Full Itinerary of the Peru Complete Trek 17 Days

Seventeen days from the Pacific to the Amazon, by road, rail, boat, one small plane and four days on foot. Here is each day with times, meals, camps and hotels.

Day 1: Arrival in Lima - Afternoon City Tour

Welcome to Peru. We meet you at Lima airport and take you to Casa Andina Standard in Miraflores, or similar. Lunch is on your own; rest before the afternoon.

Around 2:00 p.m., your guide picks you up: Parque del Amor on the Miraflores cliffs, a view of the Huaca Pucllana pyramid, then the old center with Plaza San Martín, Plaza Mayor and the San Francisco convent and catacombs, with a pisco tasting along the way. Back at your hotel around 6:00 p.m.

• Meals: not included
• Tour: half day, about 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
• Hotel: Casa Andina Standard, Lima, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Arrive in Lima in the morning to join the tour, and pack a small bag tonight: tomorrow starts before dawn. More in our Lima travel guide.

Day 2: Paracas - Ballestas Islands - Ica - Huacachina

Pickup between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. for the drive south along the coast, with a stop around 6:00 a.m. at a bakery to buy breakfast. At 9:30 a.m., a motorboat takes you to the Ballestas Islands past the Candelabra, a giant figure cut into the hillside. Sea lions, Humboldt penguins, cormorants, boobies and Inca terns live on the rocks; sightings depend on the day.

Back on land, a tasting of tejas and chocotejas, the sweets of Ica, and lunch on your own. At 2:00 p.m., an artisan winery for wine and pisco tasting, then the Huacachina oasis, a lagoon ringed by palms and giant dunes. At 3:00 p.m., dune buggies and sandboarding. Check-in at Hotel Huarango, or similar, around 4:30 p.m.

• Meals: not included
• Pickup: 4:00 to 5:00 a.m.
• Hotel: Hotel Huarango, Ica, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy to moderate; the buggy ride is bumpy

Tips: Sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, a windbreaker for the boat, closed shoes and a bandana for the sand. Dune buggies and sandboarding are not suitable during pregnancy or after spinal surgery. The boat trip may be cancelled by the port authority in rough seas; if so, the activity is replaced or refunded.

Day 3: Nazca Lines Flight - Overnight Bus to Arequipa

Continental breakfast at 6:00 a.m. and departure at 6:30 a.m. for the two-hour drive to the Nazca airfield. Passport check, weigh-in and safety briefing, then a flight of around 30 minutes over the lines, planned for mid-morning: the hummingbird, the monkey, the spider, the condor, the whale and more, as the pilot banks so both sides of the plane get the view.

Free afternoon and lunch on your own in Nazca. In the evening, the overnight tourist bus takes you south to Arequipa, about 10 hours; we confirm the departure time with your final details.

• Meals: continental breakfast at the hotel
• Flight: shared scenic flight, about 30 minutes, subject to weather
• Night: overnight bus from Nazca to Arequipa
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Original passport for the flight. Eat light and consider a motion-sickness tablet; the plane turns a lot. Keep a warm layer, water and a neck pillow for the bus. More in our Nazca Lines guide.

Day 4: Arequipa - Free Day in the White City

You arrive in Arequipa early in the morning and we take you to Casa Andina Standard, or similar. Rooms are usually ready in the afternoon; the hotel keeps your bags until then.

The day is yours, and after two early starts it is meant for rest: the Plaza de Armas and its cathedral, the white volcanic stone of the old streets, a long lunch of rocoto relleno or adobo, and the three volcanoes on the skyline. Arequipa sits at 2,335 m / 7,661 ft, the first gentle step up toward the trail.

• Meals: not included
• Plan: free day
• Hotel: Casa Andina Standard, Arequipa, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Want to guarantee a room on arrival? Ask us about early check-in. The Santa Catalina Monastery is a good two hours if you feel like walking.

Day 5: Arequipa - Volcanoes Viewpoint - Colca Valley

Pickup at 7:30 a.m. for the road to the Colca Valley, past the slopes of the Chachani volcano and into the Salinas y Aguada Blanca reserve, where wild vicuñas graze the high plains. At the Tocra wetlands, look for Andean flamingos and other high-altitude birds.

