Self-Launched Peru & Bolivia: Lima to La Paz (G Adventures SPMV Equivalent)
11 days · Peru & Bolivia
G Adventures charges £1,300
No-markup version: ~£578 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched DIY version of G Adventures' 11-day "South America Adventure: Lima to La Paz" (trip code SPMV). You'll do the same route — Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, then bus to Puno for Lake Titicaca's Uros and Taquile islands, and finally cross into Bolivia to end in La Paz — but booking everything yourself. All accommodation is hostel or family guesthouse, internal flights become cheap Sky/Viva Air or a long-haul bus, the scenic train to Aguas Calientes is booked direct with PeruRail/Inca Rail, Machu Picchu entry and a local site guide are booked on the official government portal, and the Lake Titicaca tour is a locally run boat trip from Puno's port rather than a group departure. Allow a full day in Cusco first to acclimatise (3,400m) and take altitude seriously; buy a Bolivian visa-on-arrival or check your nationality's rules before Puno. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores or Barranco base
Lima, Peru
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (~£4-6) to a hostel in Miraflores or the more bohemian Barranco. Settle in, walk the Malecón clifftop path for sunset over the Pacific, and eat your first ceviche and lomo saltado at a local menú del día spot. Book tomorrow's domestic flight tonight if you haven't already — LATAM, Sky and JetSmart all fly Lima-Cusco in about 1h20m.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus or official taxi ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Miraflores/Barranco (£10-18)
- →Malecón sunset walk
- →Ceviche dinner in Barranco
- →Optional: Lima city walking tour (free, tip-based)
Fly to Cusco — acclimatise gently
Cusco, Peru
Morning flight to Cusco (booked direct with LATAM/Sky, roughly £45-75 one way; a 21-hour bus via Arequipa is the budget alternative at ~£25 but eats two days). Take it very easy on arrival at 3,400m: coca tea, a slow wander of the Plaza de Armas and San Blas lanes, an early dinner and an early night. Skip alcohol and heavy meals. Buy your Machu Picchu entry and train tickets online today if you haven't — dates sell out weeks ahead in high season.
🚌Domestic flight Lima-Cusco ~£50-75
🛏Family guesthouse or hostel, San Blas (£10-18)
- →Plaza de Armas and San Blas wander
- →Coca tea and acclimatisation
- →Optional: Museo Inka (~£2)
Cusco — city sights and Rainbow Mountain option
Cusco, Peru
A full day to explore Cusco and test your altitude. Join a tip-based free walking tour of the historic centre, visit Qorikancha and San Pedro market for a cheap and excellent lunch. If you're feeling strong and well-acclimatised, book a Rainbow Mountain day trip with a local operator from San Blas or via GetYourGuide (~£22-30, 3am start, 5,000m — only if you have no headache). Otherwise pick a gentler afternoon: the Sacsayhuamán ruins on foot from town, or a cooking class (~£25) for a self-arranged equivalent of the tour's optional Cusco cooking class.
🚌On foot / local combi ~£2
🛏Family guesthouse or hostel, San Blas (£10-18)
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →San Pedro market lunch
- →Optional: Rainbow Mountain day trip ~£25
- →Optional: Cusco cooking class ~£25
Sacred Valley — Pisac, weaving village, Lamay and Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo, Peru
Do the Sacred Valley independently with colectivos (shared minivans). Head to Pisac market and ruins first, then take a colectivo to Calca or Lamay and arrange a local taxi up to the Ccaccaccollo women's weaving co-op (just ask your driver — small entry fee or textile purchase supports the community directly, the same project G Adventures' Planeterra donations supported). Lunch at a family-run farm-to-table spot in Lamay or Huchuy Qosco (the Parwa restaurant model — book ahead or just turn up for the menú del día, ~£4). Continue by colectivo to Ollantaytambo, climb to the Pinkuylluna storehouses for sunset views over the ruins, and have a chicha at a local chichería. Sleep in Ollantaytambo, not Aguas Calientes.
🚌Colectivos Cusco-Pisac-Lamay-Ollantaytambo ~£6 total plus short taxi ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (£10-16)
- →Pisac market and ruins (~£4)
- →Ccaccaccollo weaving co-op visit
- →Pinkuylluna storehouse hike (free)
- →Chichería visit
Train to Aguas Calientes — hot springs
Aguas Calientes, Peru
Book the scenic PeruRail or Inca Rail Expedition/Voyager service from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes direct online (~£35-50 one way, 1h30m along the Urubamba gorge — book at least a week ahead; PeruRail and Inca Rail both release seats months out). Spend the afternoon at the Banos Termales hot springs (~£3), browse the craft market and eat an early, cheap dinner. Collect your Machu Picchu entry (bought on the official machupicchu.gob.pe portal, ~£40 for Circuit 2 plus optional Huayna Picchu) and buy your bus ticket up to the ruins for tomorrow at the ticket office in town.
