Maras Salt Mines, Sacred Valley Peru.. All photography is ours.
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Peru with Kids
If you’re planning Peru with kids, build the trip around Machu Picchu and give the Sacred Valley the rest of the week. We went over a spring break, and worked backward from Aguas Calientes through Ollantaytambo and Urubamba up to Cusco, so everyone could adjust to the altitude. It rained at the citadel, and we were lucky to get there at all and not miss our entry, but it’s one of those trips that you’ll talk about for a long time.
Peru is kid friendly and affordable, and the llamas and alpacas do most the work of keeping the kids excited. You could easily spend more time exploring here, but you can cover the highlights in a week.
Destination guide · Updated November 2026 · Last visited March 2017
Best months
April–May, Sept–Oct
Fly into
LIM, then CUZ
How long
A week for Cusco and the Sacred Valley, 10 with Lima
Getting around
Taxis, drivers, and the train to Machu Picchu
Book ahead
Machu Picchu entry · PeruRail or Inca Rail · Inca Trail permits
When we sat down to plan a spring break trip, Peru somehow shot to the top of the list. Machu Picchu was the reason of course, and taking the kids to an Incan citadel high in the Andes where llamas and alpacas roam free was a no brainer. We flew into Cusco, went straight down into the Sacred Valley to acclimate, took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, and rode the bus up the switchbacks to the citadel. We explored on our own, got rained on, and loved every minute.
The rest of the week was the Sacred Valley and Cusco, and our 50 things post has everything we did and everything we wished we’d had time for, from the Eye of the Jaguar Zipline to the Plaza de Armas. You have lots of options with Peru, so if you can explore more, do it.
Your Peru guide
Enjoy exploring Peru with kids!
Keep scrolling for the essentials, three trip itineraries, and where to stay.
Essential Peru
Why we love Peru
We think you’ll love it too.
Peru is where we’d send a family that wants a real adventure without a real hassle. This one takes some planning, but once you’re there, it’s really kid friendly. The people here are warm and welcoming and the history is literally like no other country on Earth. Book plenty of guided tours and let the pros handle the details, and you’ll get the most out of your trip. Scroll down for more essential Peru.
Machu Picchu Guide
Machu Picchu will take your breath away, and not just from the altitude and the climbing. We explored in the rain and left with more awe than answers. Read our guide for tickets, trains, and timing.
Aguas Calientes Guide
Aguas Calientes is the town at the base of the mountain, with hot springs for tired legs, a market, and a French bakery. Sleep here to catch an early bus up.
The Sacred Valley Guide
Maras, Moray, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac make up the Sacred Valley. Our 50 things to do post works backward from Machu Picchu toward Cusco, which is the right order for the altitude.
And the rest we’d cross the country for
Ollantaytambo Guide
Ollantaytambo is a living Inca town with ruins you can climb and the train station for Machu Picchu. It’s thirty minutes from Urubamba.
Maras and Moray Guide
Maras has thousands of salt pans on a hillside, and Moray has circular Incan terraces that were an agricultural laboratory. Kids love both, and they make a half day together.
Pisac Guide
Pisac has ruins above the town and the best market in the valley below. Haggle a little!
Sacsayhuamán Guide
Sacsayhuamán has massive stone walls above Cusco. There’s a natural rock slide the kids will find on their own.
The Inca Trail
The Inca Trail takes four days through the jungle to the Sun Gate, and it’s best for fit families with older teens. Only 500 permits are issued a day, so book early and research how your tour company treats its porters.
Lima
Most flights connect through Lima. A day in Miraflores and Barranco for the food and the cliffs is on our list.
Rainbow Mountain
Rainbow Mountain is a high-altitude day hike from Cusco to a striped mountain. Save it for after you’ve acclimated, and only for kids who like to hike.
The Amazon
Puerto Maldonado is a short flight from Cusco and the easy way into the jungle with kids. It’s on our list for the next trip.
Browse
Find your next adventure in Peru
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Routes
Three Peru trip itineraries
One country gives you three very different trips. Choose the Sacred Valley loop we did, a longer version with Lima, or Cusco plus the jungle. See all the best stops on a map.
Start
Urubamba and Ollantaytambo
Fly into Cusco and drive straight down into the valley to acclimate. Maras, Moray, and the Ollantaytambo ruins. Our 50 things covers the valley.
Then head to
Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu
Ride the train from Ollantaytambo, sleep in town, and take an early bus up. Our guide has the ticket types and how to buy them.
