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Itineraries/Americas/Peru

12 Days in Peru

Machu Picchu emerging from morning mist, alpacas grazing in the Sacred Valley, ceviche so fresh the fish was swimming an hour ago, and Cusco's cobbled streets lined with Inca walls topped by Spanish colonial churches. Twelve nights through Peru's iconic family route — Lima's food scene, the Sacred Valley's gentle altitude, and the Lost City of the Incas.

12 nights
Family of 4
~A$15,700
4 stops
Lima3n
Sacred Valley3n
Machu Picchu2n
Cusco4n
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Your stop-by-stop itinerary

4 stops across 12 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Peru.

1

Lima

3 nights
Fly into Lima (LIM) from Sydney via Santiago, Auckland, or Los Angeles (18-24h total). Taxi or Uber from airport to Miraflores ($15-20, 45 min). Lima is spread out — Uber is cheap ($3-8 for most tourist rides).

Highlights

  • Peruvian cooking class — make ceviche, lomo saltado, and pisco sour (parents!) with a local chef. The best family food experience in South America ($50-70/person, 3-4h including market visit and lunch)
  • Larco Museum — pre-Columbian art and pottery in a beautiful colonial mansion, erotic pottery gallery that older kids find hilarious ($4/adult, $2/child). The gardens are as beautiful as the collection
  • Miraflores coastal walk — the Malecón boardwalk stretches 10 km along sea cliffs. Free, stunning at sunset. Larcomar shopping centre built into the cliff face
  • Barranco — Lima''s bohemian neighbourhood, Bridge of Sighs, street art, craft beer, and the best cevicherías in the city. Walk from Miraflores in 20 min along the Malecón
  • Huaca Pucllana — illuminated pre-Inca pyramid in the middle of Miraflores, guided tours ($5/adult, $2.50/child). The restaurant beside it is one of Lima''s best
  • Central Market + Chinatown — Barrio Chino has Peru''s largest Chinese community (the chifa cuisine fusion is unique). Market stalls sell exotic fruits kids have never seen

Local tips

  • 💡Lima is at sea level — start here to acclimatize before heading to altitude. Spend 3 nights eating your way through the city before the mountains. Peru''s food scene is world-class and Lima is its capital.
  • 💡Stay in Miraflores for safety, walkability, and ocean views. Barranco is edgier and more interesting for food but slightly less family-convenient. Both are safe and connected by the coastal Malecón walk.
  • 💡Eat ceviche for LUNCH, not dinner — it''s a lunchtime dish in Peru and the best cevicherías close by 4pm. La Mar or Punto Azul in Miraflores are the family-friendly standards ($12-18/person).
Suggested stay: Family hotel or apartment in Miraflores or Barranco
2

Sacred Valley

3 nights
Fly Lima → Cusco (1.5h, $80-120/pp on LATAM). Private transfer directly from Cusco airport to Sacred Valley (1.5h, $40-60 for the car — go straight to the valley, NOT Cusco city, for altitude acclimatization at 2,800m vs Cusco''s 3,400m).

Highlights

  • Ollantaytambo Inca fortress — massive stone terraces and temple complex, the only place the Incas defeated the Spanish. Walk the steep terraces, explore the old town ($10 with Boleto Turístico)
  • Maras salt mines (Salineras) — 3,000+ cascading salt pools carved into a hillside, still harvested by families today. Stunning pink-and-white terraces ($4/person). Best in morning light
  • Moray agricultural terraces — concentric circular Inca terraces used as an agricultural laboratory. Temperature varies 15°C between top and bottom rings ($10 with Boleto Turístico)
  • Chinchero textile market — Quechua women demonstrate traditional weaving and natural dyeing techniques, then sell directly. Authentic, not tourist-trap. Sunday market is biggest
  • Alpaca farm visit — meet and feed alpacas and llamas, learn about wool processing ($10-15/person). Kids love the baby alpacas (crias)
  • Pisac ruins + market — hilltop Inca citadel with terraces and a temple of the sun, plus a famous artisan market in the town below (ruins $10 with Boleto Turístico, market free)

Local tips

  • 💡Go to the Sacred Valley BEFORE Cusco — it''s 600m lower (2,800m vs 3,400m) and the altitude adjustment is gentler. Spend 3 nights here, then ascend to Machu Picchu (2,430m) and finally Cusco (3,400m). This order prevents altitude sickness in kids.
  • 💡Buy the Boleto Turístico ($40/adult, $20/student) — it covers 16 sites across the Sacred Valley and Cusco including Ollantaytambo, Moray, Pisac, and Sacsayhuamán. Individual tickets aren''t available for most sites.
  • 💡Drink coca tea (mate de coca) from Day 1 — every hotel offers it free. It genuinely helps with altitude adjustment. Kids can drink it too (it tastes like green tea, not cocaine — that requires chemical processing).
Suggested stay: Family hotel or hacienda in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo
3

Machu Picchu

2 nights
Train Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes (1.5h, $75-160/pp one-way on PeruRail Vistadome — panoramic glass roof, snacks included). Bus Aguas Calientes → Machu Picchu citadel (25 min, $24/adult return, $12/child return). Train back to Ollantaytambo on departure.

