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Where to Go in 2026: Our Expert Picks
Our 2026 picks: Uganda, Kenya, Australia and Zambia, plus Guyana and Northern Albania. Places that cap visitor numbers and still feel wild if you plan them well.
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Most first trips to Peru cover the same four places: Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco. The order you see them in matters more than people expect, mostly because of altitude. Here is the route we recommend, how long to give each stop, how the trains and tickets work, and where to stay.
Cusco sits at about 3,400 meters. Most people feel that for the first day or two, with headaches, short breath and poor sleep. The Sacred Valley is lower, around 2,870 meters at Urubamba, and Machu Picchu is lower again at about 2,430 meters.
So the simplest way to handle the altitude is to start at sea level in Lima, fly to Cusco, and drive straight down to the valley without stopping in the city. You sleep lower for the first few nights, see Machu Picchu next, and only then move up to Cusco, when your body has had several days to adjust. Cusco at the end of a trip is a pleasure. Cusco on day one, straight off a flight from the coast, often is not.
A good first trip runs nine or ten days:
Our Peru by Belmond itinerary follows exactly this shape over nine days.
Most international flights land in Lima, often late in the day, so you need at least one night here anyway. We think it is worth a full day, mainly for the food. Central and Maido have both been named No. 1 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, and tables book up well ahead. You do not need a tasting menu to eat well, though. Ceviche at lunch and an evening walk in Barranco are just as much a part of it.
Stay in Miraflores, on the clifftop above the Pacific. Belmond Miraflores Park is our usual pick, calm and full-service, with Barranco close by. JW Marriott Hotel Lima is a good, practical alternative on the same stretch of the Malecón.
The Sacred Valley follows the Urubamba River for about 60 kilometers between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. It is greener and warmer than Cusco, and it is where you adjust. Two nights is the minimum. Three lets you see the main sites without rushing:
Where you stay here affects the train. Rio Sagrado, A Belmond Hotel is small and quiet, above the river, about 30 minutes from Ollantaytambo station. Tambo del Inka is a larger resort with its own station, so you can board the train to Machu Picchu from the hotel. Sonesta Posadas del Inca Sacred Valley is a sensibly priced option in a restored former monastery in Yucay.
There is no road to Machu Picchu. Trains run along the Urubamba to Aguas Calientes, the town below the ruins, and buses take you up to the entrance in about 25 minutes. There are a few ways to do the train.
From the Sacred Valley, most travelers take PeruRail's Vistadome from Ollantaytambo. It has panoramic windows and glass-domed carriages, and PeruRail puts the trip at about an hour and 45 minutes. This is the practical choice and the one we book most.
The Hiram Bingham, a Belmond Train, is the luxury option, with two dining cars and two bar cars. On current timetables it runs daily except the last Sunday of each month. From May to December it leaves from Poroy station, about 20 minutes outside Cusco. From January to April it leaves from the Sacred Valley instead, usually from Belmond's own station at Rio Sagrado, and travelers coming from Cusco connect by road. The fare includes the bus up to the citadel, and meals are served on board. Seasons and stations can change from year to year, so we confirm them when we book.
We like it on the way back, so dinner on board rounds off the Machu Picchu part of the trip. We crossed the Andes by train to Machu Picchu ourselves, and the ride is worth planning around.
A day trip from the valley works, but it is rushed. One night at Machu Picchu lets you visit twice, in the afternoon after you arrive and again early the next morning, and leaves room for a mountain hike if you have tickets for one.
Entry is by timed ticket, and you choose a circuit, a set route through the site, when you book. In 2026 there are three main circuits, and some routes, such as the Inca Bridge, open only in high season. Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain are separate tickets that sell out early. Tickets are sold through the Ministry of Culture's official site, and you need your passport at the gate. Daily visitor numbers are capped.
These rules have changed several times in the last few years, and they will likely change again. The safe approach is to buy tickets as soon as your dates are fixed. For July and August, that means months ahead.
By the time you reach Cusco, you have been at altitude for several days, and the city is much easier to enjoy. Two nights is enough for the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral, Qorikancha, the San Blas lanes and Sacsayhuamán. Three gives you a slower pace and more time to eat.
Stay in the historic center, so you can walk everywhere. We stayed at Palacio Nazarenas, A Belmond Hotel, a former palace and convent on Inca foundations, and it is still one of our favorite hotels anywhere. Its suites have oxygen-enriched air, and it has a heated outdoor pool, rare in Cusco. Its sister hotel Monasterio, a former seminary, shares the same small square. Other good options include Inkaterra La Casona, a small manor house hotel, and JW Marriott El Convento Cusco and Palacio del Inka for larger full-service hotels.
May to September is the dry season in the Andes, with clear skies and cold nights. June, July and August are the busiest months. November to March is the wet season, greener and quieter, with afternoon rain on most days. April and October are good shoulder months. The classic Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance, but the site itself stays open.
Two extensions work well. Tambopata, in the Amazon, is a short flight from Cusco and a complete change after the mountains, with macaw clay licks and giant otters. Lake Titicaca, at about 3,812 meters, is best added after Cusco, once you are well used to the altitude.
If you would like help planning a trip to Peru, get in touch.
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