In previous articles, Traveling & Living in Peru has outlined a myriad of options available for a Peru itinerary of 1 week, depending on what you want to visit.
First, we gave you an option to visit Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu followed with another one-week Peru tour that included not only the Inca citadel, but also the Amazon jungle.
However, for those who are interested in only discovering the southern part of the country, we have compiled what you need to know about the destinations Nazca, Colca Canyon, and Lake Titicaca.
Your upcoming Land of the Incas adventure starts here:
An Overview of Your Week in Southern Peru
Here’s how we recommend you spend your seven days in the southern part of the country:
Day 1: Arrive at the Paracas Reserve and stay overnight in Ica.
Day 2: Visit the Nazca Lines. Then, take a bus to Arequipa and spend the night there.
Day 3: Travel to the Colca Canyon. Stay overnight in Chivay.
Day 4: Visit Colca Canyon and Arequipa. Stay another night in Arequipa.
Day 5: Take a bus tour to Puno for a city tour. Overnight stay here.
Day 6: Visit the floating islands in Lake Titicaca. While there, boat to the island Taquile, and stay overnight in the city.
Day 7: Depart from Puno.
The southern region of Peru has incredible scenery and this itinerary promises to show you the highlights. So, how do we recommend you cover it?
First Leg of the Trip: Lima to Paracas to Arequipa
Once you arrive in Lima, you can take a trip by land for 3.5 hours to the Paracas Reserve. Here you will have a chance to experience the Ballestas Islands, where you will get to observe sea lions, penguins, and more in their natural habitat!
On your second day, you will have the chance to travel through the Ica desert and take a morning flight over the Nazca Lines, ancient geoglyphs believed to have been drawn between 700 and 1,200 BC. Once finished, take a bus to Arequipa – famed the White City – to explore and spend the evening.
Second Leg of the Trip: Colca Canyon
After leaving Arequipa on your third day, you will have a chance to experience the splendor of a canyon that is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, known as Colca Canyon. Afterwards, spend the night in the quaint pueblo Chivay, indulging in the town thermal baths.
On the morning of the fourth day, if you wake up early enough, you will get a chance to revel in the sight of the condors taking flight as the sunlight kisses the rolling hills. This impressionable sight is sure to leave a lasting impression as you travel back to Arequipa later that day for your overnight stay.
Last Leg of the Trip: Puno
Take a bus from Arequipa to Puno on day 5 and enjoy a city tour of this folkloric capital. You will stay overnight here to enjoy more of what this city has to offer visitors the next day.
On day 6, take a tour to the man-made floating islands on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable body of water worldwide. You will have the opportunity to tour other, culture-rich islands on Titicaca, such as Taquile, where you will spend the night.
On the last day of your 1 week in Peru, you will boat back to Puno from Taquile. Once in Puno, you will be able to catch a flight to Lima and then back home, if you desire.
