Inca Empire: La Paz to Lima (Self-Launched)
15 days · Bolivia & Peru
G Adventures charges £1,560
No-markup version: ~£900 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 15-day "Inca Empire" trip, running from La Paz across the altiplano to Lake Titicaca, through Cusco and the Sacred Valley, and finishing with a self-booked 4-day Inca Trail trek into Machu Picchu. You'll use local buses and shared vans for the Bolivia–Peru legs, family-run guesthouses and hostels instead of group hotels, locally-run Titicaca homestays and Sacred Valley cooperatives in place of the operator's partner projects, and a licensed Inca Trail agency (which supplies guide, cook, porters and permits) for the trek. All costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP — high season (May–Sept) and permit availability will push trek and transport figures up.
Day-by-day
Arrive La Paz — acclimatise at 3,600m
La Paz, Bolivia
Land at El Alto, take a shared minibus or taxi (~£4-6) down into the bowl of La Paz. Go slow on day one — you're at 3,600m. Check into a hostel in Sopocachi or the historic centre, drink coca tea, and take an evening ride on the Mi Teleférico cable car (~£0.40 a ride) for sunset views over the city and Illimani. Book your Tiahuanaco tour and bus ticket to Copacabana for tomorrow/next day.
🚌Shared minibus/taxi from El Alto airport ~£5; cable car ~£1
🛏Hostel private double or 4-bed dorm, Sopocachi (approx £14 pp)
- →Mi Teleférico cable car ride
- →Witches' Market wander (Mercado de las Brujas)
- →Acclimatisation and coca tea
Tiahuanaco pre-Incan ruins
Tiahuanaco, Bolivia
Join a shared day tour or local bus to the Tiahuanaco archaeological site (~72km from La Paz). Half-day tours leave from central agencies for around £15-20 including transport and a Spanish/English guide; the local bus from La Paz's cemetery bus terminal is ~£1 each way plus ~£8 entry. See the Gate of the Sun, Kalasasaya temple and the monoliths. Back in La Paz by late afternoon — optional Death Road mountain biking can be booked for a spare day if you have one.
🚌Shared tour van or local bus ~£3-10 return
🛏Hostel private double or 4-bed dorm, Sopocachi (approx £14 pp)
- →Tiahuanaco ruins guided visit
- →Gate of the Sun and Kalasasaya
- →Optional: Death Road biking (~£40)
Bus across the altiplano to Copacabana and Puno
La Paz → Copacabana → Puno, Peru
Take an early tourist bus from La Paz to Copacabana (~3.5hrs, ~£6), cross the Straits of Tiquina by ferry, then continue on the same or a connecting bus to the Yunguyo/Kasani border and on to Puno (~£8-10 total). Border formalities are straightforward; keep your entry stamp for Peru. Arrive Puno on the shore of Lake Titicaca by evening, check into a guesthouse near the plaza, and book your Uros/Amantaní homestay trip for tomorrow.
🚌Tourist bus La Paz–Copacabana–Puno ~£14-16, Tiquina ferry ~£0.50
🛏Guesthouse near Plaza de Armas, Puno (approx £12 pp)
- →Altiplano bus journey
- →Bolivia–Peru border crossing at Kasani
- →Lake Titicaca waterfront evening
Lake Titicaca boat trip and island homestay
Uros & Amantaní / Taquile, Lake Titicaca
Book a 2-day/1-night island homestay through a local Puno agency (~£35-45 including boat, meals and family stay) — this is the DIY equivalent of the operator's Titicaca homestay. Visit the floating reed islands of Uros en route, then stay with a Quechua-speaking family on Amantaní or Taquile. Hike to the island's Pachamama/Pachatata viewpoints, eat quinoa soup and trout with your hosts, and join an evening community dance if offered. Bring cash — there are no ATMs on the islands.
