At a glanceStart with two nights of food in Lima, fly to Cusco and go straight down to the Sacred Valley for three nights at a lower altitude, ride the train to Machu Picchu for a night so you can visit twice, then finish with three nights in Cusco. It suits couples who want culture, food and moderate hiking. May to September is dry and clear, while April and October are quieter.
This is the classic Peru honeymoon, ordered to make the altitude easy on you. Lima comes first for two nights of the best food in South America at sea level. Then you fly to Cusco and drive straight down to the Sacred Valley, which sits lower than Cusco and is a gentler place to adjust. From there, the train takes you to Machu Picchu, where a night in Aguas Calientes or at the Sanctuary Lodge lets you visit twice. Cusco comes last, when your body has adjusted to its 11,150 feet.
There are four hotels in ten days, which is more than most routes on this site, but each move is short. The Sacred Valley is your slow stretch, with riverside casitas, long lunches and walks among Inca terraces.
Book in this order: Machu Picchu tickets first, then train seats, then hotels. Peak-season tickets for the citadel can sell out months ahead.
The route
- LimaPeru · 2 nights
- Sacred ValleyPeru · 3 nights
- Machu PicchuPeru · 1 nights
- CuscoPeru · 3 nights
- Best months
- May to September for dry, clear days, with April and October quieter and greener
- Trip length
- 10 days
- Budget
- About $300–900 a night for two in boutique and luxury hotels, with the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge costing more (approximate)
Day by day
Days 1–2: Lima
Fly into Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM), with nonstops from Miami, Houston, New York and Los Angeles among others. The drive to Miraflores or Barranco takes about 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Most flights from the US land at night, so plan nothing for the first evening.
On day two, walk the Miraflores clifftops above the Pacific, then take a long ceviche lunch at a cebichería, where the fish is served at midday because that is when it is freshest. In the afternoon, wander Barranco, a bohemian neighborhood of colorful houses, galleries and the wooden Bridge of Sighs, where couples traditionally make a wish crossing it.
In the evening, book the tasting menu at Central or Maido well in advance, or have dinner on the terrace beside the lit-up adobe pyramid at Huaca Pucllana. Lima's tasting menus are a highlight of the trip for food lovers. Go to bed early, since the flight to Cusco usually leaves in the morning.
Days 3–5: Sacred Valley
Fly from Lima to Cusco (CUZ), about an hour and a quarter. Drive straight down to the Sacred Valley, about one to one and a half hours. The valley sits at roughly 9,400 feet, lower and warmer than Cusco. Take the first afternoon slowly. Drink water, eat lightly and skip alcohol on the first night.
The hotels are the reason to linger. Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba has fireplace casitas on a working farm. Sol y Luna has stone casitas in gardens below the mountains. Explora Valle Sagrado is the all-inclusive splurge, with guided hikes and a spa in a colonial manor.
On day four, cycle or hike from the circular Inca terraces at Moray to the Maras salt pans, where thousands of pools step down the hillside. On day five, visit the Pisac market and climb to its ruins, or watch weavers in Chinchero dye alpaca wool with plants and insects. One of you might ride horses or raft the river while the other takes a spa morning.
Days 6–7: Machu Picchu
Drive to Ollantaytambo station and ride the train to Aguas Calientes, about one and a half hours along the Urubamba River. The Vistadome trains have glass roof panels for the mountain views. Belmond's Hiram Bingham train is the luxury splurge, with a dining car and brunch on board.
Check in, then take the bus up to the citadel for an afternoon visit, when the light is soft and the crowds start to thin. Stay at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel among orchids and hummingbirds, or at Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel by the river. The Sanctuary Lodge, a Belmond hotel at the gates of Machu Picchu, is the big splurge, letting you walk in at opening time.
On day seven, go back up early for a second visit with a different circuit. Climb Huayna Picchu for the view down on the ruins if you have booked the ticket, or walk to the Sun Gate, Intipunku, the classic end of the Inca Trail. Take an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy and transfer to Cusco.
Days 8–10: Cusco and Home
Cusco sits at 11,150 feet, so take day eight slowly even after a week in the Andes. Palacio Nazarenas, a Belmond hotel in a former convent built on Inca foundations, offers oxygen-enriched rooms and a heated outdoor pool. San Blas guesthouses cost far less and put you among the workshops and cafés on the hill.
Walk the cobbled streets to the Qorikancha, the Inca sun temple with a Spanish convent built on top. Look for the twelve-angled stone on Hatun Rumiyoc, then end the day at sunset at Sacsayhuamán, the zigzag fortress above the city, before walking down to dinner in San Blas.
Day nine is for markets, museums and a long lunch. Fit couples can take a day trip to Rainbow Mountain, though it climbs above 16,000 feet and is not for everyone. On day ten, fly from Cusco to Lima and connect to your flight home. Leave several hours between flights, since morning fog and afternoon winds can delay departures from Cusco.
Getting Between Stops
Fly Lima to Cusco (CUZ), about an hour and a quarter, with several airlines running frequent flights. Book morning departures, which are less likely to be delayed by weather.
