Peru: Amazon Rainforest & Machu Picchu (Self-Launched)
9 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £2,500
No-markup version: ~£795 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 9-day National Geographic Family Journey from Lima to Cusco. You'll fly into the Amazon for two nights at a jungle lodge near Tambopata National Reserve (night walks, oxbow lake canoeing, caiman-spotting), then head into the Sacred Valley for community ceramic workshops in Cuyo Chico, Pisac market, and the community-run Parwa restaurant, before the train-and-bus run up to Machu Picchu, a Cusco planetarium night, and a chocolate workshop. Everything here is bookable yourself: commercial flights, public/shared vans (colectivos), PeruRail/Inca Rail, eco-lodges booked direct, and GetYourGuide/local guides for Machu Picchu and the planetarium. Costs are backpacker/mid-range estimates per person and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official airport taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (approx £5-8) into Miraflores or Barranco, where hostels and budget hotels are clustered and safer for evening wandering. Settle in, eat a cheap menu del día or ceviche at a local huarique, and plan the week. Optionally book a Lima city walking tour (free-tip tours in the historic centre) or a 4-hour cooking class via GetYourGuide for the following morning if you're arriving early.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£6 or taxi ~£12-18
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Miraflores/Barranco (dorm £10-15, private double £30-45)
- →Miraflores/Barranco orientation walk
- →Optional Lima historic centre free walking tour
- →Optional GetYourGuide Lima cooking class
Fly to Puerto Maldonado & into the Amazon
Tambopata, Amazon
Book a morning LATAM or Sky Airline flight Lima–Puerto Maldonado (approx £60-100 one way, book 6-8 weeks ahead for the best fares). Most Tambopata eco-lodges include the motorised canoe transfer down the Tambopata River in their package — confirm this when booking direct. Pick a mid-range lodge near the reserve (e.g. Posada Amazonas-style community lodges or cheaper family-run options). Lunch is usually served on arrival. In the afternoon join the lodge's naturalist guide for a trail walk to see butterflies, tarantulas and medicinal plants, then a torchlit night walk after dinner.
🚌Flight ~£75 one way + included canoe transfer
🛏Amazon eco-lodge, 2-night package incl. meals and guiding (£70-110/night per person at mid-range, or £45-60 budget)
- →Domestic flight Lima–Puerto Maldonado
- →Motorised canoe transfer on the Tambopata River
- →Guided rainforest trail walk
- →Night walk with naturalist guide
Full day in the rainforest
Tambopata, Amazon
Full day with your lodge guide (included in most packages). Start early for canopy and trail birding — toucans, macaws, howler monkeys and if you're lucky a sloth. Hike to an oxbow lake (often Lake Sandoval or a smaller lagoon) and paddle a dugout canoe looking for giant river otters, turtles and caiman. After dark, take a motorised canoe caiman-spotting trip along the riverbanks with a spotlight. Bring a headtorch, long sleeves and strong insect repellent.
🚌Lodge boats included
🛏Amazon eco-lodge (included in package)
- →Guided canopy and trail birding
- →Oxbow lake hike and dugout canoe paddle
- →Night caiman-spotting boat trip
Back to Puerto Maldonado, fly to Cusco, transfer to the Sacred Valley
Sacred Valley (Urubamba/Ollantaytambo)
Early canoe back to Puerto Maldonado for a flight to Cusco (approx £50-80). From Cusco airport, avoid the pricey airport taxis aimed at groups — take a colectivo or shared van from Puputi/Avenida Grau to Urubamba (about £3-5, 1.5 hours) instead of going into Cusco city first. Check into a guesthouse in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (lower altitude than Cusco, better for acclimatising). Have a light lunch of local trout or quinoa soup, rest, and take an easy evening stroll. Many guesthouses run a small firepit or courtyard evening; otherwise eat early and sleep — altitude rest matters.
