The Best of Peru in 10 Days

Take a half-day walking tour to dive into Lima's history and get your geographical bearings. Learn more about Peru's capital city and explore important sights like the Presidential Palace and the catacombs of the San Francisco Monastery.

Explore the vibrant Miraflores neighborhood in the morning, taking a stroll through the mosaic-lined, coastal Love Park; shop at Larcomar; and visit the city's pre-Hispanic ruins at Huaca Pucllana. In the afternoon, go gallery hopping and listen to live music in the artsy Barranco neighborhood.

Fly to Puerto Maldonado to experience the wonders of the Amazon. Stay at Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion, which will provide transportation from the airport, and includes all your meals and multiple daily excursions on foot and by boat to see local flora, fauna, and animals.

Wake up to the sounds of howler monkeys outside your luxury cabana. Go out on several more excursions with Inkaterra, split up by excellent meals, and a spa treatment if that's your modus operandi.

Go out on the canopy walkways excursion for an aerial view of the Amazon. Then, relax at the hotel in the afternoon, taking in the peace and quiet of your surroundings. At night, take a walking excursion looking for nocturnal animals and bugs.

Pay for the pre-sunrise tour to see the Macaw clay licks. If you're lucky, you'll see a pandemonium of colorful macaws eating the mineral-rich clay. Then, take an afternoon flight to Cusco.

There are so many Incan ruins surrounding Cusco, so take a guided half-day tour of Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Puca Pucara, and Tambomachay. You'll also get to learn about authentic alpaca and vicuña products and meet a few animals as well.

Head out to Sacred Valley on a guided tour to the town of Ollantaytambo, the still-active Maras Salt Mines, the Incan agricultural terraces of Moray, and Chinchero to learn about Incan weaving practices. Spend the night in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba because tomorrow ... you're waking up early for Machu Picchu!

Embark on a day trip to Machu Picchu, stopping in the town of Aguascalientes where you'll meet your guide and catch the bus up to the entrance. Walk through the ruins of the fortress, learning about Incan civilization, with the scenic Andes as the backdrop. Return to Cusco for the night.

Spend your last morning exploring downtown Cusco before you depart. There are many vibrant plazas, churches, and local markets to visit, and it's very easy to navigate on foot.