to sleep lower. Pisac market, the Maras salt pans and Moray at an easy pace.
Take the train from Ollantaytambo along the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes. An afternoon visit to the citadel, then back up at dawn the next day.
A second early visit to Machu Picchu, then the train and road to Cusco. Two full days for the Qorikancha, San Blas and Sacsayhuamán, with long lunches.
Fly to Puerto Maldonado and take a boat upriver to the lodge. Canopy walks, clay licks and caiman spotting at night with a naturalist guide.
Boat and flight back to Lima to connect with your overnight flight to London via Amsterdam or Madrid.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Peru (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from London. The quickest routes go via Amsterdam or Madrid to Lima, about 15 hours in total. Lima to Cusco is then about an hour and a half.
UK passport holders can currently visit Peru for tourism without a visa. Rules change, so read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Peru (opens in a new tab)
Altitude sickness is a real risk in Cusco and around Lake Titicaca, so build in lower nights first and take the first day slowly. The Andean sun is strong. Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page before you travel.
The currency is the sol. Cards work in hotels and good restaurants; carry small notes for markets and tips. Use ATMs inside banks or shops in daylight, as the FCDO advises.
Signal is reliable in Aguas Calientes and at Machu Picchu itself, but patchy or absent on the Inca Trail. Amazon lodges usually offer limited Wi-Fi in the main building only.
Add around 10% in restaurants if service is not already on the bill, and check it is not the sales tax line. Trek porters, guides and drivers are tipped in cash; we give suggested amounts before you travel.
Cusco sits at 3,400 metres, and most people feel breathless, tired or headachy for the first day or two. We plan around it by flying to Cusco and driving straight down to the Sacred Valley, which is lower, before returning to the city. Walk slowly, drink water and speak to your GP beforehand if you have heart or lung conditions.
The four-day trail is a proper trek with long climbs and camping, and permits sell out months ahead. The one-day trail from Km 104 still arrives through the Sun Gate, and the train from Ollantaytambo is a comfortable ride along the Urubamba gorge.
For the Andes and Machu Picchu, May to September is dry and clear, with June to August the busiest. April, May, September and October give dry-season weather with fewer people. December to March is the rainy season in the mountains, but it is summer in Lima and the landscapes are at their greenest.
It works well for active children from about 10, and especially for teenagers. The Sacred Valley has space and easy walks, and the Amazon lodges are a highlight. Younger children feel altitude too, so we keep the first days lower and gentle.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: May and September.
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