🚌Flight ~£65 + colectivo ~£4
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Urubamba/Ollantaytambo (£18-30 private double)
- →Domestic flight Puerto Maldonado–Cusco
- →Colectivo transfer to the Sacred Valley
- →Easy acclimatisation stroll
Cuyo Chico pottery workshop, Pisac market & Parwa community lunch
Pisac & Lamay, Sacred Valley
Take a local colectivo or combi from Urubamba to Pisac (about £1, 30 mins). In Cuyo Chico, just outside Pisac, local ceramic workshops welcome visitors to paint a clay torito de Pukara bull — book through a Pisac tour agency, your guesthouse, or a GetYourGuide Sacred Valley community experience (approx £15-25 including materials). Then explore Pisac's famous craft market (biggest on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays). For lunch, head to the community-run Parwa restaurant in Lamay (a Planeterra-supported farm-to-table project) — reserve a table ahead by email/phone; set menu around £8-12. Take a colectivo back to Urubamba in the afternoon.
🚌Colectivos Pisac–Lamay–Urubamba ~£3-4 total
🛏Guesthouse in Urubamba (£18-30)
- →Ceramic painting workshop in Cuyo Chico
- →Pisac craft market
- →Farm-to-table lunch at Parwa Community Restaurant, Lamay
Machu Picchu day trip by train
Machu Picchu & Aguas Calientes
Book PeruRail or Inca Rail from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes online in advance (approx £50-75 return depending on class — the Vistadome/Expedition classes are fine). Buy your Machu Picchu entrance ticket directly at tickets.machupicchu.gob.pe as soon as your dates are fixed (about £40; circuits sell out weeks ahead). Take the Consettur bus up the switchbacks (approx £10 return). Join a small-group guided tour inside the site — bookable via GetYourGuide for £25-40 per person, or hire an official guide at the gate for around £25-35. Return by bus and train to Ollantaytambo, then colectivo to Urubamba. Pack water, snacks and rain gear; no plastic bags or large tripods allowed.
🚌Train ~£60 return + Consettur bus ~£10 + colectivos ~£3
🛏Guesthouse in Urubamba (£18-30)
- →Scenic train Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes
- →Machu Picchu entry and guided tour
- →Optional Huayna Picchu or Circuit 1-2 viewpoint
Piuray Lagoon & on to Cusco — planetarium night
Cusco
Leave the valley via a colectivo or shared van towards Cusco, stopping at Laguna Piuray near Chinchero for a lakeside lunch and a flat walk (some operators run kayak sessions here for £10-15 if you want one). Arrive in Cusco (approx £2-3 by colectivo), check into a hostel in San Blas or the historic centre. Rest, hydrate and take it easy at 3,400m. In the evening book the Cusco Planetarium directly (about £15-20 per adult, less for kids) or via GetYourGuide — it's a short taxi ride into the Llaullipata hills, with projection shows on Inca astronomy and telescope viewing of the southern sky.
🚌Shared van/colectivo ~£4 + local taxis ~£5
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, San Blas/historic centre (£18-30)
- →Piuray Lagoon stop and lakeside lunch
- →Colectivo to Cusco
- →Cusco Planetarium evening session
Cusco walking tour & chocolate workshop
Cusco
Morning free walking tour of the historic centre (tip-based, ~£5-8 tip) covering Koricancha, the Twelve Angle Stone, the Cathedral and Plaza de Armas — or a paid guided tour via GetYourGuide (£12-18). Buy a Boleto Turístico only if you want the museums and ruins. In the afternoon, join a chocolate-making workshop in Cusco (book direct with ChocoMuseo or a local shop; around £15-20, includes moulding your own bars with toppings and a cacao-history talk). Free time for San Pedro market and souvenirs, then a farewell dinner of lomo saltado or alpaca steak.
🚌Walkable city centre; a couple of taxis ~£4
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Cusco (£18-30)
- →Cusco historic centre walking tour
- →Chocolate making workshop
- →San Pedro market browse
Depart Cusco
Cusco
Breakfast at the hostel and head to Alejandro Velasco Astete airport for onward flights (or take an overnight bus to Puno/Arequipa if you're extending). If your flight is later, squeeze in a last coffee in San Blas or pick up textiles at Centro Artesanal Cusco.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4-6
🛏N/A
- →Departure transfer
- →Optional San Blas shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£795 | £2,500 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,705 per person (68%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£795
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 Peru: Amazon Rainforest & Machu Picchu (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £795 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,500 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £795 — a saving of roughly £1,705 (68%) 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 adventure, culture, wildlife 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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