Highlights

  • Machu Picchu citadel — the Lost City of the Incas at 2,430m, cloud-shrouded stone terraces and temples. One of the world''s great sights. Entry $50/adult, $25/child. Hire a guide ($60-80 for the group, 2.5h) — the context transforms the experience
  • Sunrise arrival — the 6:30am bus gets you there as morning mist lifts off the ruins. The most atmospheric time, smallest crowds. Book the earliest bus slot
  • Inti Punku (Sun Gate) — 1-hour uphill walk from the citadel for the classic postcard view of Machu Picchu. Moderate difficulty, age 8+. Free with citadel entry
  • Aguas Calientes hot springs — thermal pools at the top of town ($6/person). Basic but relaxing after a day of hiking the ruins
  • Aguas Calientes market — artisan crafts, alpaca wool products, souvenir shopping along the river. Prices are negotiable and cheaper than Cusco
  • Vistadome train experience — the panoramic glass-ceiling train ride through the Urubamba gorge is an attraction in itself. Live music and fashion show on board

Local tips

  • 💡Book Machu Picchu tickets 2-3 months ahead at machupicchu.gob.pe — daily visitor cap of 4,044 people, and popular months (June-August) sell out. You must choose a timed entry slot (Circuit 1, 2, or 3). Circuit 2 is the classic route with the best viewpoints.
  • 💡Two nights in Aguas Calientes gives a buffer day — if Day 1 is cloudy, you can return on Day 2 for clear skies. Your ticket is for one entry only, but having the second day as backup is worth the extra hotel night.
  • 💡The Vistadome train is worth the premium over Expedition class ($75 vs $60/pp one-way) — panoramic windows, higher ceiling, and kids love the on-board entertainment. Book 4+ weeks ahead for morning departure slots.
Suggested stay: Family hotel in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)
4

Cusco

4 nights
Train Aguas Calientes → Ollantaytambo (1.5h), then taxi/transfer to Cusco (1.5h, $30-40). Cusco''s historic centre is walkable. Fly out Cusco → Lima (1.5h) for onward connection to Sydney.

Highlights

  • Sacsayhuamán fortress — enormous Inca stone walls above Cusco, stones weighing up to 200 tonnes fitted without mortar. The precision is staggering ($10 with Boleto Turístico). Walk up from Cusco (30 min uphill) or taxi ($3)
  • Plaza de Armas — Cusco''s central square, flanked by the Cathedral (Inca foundations visible) and Jesuit church. Free to wander, buskers, cafés with balcony views. Lit up at night
  • San Pedro Market — Cusco''s daily market, fresh juices ($1), empanadas ($0.50), cheese, grains, and a food court where you can eat a full family lunch for $10-15
  • San Blas neighbourhood — artisan quarter above the main square, steep cobbled streets, hidden plazas, workshop visits. The best boutique shops and cafés in Cusco
  • Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun) — the most important Inca temple, now with a Spanish church built on top. The juxtaposition of Inca stonework and colonial architecture is powerful ($4/adult)
  • Cusco cooking class — learn to make aji de gallina, quinoa soup, and pisco sour. Many classes include a San Pedro Market ingredient-shopping tour ($35-50/person, 3-4h)

Local tips

  • 💡By Day 9 you''ve been at altitude for a week — you should be fully acclimatized. Cusco at 3,400m is the highest point on the trip, but arriving last (after Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu) means you''ll barely notice.
  • 💡San Pedro Market is the best budget meal in Peru — family of 4 can eat a full lunch (soup + main + juice) for $10-15. Point at what looks good, sit at the counter, and eat what the locals eat.
  • 💡Four nights in Cusco allows 1 day for the city highlights, 1 day for a cooking class or workshop, and 2 flex days for rest, shopping, or a day trip to the Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca, age 10+, strenuous, 5,200m — only for fit, acclimatized families).
Suggested stay: Family hotel or apartment in San Blas or Plaza de Armas area

Good to know

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The ~A$15,700 estimate covers accommodation across all 4 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

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