🚌Train Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes ~£35-50
🛏Basic guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (£12-20)
- →Scenic train ride
- →Aguas Calientes hot springs ~£3
- →Craft market
Machu Picchu at sunrise — back to Cusco
Cusco, Peru
Take the early Consettur bus up (~£9 return) or walk the 1,600 steps for free, and be at the gate for the first entry slot. Take a small-group guided tour booked through GetYourGuide or arrange a licensed guide at the entrance (~£25-30) — guides are required to be licensed and cannot be booked inside the site. Follow your allotted circuit (Circuit 2 covers the classic postcard view; Circuit 3 if you've done the one-day Inca Trail and come in via the Sun Gate). Catch the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo and a colectivo or bus onward to Cusco, arriving by evening.
🚌Machu Picchu bus ~£9 return; train back ~£40-50; colectivo to Cusco ~£3
🛏Family guesthouse or hostel, Cusco (£10-18)
- →Machu Picchu entry ~£40
- →Licensed local guide ~£25
- →Optional: Huayna Picchu or one-day Inca Trail add-on
Cusco free day
Cusco, Peru
A slower day to match the tour's free day: revisit San Blas, the artisan cafes, and the Mercado San Pedro for souvenirs, or book a half-day horse ride, a boleto turístico for the surrounding ruins, or a massage after all the hiking. Stock up on snacks, cash and altitude medication for Titicaca before an early night — tomorrow is a long travel day.
🚌On foot
🛏Family guesthouse or hostel, Cusco (£10-18)
- →San Blas shopping
- →Mercado San Pedro
- →Optional: Boleto Turístico ruins pass ~£12
Cusco to Puno by bus
Puno, Peru
Take a direct bus from Cusco's Terminal Terrestre to Puno — Cruz del Sur, Transzela or Inka Express all do it (10 hours standard, ~£12-18; Inka Express is a day tour bus stopping at Andahuaylillas and Raqchi for ~£35). Alternatively take the cheaper, slower train option via the PeruRail Titicaca line for a special one-off (~£40+). Arrive in Puno (3,830m, colder than Cusco), check into a guesthouse near the Plaza de Armas, and stroll down to the lakeside and the port to book tomorrow's boat to the islands.
🚌Bus Cusco-Puno ~£12-18
🛏Guesthouse in Puno (£8-14)
- →Bus journey across the altiplano
- →Plaza de Armas and lakeshore stroll
Lake Titicaca — Uros and Taquile islands independently
Puno, Peru
Walk to the Muelle Principal early and buy a ticket directly from a local boat operator for the full-day Uros + Taquile trip (~£12-18 including island entry fees). Uros floating reed islands first, then the hour-plus crossing to Taquile where you hike to the village, see the famous textiles and eat a fresh trout lunch with a family (~£5). Many operators offer a homestay option on Amantaní or Taquile — if you'd rather match the tour's community connection, add a night on Amantaní instead (~£15 with dinner and breakfast, arrange at the port). Return to Puno by late afternoon.
🚌Shared boat trip from Puno port ~£15
🛏Guesthouse in Puno (£8-14) or Amantaní homestay
- →Uros floating islands boat tour
- →Taquile island hike and textile demonstrations
- →Trout lunch with a local family
Cross the border — Puno to Copacabana to La Paz
La Paz, Bolivia
Do the classic overland border crossing: a shared minivan or bus from Puno's terminal to Yunguyo/Desaguadero (~£5, 2h), walk across the border (UK and EU passports get a 90-day tourist stamp on arrival; US and some other nationalities should check current visa-on-arrival rules and carry $160 USD cash plus a yellow fever certificate just in case), then continue by collectivo or direct tourist bus to Copacabana on the Bolivian side. Have lunch on the shore of Lake Titicaca and, if time allows, the short boat trip to Isla del Sol. Then take the afternoon tourist bus from Copacabana to La Paz (~£6-9, 3h30m including the La Paz ferry crossing at Tiquina), arriving in the evening. Stay in Sopocachi or the historic centre.
🚌Shared van Puno-Yunguyo ~£5; cross-border bus Copacabana-La Paz ~£8
🛏Hostel in Sopocachi or central La Paz (£10-18)
- →Yunguyo/Desaguadero border crossing
- →Copacabana lakeside lunch
- →Optional: Isla del Sol boat trip ~£8
La Paz — depart
La Paz, Bolivia
Spend the morning at the Witches' Market and the Mercado Rodriguez, ride the Mi Teleférico cable car network for the best city views (~£0.40 a ride), and have a salteña breakfast. Take an official radio taxi to El Alto International Airport for your onward flight, or if you're continuing, a bus to Uyuni for the salt flats (~£10, overnight) or down to Lake Titicaca's Bolivian side.
🚌Radio taxi to airport ~£5
🛏None (departure day)
- →Witches' Market
- →Mi Teleférico cable cars
- →Mercado Rodriguez
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£578 | £1,300 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £722 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£578
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 Self-Launched Peru & Bolivia: Lima to La Paz (G Adventures SPMV Equivalent) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £578 per person for 11 days in Peru & Bolivia. 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 £1,300 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £578 — a saving of roughly £722 (56%) per person.
How long is the Peru & Bolivia trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Peru & Bolivia.
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, culture, hiking trip through Peru & Bolivia, 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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