Americas · Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca
World-class food in Lima, Inca terraces in the Sacred Valley, sunrise at Machu Picchu, colonial Cusco and the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, by train, bus and plane.
Overview
Peru is one of the world's great journeys, and the classic 'Gringo Trail' works perfectly without a car. You start in Lima, one of the world's best food cities (ceviche, Nikkei and Andean fine dining). Then fly up into the Andes and acclimatise in the lower Sacred Valley, with its Inca terraces, salt pans and markets. A scenic train follows the river to Aguas Calientes for Machu Picchu. Next comes Cusco, the Inca capital built over with Spanish colonial churches, and the high-altitude day hike to Rainbow Mountain for the fit. A panoramic tourist bus crosses the Altiplano to Lake Titicaca, with its floating reed islands. Longer versions add Lima's food scene, a homestay on Amantaní island, or the Pacific desert with Paracas and the Huacachina dunes.
Scorecard
Tap a criterion to see why it got that score.
Average of 19 criteria
One of the world's great cuisines: ceviche, lomo saltado, ají de gallina, and Lima's world-famous restaurants.
Machu Picchu, Cusco, Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray: Inca heritage everywhere.
The Andes, glacier lakes, Rainbow Mountain, Lake Titicaca and the desert coast.
Not a beach destination on this route (Paracas' desert coast is the exception).
Llamas and alpacas, condors, and sea lions and penguins at the Ballestas Islands.
Trekking (Inca Trail, Salkantay, Rainbow Mountain), rafting, sandboarding.
Barranco (Lima) and Cusco's bars and pisco sours.
An active trip with altitude and early starts.
Capital and cuisine, the Andes, Inca sites, an immense lake and (optionally) desert and ocean.
One stop via Madrid, Amsterdam or Paris, ≈ 15–17 h.
Cheap domestic flights, scenic trains and comfortable tourist buses; nobody drives here.
Visa-free; the tourist trail is well organised; Spanish helps.
−6 h (winter) / −7 h (summer) from Geneva.
Good value on the ground, but Machu Picchu (tickets, train, bus) costs CHF 250+ per person.
The dry Andean winter (May–Sep) is sunny but cold at night; the rainy season (Dec–Mar) is wet; Lima is often grey.
Petty theft in Lima and Cusco; occasional strikes and road blockades, especially around Puno.
Altitude sickness is the main issue (Cusco 3,400 m, Puno 3,800 m): acclimatise slowly.
Beautiful colonial and Sacred Valley hotels at every budget.
Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain are crowded, with strict timed tickets.
When to go
May to September is best, and April and October are good compromises with fewer people. Avoid February.
Getting there
There's no nonstop flight from Switzerland. Fly to Lima (LIM) via Madrid (Iberia, LATAM, Air Europa), Amsterdam (KLM) or Paris (Air France), about 15–17 h. Domestic flights (LATAM, Sky, JetSMART) connect Lima with Cusco and Juliaca (for Puno).
| Routing | Airline | Stops | Travel time | Return, economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GVA → MAD → LIM | Iberia / LATAM / Air Europa | 1 | 15h–17h | CHF 750–1150 |
| GVA → AMS → LIM | KLM | 1 | 15h–17h | CHF 800–1200 |
| GVA → CDG → LIM | Air France | 1 | 15h–17h | CHF 800–1250 |
Itinerary
Pick a trip length. Day 1 is arrival day and the last day is departure day; the overnight flights are extra. Each transfer lists every option, with the recommended one first.
Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco with Rainbow Mountain, and Lake Titicaca.
Evening arrival. Check into Miraflores and have a first dinner.
45–75 min depending on traffic.
Pisco sour and ceviche or lomo saltado; the Malecón clifftop walk.
A morning flight over the Andes. Go straight down to the valley for easier acclimatisation, stopping at Pisac's market and hilltop ruins.
A crafts and produce market, then Inca terraces and temples high above the village.
A half-day tour of the circular terraces of Moray (an Inca agricultural lab), the 3,000 salt pans of Maras, and the weavers of Chinchero.
Giant concentric terraces, and a mountainside of white salt pools still worked by families.
Natural dyeing and weaving demonstration by Quechua women.
