Honestly, trying to fit Peru into seven days is a bit of a mad scramble. Most people land in Lima and immediately feel this frantic pressure to be everywhere at once. You want the Amazon, the Andes, the desert oases, and obviously, you want to stand on that one specific ridge at Machu Picchu for the photo. But here is the thing: Peru is massive. The geography is vertical. If you don’t plan your one week in Peru itinerary with some serious respect for the altitude and the logistics, you’ll spend half your trip staring at the back of a bus seat or nursing a headache in a hotel room.
I’ve seen travelers try to do Lima, Cusco, Puno, and Arequipa in a week. It’s a mistake. You end up exhausted. You see everything and experience nothing.
To actually enjoy this, you have to make a choice. Usually, that choice is the "Gringo Trail" light version, focusing heavily on the Sacred Valley. This is where the heart of the Inca Empire beat, and frankly, it’s where the best food is anyway. Let’s talk about how to actually structure these seven days so you come home feeling inspired rather than depleted.
The Arrival: Lima is more than just a layover
Most international flights dump you into Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in the middle of the night. It’s foggy. It’s loud. Your instinct might be to hop a connecting flight to Cusco immediately. Don't.
Give Lima twenty-four hours. Why? Because the food scene in Lima isn't just "good"—it’s arguably the best in the world right now. We are talking about places like Central (Virgilio Martínez’s masterpiece) or Maido. If you can't snag a reservation months in advance, just wander around Miraflores or Barranco. Grab some ceviche at a local spot. The acidity of the lime and the heat of the rocoto pepper will wake your brain up better than any coffee.
Barranco is the vibe you want. It’s the bohemian district. It has these crumbling colonial mansions and street art that actually says something. Walk across the Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs). Legend says if you hold your breath the first time you cross, your wish comes true. I usually just wish for more picarones—those pumpkin and sweet potato doughnuts drenched in chancaca syrup.
Getting to the Andes: The altitude trap
On day two, you fly to Cusco. This is where your one week in Peru itinerary gets tricky. Cusco sits at about 11,150 feet (3,400 meters). If you fly in from sea level and start hiking, your body will rebel.
Pro tip: Drop down immediately
Instead of staying in Cusco the first night, take a car straight into the Sacred Valley. Places like Pisac or Ollantaytambo are lower in elevation (around 9,000 feet). That 2,000-foot difference is the margin between feeling slightly winded and feeling like an elephant is sitting on your chest.
Ollantaytambo is special. It’s a "living Inca city." The street plan is the same as it was in the 15th century. Water still flows through the original stone channels alongside the cobblestones. Stay at a small guesthouse here. Listen to the water. Drink the coca tea—it really does help with the vasodilation, even if it tastes like hot grass.
The Sacred Valley: Ruins and real life
Spend day three and four exploring the valley. Everyone goes to the Pisac ruins, and they should. The agricultural terraces there are mind-blowing. They look like giant green stairs carved into the mountain. But don't just look at the stones. Hit the market in the town below. Yeah, it’s touristy, but the back sections where the locals buy their produce are fascinating. You’ll see fifty types of potatoes you didn’t know existed.
The Moray circles and Maras salt mines
You’ve probably seen photos of the white salt pans of Maras. They’ve been harvested since before the Incas even showed up. Thousands of small square ponds terraced down a hillside. It’s blindingly white against the red earth.
Nearby is Moray. These are concentric circular terraces. Archaeologists think it was an agricultural laboratory. Each level has a different microclimate. The temperature difference between the top and bottom can be as much as 15 degrees Celsius. The Incas were basically bio-hacking their crops five hundred years ago. It’s genius.
The Big One: Machu Picchu
By day five, you’re acclimated. You’re ready. To get to Machu Picchu, you take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The train ride is stunning—the Urubamba River churning on one side and granite peaks rising on the other.