The road tops out at the Volcanoes Viewpoint, 4,910 m / 16,109 ft, the highest point of the whole trip, reached by vehicle with a short stop for the view. Then down to Chivay around 1:00 p.m., lunch and your lodge. The afternoon is free, with optional thermal baths nearby.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel; lunch [TO CONFIRM]
• Highest point: 4,910 m / 16,109 ft, by vehicle
• Hotel: Colca Lodge, Colca Valley, or similar
• Difficulty: easy, with a long drive at altitude

Tips: Coca tea, water and slow movements at the viewpoint; the stop is short on purpose. Warm layers and a swimsuit for the hot springs.

Day 6: Cruz del Cóndor - Colca Canyon - Puno

Departure between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m. First the village of Yanque, where you may see the Wititi dance in the square, then Cruz del Cóndor, the best-known viewpoint of the canyon. Condors use the morning thermals to rise along the walls; most days they appear, but no one can promise it.

On the way back, the village of Maca and its colonial church, more viewpoints over the terraces, and lunch in Chivay. Around 1:00 p.m., the road east across the high plateau to Puno, with arrival between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. and transfer to Casa Andina Standard, or similar.

• Meals: breakfast at the lodge; lunch [TO CONFIRM]
• Day: about 13 hours, including the drive to Puno
• Hotel: Casa Andina Standard, Puno, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, because of the altitude and the long day

Tips: Binoculars for the condors, snacks and water for the road. Puno sits at 3,827 m / 12,556 ft; keep dinner light tonight. See our Puno guide.

Day 7: Lake Titicaca - Uros Floating Islands and Taquile Island

After breakfast, a boat onto Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 m / 12,507 ft. First the Uros floating islands, built and rebuilt from totora reeds by the families who live on them; they show you how an island is made and how daily life works on the water.

Then about two hours across open water to Taquile, where the men knit and the island’s textile art is on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list. A walk up the stone path to the village, lunch with the lake below, and time to wander before the boat back to Puno, around 5:00 p.m.

• Meals: breakfast and lunch
• Tour: full day by boat
• Hotel: Casa Andina Standard, Puno, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, with stone steps at altitude on Taquile

Tips: Sunscreen and a hat; the sun on the lake is strong. A warm layer for the boat and small bills if you want to buy textiles from the knitters. More in our Lake Titicaca guide.

Day 8: Puno to Cusco - Route of the Sun

At 7:00 a.m., the tourist bus leaves Puno with a guide on board. First stop, the Pukara museum and its stone sculptures from one of the oldest cultures of the lake. Then the La Raya pass at 4,335 m / 14,222 ft, the border between the Puno and Cusco regions, with snow peaks in view.

Buffet lunch in Sicuani, then Raqchi and the tall walls of the Temple of Wiracocha, and the church of Andahuaylillas, called the Sistine Chapel of the Andes for its painted ceilings. Arrival in Cusco around 5:30 p.m. and transfer to San Agustín Internacional, or similar.

• Meals: breakfast and buffet lunch
• Bus: about 10 hours, including stops
• Highest point: La Raya pass, 4,335 m / 14,222 ft
• Hotel: San Agustín Internacional, Cusco, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Keep a warm jacket, water and your camera at hand; the stops are short. Cusco, at 3,400 m / 11,155 ft, will feel easy after a week at altitude.

Day 9: Free Morning - Afternoon Cusco City Tour

A slow morning in the old Inca capital: breakfast, a coffee on the Plaza de Armas, the San Pedro market or simply a lie-in.

Around 1:00 p.m., your guide picks you up. On foot: the Plaza de Armas, the Twelve-Angled Stone and Qoricancha, the Temple of the Sun. Then by vehicle: Sacsayhuaman and its zigzag walls, Qenqo, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay, with a stop at Cristo Blanco when time allows.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel
• Tour: half day
• Hotel: San Agustín Internacional, Cusco, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: easy, with walking and stairs at altitude

Tips: Use the morning for laundry and a rest, and sort your trek gear: a 7 kg / 15 lb duffel for the porters, a daypack, and the suitcase that stays in Cusco. Your trekking guide gives the briefing and hands out the duffel bags the evening before the trek [TO CONFIRM: Cusco on Day 9 or Ollantaytambo on Day 10]. Ideas in our Cusco guide.

