Lima
Cusco
Machu Picchu
Peru · Multi-city itinerary
Peru itinerary — March 2027
By Tripsapien Research · Updated May 20, 2026
March 2027 is a shoulder-season time for the Peru trip (Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu). Daytime highs run from about 20°C / 68°F to 27°C / 81°F across the stops. Plan around 6–8 days for the full Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu loop. Tripsapien checks every place on your list against your exact dates — hours, closures and booking pressure at each stop.
The route
About 6–8 days · 2 cities
Peru's essential route: the coastal capital Lima with its acclaimed food scene, the Inca-and-colonial city of Cusco high in the Andes, and the cloud-forest citadel of Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley beyond.
Lima
Lima in March
Temperature
81°F / 69°F
27.3°C / 20.3°C
Precipitation
1d
0in · 0mm
Daylight
12.1h
Sea
68.4°F
20.2°C
March remains summery and dry, with Huaca Pucllana and Pachacamac best before midday sun.
March remains summery and dry, with Huaca Pucllana and Pachacamac best before midday sun.
City overview
Lima is Peru's Pacific capital, a desert-cliff city where pre-Inca adobe pyramids, Spanish monasteries, and world-class cevicherías sit under the winter garúa mist. Miraflores is the practical visitor base on the Costa Verde cliffs, Barranco gives the bohemian night-and-gallery layer, and the Centro Histórico holds the UNESCO colonial core around Plaza Mayor.
Food & drink
Lima is built around ceviche, tiradito, lomo saltado, anticuchos, causa limeña, ají de gallina, arroz con mariscos, and picarones. Mercado No. 1 de Surquillo, Mercado Central, La Mar in Miraflores, and Barranco food tours make the city's seafood, criollo, Nikkei, and chifa layers easy to sample.
Top sights
Ranked for March suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Puente de los Suspiros
- 2Circuito Mágico del Agua
- 3Parque del Amor
- 4Larcomar and Miraflores Clifftop Parks
- 5Museo Larco
- 6Plaza Mayor and Lima Cathedral
- 7Monastery of San Francisco and Catacombs
- 8Huaca Pucllana
- 9Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI)
- 10Parque Kennedy
1Puente de los Suspiros
4.6★ · 24,382outdoorBarranco opened the wooden Bridge of Sighs in 1876 above the Bajada de Baños path to the sea. Bars, murals, the municipal library, and the small Ermita church cluster around it.
2Circuito Mágico del Agua
4.5★ · 83,362outdoorOpen dailyThe illuminated fountain park opened in 2007 inside Parque de la Reserva, a 1929 public park between central Lima and Lince. Night shows mix water jets, lasers, and music a short taxi ride from Miraflores.
3Parque del Amor
4.5★ · 30,628outdoorOpen dailyMiraflores opened this Gaudí-inspired clifftop park in 1993 around Víctor Delfín's El Beso sculpture. It overlooks the Costa Verde surf breaks and is a short walk from Larcomar.
Wikipedia
Show 7 more sights
- 4Larcomar and Miraflores Clifftop Parks
- 5Museo Larco
- 6Plaza Mayor and Lima Cathedral
- 7Monastery of San Francisco and Catacombs
- 8Huaca Pucllana
- 9Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI)
- 10Parque Kennedy
Neighborhoods
1Miraflores
Miraflores is the easiest visitor district, with Parque Kennedy, Larcomar, Huaca Pucllana, the Malecón, hotels, cevicherías, and surf views in one safe grid.
2Barranco
Barranco feels artistic and late-night, with the Puente de los Suspiros, Bajada de Baños, Museo Pedro de Osma, street murals, and peñas near Avenida Grau.
3Centro Histórico
Central Lima is colonial and busy, with Plaza Mayor, San Francisco, Jirón de la Unión, Casa de la Literatura, and restored balconies amid heavy traffic.
4San Isidro
San Isidro is Lima's business-and-park district, anchored by the olive grove Bosque El Olivar, embassies, offices, restaurants, and hotels north of Miraflores.
5Pueblo Libre
Pueblo Libre is museum-focused and quieter, with Museo Larco, the National Archaeology Museum, old taverns, and republican houses west of the center.
6Callao and La Punta
Callao adds port history, Real Felipe fortress, Monumental Callao galleries, and La Punta seafood, but visitors should use taxis and avoid wandering unfamiliar blocks after dark.
Getting around
The Metropolitano BRT connects Miraflores, Barranco, and the center more reliably than surface traffic, while Metro Line 1 is useful mainly for eastern and southern districts. Taxis and rideshares are the practical choice at night, to Callao, or between Miraflores hotels and Barranco restaurants.
Cusco
Cusco in March
Temperature
69°F / 46°F
20.3°C / 7.9°C
Precipitation
13d
4.3in · 110mm
Daylight
12.1h
March is still wet but improving, with ruins visits best started early before afternoon storms.
March is still wet but improving, with ruins visits best started early before afternoon storms.
