Amazon to Andes with Machu Picchu by Train — Self-Launched

Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official taxi or airport bus to a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco. Spend the afternoon acclimatising with a walk along the Malecón clifftop path, then catch sunset at Parque del Amor. Grab dinner at a local cevichería or a menu del día for around £5-7. If you arrive early, book a Lima food tour via GetYourGuide for the following day. Book onward transport tonight — either a domestic flight to Cusco or a bus — so you have a confirmed plan.

🚌Airport taxi to Miraflores ~£12-15 (Uber/Bolt cheaper) or Airport Express Lima bus ~£7

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco, dorm bed ~£10-14, private room ~£25-35

• →Malecón clifftop walk
• →Parque del Amor sunset
• →Ceviche dinner in Miraflores/Barranco

Explore Lima's UNESCO-listed historic centre on foot: Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, and the San Francisco Monastery catacombs. Many museums are free or low-cost outside peak hours. Use the Metropolitano bus or cheap taxis to move between the centre and the coast. In the late afternoon visit the Huaca Pucllana adobe pyramid in Miraflores. Confirm your flight or bus to Cusco for tomorrow and pre-purchase your Machu Picchu entry ticket online through the official Peru government portal (mincetur) — tickets sell out in high season, so lock this in now. Optional Cusco cooking class equivalent can be booked directly in Cusco later.

🚌Metropolitano bus ~£0.50 per ride, local taxis £2-4 per short trip

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco, dorm bed ~£10-14

• →Plaza Mayor and Cathedral
• →San Francisco Monastery catacombs
• →Huaca Pucllana ruins
• →Optional Lima food tour via GetYourGuide ~£30-40

Fly to Cusco (about 1h 20m) or take a long-distance overnight bus if you prefer overland travel. On arrival, take it easy — Cusco sits at 3,400m and altitude is real. Drink coca tea, avoid heavy meals, and rest. Base yourself in a guesthouse near the Plaza de Armas or in San Blas. In the evening, pick up a Boleto Turístico (tourist ticket) covering Sacred Valley and Cusco sites and confirm your Sacred Valley day trip and Machu Picchu train ticket. Buy a local SIM (Claro or Entel) for data.

🚌Lima–Cusco domestic flight ~£45-80 (book early), or overnight bus ~£25-35

🛏Guesthouse in Cusco, dorm ~£8-12, private ~£20-30

• →Acclimatisation rest day
• →San Blas neighbourhood wander
• →Buy Boleto Turístico and SIM card

Join a small-group or shared Sacred Valley tour (widely available via GetYourGuide or through your Cusco hostel). Visit the Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op — the same Planeterra-supported project the group tour visits — and the community-run Parwa Community Restaurant in the Sacred Valley, a farm-to-table lunch spot kickstarted to benefit the local economy. Also stop at the Pisac ruins and market and the Ollantaytambo fortress. Shared vans and collectivo taxis link the valley towns cheaply if you'd rather go fully DIY.

🚌Shared Sacred Valley tour van ~£20-30, or collectivo taxis between towns ~£1-3 per leg

🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo or Cusco, dorm ~£8-12, private ~£20-30

• →Ccaccaccollo weaving co-op visit
• →Parwa Community Restaurant farm-to-table lunch
• →Pisac ruins and market
• →Ollantaytambo fortress

Board the PeruRail or Inca Rail train from Ollantaytambo (or Poroy/Cusco) for the scenic ride through the Sacred Valley and cloud forest to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu. Book your train seat in advance — the cheaper Expedition/Voyager classes are the budget equivalent of the group tour's included train. On arrival, check into a guesthouse, buy your Machu Picchu bus ticket (or plan to hike the steps), and soak in the hot springs if you have energy left. Confirm your timed entry slot for tomorrow.

🚌PeruRail/Inca Rail Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes ~£50-70 (Expedition/Voyager class)

🛏Guesthouse in Aguas Calientes, dorm ~£10-15, private ~£25-40

• →Scenic train ride through cloud valleys
• →Aguas Calientes riverside walk
• →Optional hot springs ~£3-4

Take the early shuttle bus up to Machu Picchu for sunrise and beat the crowds. Pre-book a small-group guided tour (GetYourGuide or a local guide at the entrance, ~£25-40) covering the same ground as the group tour's included guided visit — temples, terraces, and the Intihuatana stone. Entry is by circuit, so choose your circuit when buying the official ticket; Circuit 3 is used for Inca Trail arrivals and gives access to the Sun Gate panoramic viewpoint. After the tour, hike up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if you secured a permit. Return by train to Ollantaytambo and onward to Cusco.

