Discover Peru Self-Launched: Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca
9 days · Peru
Exodus charges £2,850
No-markup version: ~£880 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day version of Exodus's "Discover Peru" — same route (Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Lima) rebuilt with hostel/guesthouse stays, self-booked tours and public transport. You'll acclimatise in Cuzco, ride the train to Aguas Calientes, tour Machu Picchu in the quieter afternoon, cross the altiplano to Puno by tourist bus, visit the Uros and Amantani islands, then fly to Lima for a food-and-history finale. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Cuzco & acclimatise
Cuzco
Fly into Cuzco (3,400m) and check into a hostel in the historic centre. Take the first day very easy — the altitude is no joke. Sip coca tea, wander the Plaza de Armas at a slow pace, and eat an early, light dinner. Aim to be in bed early; avoid alcohol tonight.
🚌Local bus or taxi from Cuzco airport to centre (~£3-4)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Cuzco historic centre (dorm £8-12, private £20-30)
- →Acclimatisation walk around Plaza de Armas
- →Coca tea and light dinner
- →Optional coca leaf/museum history stop
Cuzco city & Sacsayhuaman
Cuzco
Self-guided city day: walk from your hostel to the Twelve Angled Stone at Inca Roca Palace, then Qoricancha (Sun Temple) and the cathedral on the Plaza de Armas. In the afternoon, walk or taxi up to Sacsayhuaman fortress for the huge stone ramparts and city views. Buy the Boleto Turístico (partial ticket) if you plan several sites.
🚌Walking; taxi to Sacsayhuaman (~£3)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Cuzco
- →Qoricancha (Sun Temple) entry ~£4
- →Cuzco cathedral ~£3
- →Sacsayhuaman fortress ~£6 (part of Boleto Turístico)
Chinchero, Maras salt pans & Moray to the Sacred Valley
Ollantaytambo
Join a small-group Sacred Valley day tour or take a collectivo to Chinchero, then on to the Maras salt pans and the Moray circular terraces. Many tours include a community pachamanca-style lunch in Chinchero. Arrive in Ollantaytambo by late afternoon and see the town/site from outside (full entry next morning if you wish).
🚌Shared van/collectivo Cuzco–Chinchero–Ollantaytambo (~£8-12 total)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (dorm £8-12, private £18-28)
- →Chinchero weaving community
- →Maras salt pans entry ~£2
- →Moray entry ~£3
- →Sacred Valley viewpoints
Train to Aguas Calientes & afternoon Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientes
Take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu), ~1h45. Book your Machu Picchu entry ticket online well in advance (they sell out). Take the shuttle bus up the winding road and tour the ruins in the afternoon, which tends to be quieter than the dawn crowds. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
🚌Train Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes (~£45-70 depending on class); shuttle bus up ~£10 return
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (dorm £10-15, private £25-40)
- →Machu Picchu entry ~£40 (book early)
- →2-3hr self-guided or small-group ruins walk
- →Optional Huayna Picchu/Machu Picchu Mountain add-on ~£15 (limited)
Return to Cuzco & Peruvian cooking class
Cuzco
Optionally return at dawn for sunrise at the ruins (re-entry ticket permitting), then take the train back to Ollantaytambo and a bus/collectivo on to Cuzco. In the afternoon/evening, join a locally run cooking class: a market visit to pick up fruit, veg and ají chillies, then a hands-on session making classic dishes and a pisco sour. Dinner is your creations.
🚌Train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo (~£45-70); collectivo Ollantaytambo–Cuzco ~£4
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Cuzco
- →Optional dawn return to Machu Picchu
- →Cuzco market visit
- →Peruvian cooking class with pisco sour ~£25-35
Altiplano bus Cuzco to Puno
Puno
Take the full-day tourist bus across the altiplano from Cuzco to Puno (~9-10hrs) with guided stops at the Andahuaylillas church ("Sistine Chapel of the Americas"), the Inca site of Raqchi (Temple of Wiracocha), and La Raya pass for Chimboya Glacier views. Lunch usually included. Arrive in Puno ~5pm; evening free to relax at 3,810m.
🚌Cuzco–Puno tourist bus with stops (~£20-28)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puno (dorm £8-12, private £18-28)
- →Andahuaylillas church
- →Raqchi Inca ruins
- →La Raya pass viewpoint
- →Altiplano scenery
Uros & Amantani floating islands, Lake Titicaca
Puno / Lake Titicaca
Join a full-day Lake Titicaca boat tour (or overnight homestay if you prefer). Visit a Uros floating island built from totora reeds, then Amantani — walk up (~30min) for a traditional lunch in a family home, hike (~1hr) to the Pachamama summit for ruins and views, then descend (~1.5hr) to the harbour and motorboat back to Puno.
🚌Shared boat tour Puno–Uros–Amantani (~£20-30 incl. guide, lunch often extra £8)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puno (or family homestay on Amantani £12-18 incl. meals)
- →Uros floating reed islands
- →Amantani family-home lunch
- →Pachamama summit hike
- →Optional Amantani homestay
Fly to Lima & historic centre + Barranco
Lima
Fly from Juliaca (JUL) to Lima (~1h25). In the afternoon, explore Lima's historic centre — Plaza Mayor, colonial balconies, Jirón de la Unión and the catacombs — then head to bohemian Barranco for colonial mansions and street art. Finish with a pisco sour and a butifarra sandwich at a classic bar like Bar Juanito.
🚌Flight Juliaca–Lima (~£60-90); airport transfer + city transport ~£12
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco, Lima (dorm £10-16, private £25-40)
- →Lima historic centre walking tour (free/tip-based)
- →San Francisco catacombs ~£3
- →Barranco district stroll
- →Pisco sour & butifarra ~£8
Lima departure
Lima
Trip ends in Lima. Optional add-ons if you have time: Miraflores clifftop walk and paragliding, a ceviche food tour, or extend into the Amazon. Head to the airport for your onward flight.
🚌Taxi/Metropolitano to Lima airport (~£8-12)
🛏—
- →Optional Miraflores/paragliding
- →Optional ceviche food tour
- →Optional Amazon extension
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£880 | £2,850 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,970 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£880
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 Discover Peru Self-Launched: Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £880 per person for 9 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 Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £2,850 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £880 — a saving of roughly £1,970 (69%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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 culture, hiking, adventure 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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