7 Days in Peru: A Best Travel Guide

A guide on things to do in Peru for a short Peru travel in seven days is provided here for those who want to experience the maximum with a short time of seven days along with the list of things to do in Peru. From the challenging adventure sports to different flavored gastronomic to meet your appetite, the guide will cover to make your travel to Peru a memorable one, be a personal trip, a family trip or a business get together.

Lima is the capital of Peru and also the most populated city of Peru, by the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Jorge Chávez International Airport is the nearest airport at 11 kilometers from Lima located at Callao. At the center of Lima is Plaza de Armas and also Miraflores at the city’s peripheries, the main places to visit. There is plenty of parks to relax out and enjoy the gardens or visit the Indian Market for traditional novelties and Alpaca attire as perfect souvenirs. Along the downtown is the 16th-century Cathedral that took 80 years to build in the magnificent style of the Spanish Empire. The Casa Aliaga, which is a majestic castle from the old era that still is held by the same family, was established by chief conquistador Francisco Pizarro for his captain Jerónimo de Aliaga in 1535.

Miraflores is the best place to stay in. It is one of the safest and upscale districts located next to the coast with a large number of hotels. Selina Miraflores, Pariwana Hostel Lima, and The Tierra Viva Miraflores Mendiburu are few of the best hotels. For budget-conscious travelers, a historical Center is a good option though not as safe as Miraflores. Almost all the hotels have the standard upscale features of pools, pubs, great food, barbeques, clubs, golf, and tennis clubs with fancy bars. Just before falling off to sleep, just run through the list of things to do in Peru, from the Peru travel plan so as not to miss out on anything and also to maintain the schedule.

There are regular flights from Lima to Cusco with a typical travel time of one hour and twenty minutes. Plenty of flights are available during the daytime, and the frequency decreases over the day time. Cusco is located at 11,150 feet (3,400 meters) from sea level and makes an interesting place to start the exploration of the Peru travel plan. There is plenty to visit and absorb into the beauty like the Cusco Cathedral at the Plaza de Armas, Qorikancha temple, and Sacsayhuaman. Plaza de Armas is the cultural epicenter of Cusco lined with restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. In the middle is a manicured garden and statue of the great Incan ruler Pachacuti. The cathedral is a mark of the Spanish takeover with a unique Peruvian trace in the reproduction of Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ with a guinea pig appearing on a plate.

Sacsayhuaman is an ancient Inca site and a religious site and also the site where a gory battle between the Spanish conquistadors and Inca forces took place. The planetarium located near Sacsayhuaman offers fabulous sights of the stars from the Cusco’s high elevation is one place not be missed the astronomy has played a huge role in the lives of people thereby influencing crop cycle and religious ceremonies. The San Pedro Market is a sight to be witnessed always bursting with vegetables, fruits and meat stalls where the newest fresh items are sold in the morning. Being an upscale city, it never fails to impress even those looking for a good nightlife with plenty of bars and cafes available. Visiting Cusco with its ancient and contemporary sites with shopping in plenty makes Peru travel one of the first things to do in Peru.

The Sacred Valley of the Incas, also known by the name Urubamba Valley is along the river Urubamba at an elevation of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft.). It is located in the Andes of Peru, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Cusco. Visiting and exploring the Sacred Valley is one of the valuable things to do in Peru during your Peru travel.

The Sacred Valley is a foremost tourist spot owing to its most famous archaeological site. The valley stretches from Pisac to Ollantaytambo used for agriculture due to its fertile soil by many civilizations till finally occupied by Incan Empire and finally the Spanish invaders.

Pisac has an opulent Incan history, a famous textile market, and unique salt pools. The ruin of the erstwhile town is a sight to watch and wonder the architectural planning. The bustling market is the place to buy vibrant Peruvian textiles, pottery, and jewelry. Ollantaytambo town is an hour, and a half drive from Cusco with its magnificent 600-year-old fortress with temples and terraces made with huge stones with great precision. Dating back to Inca's time, the streets are narrow with cobblestone, and along with the town the irrigation stream runs through. Though the ruins are the main attraction, there is not much to see apart from the delightful views from the top of ruins, and it’s time to retire from this leg of Peru travel and things to do in Peru activity.

Aguas Calientes is a little town which can be gained easily by train though buses are also available. It is the ideal point to stay at the start of the expedition to Machu Picchu, stay at Tierra Viva, a well-located hotel is suggested. It gets busy as tourists plan to visit Machu Picchu with Aguas Calientes as the gateway. The travel from Cusco if of one hour and 45 minutes by train to Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes has good thermal baths and once can take a hike to Putucusi Mountain, which offers a good view of Machu Picchu. From Aguas Calientes on a private tour, one can get full attention from the personal guide who will provide valuable information and history about the temples, sites used for sacrifices, and hills that are terraced. Suggestions for best viewpoints and vantage points for taking pictures will be an asset with personal guides. This personalized sightseeing is worth of Peru travel and in the list of valuable things to do in Peru tour. The journey amongst the ruins of Machu Picchu feels like a dream with the guide talking through important locations like the Sun Stone, Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Three Windows. As one enters the archaeological spectacle located at 7,970 feet (2,430 m) above sea level, a two- and half-hour tour of Inca fortress begins with its terraced hills, mountains, llamas, the Royal Tomb, the Sacred Plaza, and the Main Temple. Inside the Temple of sun, one can see on a granite alter a semicircular rock structure, the place where Incan priests had made sacrifices. The ruins are a sight to behold, giving an insight into the planned life of Incas centuries ago.