Aguas Calientes is... well, it’s a tourist trap. It exists solely to serve the ruins. Don't spend more time here than you have to. Take the bus up to the citadel early. And I mean early. The first buses leave at 5:30 AM.
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Navigating the new rules
The Peruvian Ministry of Culture has gotten really strict about circuits. You can't just wander aimlessly anymore. You buy a ticket for a specific path (Circuit 1, 2, 3, or 4).
- Circuit 2 is the classic one. It gives you that "postcard" view from the Guardhouse.
- Wayna Picchu is the steep mountain hike behind the ruins. It’s terrifying if you hate heights, but the view is unparalleled. You need to book this months in advance.
When you stand there, look at the stonework. No mortar. The stones are so tightly fitted you can’t slide a credit card between them. During earthquakes, the stones "dance"—they shake and then fall back into place. That’s why the Inca structures are still standing while the Spanish colonial buildings often crumbled.
Returning to Cusco: The Imperial City
Day six and seven should be for Cusco itself. Now that you’re used to the air, the hills won't kill you. San Blas is the neighborhood you want. It’s steep, narrow, and full of artisans.
Check out the Qorikancha (The Temple of the Sun). It was once the richest temple in the Inca Empire, its walls literally covered in sheets of gold. When the Spanish arrived, they built the Convent of Santo Domingo right on top of it. You can see the Inca masonry forming the foundation for the Spanish arches. It’s a blunt, visual metaphor for the history of Peru.
Eat at the San Pedro Market for lunch. It’s chaotic. You’ll see pig heads, mountains of cheese, and ladies blending "special" juices with maca root. Grab a plate of Lomo Saltado—beef stir-fry with onions, tomatoes, and French fries. It’s the ultimate Peruvian comfort food, a perfect blend of Chinese influence and Andean ingredients.
Common misconceptions about Peru travel
People think they can "do" the Inca Trail in a week. You can't. The classic 4-day trek requires four full days of hiking, plus acclimation time before and rest time after. If you only have seven days, stick to the train. You aren't "cheating." You're being realistic.
Another myth? That you’ll get sick if you eat anything on the street. Use your head. If a stall has a long line of locals and the food is piping hot, it’s usually fine. Avoid the salads if you’re worried about the water, but don't miss out on anticuchos (grilled beef heart) just because you’re scared. They’re delicious.
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Logistics: Making it happen
- Transport: Use LATAM for domestic flights. They are the most reliable. Avoid the budget carriers if you have a tight connection; cancellations are common.
- Money: Carry soles. Many small shops in the Sacred Valley don't take cards.
- Connectivity: Buy a local SIM card (Claro or Entel) at the airport or in Miraflores. Wi-Fi in the mountains is spotty at best.
- Booking: Machu Picchu tickets and trains sell out. This is not a trip you can "wing" entirely. If you show up in Cusco in July expecting to get a train ticket for the next day, you’re going to be disappointed.
What most people get wrong
The biggest mistake in a one week in Peru itinerary is over-scheduling. The mountains have a way of slowing you down. A landslide might block a road. A strike might stop the trains (it happens). Build in a "buffer" afternoon. Sit in the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. Watch the parade. There is almost always a parade.
Peru isn't just a list of ruins to check off. It’s the smell of eucalyptus fires in the morning. It’s the weight of a heavy alpaca wool sweater. It’s the way the light hits the peaks at sunset, turning them a bruised purple.
Your Actionable Checklist
- Book Machu Picchu tickets at least 3-4 months out via the official government website.
- Reserve your train (PeruRail or Inca Rail) immediately after securing your ruins entry.
- Pack layers. The sun is brutal during the day, but the temperature drops to near freezing the second it sets.
- Get a prescription for Acetazolamide (Diamox) if you are prone to altitude sickness, but talk to your doctor first.
- Download offline maps for Cusco and the Sacred Valley on Google Maps.
Stop planning and start doing. The Andes are waiting, and they don't care about your spreadsheet. Just get there, breathe the thin air, and let the place change you. It will.