Classic Peru: Lima to Cusco (Self-Launched Edition)
12 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £1,515
No-markup version: ~£1,080 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day self-launched take on G Adventures' Classic Peru route, hitting the same beats — Lima, Lake Titicaca homestay, the Sacred Valley, four days on the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu — but independently booked. You'll use local buses and colectivos instead of a private van, book your own licensed Inca Trail operator (permits sell out months ahead, so lock them in early), and sleep in hostels and family guesthouses rather than group hotels. Costs assume a backpacker/mid-range mix and are deliberately conservative; the four-day Inca Trail permit + operator + train is the single biggest expense and is unavoidable if you want to hike in.
Day-by-day
Lima arrival & Miraflores seafront
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez airport and take an official taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (£6-8) to Miraflores or Barranco. Check into a hostel dorm or private twin. Spend the afternoon walking the malecón clifftop path and, if you're keen, book a ceviche lunch or a street-food tour via GetYourGuide (~£20). Grab dinner in Barranco. Easy day to acclimatise — Lima is near sea level, so no altitude worry yet.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£7 or taxi ~£12
🛏Hostel in Miraflores or Barranco (dorm ~£10, private twin ~£22)
- →Malecón clifftop walk (free)
- →Optional GetYourGuide Lima street-food tour ~£20
- →Barranco street art wander
Lima free morning, fly to Juliaca & Puno
Puno
Morning in Lima for a cheap ceviche breakfast or the free Museo de Arte de Lima on Sundays. Head back to the airport for a budget domestic flight to Juliaca (Sky/LATAM, ~£45-70 if booked ahead). From Juliaca, hop a shared minivan/colectivo to Puno (~1 hour, £5-7) rather than a private transfer. Puno is at 3,830m — take it very easy today, drink coca tea, and just browse the markets.
🚌Domestic flight ~£55 + shared minivan Juliaca-Puno ~£6
🛏Hostal near Puno Plaza de Armas (private ~£16, dorm ~£8)
- →Mercado Central browse
- →Coca tea and early night for altitude
Lake Titicaca & island homestay
Lake Titicaca
Book a small-group boat tour to the Capachica/Amantaní side of Lake Titicaca through your hostal or GetYourGuide (~£35-45, includes boat, meals and island homestay). Most operators take you to Uros or Taquile and pair you with a local family for the night. You'll eat with the family and join whatever's on — a short walk, weaving demo, football with the kids. Note this is a copycat of G's 'G for Good' homestay, but booking direct with a Puno operator keeps the same money in the community.
🚌Shared tour boat ~£8
🛏Family homestay on an island (basic room, shared bathroom, ~£14 incl. meals)
- →Lake Titicaca boat tour ~£38
- →Island family homestay
- →Sunset viewpoint walk
Uros floating islands, back to Puno
Puno
Return by boat via the Uros floating islands — expect a slightly touristy stop but it's genuinely fascinating (reed island construction). Back in Puno by early afternoon. Optional: shared taxi or bus to the Sillustani burial towers (~£5 transport, £3 entrance) for sunset, or just rest and pre-pack. Clear weather gives you great dusk shots over the altiplano.
🚌Boat return ~£5 + Sillustani shared taxi ~£5
🛏Hostal in Puno (private ~£16)
- →Uros floating islands
- →Optional Sillustani burial towers (£3 entry)
Full-day bus Puno to Cusco
Cusco
The scenic bus takes 6-7 hours along the Ruta del Sol. Local coaches (TITICACA/Transzela/Cruz del Sur) run £9-15 with a stop or two. If you want the tourist stops (Pukara, Raqchi, Andahuaylillas) the dedicated Ruta del Sol bus is ~£30 — worth it if you like ruins. Arrive Cusco (3,400m) mid-afternoon, check into a hostel around San Blas, and buy your Boleto Turístico if you plan multiple sites.
🚌Public bus Puno–Cusco ~£12 (or Ruta del Sol tourist bus ~£30)
🛏Hostel in San Blas/Cusco centre (dorm ~£9, private ~£20)
- →Scenic altiplano bus journey
- →San Blas evening wander
Sacred Valley: Pisac & Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo
Join a small-group Sacred Valley day tour (£18-25 via GetYourGuide/Klook) covering Pisac ruins, a weaving co-op stop and Ollantaytambo. Alternatively, do it yourself: local bus to Pisac (£2), the ruins hike, then colectivo to Urubamba and on to Ollantaytambo (£3). Lunch at one of Ollantaytambo's community kitchens (~£5). Climb the Ollantaytambo storehouse ruins in the afternoon, then a chicha bar for corn beer. Tonight, sleep in Ollantaytambo — most Inca Trail operators collect you here at dawn.