The travel back from Machu Picchu to Cusco as a part of Peru travel, the direct travel without changes trains is by using the services of PeruRail that provides direct service. The duration of travel can be between three to four hours to the Poroy station, which is about twenty minutes outside of Cusco.

The other option, Inca Rail, provides service till Ollantaytambo, from where another connection train to Cusco has been used. Three classes are available for tourist passengers using PeruRail, Expedition Vistadome, and Hiram Bingham. The Expedition class is the budget option of PeruRail, which is a comfortable and reasonable option with an average cost of about $65 for one way.

The Vistadome class is a mid-range option of PeruRail with air-conditioning and panoramic windows, costing about $100 and a cheaper alternative option to Hiram Bingham. The luxury class, Hiram Bingham costs little over $400 is named after the man who rediscovered Machu Picchu. The Hiram Bingham class is decorated like a 1920s Pullman carriage having polished wood and brass. A welcome show with dances and music of the region awaits. The coach comprises a bar car, observatory, gourmet lunch, and VIP entrance at Machu Picchu station with a guided tour. A good Peru travel by train is incomplete if not done as a part of things to do in Peru tour. An advance ticket book is recommended for a hassle-free, enjoyable trip.

From Cusco city at 3.5-hour travel lies Vinicunca is also known as the Rainbow Mountain, the very plan of doing a hike at the Rainbow Mountain invigorates the list of things to do in Peru done so far and moving ahead. It is believed that the colorful look is due to the melting of ice on the mountain surface over a long period. The water getting mixing with minerals, iron rust, and iron sulfides, limonite, and chlorites give the bright colors of red, yellow, green, purple, and red, resulting in a rainbow color imposed mountain. At an elevation of 12,139 feet (3,700 m), panoramic views glacial peaks, the Andes and rocky hills are breathtaking and allow memorable photos to be taken. A Rainbow Mountain tour starts from $30 from Cusco with a juddering bus ride that starts early morning around 3 am.

There is a small village just at the start of the hike to have breakfast or something to eat out, and finish one has any urgent personal chores. The trek is a day-long for the to and fro walk. At the altitude of reaching near 14,000 feet to 17,000 feet, the trek can be demanding though the route is beautiful with local villages along the way. The temperature along the trek can vary drastically, so having the jacket to beat the cold and having sunscreens are highly recommended. It is better to get used to or acclimatized in Cusco before the trek to Mount Vinicunca so that your body is prepared for high altitude trek and faces no sickness. The entrance charge is $3 for the 6-mile trek that includes, visiting Vinicunca by trekking, viewing the breathtaking panoramic views an adventurous hike in the list of things to do in Peru is accomplished on Peru travel.

It's time to travel back and have the next plan up for the next visit. After reaching back to Cusco after the tiring but adventurous hike, you can take up some rest before catching up on the return travel. Feeling exhausted, one needs a good rest and plenty of food to have back the energy and zest. There is a good amount of outbound flights from the Jorge Chávez International Airport, if not plenty. Few hotels around do provide complimentary airport drops at the scheduled time providing comforting service during the last leg. If there is sufficient time available before the departure of the flight, you can have a quick tour of the city to grab some souvenirs and last-minute purchases that you had missed! There is a new transport service, Quick Llama, for quick Airport drops for as less than $5 in case of having to miss out time due to any unforeseen delays.

Peru, South America’s third-largest country is made up of diverse geography, mountains, beaches, rain forests, and deserts. With the mixed culture of people, multitudes of cuisine in terms of varieties is the place to reckon. A short visit with family or friends is worthwhile, and for those limited by a shorter plan, a seven-day planned Peru travel with a list of things to do in Peru would be handy that will guide people to visit the important and magnificent places with proper planning. Peru has different types of ecosystems, with most of them being undisturbed unlike others around the globe, a visit to feel nature is worth every effort. The best time to visit Peru in between June and August, which is also the busiest and crowded time due to the high influx of tourists. Another alternative for the low crowded season is March to May or September to November. With the peaks of Andes Mountains, the dense Amazon jungle, and coastal deserts, Peru puts forward diverse geography as its varied population of multiple civilizations that thrived for centuries here. With multiple modes of transport like taxies, trains, and planes one can travel across Peru, covering its large landscapes with varied geography. Buen Viaje!