🚌Shared motorboat from Puno harbour (included)
🛏Family homestay on Amantaní or Taquile (included in tour price)
- →Uros floating islands visit
- →Family homestay on Amantaní/Taquile
- →Island hike to Pachatata viewpoint
Island morning, back to Puno — optional Sillustani
Lake Titicaca → Puno
Breakfast with your host family, then boat back to Puno by midday. In the afternoon, take a shared taxi or local combi to the Sillustani burial towers (~34km, ~£3-5 each way, entry ~£11) — pre-Inca chullpa tombs set above Lake Umayo. Alternatively rest up in Puno and prep for tomorrow's long bus. Buy your Cusco bus ticket tonight.
🚌Boat back to Puno (included), shared taxi to Sillustani ~£8 return
🛏Guesthouse near Plaza de Armas, Puno (approx £12 pp)
- →Return boat to Puno
- →Optional Sillustani chullpa burial towers
Full-day bus Puno to Cusco
Puno → Cusco
Take a tourist bus (Cruz del Sur or similar) from Puno to Cusco, roughly 7-8 hours and ~£12-18. Some services stop at Pukará, Raqchi and Andahuaylillas — a worthwhile upgrade for a few pounds. Arrive Cusco in the late afternoon, take a cheap taxi to your hostel in San Blas, and take it easy at 3,400m. Confirm your Inca Trail permit and briefing with your trek agency tonight.
🚌Tourist bus Puno–Cusco ~£15
🛏Hostel private double or dorm, San Blas, Cusco (approx £15 pp)
- →Scenic altiplano bus journey
- →Arrival in Cusco, San Blas orientation
- →Inca Trail briefing with your local agency
Free day in Cusco — museums, markets, cooking class
Cusco
Explore San Pedro market, Qorikancha and the Inca Museum (~£2.50). Buy the partial Boleto Turístico (~£27) if you want to see the Sacsayhuamán and Q'enqo ruins above town. In the afternoon, book a Cusco cooking class direct with a local school (~£25-35) — ceviche and lomo saltado. Sort any rental gear (sleeping bag ~£10, walking poles ~£7) from your trek agency, and pack for tomorrow.
🚌Walking; local taxis ~£3
🛏Hostel private double or dorm, San Blas, Cusco (approx £15 pp)
- →San Pedro market
- →Inca Museum / Qorikancha
- →Cusco cooking class
- →Trek gear rental and packing
Sacred Valley independently: Pisac and Ollantaytambo
Pisac → Urubamba → Ollantaytambo
Take a local combi from Cusco to Pisac (~£1.50, 1hr) for the famous Sunday-style market and the hilltop ruins, then another combi onward to Urubamba and Ollantaytambo (~£2). In Ollantaytambo visit the fortress and the cliffside storehouses (qollqas) on the opposite slope — a short but steep hike with huge valley views. Book a community-run textile or pottery visit in the valley through a local tour office (~£15-20) to replace the operator's weaving co-op stop, and eat lunch at a farm-to-table community restaurant in Lamay or Huchuy Qosqo. Overnight in Ollantaytambo.
🚌Collectivos Cusco–Pisac–Urubamba–Ollantaytambo ~£5 total
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (approx £15 pp)
- →Pisac market and ruins
- →Ollantaytambo fortress and storehouse hike
- →Community weaving or pottery visit
- →Farm-to-table lunch in the valley
Inca Trail Day 1: Km 82 to Wayllabamba
Inca Trail (Km 82 → Wayllabamba, 3,000m)
Your licensed trek agency picks you up in Ollantaytambo before dawn for the drive to Piscacucho/Km 82 (~£3 in the permit package). Start hiking around 8am — a gentle 12km day following the Urubamba river past the ruins of Llactapata and into the hills, camping at Wayllabamba. Porters carry up to 6kg of your gear in a duffel; you carry a daypack. Note: trail permits sell out months ahead and the trail closes each February — book through an official agency in Cusco or online well in advance.
🚌Agency van Ollantaytambo–Km 82, then hiking
🛏Camping (tent, cook and porters supplied by trek agency)
- →Inca Trail day 1 hike (~12km)
- →Llactapata ruins
- →Camp at Wayllabamba
Inca Trail Day 2: Dead Woman's Pass
Inca Trail (Wayllabamba → Pacaymayo, 3,600m)
The hardest day: a steep climb through cloud forest to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,198m, then a long descent to camp at Pacaymayo. Start early, drink water steadily, and go at your own pace — the pass is a mental test more than a technical one. Most trekkers reach camp by early afternoon. Hot food and soup at camp.
