Self-Launched Peru: Lima, Huacachina, Cusco & Machu Picchu
11 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £1,170
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day independent version of G Adventures' "Total Peru Package": Lima's Barranco district, the Paracas/Ballestas Islands and Huacachina desert oasis on the south coast, then Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu — all booked yourself using Peru's excellent buses, the PeruRail/Inca Rail train and self-bookable day tours. You lose the tour leader and group logistics but keep every stop, with far more freedom over pace, rest days and optional extras. Costs are approximate 2026 backpacker/solo-traveller rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Barranco orienteering
Lima
Fly into Jorge Chávez International (LIM). Take an airport taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (~£6) to Barranco, the bohemian seaside district, and check into a hostel dorm. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk: Puente de los Suspiros, the Bajada de Baños path down to the coast, and the murals around Plaza Barranco. Sunset from the clifftop Mirador. Grab dinner at a local menú del día spot (~£4-6) or a cheap cevichería near the plaza.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus to Miraflores/Barranco ~£6, or shared taxi ~£12-15 split
🛏Hostel dorm in Barranco (e.g. Viajero Kokopelli Barranco or similar, ~£15/night)
- →Self-guided Barranco street-art and clifftop walk
- →Sunset at Mirador de Barranco
Lima to Paracas & Huacachina
Huacachina
Book an early Cruz del Sur or Peru Hop bus from Lima south. Peru Hop is the easiest fit for this route since it runs Lima → Paracas → Huacachina on a hop-on-hop-off pass (~£50-70 for the segment, includes stops). Arrive Paracas, drop bags, then do the standard boat trip to the Ballestas Islands (book at the Paracas pier the evening before or with your hostel, ~£12-15) — sea lions, boobies and the Candelabro geoglyph. Late afternoon continue to Huacachina and check into a hostel by the lagoon. Seafood lunch in Paracas (~£6). Optional: join a sunset dune-buggy and sandboarding run (~£15-18).
🚌Cruz del Sur or Peru Hop Lima→Paracas→Huacachina, ~£25-30 for the day
🛏Hostel/hotel in Huacachina lagoon side (~£18/night)
- →Ballestas Islands boat trip (~£13)
- →Optional sunset dune buggy & sandboarding (~£16)
Huacachina desert day
Huacachina
A free day at the oasis. Cheapest options: hike the dunes on foot at sunrise for free views, swim in the lagoon, and relax at a lagoon-side café. Paid add-ons if you want them: dune buggy/sandboarding, kiteboarding lesson in Paracas, or a pisco distillery visit — all bookable locally the day before. This is also the natural day to slot in a Nazca Lines overflight if you're willing to spend the money (light aircraft from Ica/Pisco, ~£70-90 including transfer) — book through your hostel.
🚌Walking locally; local colectivo/taxi to Ica ~£1-2
🛏Hostel/hotel in Huacachina (~£18/night)
- →Sunrise dune hike (free)
- →Lagoon swimming and café lounging
- →Optional Nazca Lines flight (~£80)
Back to Lima via Paracas
Lima
Morning bus back north, with a stop in Paracas if you didn't do the islands on day 2. Lunch on seafood in Paracas or at a market in Pisco. Continue to Lima and return to a Barranco hostel. Evening: cheap dinner in Barranco and a beer on the plaza — or a modern ceviche and pisco sour at one of the affordable local spots (~£10-12).
🚌Peru Hop / Cruz del Sur Huacachina→Lima ~£25
🛏Hostel dorm in Barranco (~£15/night)
- →Paracas stopover
- →Barranco evening wander
Fly Lima to Cusco — acclimatise
Cusco
Morning flight Lima→Cusco with Sky, Latam or JetSmart (~£45-60 one-way if booked a few weeks ahead). Take a taxi or the inexpensive airport bus into the historic centre and check into a hostel. Go slow today — Cusco is 3,400 m. Coca tea, light walking in the Plaza de Armas, San Blas, and an early night. Optional easy hillside walk to the Cristo Blanco statue for the city view if you're feeling fine.
🚌Flight LIM→CUZ ~£50; airport taxi to centre ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12/night)
- →Plaza de Armas and San Blas orientation walk
- →Optional Cristo Blanco viewpoint
Cusco backstreets & markets
Cusco
Self-guided version of the operator's San Pedro/Sapantiana/San Blas walk: start at San Pedro Market for juice and a cheap breakfast, wander up through Sapantiana aqueduct and the stairway waterfall, then the steep lanes of San Blas. Lunch at a local restaurant near San Blas plaza (~£5-7). Afternoon: free walking tour (tip-based, ~£5-8) if you want context, or the Inka Museum (~£2.50). Buy your Machu Picchu entry and train tickets today if you haven't already — Machu Picchu timed entry slots sell out, so book online via the official MINCUL/ticket portal in advance.