Day 10: Sacred Valley - Pisac, Moray and Maras - Night in Ollantaytambo

Pickup at 7:00 a.m. for a full day in the Sacred Valley. First an alpaca and llama farm, then the Taray viewpoint and Pisac: terraces and temples above the town, and time in its colorful market.

After lunch in Urubamba, the circular terraces of Moray and the Maras Salt Mines, still worked by local families. The day ends in Ollantaytambo, a living Inca town only a short drive from the trailhead, so tomorrow starts later and better rested.

• Meals: breakfast and lunch
• Tour: full day
• Hotel: Cocatambo, Ollantaytambo, or similar
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Leave Cusco with your duffel and daypack only; your suitcase waits at your Cusco hotel or in our free storage until Day 14. More in our Sacred Valley guide.

Day 11: Inca Trail Day 1 - Km 82 - Patallacta - Ayapata

Breakfast at the hotel and pickup around 6:30 a.m. for the short drive to Km 82, where the Classic Inca Trail begins. The rangers check your passport against your permit, and the first steps follow the Urubamba River with the glacier of Verónica above.

Nothing steep today. The trail rises to a ridge over Patallacta, the big Inca settlement at the mouth of the Cusichaca valley, then climbs gently to Hatunchaca, where our chefs serve lunch. The afternoon continues up the valley to Ayapata camp; after a week in the Andes, this feels like a walk. Tents are up and tea is ready when you arrive, around 5:00 p.m.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel, lunch, tea time and dinner at camp
• Hike: 14 km / 8.7 mi, about 6 hours
• Camp: Ayapata, 3,300 m / 10,826 ft
• Difficulty: moderate

Tips: The original passport used for your permit, sunscreen and an easy pace. Full trek details on our Classic Inca Trail page.

Day 12: Inca Trail Day 2 - Dead Woman’s Pass - Chaquicocha

The pass. Breakfast in the dark, then about four hours up through cloud forest and open grassland to Dead Woman’s Pass, Warmiwañusca, 4,215 m / 13,829 ft, the high point of the trail. Your guide sets a rhythm you can keep: short steps, regular stops, no racing. On top: wind, a long look back down the valley and a well-earned break.

Down to lunch at Pacaymayo, then a second climb past the watchtower of Runkurakay to the 4,000 m / 13,123 ft pass and down to Chaquicocha camp. Dinner, a sky full of stars and an early night.

• Meals: breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner at camp
• Hike: 16 km / 10 mi, about 10 hours
• Highest point: Dead Woman’s Pass, 4,215 m / 13,829 ft
• Camp: Chaquicocha, 3,600 m / 11,811 ft
• Difficulty: challenging

Tips: Layers you can take off as you climb, a windproof jacket for the pass, 2 liters of water, snacks, sunscreen and poles with rubber tips. A week at altitude is on your side today.

Day 13: Inca Trail Day 3 - Phuyupatamarca - Wiñay Wayna

The greenest day. A short climb to Phuyupatamarca, the town above the clouds, with its stone baths and, on a clear morning, a view toward the back of Machu Picchu mountain; then a long way down on original Inca stairs through cloud forest, orchids and hummingbirds, with the terraces of Intipata spread over the valley.

Lunch at the last camp around 1:00 p.m. and a free afternoon at Wiñay Wayna, a sweep of terraces, temples and fountains five minutes from your tent. The farewell dinner follows, and you meet the whole team by name; tipping is optional and always your choice.

• Meals: breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner at camp
• Hike: 10 km / 6.2 mi, about 5 to 6 hours
• Camp: Wiñay Wayna, 2,600 m / 8,530 ft
• Difficulty: moderate, with long descents on stone steps

Tips: Poles for the stairs and a headlamp for camp. Pack the duffel tonight; tomorrow you carry only the daypack, passport and camera.

