Plan it right
Altitude, explained
Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres. Your lungs will notice before you do. Here's what altitude does, how we plan around it, and a tool to see how your own route climbs.
General guidance, not medical advice.
Everyone reacts to altitude differently and fitness doesn't protect you. Talk to your doctor before you travel, especially about medication, pregnancy, children, or any heart or lung condition. All altitudes on this site are approximate (verify).
What happens up there
The higher you go, the less oxygen each breath carries. Above roughly 2,500 metres, many people notice it: a headache, breathlessness on stairs, a racing heart, poor sleep or less appetite. This is usually mild and settles over a day or two as your body adjusts.
A small number of people get more serious altitude illness. Tell your guide straight away if symptoms get worse, or if you notice confusion, breathlessness at rest or trouble walking straight. Going lower is the main treatment, and our team can arrange it at any hour.
How high is it?
- Low (0–1,500 m)No altitude effects expected.
- Moderate (1,500–2,500 m)Few people notice it. A good place to sleep while you adjust.
- High (2,500–3,500 m)Most people notice it at first. Take the first day easy and drink plenty of water.
- Very high (above 3,500 m)Sleep here only after acclimatising lower down. Go slowly.
How we plan
Five rules we always follow
- 1
Sleep lower first
Start in the Sacred Valley (about 2,800–2,900 m) rather than Cusco (about 3,400 m). Around 500 metres makes a real difference on night one.
- 2
Climb in steps
Go up gradually. As a rough rule, mountain guides avoid adding much more than 300–500 m of sleeping altitude per night once above 3,000 m.
- 3
Take day one easy
Walk slowly, rest in the afternoon, eat light, drink water and go easy on alcohol.
- 4
Save the highest days
Rainbow Mountain, Salkantay Pass and Laguna 69 come after several nights at altitude, never at the start.
- 5
Go lower to recover
The Amazon and the coast are low and kind to tired lungs. If symptoms worsen, the answer is to descend.
Why order matters
Two ways to start, compared
Both journeys see the same places. The difference is which night is your first in the mountains.
- Low 0–1,500 m
- Moderate 1,500–2,500 m
- High 2,500–3,500 m
- Very high 3,500 m+
- Day's high point
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys on the chart to see each night. Altitudes are approximate (verify). This is general guidance, not medical advice.
- Low 0–1,500 m
- Moderate 1,500–2,500 m
- High 2,500–3,500 m
- Very high 3,500 m+
- Day's high point
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys on the chart to see each night. Altitudes are approximate (verify). This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Try it
Build your route, see its altitude
Add stops, set the nights and reorder them. The chart shows the altitude of every night, with simple warnings when a route climbs too fast.
Your stops
- 1night
- 2nights
- 3night
- 4nights
- 5nights
- Low 0–1,500 m
- Moderate 1,500–2,500 m
- High 2,500–3,500 m
- Very high 3,500 m+
- Day's high point
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys on the chart to see each night. Altitudes are approximate (verify). This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Show as a table
| Day | Sleep | Sleep altitude | High point | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Lima | ~150 m · Low | — | — |
| Day 2 | Sacred Valley | ~2,870 m · High | — | — |
| Day 3 | Sacred Valley | ~2,870 m · High | — | — |
| Day 4 | Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) | ~2,040 m · Moderate | — | — |
| Day 5 | Cusco | ~3,400 m · High | — | — |
| Day 6 | Cusco | ~3,400 m · High | — | — |
| Day 7 | Cusco | ~3,400 m · High | — | — |
| Day 8 | Lake Titicaca & Puno (Uros, Taquile) | ~3,830 m · Very high | — | — |
| Day 9 | Lake Titicaca & Puno (Uros, Taquile) | ~3,830 m · Very high | — | — |
This route climbs gradually. Nicely paced.
The builder shows sleeping altitudes only, not passes or day trips. General guidance, not medical advice: talk to your doctor before travel.
Altitudes at a glance
| Place | Approx. altitude (verify) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Paracas & the Ballestas Islands | ~5 m | |
| Máncora | ~5 m | |
| Trujillo & Chan Chan | ~35 m | |
| Iquitos | ~105 m | |
| Lima | ~150 m | Most of the city sits between sea level and about 160 m |
| Tambopata | ~200 m | |
| Manu | ~350 m | The road in descends from Andean passes above 3,500 m through cloud forest to lowland lodges around 300–500 m |
| Huacachina | ~400 m | |
| The Nazca Lines | ~520 m | |
| Arequipa & Colca Canyon | ~2,335 m | Arequipa about 2,335 m; Colca villages about 3,400–3,650 m; the road crosses a pass near 4,900 m |
| Chachapoyas & Kuélap | ~2,335 m | Chachapoyas about 2,335 m; Kuélap fortress about 3,000 m |
| Machu Picchu | ~2,430 m | The citadel is about 2,430 m; Aguas Calientes, the town below, is about 2,040 m |
| Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray | ~2,870 m | Valley floor roughly 2,800–2,900 m; Moray and Maras sit higher, around 3,300–3,500 m |
| Huaraz & the Cordillera Blanca | ~3,050 m | |
| Cusco | ~3,400 m | |
| Lake Titicaca & Puno (Uros, Taquile) | ~3,830 m | Puno and the lake surface are about 3,800–3,830 m |
| The Inca Trail & Salkantay | ~4,215 m | Highest point on the Classic Inca Trail is Dead Woman's Pass (about 4,215 m); Salkantay Pass is about 4,600 m |
| Rainbow Mountain | ~5,000 m | The viewpoint is roughly 5,000–5,200 m: higher than anywhere else most visitors go |
Want us to check your route?
Send us your plan and your Peru Specialist will suggest the order, the nights and the pace that suit you.