Explore Ollantaytambo's fortress and Inca streets, then take the scenic train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes.
Huge Inca terraces and a temple of giant pink granite blocks above a still-inhabited Inca town.
Simple thermal pools at the end of town.
The first bus up at dawn to Machu Picchu, a guided visit of your circuit (plus Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if booked), then the train and transfer to Cusco.
The Inca citadel in the clouds. Tickets are timed and by circuit (buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe). A guide is mandatory; add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for the classic view from above.
The San Pedro market, the Qorikancha sun temple, the cathedral, the 12-angled stone, and the massive walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city.
The Inca Temple of the Sun, with a Dominican convent built on top of it.
A zigzag fortress of giant stones, some weighing over 100 tonnes, with a view over Cusco.
Fruit juices and local food at the market; the artisans' quarter of San Blas.
A demanding day hike at high altitude: the striped mountain at 5,000 m, or the turquoise glacier lake of Humantay (4,200 m).
A 3 am pick-up, breakfast, then a 1.5–2 h hike (horses available) to the multicoloured ridge, plus the Red Valley option. Very cold and windy.
An emerald lake below the Salkantay glacier; a steep 1.5 h climb.
A full day crossing the high plains, with stops at the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes', Inca ruins and La Raya pass (4,335 m), arriving at the lake.
From the Kuntur Wasi viewpoint or the lakeside.
A boat trip to the Uros islands built of totora reeds, and to Taquile, famous for its knitting men and pre-Inca terraces.
Walk on the springy reed islands, then climb Taquile for lunch with a view of the Bolivian mountains.
A transfer to Juliaca airport, a flight to Lima, and the evening connection to Europe.
Coca tea with a view of the lake.
An extra day in Lima for its historic centre, museums and restaurants.
Evening arrival. Check into Miraflores and have a first dinner.
45–75 min depending on traffic.
Pisco sour and ceviche or lomo saltado; the Malecón clifftop walk.
The UNESCO historic centre, the Larco Museum, a cevichería lunch, and Barranco's murals and bars at sunset.
Plaza Mayor, the cathedral, and the catacombs of San Francisco.
Pre-Columbian gold, textiles and ceramics in a colonial mansion with a garden café.
A market and street-food tour, or book a world-famous tasting menu (Central, Maido, Kjolle) months ahead.
Street art, the Bridge of Sighs, and bars in colonial mansions.
A morning flight over the Andes. Go straight down to the valley for easier acclimatisation, stopping at Pisac's market and hilltop ruins.
A crafts and produce market, then Inca terraces and temples high above the village.
A half-day tour of the circular terraces of Moray (an Inca agricultural lab), the 3,000 salt pans of Maras, and the weavers of Chinchero.
Giant concentric terraces, and a mountainside of white salt pools still worked by families.
Natural dyeing and weaving demonstration by Quechua women.
Explore Ollantaytambo's fortress and Inca streets, then take the scenic train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes.
Huge Inca terraces and a temple of giant pink granite blocks above a still-inhabited Inca town.
Simple thermal pools at the end of town.
The first bus up at dawn to Machu Picchu, a guided visit of your circuit (plus Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if booked), then the train and transfer to Cusco.
The Inca citadel in the clouds. Tickets are timed and by circuit (buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe). A guide is mandatory; add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for the classic view from above.
The San Pedro market, the Qorikancha sun temple, the cathedral, the 12-angled stone, and the massive walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city.
The Inca Temple of the Sun, with a Dominican convent built on top of it.
A zigzag fortress of giant stones, some weighing over 100 tonnes, with a view over Cusco.
Fruit juices and local food at the market; the artisans' quarter of San Blas.
A demanding day hike at high altitude: the striped mountain at 5,000 m, or the turquoise glacier lake of Humantay (4,200 m).
A 3 am pick-up, breakfast, then a 1.5–2 h hike (horses available) to the multicoloured ridge, plus the Red Valley option. Very cold and windy.
An emerald lake below the Salkantay glacier; a steep 1.5 h climb.
A full day crossing the high plains, with stops at the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes', Inca ruins and La Raya pass (4,335 m), arriving at the lake.
From the Kuntur Wasi viewpoint or the lakeside.