Finish
Cusco
Spend two or three days here at the end, once the altitude is easier. See Sacsayhuamán, the plaza, and the Choco Museo.
Start
Lima
Spend one or two nights on the coast. Head to Miraflores for the cliffs and the food, then catch the early flight to Cusco.
Then head to
The Sacred Valley
Stay three nights in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo. It’s the same loop as above, at sea level recovery pace.
Finish
Machu Picchu and Cusco
Ride the train up and the bus up, then finish in Cusco. Fly home through Lima.
Start
Cusco and Machu Picchu
This is the week above, compressed into five nights between the valley, the citadel, and the city.
Then head to
Puerto Maldonado
It’s a forty minute flight from Cusco to the jungle. Lodges on the Tambopata River run two and three night packages with boats and guides.
Finish
Lima
Fly back through Lima and give it a night if you can. We haven’t done the jungle yet.
When to go
Time your visits with the weather and the region
We went in March, the tail end of rainy season, and it sprinkled or rained every afternoon. It never stopped us, but the stone steps get slippery and the camera needed a jacket. Dry season, June through September, is high season and tickets sell out. The shoulder months are the sweet spot.
Swipe the chart sideways to see the full year.
April – May
The rains taper off, the valley is green, and the crowds haven’t arrived. This is our pick.
June – September
This is dry season and peak season. Expect clear skies at the citadel and tickets that sell out weeks ahead. Book entry, train, and hotel as a set.
September – October
It’s still dry, with fewer people and the same daytime temperatures. This is the other window we’d choose.
November – March
Rainy season, and the Inca Trail closes in February. We went in March and it worked. Pack a light rain jacket and layers, and expect afternoon showers.
Where to stay
Pick a good base to start your Peru adventure
Sleep low first and go up slowly. Here’s where we’d stay for each.
Valley trips
Urubamba and Ollantaytambo
Urubamba is the quiet hub of the valley with hotels from B&Bs to luxury resorts. Ollantaytambo is smaller and right at the train station. Either one is lower than Cusco, which matters on night one.
- Our Sacred Valley guide
- Urubamba for choice, Ollantaytambo for the train
- Skylodge if you want to sleep on a cliff
Machu Picchu trips
Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes has everything from backpacker hostels to luxury lodges at the base of the mountain. One night is enough to catch an early bus up before the day trippers arrive.
- Our Machu Picchu guide
- Near the bus stop for the early line
- Book the same day as your entry ticket
City trips
Cusco
Stay near the Plaza de Armas or in San Blas and walk everywhere, slowly. Chain hotels exist for points, and the historic conversions around the plaza are the splurge.
- Near the plaza for walking
- San Blas for the artsy side
- Two or three nights, at the end
Good to know
Questions families ask us about Peru
Peru at a glance
The practical stuff families ask us before they book.
Language: Spanish, plus Quechua and Aymara
Population: About 34 million
Capital: Lima
Currency: Peruvian sol (PEN)
Power outlet: Types A and C, 220 V
Time difference: Same as Central (summer)
Entry for US passports: Visa-free, typically up to 90 days
Driving: On the right, but hire a driver
Emergency number: 911
Tipping: About 10 percent at restaurants
Go low first. We flew into Cusco (11,000 feet) and drove straight down to the Sacred Valley, around 9,000. Then we worked our way to Machu Picchu at 8,000 and saved Cusco for the end. Have everyone drink plenty of water and take the first day slow.
As soon as you know your dates. Entry is limited and split into timed circuits, and in dry season it sells out. Buy the entry ticket first, then match the train and hotel to it. Our guide walks through the ticket types and where to buy them.
Yes, it is. Ours climbed all over it and were still asking questions on the train back. There are steep stone steps with no railings in places, so hold hands with little ones. Skip Huayna Picchu unless your kids are older and steady. The llamas help with morale.
We explored on our own and it worked for us, but a guide adds a lot of history for the price. If you want one, book through your hotel or at the gate. The Inca Trail requires a licensed guide and a permit.
Lima (LIM) is the international gateway, then a ninety minute flight to Cusco (CUZ). Most families connect straight through. If you can, add a night in Lima on the way home rather than at the start, so the altitude days come first.
No, they don’t. A passport gets you in as a tourist, typically for up to 90 days. Keep the paper or digital entry record, because hotels sometimes ask for it.
Map
Essential Peru, mapped
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