7 Days in Peru: A Trip to Remember

This past April, I spent an incredible 7 days exploring Peru, and if it’s on your bucket list, I’m excited to share my experience, along with a few tips to help you plan your own adventure!

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

My boyfriend and I flew from LAX to Lima with LATAM Airlines—a direct 8-hour flight. The airline offered two surprisingly decent meals, and we arrived in Lima late Saturday night. After a 40-minute Uber ride, we checked into our hotel in Miraflores. While the hotel was great and I'd recommend it, next time I’d stay closer to the ocean—where the views, food, and atmosphere are even better.

Views from the Hotel Rooftop at Fairfield Lima Miraflores

Day 2: Exploring Lima

Our first full day in Lima was packed! We Ubered about 35 minutes to the historic Plaza Mayor (Main Square), where you'll find the Government Palace and the Cathedral of Lima. We happened to visit on Palm Sunday, so many places were closed, but it was still beautiful and there was a large outdoor mass.

From there, we headed to Parque de la Felicidad in San Borja before lunch. This park was one of my favorite parts of the day—lush, green, and filled with people jogging, rollerblading, playing pickleball, and enjoying life. The surrounding neighborhood felt very safe and welcoming.

We had lunch at Panchita, a well-known Peruvian restaurant, and it didn’t disappoint. Afterward, we walked along the Malecón de Miraflores, a scenic clifftop path with ocean views, gardens, and cozy cafés. We followed it into Barranco, Lima’s artsy, bohemian district, and spent time shopping at the Larcomar outdoor mall before ending our day with tacos and drinks on our hotel’s rooftop bar.

All pictures included in this blog are placed in the order they were taken and mentioned! Use the arrow on the right to scroll for more pictures.

Day 3: Food Tour + Flight to Cusco

On our second day, we booked a food tour in Barranco through GetYourGuide. It was one of the highlights of the trip. Our guide took our group of 10 English-speaking tourists to six different stops, where we sampled an amazing variety of Peruvian food: exotic fruits, chocolate, empanadas, ceviche, Peruvian coffee, lomo saltado, alpaca heart, pisco sours, gelato, and more.

That evening, we flew to Cusco. The domestic terminal in Lima was chaotic and small. The flight to Cusco was 1.5 hours.

Pictures from each stop on the food tour.

Day 4: Adjusting to Cusco’s Altitude

Cusco sits at 11,000 feet, and we definitely felt it—headaches and shortness of breath hit us hard the first morning. We kept things light and walked to Plaza de Armas, Cusco’s vibrant central square full of shops, restaurants, and energy. We had a great lunch at Morena and stumbled upon Limbus Restrobar with amazing views of Cusco where we enjoyed a Pisco Sour.

Days 5–6: The Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

We booked a 2-day short Inca Trail hike with Evolution Treks, a company known for its ethical treatment of porters. Even though our trek didn’t require porters, we chose them because of their values.

At 4:40 a.m., a bus picked us up and drove us into the Sacred Valley. The final stretch to Ollantaytambo, where the train picks you up, was a bit scary—narrow mountain roads with signs of recent landslides. From there, we boarded a train for about an hour before getting dropped off at KM 104, where the hike began.

It was just the two of us and our guide, César, which made the experience even more personal. The hike started off with a flat path for the first mile but we were quickly hit with with a 2,200+ foot climb for the next 1.5-2 miles. This was the toughest part—but short breaks helped me power through.

After reaching the top, we stopped for lunch near an Incan ruin called Wiñay Wayna before continuing a more gradual hike. After 7 miles and about 5 hours, we reached the Sun Gate where we got our first look at Machu Picchu. The sun was shining and it was breathtaking. We got lucky with the weather because apparently the previous days were pouring rain. We then kept walking toward Machu Picchu and got to explore the upper terraces and enjoy the view. After this we took a bus down to Aguas Calientes for dinner and an overnight stay which were both included in our hiking package.

The next morning, we took the 8 a.m. bus back up to Machu Picchu. This day had a different vibe due to the rain and the fact we were taking a bus up. This meant crowds, ponchos, and long lines. After exploring the lower ruins for a few hours, we made the long journey back to Cusco: 2 hours by train then 2 hours by car and I was pretty carsick by the time we returned to Cusco due to the rush hour traffic.

Our tour guide was fantastic—he walked us through everything from Incan history and architectural details to native plants. In Peru, tour guides attend university for certification, so the level of knowledge is impressive. We paid $550 per person for the two-day hike, which included all logistics: round-trip transportation from Cusco, entrance fees, permits, all meals, an overnight hotel stay, and expert guidance throughout. It was a seamless, well-organized experience that made the journey even more memorable. The cost was a little higher due to booking with a more ethical company like Evolution Treks!

Day 7: Wrapping Up in Cusco

On our final day, we did a short hike up to Cristo Blanco, a white statue of Christ that offers sweeping views of Cusco. For lunch, we were more than ready for something familiar, so we indulged in Italian food and an aperol spritz. We wrapped up the day with souvenir shopping before heading back to the hotel and getting ready for our flights the next day. It was nice to have the day to unwind and soak in the the city for one last time. The following day we flew from Cusco->Lima->LAX and overall was about a 12-hour travel day. Luckily the flight from Lima to LAX was not full and we had the row to ourselves.

Views from the mini hike and our lunch at Carpe Diem Cuciana Italiana which was yummy!

Trip Insights & Highlights

🇵🇪 Lima

• Consider staying in Miraflores, Barranco, or San Borja—all are safe, vibrant neighborhoods with great access to food, parks, and attractions.

What to Do:

• Take a food tour—Lima is one of the culinary capitals of the world!

• Stroll through Parque de la Felicidad in San Borja.

• Walk or bike along the scenic Malecón in Miraflores and Barranco, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

🏔️ Cusco

• Looking Back:

  • If I could do it again, I would have splurged on a nicer hotel in Cusco—comfort matters more at high altitude!

  • You don’t need too many days here unless you're doing extended hikes or exploring the Sacred Valley in depth. Exploring Rainbow Mountain would have been fun if we had more time!

  Top Recommendations:

  • Hike to Machu Picchu instead of taking the train/bus—it’s a more rewarding and immersive experience.

  • Visit Limbus Restobar (picture on the left) for panoramic views of Cusco.

  • Grab lunch at Morena Peruvian Kitchen—great food right in the main square (pictures on the right).

    
    
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

🧠 Main Takeaways

• Lima exceeded my expectations—super clean, safe, and easy to get around.

• Do NOT rent a car in Peru! Driving is chaotic, and stop signs are more of a suggestion than a rule.

• Uber is cheap and safe—rides require a unique PIN code for each trip for added security.

🚽 Good to Know

• Avoid drinking tap water—use bottled water for drinking and even brushing your teeth.

• Bring toilet paper with you everywhere—even the Cusco airport didn’t have any.

• Peru’s plumbing can’t handle toilet paper (except nicer hotels), so you’ll need to toss it in the trash.

• English is not widely spoken, so brushing up on some Spanish can go a long way.

• Everything was very affordable, from meals to transportation.

💰 Budget Breakdown

• Total spent: $4,700 for two people ($2,350 each), which we thought was very reasonable. We used points to book our Lima hotel and my parents took us to the airport at LAX.

• I have a full breakdown of costs per person if you’re curious!

✉️ Reach Out!

If you're planning a trip to Peru or just starting to think about it, feel free to reach out. I'm happy to share more tips, itinerary advice, or what I'd do differently next time! If you are unsure what to pack, I can help give some insight as well!