A boat trip to the Uros islands built of totora reeds, and to Taquile, famous for its knitting men and pre-Inca terraces.
Walk on the springy reed islands, then climb Taquile for lunch with a view of the Bolivian mountains.
A transfer to Juliaca airport, a flight to Lima, and the evening connection to Europe.
Coca tea with a view of the lake.
The lake tour becomes a 2-day trip with a night with a family on Amantaní island.
Evening arrival. Check into Miraflores and have a first dinner.
45–75 min depending on traffic.
Pisco sour and ceviche or lomo saltado; the Malecón clifftop walk.
The UNESCO historic centre, the Larco Museum, a cevichería lunch, and Barranco's murals and bars at sunset.
Plaza Mayor, the cathedral, and the catacombs of San Francisco.
Pre-Columbian gold, textiles and ceramics in a colonial mansion with a garden café.
A market and street-food tour, or book a world-famous tasting menu (Central, Maido, Kjolle) months ahead.
Street art, the Bridge of Sighs, and bars in colonial mansions.
A morning flight over the Andes. Go straight down to the valley for easier acclimatisation, stopping at Pisac's market and hilltop ruins.
A crafts and produce market, then Inca terraces and temples high above the village.
A half-day tour of the circular terraces of Moray (an Inca agricultural lab), the 3,000 salt pans of Maras, and the weavers of Chinchero.
Giant concentric terraces, and a mountainside of white salt pools still worked by families.
Natural dyeing and weaving demonstration by Quechua women.
Explore Ollantaytambo's fortress and Inca streets, then take the scenic train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes.
Huge Inca terraces and a temple of giant pink granite blocks above a still-inhabited Inca town.
Simple thermal pools at the end of town.
The first bus up at dawn to Machu Picchu, a guided visit of your circuit (plus Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if booked), then the train and transfer to Cusco.
The Inca citadel in the clouds. Tickets are timed and by circuit (buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe). A guide is mandatory; add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for the classic view from above.
The San Pedro market, the Qorikancha sun temple, the cathedral, the 12-angled stone, and the massive walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city.
The Inca Temple of the Sun, with a Dominican convent built on top of it.
A zigzag fortress of giant stones, some weighing over 100 tonnes, with a view over Cusco.
Fruit juices and local food at the market; the artisans' quarter of San Blas.
A demanding day hike at high altitude: the striped mountain at 5,000 m, or the turquoise glacier lake of Humantay (4,200 m).
A 3 am pick-up, breakfast, then a 1.5–2 h hike (horses available) to the multicoloured ridge, plus the Red Valley option. Very cold and windy.
An emerald lake below the Salkantay glacier; a steep 1.5 h climb.
A full day crossing the high plains, with stops at the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes', Inca ruins and La Raya pass (4,335 m), arriving at the lake.
From the Kuntur Wasi viewpoint or the lakeside.
A 2-day version of the lake tour: the Uros islands, then a night with a Quechua family on Amantaní, with sunset from the Pachatata temple.
Help cook dinner, dress up for a village dance, and watch sunset over the lake from the island's summit.
A boat to Taquile island for a walk and lunch, then back to Puno.
Terraces, the textile cooperative (UNESCO-listed weaving) and lunch.
A transfer to Juliaca airport, a flight to Lima, and the evening connection to Europe.
Coca tea with a view of the lake.
An extra Cusco day: the South Valley or a cooking class, which also helps with the altitude.
Evening arrival. Check into Miraflores and have a first dinner.
45–75 min depending on traffic.
Pisco sour and ceviche or lomo saltado; the Malecón clifftop walk.
The UNESCO historic centre, the Larco Museum, a cevichería lunch, and Barranco's murals and bars at sunset.
Plaza Mayor, the cathedral, and the catacombs of San Francisco.
Pre-Columbian gold, textiles and ceramics in a colonial mansion with a garden café.
A market and street-food tour, or book a world-famous tasting menu (Central, Maido, Kjolle) months ahead.
Street art, the Bridge of Sighs, and bars in colonial mansions.
A morning flight over the Andes. Go straight down to the valley for easier acclimatisation, stopping at Pisac's market and hilltop ruins.
A crafts and produce market, then Inca terraces and temples high above the village.