From Cusco Airport, the drive to the Sacred Valley takes about one to one and a half hours. Most hotels arrange private transfers. From the valley, PeruRail and Inca Rail trains run from Ollantaytambo station to Aguas Calientes in about one and a half hours. Buses run from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu in about 25 minutes.
After Machu Picchu, take the train back to Ollantaytambo and drive to Cusco, about one and a half to two hours, or ride the train all the way to Poroy station near Cusco. Do not rent a car in Peru for this route. Drivers are cheap. Roads in the Andes are demanding.
Where to Stay
In Lima, stay in Miraflores for clifftop walks and restaurants, or in Barranco for a more bohemian feel.
In the Sacred Valley, choose a hotel with space and gardens, since this is your slow stretch. Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba and Sol y Luna are both excellent. Explora Valle Sagrado is the all-inclusive choice for couples who want hikes arranged for them.
At Machu Picchu, Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel and Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel are the best options in Aguas Calientes. The Sanctuary Lodge is the only hotel at the gates of the citadel and costs much more.
In Cusco, Palacio Nazarenas is the romantic splurge, with oxygen-enriched rooms that help with sleep at altitude. Boutique hotels in San Blas and near the Plaza de Armas cost less.
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When to Go
May to September is the dry season in the Andes, with clear skies, sunny days and cold nights that drop near freezing. It is also the busiest time, especially in June, July and August, so book Machu Picchu tickets and trains well ahead. Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of the sun, fills Cusco around June 24.
April and October are the shoulder months, with greener landscapes, fewer crowds and some rain.
November to March is the wet season, with afternoon downpours and the chance of landslides on the train route. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance, though Machu Picchu itself stays open. Lima is the opposite: sunniest from December to April and gray under coastal mist for much of the rest of the year.
What It Costs
Peru offers good value for a long-haul honeymoon. As an approximate guide, boutique hotels in Lima cost about $200 to $600 a night for two. Sacred Valley hotels such as Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba and Sol y Luna start around $450, while Explora Valle Sagrado is all inclusive and costs much more. In Aguas Calientes, expect about $500 to $650, with the Sanctuary Lodge around $1,800. Palacio Nazarenas in Cusco starts around $900.
Add Machu Picchu tickets, the bus up from Aguas Calientes, trains each way, a domestic flight to Cusco and back and private transfers. Guides are worth paying for at Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley sites.
A tasting menu at Central or Maido is one of the best-value splurges on the trip compared with similar meals at home.
Tips for the Two of You
Altitude affects everyone differently, regardless of fitness. Take the first day in the Andes slowly, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol at first and try the coca tea hotels offer. Talk to your doctor before the trip about altitude medication.
Pack layers for both of you: warm jackets for cold Andean nights, a rain shell, a sun hat and comfortable walking shoes with grip. The sun at altitude is strong, so bring high-SPF sunscreen. Bring your passport to Machu Picchu, since it is checked at the gate.
The route suits different interests. One of you might hike Huayna Picchu or ride horses in the valley while the other visits markets, takes a cooking class or books a spa treatment. In Cusco, use registered taxis or ones your hotel calls, especially at night.
Make It Shorter or Longer
With a week, skip Lima and fly straight into Cusco, connecting at Lima Airport. Spend three nights in the Sacred Valley, one at Machu Picchu and two in Cusco.
With two weeks, add three or four nights in Tambopata in the Amazon, a short flight from Cusco, for macaws, giant otters and caimans by flashlight. Another option is two nights at Lake Titicaca, reached by train or road from Cusco, for reed islands and altiplano sunsets.
For couples who want a beach, finish with a few nights in Máncora on the warm north coast, or spend two nights in Paracas south of Lima for desert, wildlife cruises and quiet seaside hotels. Keep at least one slow stretch of three nights in the same place.
FAQPlanning this trip
Is Peru good for a honeymoon?
Yes, for couples who want culture, food and scenery more than beaches. Peru has Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley's riverside lodges, Cusco's colonial streets and some of the world's best restaurants in Lima. The altitude needs planning, but the right order makes it manageable.
Why start in the Sacred Valley rather than Cusco?
The Sacred Valley sits at about 9,400 feet, lower than Cusco at 11,150 feet, so it is an easier place to adjust to altitude. Going straight there from Cusco Airport and saving the city for the end usually means better sleep and fewer headaches in the first days.
Should we stay overnight at Machu Picchu?
Yes, if you can. A night in Aguas Calientes or at the Sanctuary Lodge lets you visit twice, once in the afternoon and once early in the morning, often with fewer crowds. It also takes the pressure off train timings. Day trips from Cusco are possible but long and rushed.
How far ahead should we book Machu Picchu?
For May to September, book Machu Picchu tickets about three months ahead. Allow longer for Huayna Picchu. Tickets are sold by circuit and timed entry window. Book the tickets first, then trains, then hotels, so everything lines up.
Do we need to worry about altitude sickness?
It is worth planning for. Mild headaches and breathlessness are common at first, regardless of fitness. Start in the lower Sacred Valley, take the first day slowly, drink water and avoid alcohol early on. Speak to your doctor before the trip about medication, especially if either of you has a heart or lung condition.
