I just booked an 18 day trip to Peru and have no idea where to start!

I have a friend currently living in Lima, so that's my base - I'd like to begin and end my trip there. My friend rented a beach house for the summer so I'll spend some time there, but not too much - just to relax.

So my question is, aside from Lima and the beach, and of course machu pichu, what else is a can't miss?

I'm totally flexible - I'll fly from place to place, I'll take a bus, whatever is safe as I'm a young girl traveling alone.

Could you guys please recommend what else I should do? Where I should go? And how much time at each place? I need to start booking my transpertation - the rest I'll probably wing.

Thanks so much!!!

Well of course you will want to go to Cusco and then all of the Scared Valley and finally to Machu Picchu.

Get a private tour guide in Lima and see the best places in the City.

You might consider a side trip to the Amazon.

Your friend who lives there should really be able to suggest nearby places and town you and he can drive to .
Percy

With 18 days, you have time to see quite a bit. I'd highly recommend going to Lake Titicaca. Book an overnight homestay (I used AllWays tours and booked the trip over the internet). It's pretty cheap and definitely worth it. You'll need three nights for that part of the trip. Suggest taking a tourist bus (Inka Express was what we used) to Puno. Spend the night in Puno. Then you'll leave in the morning on the boat for a stop at the Uros Islands (made out of reeds) and then on to Amantani (or Taquile) to meet your family. It's really fun and if you book with AllWays or a similar group, you'll have others with you on the boat. It's a great trip. More details are in my trip report (Karen and Julie...), and there's also a link to my photos so you can get an idea of what we did. With 18 days, I might also try going to Arequipa (we didn't - but it looks cool). Good luck.

When I said suggest taking a tourist bus, I meant from Cusco, not Lima. Recommend flying from Lima to Cusco for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu portion of your trip. Then take the bus from Cusco to Puno. If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you so much guys! My mom just decided to come and meet me. So if we meet in Lima, spend 2 nights, then head to Cuzco, Machu Pichu, Lake Titicaca and the Sacred Valley how much time do we need? I can't find the Sacred Valley on a map - is that sort of mixed in with M.P.?
I really appreciate all your help. I think I'll do the amazon too, but with my friend - or would a trip to Chile be better?

The Sacred Valley is near Cusco. And yes, sort of on the way to Machu Picchu - although you have to take a train to get to MP. You can leave either from Cusco (train trip is 3 1/2 hours or so) or from Ollantaytambo - train trip is about an hour and a half, which is why I recommend staying in Ollanta and catching the train from there to MP. All this is and more regarding a recommended itinerary, hotels, etc., is detailed in my trip report - type "Karen and Julie" in the search box.
What we did is fly from Lima to Cusco, then transfer by car (we hired a guide - you can also get a taxi at the airport) to Ollantaytambo. Spend a couple nights there adjusting to the altitude and seeing the Sacred Valley sights. Then catch the train to MP for an overnight. Afterwards, train back to Ollanta and transfer to Cusco, or alternatively, take the train all the way back to Cusco. Spend a couple days there, then take the bus to Puno for the homestay on Lake Titicaca. If you have time, I'd go from there to Arequipa before going back to Lima. (We didn't do the Arequipa portion, but you have more time and could certainly work it in.) Hope this helps.