Self-Launched Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley: Lima, Cusco, Aguas Calientes in 8 Days

Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) and take an authorised airport taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus to Miraflores or Barranco (roughly £6–10). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Miraflores for easy walking access to the malecón, or Barranco for a livelier backpacker scene. Spend the afternoon gently acclimatising: stroll the clifftop Parque del Amor, watch paragliders over the Pacific, and eat your first ceviche. Book your Lima–Cusco flight for tomorrow morning tonight if you haven't already (LATAM, Sky and JetSmart all fly the route; hand luggage limits are strict, so pre-pay checked bags). Cash: withdraw soles from bank ATMs in Miraflores rather than the airport.

🚌Airport Express Lima bus or authorised taxi from LIM (~£6–10)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Miraflores/Barranco, dorm or private room

• →Malecón clifftop walk and Parque del Amor
• →Ceviche dinner in Miraflores
• →Book Lima–Cusco flight and Machu Picchu entry online

Take an early flight from Lima to Cusco (~1h20, £45–80 one way if booked a few weeks ahead). Rather than spending the first day at 3,400m, head straight down into the Sacred Valley at ~2,800m — this is the classic acclimatisation move and it's exactly what the operator does too. From Cusco airport, take a taxi or shared van to Urubamba (~1h30, £12–18 private, ~£4 shared). In the afternoon, hire a local taxi driver for a half-day loop to the Maras salt pans (Salineras, entry ~£2) and the circular Inca terraces of Moray (entry ~£4). Finish with a pachamanca-style dinner in Urubamba — earth-oven meat and potatoes, easily found at local restaurants for £6–9.

🚌Flight Lima–Cusco (~£60), taxi/shared van to Urubamba (~£5–18), local taxi loop to Maras & Moray (~£20 split)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Urubamba (private room with hot water)

• →Maras salt pans
• →Moray Inca terraces
• →Pachamanca dinner in Urubamba

Do the Sacred Valley circuit independently using colectivos and shared vans, which run constantly along the valley floor. Start early with a colectivo to Pisac (~£1.50), browse the market and walk up to the Pisac ruins (entry covered by the Boleto Turístico, ~£16 for the multi-site ticket — worth it if you're visiting several sites). Continue by shared van to Lamay or Calca for lunch; the community-run Parwa restaurant near Lamay is bookable direct and does an excellent farm-to-table set menu (~£8). In the afternoon visit Ollantaytambo's terraced fortress (included in the Boleto Turístico). If you want the potato-park style community experience, several Andean weaving and agriculture co-ops around Pisac welcome visitors on a drop-in basis for ~£5–10 — ask at your guesthouse to arrange. Buy your Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes train ticket today for tomorrow if not already booked (Inca Rail or PeruRail, ~£45–70 one way).

🚌Colectivos and shared vans between Pisac, Lamay and Ollantaytambo (~£6 total)

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Urubamba

• →Pisac market and Inca ruins
• →Boleto Turístico multi-site ticket
• →Community farm-to-table lunch near Lamay
• →Ollantaytambo fortress

Take a morning shared van or colectivo to Ollantaytambo station (~£2), then board the scenic Vistadome or Expedition train through the Urubamba gorge to Aguas Calientes (~1h30, £45–70). Drop bags at your guesthouse — rooms here are small and basic but bookable cheaply if you reserve ahead. Spend the afternoon soaking in the Baños Termales hot springs (~£3), wandering the handicraft stalls along the river, or visiting the Mariposario butterfly house (~£4). Buy your Machu Picchu bus ticket (round trip ~£18) and confirm your timed entry slot for tomorrow; entry tickets must be bought in advance online with passport details and are circuit-specific. Eat an early, carb-heavy dinner and sleep early — tomorrow starts before dawn.

🚌Shared van to Ollantaytambo (~£2), train to Aguas Calientes (~£55)

🛏Guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (book 2–4 weeks ahead for the best prices)

• →Scenic train through the Urubamba valley
• →Baños Termales hot springs
• →Handicraft market and river walk
• →Butterfly house (optional)

Catch one of the first buses up the switchbacks (~5:30am, 25 min) to be at the gate for opening. Enter on your pre-booked circuit with a licensed local guide — you can hire one at the gate (~£25–35 split between 2–4 people) or pre-book a small-group guided entry via GetYourGuide (~£30–45 including your entry). Either way you get the temples, terraces and the classic Inti Punku/Sun Gate viewpoint if your circuit includes it. Bring your passport for the stamp, plus water, snacks and sun cream — no food or large bags inside. Descend by bus, collect your bags and take the afternoon or early-evening train back to Ollantaytambo, then a shared van or bus onward to Cusco (~2h, ~£5). Check into your Cusco hostel near San Blas or the historic centre.

🚌Machu Picchu shuttle bus (~£18 return), train to Ollantaytambo (~£55), shared van to Cusco (~£5)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Cusco historic centre / San Blas

• →Guided Machu Picchu visit
• →Sun Gate viewpoint
• →Passport stamp
• →Evening walk in San Blas

A full day on foot in Cusco. Start at Plaza de Armas, then walk up to Sacsayhuamán fortress (Boleto Turístico covers it). Wander back down through San Blas — the Inca Museum (~£2.50) and the Pre-Columbian Art Museum are both cheap and excellent. Lunch on menú del día for £3–5. In the evening, book the Cusco Planetarium directly (~£12–15, includes pickup from the centre) and spend an hour with telescopes on southern-sky constellations and Inca astronomy — the same experience the tour includes, minus the group markup. Optional add-on: a Cusco cooking class (~£25–35 via GetYourGuide or a local school in San Blas).

🚌Walkable city day; taxi to planetarium if not using their pickup (~£2)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Cusco

• →Sacsayhuamán fortress
• →Inca Museum
• →San Blas neighbourhood
• →Cusco Planetarium night visit
• →Optional cooking class

Fly back to Lima on a morning flight (~£45–70). Check into a hostel in Miraflores or the more atmospheric Barranco. In the afternoon, take a taxi or Metropolitano bus to Lima's UNESCO-listed historic centre: Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and the San Francisco Monastery with its catacombs (~£4 entry, bookable on arrival). Finish with a pisco sour tasting or a short Lima food tour via GetYourGuide (~£25–40), or DIY it at a Barranco bar for a third of the price. If you'd rather do a Lima city walking tour, free walking tours run daily for a tip.

🚌Flight Cusco–Lima (~£55), taxi or Metropolitano bus to the centre (~£1)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Miraflores/Barranco

• →Plaza Mayor and Lima Cathedral
• →San Francisco Monastery and catacombs
• →Pisco sour tasting in Barranco
• →Optional Lima food tour

A free morning depending on your flight time: coffee in Barranco, a last stroll along the malecón, or the Larco Museum if you have a late departure (~£6 entry). Take the Airport Express bus or an authorised taxi back to Jorge Chávez airport (allow 60–90 min in traffic). If you want extra rest days, Lima and Cusco both have plenty of cheap hostels for pre/post nights — the source tour explicitly recommends this given the fast pace.

🚌Airport Express Lima bus or authorised taxi to LIM (~£6–10)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Malecón walk
• →Optional Larco Museum visit