A half-day tour of the circular terraces of Moray (an Inca agricultural lab), the 3,000 salt pans of Maras, and the weavers of Chinchero.
Giant concentric terraces, and a mountainside of white salt pools still worked by families.
Natural dyeing and weaving demonstration by Quechua women.
Explore Ollantaytambo's fortress and Inca streets, then take the scenic train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes.
Huge Inca terraces and a temple of giant pink granite blocks above a still-inhabited Inca town.
Simple thermal pools at the end of town.
The first bus up at dawn to Machu Picchu, a guided visit of your circuit (plus Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if booked), then the train and transfer to Cusco.
The Inca citadel in the clouds. Tickets are timed and by circuit (buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe). A guide is mandatory; add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for the classic view from above.
The San Pedro market, the Qorikancha sun temple, the cathedral, the 12-angled stone, and the massive walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city.
The Inca Temple of the Sun, with a Dominican convent built on top of it.
A zigzag fortress of giant stones, some weighing over 100 tonnes, with a view over Cusco.
Fruit juices and local food at the market; the artisans' quarter of San Blas.
A quieter day: the South Valley (Tipón's water gardens, the colonial 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes' at Andahuaylillas), or a Peruvian cooking class.
The Inca water channels of Tipón, the Pikillacta ruins and the painted church of Andahuaylillas.
Make ceviche, lomo saltado and pisco sours.
A demanding day hike at high altitude: the striped mountain at 5,000 m, or the turquoise glacier lake of Humantay (4,200 m).
A 3 am pick-up, breakfast, then a 1.5–2 h hike (horses available) to the multicoloured ridge, plus the Red Valley option. Very cold and windy.
An emerald lake below the Salkantay glacier; a steep 1.5 h climb.
A full day crossing the high plains, with stops at the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes', Inca ruins and La Raya pass (4,335 m), arriving at the lake.
From the Kuntur Wasi viewpoint or the lakeside.
A 2-day version of the lake tour: the Uros islands, then a night with a Quechua family on Amantaní, with sunset from the Pachatata temple.
Help cook dinner, dress up for a village dance, and watch sunset over the lake from the island's summit.
A boat to Taquile island for a walk and lunch, then back to Puno.
Terraces, the textile cooperative (UNESCO-listed weaving) and lunch.
A transfer to Juliaca airport, a flight to Lima, and the evening connection to Europe.
Coca tea with a view of the lake.
Starts with Paracas's sea lions and the Huacachina dunes, then the classic Andes loop.
Evening arrival. Check into Miraflores and have a first dinner.
45–75 min depending on traffic.
Pisco sour and ceviche or lomo saltado; the Malecón clifftop walk.
A comfortable coach south along the Pan-American highway to Paracas. Afternoon in the national reserve's red-sand and cliff landscapes.
Desert cliffs, the Red Beach and Cathedral viewpoint.
A morning boat to the 'poor man's Galápagos' (sea lions, Humboldt penguins, boobies), then a buggy ride and sandboarding in the Huacachina dunes at sunset.
Two hours around guano-covered islands full of sea lions, penguins and birds; you pass the Candelabra geoglyph.
A roller-coaster buggy ride over the dunes, then sandboard down.
A visit to a pisco bodega in Ica, then the bus back to Lima.
See how Peru's national spirit is distilled, with a tasting.
A morning flight over the Andes. Go straight down to the valley for easier acclimatisation, stopping at Pisac's market and hilltop ruins.
A crafts and produce market, then Inca terraces and temples high above the village.
A half-day tour of the circular terraces of Moray (an Inca agricultural lab), the 3,000 salt pans of Maras, and the weavers of Chinchero.
Giant concentric terraces, and a mountainside of white salt pools still worked by families.
Natural dyeing and weaving demonstration by Quechua women.
Explore Ollantaytambo's fortress and Inca streets, then take the scenic train down the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes.
Huge Inca terraces and a temple of giant pink granite blocks above a still-inhabited Inca town.
Simple thermal pools at the end of town.
The first bus up at dawn to Machu Picchu, a guided visit of your circuit (plus Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if booked), then the train and transfer to Cusco.
The Inca citadel in the clouds. Tickets are timed and by circuit (buy on tuboleto.cultura.pe). A guide is mandatory; add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain for the classic view from above.
