Self-Launched Discover Peru: Lima to Cusco with Inti Raymi

Fly into Jorge Chávez airport (LIM) and take an airport shuttle or official taxi (£10-12, ~45 min, no traffic) or the Airport Express Lima bus (£5) to Miraflores. Ease into the city with a stroll along the Malecón coastal path at sunset. Skip the Larco Museum today if jet-lagged — go tomorrow morning instead. Eat simply in a local menú restaurant (S/12-18 / £3-4).

🚌Airport shuttle/taxi to Miraflores (~£10); walking

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco, dorm or private double (£15-20)

• →Coastal walk along the Malecón
• →Miraflores and Barranco street exploration

Self-guide a food and culture day: walk Surquillo Market (free, go before 12:00 for produce and juice stalls), then take a ceviche and pisco sour cooking class or demo — book via GetYourGuide/Klook or a Barranco cooking school like SkyKitchen (£25-35, includes lunch). Wander Barranco's murals and the Puente de los Suspiros, visit Larco Museum (£10 entry, allow 2 hrs), and finish with Peruvian coffee from a specialty roaster in Barranco (£3-4).

🚌Local combis/Metropolitano bus or cheap Uber/Beat (£2-4 total)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco (£15-20)

• →Surquillo Market
• →Ceviche and pisco sour class
• →Barranco walking route
• →Larco Museum
• →Specialty coffee tasting

Fly LIM→AQP on Sky or JetSMART from ~£45-70 booked 4-6 weeks ahead (9:00-10:30 departures). From the airport, a taxi to the centre is S/25-30 (£6). Check in, acclimatise (2,335 m), then self-guided walk: Yanahuara viewpoint for El Misti views, the Compañía and Basilica, and the Santa Catalina Convent (£12.50 entry, ~2 hrs). Dinner of rocoto relleno or adobo at a picantería such as Tío Darío in Yanahuara (£8-10).

🚌Domestic flight (~£55); taxi from airport (~£6); walking

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Arequipa's historic centre (£12-18)

• →Yanahuara viewpoint
• →Santa Catalina Convent
• →Arequipa historic centre self-guided walk
• →Picantería dinner

Morning at the Santuarios Andinos Museum to see the mummified Inca girl Juanita (£7, book a slot, 1 hr). Optional afternoon Sillar Route tour with local guides from Arequipa operators (£20-25 including transport, 4 hrs) through the cantera canyons. Altitude prep matters tomorrow: drink water, keep it easy, sleep early.

🚌Walking; tour vehicle for Sillar Route

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Arequipa (£12-18)

• →Santuarios Andinos Museum (Juanita)
• →Sillar Route excursion
• →Plaza de Armas evening

Take a colectivo or shared minibus from Arequipa's Terminal Terrapuerto to Chivay (£8-10, ~4-5 hrs) via the Patapampa Pass (4,910 m) — bus drivers stop briefly at viewpoints; ask. Arrange your Chivay guesthouse to hold a room (£15-22) and use the La Calera thermal baths (£3-4). Book tomorrow's Cruz del Cóndor transport tonight through your host (£20-28 shared tour Arequipa-style, includes Condor Cross and onwards to Puno if you want the through option).

🚌Shared minibus Arequipa–Chivay (~£9); local taxis

🛏Guesthouse in Chivay (£15-22)

• →Patapampa Pass photo stop
• →La Calera thermal baths
• →Altiplano scenery

Leave at 06:30 for Cruz del Cóndor to catch condors before thermals build (£20-28 shared tour, or S/70 colectivo from Chivay). Continue to Puno either by an organised shared tour that drops you in Puno (£25-30) or back to Arequipa then a Cruz del Sur night/afternoon bus (Arequipa–Puno ~6 hrs, £10-14). Check into Puno centre (3,826 m), eat light, and buy your Titicaca tour for tomorrow via GetYourGuide or your hostel (£18-25 boat tour to Uros + Taquile).

🚌Shared tour transport to Puno or bus via Arequipa (~£25-30)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puno centre (£10-16)

• →Cruz del Cóndor
• →Colca Canyon viewpoints
• →Andean villages and terraces en route

Full-day shared boat tour from Puno's main pier to the Uros floating islands and Taquile Island (£20-25 including island entries and often a basic lunch; 8 hrs). You'll meet reed-weaving families and spend a few hours on Taquile's hillside terraces. Bring sun protection and S/50 cash for small purchases. If you want a slower option, sleep a night on a Uros or Amantaní homestay (£20-30) instead of returning to Puno.

🚌Shared tour boat

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puno (£10-16)

• →Uros floating islands
• →Taquile Island
• →Taquile weaving and terraces

Take the Turismo Mer/First Class Ruta del Sol bus Puno→Cusco (£22-28, ~10 hrs) with stops at La Raya Pass (4,338 m), Raqchi's Inca temple of Wiracocha (£3 entry), and Andahuaylillas church. Alternatively, the Titicaca Train runs certain days (~£120, book ahead) for scenic dining-car travel. Arrive Cusco evening, taxi to San Blas (£5), and start acclimatising with coca tea and no alcohol.