Day 14: Inca Trail Day 4 - Sun Gate - Machu Picchu - Cusco

Up before dawn, breakfast, and the walk to the checkpoint, open from 5:30 a.m. An hour along the mountainside, a last steep flight of steps, and the Sun Gate: Machu Picchu below you in the first light, and no one hurrying you.

An hour down to the classic viewpoint, then the guided tour of the citadel on the circuit assigned to Inca Trail hikers. Bus to Aguas Calientes, lunch on your own, the Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo and a private transfer to Cusco, arriving around 7:30 p.m.

• Meals: breakfast at camp
• Hike: 6 km / 3.7 mi, about 2 to 3 hours, plus the guided tour
• Altitude: Machu Picchu, 2,430 m / 7,972 ft
• Return: bus, Vistadome train and private transfer to Cusco
• Hotel: San Agustín Internacional, Cusco, or similar 3-star hotel
• Difficulty: moderate

Tips: Passport and a small daypack; no large bags, drones, tripods or food inside. See our Machu Picchu rules guide. Tonight, a hot shower, and repack for the jungle.

Day 15: Flight to Puerto Maldonado - Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica

After breakfast, transfer to Cusco airport for the flight to Puerto Maldonado (not included; buy it once we confirm the schedule). From 3,400 m to about 200 m before lunch: the lodge team meets you, and a 45-minute boat ride down the Madre de Dios River brings you to Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica.

A short welcome briefing, lunch if you arrive in time and your cabana. In the afternoon, a first walk on the lodge trails with your Explorer Guide, then the Twilight River cruise to look for nightjars, capybaras and caimans. Dinner at the lodge with a welcome pisco cocktail, and a hammock for legs that have earned it.

• Meals: breakfast at the hotel, lunch depending on arrival time, and dinner at the lodge
• Not included: flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado
• Lodge: Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica
• Difficulty: easy

Tips: Long sleeves, repellent, a headlamp, a rain poncho and a dry bag for your phone. Ask your doctor about the yellow fever vaccine well before you travel.

Day 16: Lake Sandoval - Canopy Walkway - Rainforest by Night

After breakfast, a shaded trail and a wooden canoe take you onto Lake Sandoval, inside the Tambopata National Reserve. Giant river otters, howler monkeys, macaws, turtles and black caimans live here; sightings are never guaranteed, but your guide knows where to look.

Lunch at the lodge, then the Canopy Walkway: eight platforms linked by suspension bridges, the first tower 42 m / 138 ft up, with toucans, monkeys and sloths in the treetops. After dark, the Rainforest by Night walk. Last dinner at the lodge.

• Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner at the lodge
• Tour: full day
• Lodge: Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica
• Difficulty: easy to moderate, with a forest walk and a canoe

Tips: Binoculars make this day. Closed shoes, repellent before each walk and a dry bag for your camera on the canoe. The two-night program is a suggested itinerary; excursions are chosen at the lodge and may change with weather and river conditions.

Day 17: Amazon - Transfer to Puerto Maldonado Airport

Breakfast and a last morning of birdsong. Check-out is at 10:00 a.m., then the 45-minute boat back and your transfer to Puerto Maldonado airport, where the TreXperience service ends. Lunch at the lodge can be arranged at extra cost; the onward flight is not included.

• Meals: breakfast at the lodge
• Not included: lunch and the flight from Puerto Maldonado
• Tour ends: Puerto Maldonado airport

Want a different pace? Add a rest night in Arequipa or Cusco, a third night in the jungle, or ask us for this route with the two-day Short Inca Trail. Write to us and we build it around your dates.

Peru Complete Trek 17 Days Price and Booking

Prices are per person in US dollars. They include all hotels and the lodge, the overnight bus, the Nazca flight, the Classic Inca Trail permit, guide, chefs, porters and camp equipment, the Machu Picchu entrance and guided tour, the Vistadome train, all listed tours and tickets, local guides and ground transport. Flights to and from the Amazon are not included.

