Bridge of Sighs, murals, and the bohemian quarter's bars.
Free
The Malecón cliff walk
Six kilometres of clifftop park above the Pacific, paragliders overhead, and the sunset the whole city turns out for.
Free
Plaza Mayor & the old centre
The cathedral, the balconies and the changing of the guard at midday.
Day 3
$55 est.
Lima → Arequipa
Bus · Cruz del Sur cama overnight · 16h
160° seats downstairs. South America's best night buses.
Stay · 3 nights · Day 3–5
Arequipa
Your accommodation
Arequipay Hostel
from $13/night
$34 · 3 nights
Free things to do in Arequipa
Free
San Camilo market juice run
Point at fruit you can't name; the señora knows best.
Free
Plaza de Armas & the white city
Volcanic sillar arcades on three sides, the cathedral on the fourth, and El Misti standing behind the lot of it.
Free
Yanahuara viewpoint
A twenty-minute walk to stone arches framing three volcanoes, best in the last hour of light.
Day 6
$40 est.
Arequipa → Cusco
Bus · Cruz del Sur day service · 10h
The daytime run crosses 4,500m altiplano. Vicuñas out the window.
Stay · 5 nights · Day 6–10
Cusco
Your accommodation
Viajero Cusco Hostel
from $25/night
$117 · 5 nights
Free things to do in Cusco
Free
San Pedro market breakfast
Juice ladies upstairs, whole-meal soups for pocket change.
Free
Plaza de Armas and the Inca walls
Two churches, arcaded balconies and a square that was the centre of the Inca world. Walk Hatun Rumiyoc behind it for the twelve-angled stone. No ticket, just look up at the joints.
Free
San Blas artisan quarter climb
Steep lanes, workshops, the best plaza-view coffee in town.
Day 11
$57 est.
Cusco → Lima
Flight · LATAM / Sky Airline · 1h 25m
Morning flights beat the afternoon mountain weather.
Back in Lima
Fly out, or stay longer. The booking links stop, you don't have to.
Before you go
The gaps the itinerary above doesn't cover.
Data that works on landing
An eSIM activates before you fly, so maps and transport apps work the moment you land instead of after finding wifi.
Travel insurance
10 nights in Peru. Policies differ on cancellation cover and on whether the activities on this itinerary are included.
We don't recommend one over the other and we're not licensed to advise on insurance. Read each Product Disclosure Statement against your own trip and circumstances.