🚌Local buses/colectivos ~£8 (or shared tour minibus included)
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (private ~£18)
- →Sacred Valley day trip ~£22
- →Pisac ruins
- →Ollantaytambo storehouse hike
Inca Trail day 1: Km 82 to Wayllabamba
Inca Trail
Your licensed operator (book via a Cusco agency or GetYourGuide-included trek, £340-420 for the 4-day trek including permits, guide, cook, porters, meals, entrance and return train) collects you early. Start at Km 82, cross the Urubamba, and hike an easy 11km to Wayllabamba camp (3,000m). Porters carry up to 6kg of your gear and you carry a daypack. Note: February closures mean you'd swap to the Lares Trek. Sort permits 4-6 months ahead — daily numbers are capped.
🚌Operator minibus to trailhead (included)
🛏Camping (tent, sleeping bag rental ~£10 if needed)
- →Inca Trail day 1 hike
- →Llactapata ruins en route
Inca Trail day 2: Dead Woman's Pass
Inca Trail
The hardest day. An early start for the long climb to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass, 4,198m) — the highest point of the trek. Steep, but paced fine if you go slow and steady. Descend to Pacaymayo camp by early afternoon and rest. Drink water, eat the carb-heavy camp food, and don't skip dinner.
🚌On foot
🛏Camping at Pacaymayo
- →Dead Woman's Pass summit (4,198m)
Inca Trail day 3: two passes & cloud forest
Inca Trail
Cross Runquraqay pass (3,950m) for views of the Cordillera Vilcabamba, then over a second pass (3,700m) through cloud forest and original Inca paving. Reach Phuyupatamarca, the 'town above the clouds', and push on 1.5 hours to Wiñay Wayna (2,650m) — the classic final camp. This is the day with the best ruins-to-effort ratio.
🚌On foot
🛏Camping at Wiñay Wayna
- →Runquraqay pass
- →Phuyupatamarca ruins
- →Wiñay Wayna ruins
Sun Gate sunrise, Machu Picchu & train to Cusco
Machu Picchu / Cusco
Pre-dawn start to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) for first light over Machu Picchu. Descend for the 2-hour guided site tour (Circuit 3 for trail hikers, plus the panoramic viewpoint). Then bus down to Aguas Calientes (or walk) and take the Expedition train back to Ollantaytambo (~£50-65, book ahead — it's the priciest leg) plus a colectivo/bus to Cusco (£4). Arrive Cusco late evening.
🚌Aguas Calientes bus ~£9 + Expedition train ~£57 + colectivo ~£4
🛏Hostel in Cusco centre (dorm ~£9)
- →Sun Gate sunrise
- →Machu Picchu guided national-park tour
Cusco free day: Rainbow Mountain or cooking class
Cusco
Pick your ending. Option A: Rainbow Mountain day trip (~£25-35 with 3:30am pickup) — brutal altitude but spectacular. Option B: Cusco cooking class (Peruvian dishes + market tour, ~£20-28 via GetYourGuide/Klook). Option C: slow day — San Pedro market, Qorikancha (£3), San Blas cafés. Don't forget your Pachamama souvenir shopping along Calle Hatun Rumiyoc.
🚌Tour minibus or local taxis ~£6
🛏Hostel in Cusco (dorm ~£9)
- →Rainbow Mountain trip ~£30 or Cusco cooking class ~£24
- →San Pedro market
- →Qorikancha £3
Depart Cusco
Cusco
Catch a taxi (£3) or local bus to Velasco Astete airport for your onward flight, or bus to Puno/Arequipa if overlanding south. Leave buffer time — Cusco weather delays flights regularly.
🚌Airport taxi ~£3
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,080 | £1,515 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £435 per person (29%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,080
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 Classic Peru: Lima to Cusco (Self-Launched Edition) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,080 per person for 12 days in 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 £1,515 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,080 — a saving of roughly £435 (29%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through 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 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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