🚌Walking; short taxis ~£1-2
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12/night)
- →San Pedro Market
- →Sapantiana aqueduct & stairway waterfall
- →San Blas lanes
- →Optional Inka Museum (~£2.50)
Cusco to Ollantaytambo via Perolniyoc waterfall
Ollantaytambo
Take a colectivo or shared taxi from Cusco to the Sacred Valley (Cusco→Urubamba/Ollantaytambo colectivo ~£2-3). Book a local taxi or guided day hike to Iglesia Ñaupa and the Perolniyoc waterfall near Socma (~£15-25 shared, arrange via your Ollantaytambo guesthouse) — a beautiful, less-crowded alternative to the operator's included hike. On the way, stop at the Killarumiyoq archaeological site (small entry fee). Check into an Ollantaytambo guesthouse and walk the town's original Inca streets in the evening. Optional: Ollantaytambo ruins at sunset, or the Sacred Valley Tourist Ticket if you're doing several sites.
🚌Colectivo Cusco→Ollantaytambo ~£3; shared taxi to Socma trailhead ~£12 split
🛏Guesthouse/private room in Ollantaytambo (~£20/night)
- →Perolniyoc waterfall hike with local guide (~£15)
- →Killarumiyoq site
- →Ollantaytambo Inca town walk
Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes
Morning in Ollantaytambo — optional ruins visit (~£8 with tourist ticket or ~£3 standalone). Board the afternoon PeruRail or Inca Rail train down the Urubamba valley to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo), ~£45-60 one-way for the standard Expedition/Voyager class — book online a couple of weeks ahead. Check into a simple hotel and buy your Machu Picchu bus ticket (round trip ~£10) for tomorrow morning. Optional alternative: the one-day Inca Trail from Km 104 (permits required, ~£90-120 with a licensed agency, book weeks in advance). Early night.
🚌PeruRail/Inca Rail Ollantaytambo→Aguas Calientes ~£50
🛏Simple hotel in Aguas Calientes (~£22/night)
- →Ollantaytambo ruins (optional)
- →Urubamba river train ride
Machu Picchu — back to Cusco
Cusco
Take the first buses up (5:30am) to catch sunrise over the citadel. Enter with your pre-booked timed ticket (~£35 for Circuit 2 or 3, the classic viewpoints) — hire a licensed guide at the gate for ~£15-20 per person if you want the full commentary, or download an audio guide. Allow 3-4 hours on site. Bus down, lunch in town, then the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo and a colectivo/bus to Cusco (~£3). Evening: rest in Cusco.
🚌Bus up/down Machu Picchu ~£10; train Aguas Calientes→Ollantaytambo ~£50; colectivo to Cusco ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12/night)
- →Machu Picchu entry & citadel circuit (~£35)
- →Optional licensed guide at the gate (~£18)
Cusco free day / Rainbow Mountain option
Cusco
Choose your own pace. Chill option: cafés, San Blas galleries, Qorikancha, and a cheap set lunch. Big-day option: book a Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) day tour through any Cusco agency the evening before (~£25-35 including transport, breakfast and lunch, 4am start, 5,000 m — only if you've acclimatised well). Or do the Sacsayhuamán and Q'enqo ruins on foot from town. Either way, an early night for departure.
🚌Walking; Rainbow Mountain tour transport included in tour price
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12/night)
- →Optional Rainbow Mountain day tour (~£30)
- →Optional Sacsayhuamán & Q'enqo walk
- →San Blas cafés
Depart Cusco
Cusco
Breakfast, last market stop for coffee and souvenirs, then taxi to Alejandro Velasco Astete airport for your onward flight, or an overnight bus onward to Puno/Lake Titicaca if you're extending. Domestic flight Cusco→Lima ~£45-60 if you need to connect home.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4
🛏—
- →San Pedro Market souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £1,170 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £470 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£700
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 Self-Launched Peru: Lima, Huacachina, Cusco & Machu Picchu cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £700 per person for 11 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 £1,170 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £700 — a saving of roughly £470 (40%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 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, hiking 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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