🚌Machu Picchu shuttle bus ~£10 return, return train to Ollantaytambo/Cusco ~£50-70, collectivo to Cusco ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Cusco, dorm ~£8-12, private ~£20-30

• →Machu Picchu guided tour
• →Sun Gate panoramic viewpoint
• →Optional Huayna Picchu hike (permit required)

Spend the day exploring Cusco: San Pedro Market, Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun), Sacsayhuamán and the nearby ruins included on the Boleto Turístico. Book the optional one-day Inca Trail hike (the group tour sells this as a pre-bookable extra) through a licensed local operator — expect roughly £150-200 including permits and transport, or a cheaper alternative is the Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake day hikes (~£25-35). Optional hands-on Cusco cooking class (the group tour's other extra) can be booked locally for around £30-40. In the evening, prep for tomorrow's flight or bus to the Amazon.

🚌Local taxis/combis in Cusco ~£1-2 per trip

🛏Guesthouse in Cusco, dorm ~£8-12, private ~£20-30

• →San Pedro Market
• →Qorikancha and Sacsayhuamán
• →Optional one-day Inca Trail hike ~£150-200
• →Optional Cusco cooking class ~£30-40

Fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado (about 45m) — budget airlines offer cheap seats if booked early. Most Amazon lodges, including the equivalent of the group tour's G Lodge Amazon, include a transfer from the airport and a boat ride upriver. Arrive in the afternoon, settle into your bungalow, and meet your resident naturalist guide. Enjoy a first short orientation walk around the lodge grounds and a night introduction to the sounds of the rainforest. Lodges bundle accommodation with meals and guided excursions, so book a 2-3 night package.

🚌Cusco–Puerto Maldonado flight ~£50-90; included lodge boat/road transfer

🛏Amazon jungle lodge, 3-night package (dorm/shared or private bungalow) ~£60-90 per night including meals and guides

• →Flight to Puerto Maldonado
• →Boat transfer upriver to lodge
• →Lodge orientation walk

Full day of jungle excursions with your naturalist guide. Early morning canopy or river trip to spot monkeys, macaws and toucans; visit an oxbow lake to learn about jungle flora and fauna and traditional medicinal plant uses. In the afternoon, explore forest trails or a clay lick. After dark, join the included wildlife-spotting night walk — the same experience as the group tour — looking for snakes, tarantulas, owls and poison dart frogs with a flashlight. All guiding and meals are part of the lodge package.

🚌All on-foot and by lodge canoe/boat (included in package)

🛏Amazon jungle lodge, ~£60-90 per night including meals and guides

• →Canopy and river wildlife spotting
• →Oxbow lake excursion
• →Medicinal plant walk
• →Night walk for snakes, tarantulas, owls and frogs

Another full day in the rainforest: morning jungle excursion to learn about the area's rich flora and fauna with your naturalist guide, then an afternoon activity such as piranha fishing or a parrot clay lick. After dark, head out by motorised canoe on a caiman-spotting cruise along the river banks — exactly the included experience on the group itinerary. Listen for night birds and watch for the reflecting eyes of caimans on the shore.

🚌Lodge boat/canoe (included in package)

🛏Amazon jungle lodge, ~£60-90 per night including meals and guides

• →Morning jungle excursion
• →Piranha fishing or parrot clay lick
• →Night caiman-spotting cruise by motorised canoe

Enjoy a final dawn birdwatching walk if time allows, then boat back to Puerto Maldonado for your flight to Lima. On arrival in Lima, transfer to your hostel in Miraflores or Barranco. Spend the evening on a farewell dinner — try anticuchos or a pisco sour in Barranco's lively bar scene. This completes the loop back to Lima, matching the group tour's Lima-to-Lima routing.

🚌Puerto Maldonado–Lima flight ~£60-100; airport transfer ~£7-15

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco, dorm ~£10-14, private ~£25-35

• →Dawn birdwatching walk
• →Flight to Lima
• →Farewell dinner in Barranco

Check out and head to Jorge Chávez International Airport for your onward flight. If your flight is later in the day, squeeze in a last walk along the Malecón or a final ceviche lunch. Make sure you've booked all internal transport and Machu Picchu tickets ahead — high-season slots sell out weeks in advance.

🚌Taxi or Airport Express bus to the airport ~£7-15

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Last Malecón walk
• →Optional final ceviche lunch