🚌Ruta del Sol tourist bus (~£25)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in San Blas or Centro (£12-20)

• →La Raya Pass
• →Raqchi Inca temple
• →Andahuaylillas church

Self-guided day using the Boleto Turístico (partial ticket £18, or full £28 valid 10 days — worth it if you visit more sites). Climb from San Cristóbal to Sacsayhuamán fortress (allow 2 hrs), then walk down through San Blas: Sapantiana aqueduct, San Blas market, craft shops, specialty coffee (£3), and Qorikancha (£8 or on the Boleto). Evening: buy your Ollantaytambo→Aguas Calientes train ticket online (PeruRail ~£45-60 one way) and Machu Picchu entry + Huayna Picchu slot (£40-45 Machu Picchu, +£5-8 Huayna Picchu, book via the official Ministerio site or a reseller like GetYourGuide).

🚌Walking (steep); taxi to San Cristóbal (~£2)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Cusco (£12-20)

• →Sacsayhuamán
• →San Cristóbal
• →Sapantiana aqueduct
• →San Blas market
• →Qorikancha

Book a Sacred Valley day tour via GetYourGuide/Klook from £25-35 (includes transport, Moray £5, Maras salt pans £4), or use colectivos from Cusco's Pavitos street to Urubamba (£3) plus local taxis. Prioritise Moray's circular terraces and the Maras salt pans. Lunch at a farm-to-table spot in Urubamba or a menú del día (£6-10). Optional: the Manuel Choqque potato-farm visit is a bespoke private experience — contact his Ccachín farm or a Cusco agency direct (£25-40).

🚌Shared tour vehicle or colectivos (~£5-10)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (£12-20)

• →Moray Inca ruins
• →Maras salt pans
• →Andean potato and tuber tasting (optional, direct), Ollantaytambo village

Morning kayak or stand-up paddleboard on Piuray Lagoon (£20-28 with a local operator, includes gear and instruction) or visit Ollantaytambo ruins (£8 on Boleto). In the afternoon, arrange a Misminay community visit independently — the community runs day visits and evening meals (£15-25) with stargazing and Andean astronomy talks; book via a Cusco agency or your guesthouse. Optional craft-beer stop at Cervecería del Valle Sagrado (£6-8). Confirm you're walking distance to Ollantaytambo train station for tomorrow.

🚌Local taxis/colectivos around the valley (~£8)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (£12-20)

• →Piuray Lagoon kayaking or SUP
• →Ollantaytambo ruins
• →Misminay community meal and stargazing

Take the PeruRail or Inca Rail Expedition from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (~£40-60, 1.5 hrs) on a mid-morning departure. Airport-style carry-on only. Buy the Consettur shuttle up to Machu Picchu (£11 one way, £22 return, queue early) and enter on your pre-booked Circuit 2/3 slot. Consider a licensed guide at the gate (£20-30 split with others) or self-guide with an audio tour. Evening: hot springs (£4) and market food (£6-9).

🚌Train (~£50); Consettur bus (~£20 return)

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Aguas Calientes (£18-28)

• →Scenic valley train
• →Machu Picchu entry and circuit
• →Aguas Calientes hot springs

If you pre-booked Huayna Picchu (entry ~£8-10, only 400 slots/day, sell out weeks ahead), climb early — allow 2 hrs and mind the vertigo. Otherwise revisit Machu Picchu on an upper-terraces or royal circuit or do the free walk to the Mandor waterfall. Take an afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (£40-60) and a shared van/colectivo to Cusco (£4) or the train to Poroy + taxi (£6), arriving Cusco by evening.

🚌Train back (~£50), colectivo/shared van to Cusco (~£4-6)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Cusco (£12-20)

• →Huayna Picchu climb (optional)
• →Machu Picchu alternate circuit
• →Mandor waterfall walk

The Inca New Year festival falls on 24 June. Grandstand tickets at Sacsayhuamán cost £80-150 (book months ahead via the official EMUFEC site or a reseller); the free alternative is watching the morning procession from Qorikancha to the Plaza de Armas and the streets around Sapantiana. Arrive at the fortress by 08:00. Afternoon: explore the San Blas galleries and museum shops, and have a celebratory dinner in the centre (£10-15).

🚌Walking; taxi if needed (~£2-3)

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Cusco (£12-20)

• →Inti Raymi procession and Sacsayhuamán ceremony
• →San Blas galleries and markets

Breakfast, last browse of San Pedro Market and craft shops, and a taxi to Velasco Astete airport (£4-5) for your onward flight, or a bus/flight to Lima for international departure. If your flight is late, add a morning at the Museo Inka or San Pedro coffee stop.

🚌Airport taxi (~£5)

🛏—

• →San Pedro Market
• →Craft souvenir shopping