If you are planning to travel to Peru for 10 days and want to make the most of your stay, here you will find an option that will help you plan your trip and enjoy a wonderful experience.
10 Day Peru Itinerary:
With this option you will visit:
Lima
Arequipa
Cañón del Colca
Puno
Lago Titicaca
Cusco
Valle Sagrado de los Incas
Machu Picchu
Lima
Lima (One Day)
In this stage of the trip to Peru in 10 days, Lima is the starting point.
During the stay in Lima, you should visit the historic center of Lima, in addition to walking through Miraflores and Barrancos. Both picturesque districts offering a variety of shops, small cafes and street art.
Arequipa (One Day)
The trip continues to Arequipa, considered one of the most beautiful cities in Peru, with its beautiful courtyards, delicious cuisine and ashlar buildings.
Visiting the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, the church and the convent of the Company, are activities that must be carried out.
Port of course you must stop at the Convent of Santa Catalina, with its narrow streets.
Colca Canyon (1 – 2 day)
The Colca Canyon is a natural jewel of Peru, it is the second deepest canyon in the world!
Located 4 hours from Arequipa, this Andean paradise can be visited in 1, 2 and 3 days.
The one-day visit implies departure at dawn, the visits en route are: the viewpoint of the Volcanoes, the Cruz del Cóndor, the towns (for example, Pinchollo, Maca, Yanque) and the thermal waters of La Calera.
Another option is to visit in two days, this will allow us to enjoy the wonders of Colca for longer. Another option is the walk in the Colca; this will depend on the physical condition of the traveler.
Puno and Lake Titicaca (2 Day)
This road trip through Peru continues in Puno, the capital of Peruvian folklore and starting point for excursions to Lake Titicaca.
In Puno, you can allocate a day to visit the tourist attractions of the city, such as: The main square, The Cathedral or visit the Chullpas de Sillustani in the afternoon. You can also take a two-day excursion to Lake Titicaca, with an overnight stay in Amantani. This two-day tour will allow us to enjoy the food offered by the locals and learn a little more about their customs.
Cusco (2 days)
When leaving Puno, you will have to plan a day trip by car (7 hours) to Cuzco.
The good news is that the Andean landscape is beautiful and there are some interesting stops to make along the way:
The small Pucara lithic museum, dedicated to the pre-Inca Pucara culture, where you will find monoliths, sculptures and ceramics
La Raya, the highest point of the route (4321 m), is the ideal place to take photos with llamas, alpacas and the Nevado Chimboya in the background.
The archaeological complex of Raqchi, which was a sacred and administrative place dedicated to Wiracocha, considered the creator god by various Andean cultures.
The Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas, nicknamed the Sistine Chapel of America for the richness of its interior (paintings, frescoes and its altar)
Day 2– Visit the city of Cusco
In one day you can discover
Plaza de Armas
The Cusco Cathedral
La Compañia
San Blas
The Convent of Santo Domingo and the Qoricancha, the Inca “temple of the sun”.
The San Pedro market.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas (1 day)
Located in the Cusco region, the Sacred Valley is full of small Inca towns and archaeological sites.
As the distances are quite large, in one day in the Sacred Valley you can choose:
Chinchero, the salt flats of Maras and the terraces of Moray, Pisac and Ollantaytambo
Another option is to take a day tour to the Sacred Valley to see the largest number of places in a short time.
Machu Picchu (1 day)
It will be very important to organize the visit well because it is the most touristic place in Peru.
In addition to the normal tour, it is also possible to climb Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu, the two peaks that surround the Inca citadel.
You can see my comparison between Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain to make your choice.
In any case, it is essential to buy the ticket in advance because the places sell out quickly and it is impossible to do it at the entrance of the venue.