City overview
Cusco sits at about 3,400m in the Andes, where Inca stonework, Spanish churches, San Blas lanes, and Sacred Valley logistics all meet. The first-trip map is Plaza de Armas and the historic center for museums and churches, San Blas for artisan streets, and the Sacsayhuaman ridge for the closest archaeological sites.
Food & drink
Cusco food reads like a high-altitude Andean map: cuy is usually roasted or fried whole, rocoto relleno stuffs a hot pepper with seasoned meat, and chiri uchu is a cold Corpus Christi festival plate with guinea pig, chicken, sausage, cheese, seaweed, and corn. San Pedro Market, San Blas cafes, Plaza de Armas dining rooms, and picanteria-style lunches add alpaca, quinoa soup, lomo saltado, tamales, choclo con queso, and coca tea.
Top sights
Ranked for March suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Qorikancha and Santo Domingo
- 2Cusco Cathedral
- 3Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco
- 4Museo Inka
- 5San Blas
- 6Plaza de Armas
- 7Sacsayhuaman
- 8Twelve-Angled Stone
- 9Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay
- 10San Pedro Market
1Qorikancha and Santo Domingo
4.7★ · 19,996indoorOpen dailyThe Inca Temple of the Sun was overbuilt by the Santo Domingo convent, leaving precise stone walls visible inside the colonial complex. It stands a short walk southeast of Plaza de Armas.
2Cusco Cathedral
4.6★ · 2,098indoorOpen dailyThe cathedral was built from the 16th to 17th centuries on the site of an Inca palace. Its chapels, carved choir, paintings, and silver altar define the Spanish layer of the plaza.
Wikipedia
3Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco
4.6★ · 398indoorClosed SunThe textile center documents Andean weaving traditions, community techniques, and regional clothing. It stands near Avenida El Sol and is a good source for non-generic souvenirs.
Show 7 more sights
- 4Museo Inka
- 5San Blas
- 6Plaza de Armas
- 7Sacsayhuaman
- 8Twelve-Angled Stone
- 9Qenqo, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay
- 10San Pedro Market
Neighborhoods
1Centro Historico
The historic center is dense, high, and walkable, with Plaza de Armas, cathedral, Qorikancha, museums, arcades, hotels, and constant tour movement.
2San Blas
San Blas is steep and artistic, with workshops, cafes, galleries, viewpoints, guesthouses, and stone lanes that punish rushed altitude pacing.
3San Pedro and Santiago
Southwest of the plaza, San Pedro and Santiago feel market-driven and local, with the food hall, rail tracks, busier commerce, and cheaper eats.
4San Cristobal and Sacsayhuaman slope
The upper slopes above the center are quiet and scenic, with church viewpoints, stairs, ruins access, and strong sunsets over Cusco roofs.
5Avenida El Sol and Wanchaq
This modern spine has banks, agencies, hotels, transit offices, the Qorikancha edge, and practical services beyond the old lanes.
6Lucrepata and Recoleta
East of San Blas, these residential hills add guesthouses, cafes, views, and a calmer base for travelers staying longer before treks.
Getting around
Cusco historic core is walkable but steep, and taxis or colectivos are useful for Sacsayhuaman, bus terminals, Poroy station, and Sacred Valley departures. Spend the first day slow at altitude before booking hard hikes or dawn departures.
Don't-miss stops along the way
Machu Picchu
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is reached from Cusco via the Sacred Valley and a train to Aguas Calientes — the centrepiece of every Peru itinerary.
Best time to do the Peru trip
In March, the Peru trip runs daytime highs from 20°C / 68°F to 27°C / 81°F, with nights down to about 8°C / 46°F at the coolest stop. It is one of the wetter months, with up to 13 rainy days at the wettest stop. Weighed across both stops, March is a shoulder-season time to travel.
The most comfortable months across Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu are May, June and July, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at every stop. March 2027 is a quieter shoulder season to go.
Check this route against your dates
Tripsapien starts with the sights on this page or places you paste, then checks hours, closures, booking pressure and neighborhoods for your exact March dates — across every city on the Peru trip.
Plan this Peru tripCommon questions about the Peru trip
- When is the best time to do the Peru trip?
- The most comfortable months across Lima, Cusco are May, June and July, based on average daytime temperatures and rainfall at each stop. March is a shoulder-season time — see the per-stop weather below for the exact picture in March 2027.
- How many days do you need for the Peru trip?
- A comfortable Peru trip runs about 6–8 days, allowing roughly Lima 3, Cusco 3 nights plus travel between stops. Add a day if you want a slower pace or extra day trips.
- What's the route for the Peru trip?
- The classic order is Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is the standout side-trip along the way. Each city below has its own March weather, events and top-sights list.
- Will the sights be open during my March Peru trip?
- Opening days and hours vary by weekday, season and public holiday, and they differ from city to city on a multi-stop trip. Paste your Peru list into Tripsapien and it checks every place in Lima, Cusco against your exact dates, flagging closures and what needs booking ahead before you go.