The San Pedro market, the Qorikancha sun temple, the cathedral, the 12-angled stone, and the massive walls of Sacsayhuamán above the city.
The Inca Temple of the Sun, with a Dominican convent built on top of it.
A zigzag fortress of giant stones, some weighing over 100 tonnes, with a view over Cusco.
Fruit juices and local food at the market; the artisans' quarter of San Blas.
A quieter day: the South Valley (Tipón's water gardens, the colonial 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes' at Andahuaylillas), or a Peruvian cooking class.
The Inca water channels of Tipón, the Pikillacta ruins and the painted church of Andahuaylillas.
Make ceviche, lomo saltado and pisco sours.
A demanding day hike at high altitude: the striped mountain at 5,000 m, or the turquoise glacier lake of Humantay (4,200 m).
A 3 am pick-up, breakfast, then a 1.5–2 h hike (horses available) to the multicoloured ridge, plus the Red Valley option. Very cold and windy.
An emerald lake below the Salkantay glacier; a steep 1.5 h climb.
A full day crossing the high plains, with stops at the 'Sistine Chapel of the Andes', Inca ruins and La Raya pass (4,335 m), arriving at the lake.
From the Kuntur Wasi viewpoint or the lakeside.
A boat trip to the Uros islands built of totora reeds, and to Taquile, famous for its knitting men and pre-Inca terraces.
Walk on the springy reed islands, then climb Taquile for lunch with a view of the Bolivian mountains.
A transfer to Juliaca airport, a flight to Lima, and the evening connection to Europe.
Coca tea with a view of the lake.
Skip a region, add beach days, change the pace… Suggest changes and a new version of this trip will be created.
Getting around
Fly Lima → Cusco and go straight down to the Sacred Valley by private transfer or tour to acclimatise. Take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and the shuttle bus up to Machu Picchu. Visit around Cusco with day tours. For Lake Titicaca, the Inka Express tourist bus (with sightseeing stops) or the luxury PeruRail Titicaca train. Fly back to Lima from Juliaca.
LATAM, Sky and JetSMART link Lima with Cusco (1h20) and Juliaca (1h40) for CHF 60–150.
PeruRail and Inca Rail to Machu Picchu (the only access), plus the luxury PeruRail Titicaca train to Puno.
Tourist buses (Inka Express) and premium coaches (Cruz del Sur, Peru Hop) are comfortable and safe.
Day tours with pick-up for the Sacred Valley, Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca are cheap and well run.
Uber, Cabify and InDrive in Lima and Cusco (safer than street taxis).
Private transfers and day hires in the Sacred Valley are affordable (CHF 60–100/day).
Where to stay & budget
Per person per day, excluding international flights. Assumes two people sharing a double room, domestic flights and trains, and entrance fees. The Machu Picchu visit alone (train, bus and ticket) costs CHF 250–400 per person.
A capital on clifftops above the Pacific, and Latin America's food capital: colonial centre, bohemian Barranco and world-class restaurants.
Where: Miraflores or Barranco.
A fertile valley below Cusco (2,800 m, good for acclimatising), lined with Inca terraces, villages and markets.
Where: Urubamba (resorts) or Ollantaytambo (the train station and an Inca village).
A town in a deep jungle gorge below Machu Picchu, reached only by train.
Where: Near the bus stop for Machu Picchu.
The Inca capital at 3,400 m: Spanish churches built on Inca walls, cobbled lanes, markets and a lively plaza.
Where: Around the Plaza de Armas or in San Blas.
A town on the world's highest navigable lake (3,810 m): floating reed islands, traditional island communities and huge skies.
Where: Puno centre or a lakeside hotel.
A car-free island on Lake Titicaca where Quechua families host visitors overnight.
Where: A family homestay (full board, arranged by the tour).
A desert coast with a marine reserve: boat trips to the Ballestas Islands (sea lions, penguins, boobies) and red-sand beaches.
Where: On the bay in Paracas village.
A palm-fringed oasis lagoon surrounded by giant sand dunes: dune buggies, sandboarding and sunsets; the Ica wineries nearby.
Where: At the oasis.
Practical
Information last checked: September 2026. Visa rules, prices and timetables change, so always check before booking.
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