🚌Hiking ~11km with 1,200m of ascent
🛏Camping (tent, cook and porters supplied by trek agency)
- →Dead Woman's Pass (4,198m)
- →Cloud forest ascent and descent
- →Camp at Pacaymayo
Inca Trail Day 3: Two passes and cloud forest ruins
Inca Trail (Pacaymayo → Wiñay Wayna, 2,650m)
Cross the pass of Runkurakay (3,950m) with views to the Cordillera Vilcabamba, then descend through original Inca paving to the second pass at 3,700m and the ruins of Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca — the 'town above the clouds'. The trail then plunges down stone staircases into cloud forest to camp at Wiñay Wayna ('forever young'), with its terraced ruins right beside camp.
🚌Hiking ~16km
🛏Camping at Wiñay Wayna (tent, cook and porters supplied by trek agency)
- →Runkurakay and Sayacmarca ruins
- →Phuyupatamarca 'town above the clouds'
- →Wiñay Wayna ruins and camp
Sun Gate sunrise, Machu Picchu, train to Cusco
Machu Picchu → Aguas Calientes → Cusco
Leave camp pre-dawn to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) for first light over Machu Picchu, then descend for a 2-hour guided tour of the citadel with your trek guide (trail trekkers are assigned Circuit 3/5 entry). Take the bus or walk down to Aguas Calientes for lunch, then board the Expedition/PeruRail train toward Ollantaytambo (~£45-60 in high season) and a colectivo or bus onward to Cusco. Hot shower and a proper bed are well earned.
🚌Hiking; Machu Picchu–Aguas Calientes bus ~£10; train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo ~£50; colectivo to Cusco ~£4
🛏Hostel private double or dorm, San Blas, Cusco (approx £15 pp)
- →Sun Gate sunrise viewpoint
- →Guided Machu Picchu tour
- →Train through the Urubamba gorge
Cusco rest day and night bus to Lima
Cusco → Lima
Sleep in, then spend the day slowly: laundry, coffee in San Blas, a last browse of the artisan market, or a soak in the thermal baths if you want. In the evening take an overnight Cruz del Sur or similar bus to Lima (~20hrs, ~£30-40) — book a fully reclining 'cama' seat for the long haul, or fly Cusco–Lima (~£45-70) if you'd rather save a day.
🚌Night bus Cusco–Lima ~£35 (or flight ~£55)
🛏Overnight bus (or hostel in Cusco if flying, approx £15 pp)
- →Free day in Cusco
- →Laundry and trip admin
- →Overnight bus to Lima
Lima: Miraflores, Barranco and food
Lima
Arrive Lima in the morning and check into a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco. Walk the Malecón clifftop path, visit the Huaca Pucllana adobe pyramid (~£3), then take a taxi to Barranco for street art, the Bridge of Sighs and sunset over the Pacific. Book a Lima cooking class (~£25-35) or a ceviche-and-pisco tour through GetYourGuide if you fancy a structured evening. Keep valuables close in central Lima.
🚌Local taxis and combis ~£8
🛏Hostel private double or dorm, Miraflores/Barranco (approx £15 pp)
- →Malecón coastal walk
- →Huaca Pucllana
- →Barranco street art and sunset
- →Optional Lima cooking class
Depart Lima
Lima
Final breakfast of pan con chumbeque and coffee, a last wander through Miraflores market or the Parque del Amor, then a taxi or Airport Express bus to Jorge Chávez International Airport (~£5-10) for your international flight home. If you have a late flight, the Larco Museum is worth the detour.
🚌Airport Express bus or taxi ~£8
🛏—
- →Miraflores market
- →Optional Larco Museum
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£900 | £1,560 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £660 per person (42%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£900
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Inca Empire: La Paz to Lima (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £900 per person for 15 days in Bolivia & Peru. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,560 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £900 — a saving of roughly £660 (42%) per person.
How long is the Bolivia & Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Bolivia & Peru.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, hiking, culture trip through Bolivia & Peru, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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