Small-Group Tour Price

Private Tour Price

Your own guide, chef and porters on the Inca Trail, and your own guide and vehicle for selected parts of the itinerary. Prices depend on group size and availability.

Note: Private service covers the Inca Trail and selected parts of the itinerary; we confirm which when you book. The Nazca flight, the buses, the trains, the Lake Titicaca boat and the lodge excursions are shared.

Booking and Payment

• Deposit: US$800 per person to secure your Inca Trail permit, Machu Picchu ticket, Nazca flight, train seats, hotels and lodge. Balance online or at our Cusco office by card, PayPal or wire transfer.
• Send each traveler’s full name, passport number, date of birth, passport expiry, nationality and weight (for the Nazca flight). Inca Trail permits are issued in your name and can’t be changed, refunded or transferred.
• Classic Inca Trail permits sell out months ahead: for May to September, book at least four months in advance, six if you can. See our Terms and Conditions.
• Tell us about dietary needs, pregnancy or any heart, lung, back, knee or mobility concern, and why you’re traveling. It helps us prepare.

Student and Child Discount

Children under 17 and students under 25 with a valid university ID (name, photo, university and expiry date) may qualify for lower official Machu Picchu and Inca Trail rates. ISIC cards are not accepted. Send the ID or date of birth when booking and we confirm the discount 30$.

Customization and Upgrades

• Private service on the Inca Trail and selected parts of the itinerary.
• Hotel upgrades to 4-star or 5-star, and lodge extras: Tree House night, ENA Spa or sunset drinks.
• Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain on Day 14, US$75 per person.
• Extra nights in Lima, Arequipa, Cusco or the jungle, including a rest night in Cusco after the trek.

Changes depend on availability and may change the price. Contact us for a quote.

Packing List for the Peru Complete Trek 17 Days

Four climates in seventeen days: the mild coast and the desert sun, the cold high plateau of Colca and Titicaca, four days on the trail with nights near freezing and warm, wet afternoons, and the heat of the Amazon. Pack light layers, a 7 kg / 15 lb duffel for the porters, a daypack for the trail and a small bag for the jungle. More in our Peru Packing List.

Essentials

Original passport (checked at the Nazca airfield, Km 82, Machu Picchu, the train, buses and flights), medication, documents, insurance details and cash in soles for meals on your own, tips and small purchases.

What to Wear?

Broken-in hiking boots, hiking socks, quick-dry shirts and trousers, a fleece, a warm jacket and a waterproof shell for the trail; a hat and gloves for the Colca pass, the lake and Dead Woman’s Pass; closed shoes and a bandana for the dunes; long sleeves and trousers in light fabrics for the Amazon.

What to Put in the Daypack?

2 liters of water, snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, a rain poncho, a warm layer, your camera and the passport. In the jungle: repellent, headlamp, binoculars and a dry bag for your phone.

What Goes in the Duffel, and What About the Bus and the Lodge?

In the 7 kg duffel: sleeping bag (bring or rent), a change of clothes for camp, warm sleepwear, toiletries, a small towel, a headlamp and a power bank. For the overnight bus: a neck pillow, a warm layer and toiletries at hand. For the lodge: quick-dry clothes, sandals and a swimsuit. See our Machu Picchu packing list.

What We Provide

Hotels and lodge, the Nazca flight, tents for two, sleeping pad and pillow, kitchen tent and private toilets, all meals and drinking water on the trail from Day 12, rain poncho and hand towels, first-aid kit, oxygen and satellite phone, the permit, trains, buses, boats and all listed tickets and guides.

Optional Gear and Extra Items

Trekking poles with rubber tips (also for rent), an inflatable air mattress, blister plasters, wet wipes, motion-sickness tablets for the Nazca flight, boats and buses, and anything your doctor recommends for altitude.

Travel Information for the Peru Complete Trek 17 Days

What to know before you book: permits, flights, altitude, the trek and the long days, camp life, Machu Picchu tickets, hotels and the lodge, and weather.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Peru Complete Trek 17 Days

Quick answers about who this tour is for, booking, flights, the Nazca and Ballestas days, the trek, Machu Picchu, meals and customization.