Self-Launched Peru: Lima, Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley
9 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £5,500
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day route that follows the same arc as G Adventures' Signature Peru trip — Lima's Museo Larco and Barranco, the Sacred Valley's weaving co-ops, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and the Maras salt pans, sunrise at Machu Picchu, and Cusco's Inca foundations — but booked independently. You swap luxury hotels for well-located guesthouses and hostels in Miraflores, Ollantaytambo/Urubamba and Cusco, the private vehicle for colectivos and public buses, and the curator-led private tours for public museum entry plus self-booked small-group guides via GetYourGuide or local agencies. All costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP for a budget-to-midrange traveller, excluding international flights; the Lima–Cusco domestic flight is included but internal airfares fluctuate.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores and the malecón
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official taxi or airport bus (Airport Express Lima, ~£6-8) to a guesthouse in Miraflores rather than the operator's clifftop hotel. Settle in, then walk the malecón clifftop promenade for the Pacific sunset and grab your first ceviche and a Pisco sour at a mid-range local restaurant (the Mercado de Surquillo or a neighbourhood cevichería is cheaper than the tourist strip).
🚌Airport Express Lima bus or official taxi from LIM (~£6-8)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room in Miraflores (~£20-28)
- →Malecón clifftop sunset walk
- →Ceviche and pisco sour dinner in Miraflores
Lima: Museo Larco, Barranco and a cooking class
Lima
Take a Metropolitano bus or taxi to Pueblo Libre for the Museo Larco (entry ~£9; book a timed ticket online). The pre-Columbian ceramics galleries cover 5,000 years — the operator's curator tour becomes a self-guided visit or an audio guide, but the collection is superb either way. After lunch, head to bohemian Barranco: cross the Bridge of Sighs, browse the murals and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, and peek into the Víctor Delfín workshop area (public gallery access only — the private home tour isn't bookable independently). Finish with a small-group Peruvian cooking class (causa + pisco sour) booked via GetYourGuide or a Barranco cooking studio, ~£35-45.
🚌Metropolitano bus and short taxis (~£4-6 total)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room in Miraflores (~£20-28)
- →Museo Larco self-guided visit
- →Barranco street art and Bridge of Sighs walk
- →Small-group Peruvian cooking class
Fly Lima to Cusco, transfer to the Sacred Valley
Sacred Valley (Urubamba/Ollantaytambo)
Book a morning LATAM or Sky Airline flight Lima–Cusco (~£55-90 booked ahead; Viva Air/Sky are the budget options). From Cusco airport, shared colectivos or a shared van run to Urubamba/Ollantaytambo (~£4-6, 1.5-2 hrs) — cheaper and just as scenic as the operator's private drive. On the way, stop at the Ccaccaccollo weaving cooperative near Pisac, which welcomes independent visitors and sells directly; you can arrange a demo on arrival or through your guesthouse (~£8-10 donation/workshop fee). Overnight in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba — lower altitude than Cusco, which helps acclimatisation.
🚌Domestic flight Lima–Cusco (~£55-90) + shared van to the valley (~£5)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba (~£15-22)
- →Scenic flight over the Andes
- →Ccaccaccollo weaving cooperative visit
- →Settle into the Sacred Valley
Cuyo Chico, Pisac ruins and Urubamba ceramics
Sacred Valley
Take a colectivo to Pisac and walk up to the Pisac archaeological site (entry included in the Boleto Turístico, ~£18 for the multi-site ticket covering Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and more). Local families in Cuyo Chico run empanada-baking experiences — arrange via your guesthouse or a GetYourGuide Sacred Valley community day (~£15-25 incl. lunch). Afternoon: browse the Urubamba ceramics studios (the Seminario workshop shop is open to the public; a guided studio tour isn't independently bookable but the gallery is free). Return by colectivo.
🚌Colectivos along the valley (~£3-5)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba (~£15-22)
- →Pisac ruins hike (Boleto Turístico)
- →Cuyo Chico empanada workshop
- →Urubamba ceramics galleries
Ollantaytambo ruins and the train to Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes
Morning at the Ollantaytambo fortress ruins (covered by the Boleto Turístico) and a wander through the original Inca street grid. In the afternoon take the PeruRail or Inca Rail Vistadome/Expedition train along the Urubamba to Aguas Calientes (~£45-60 one way — book several weeks ahead, especially in high season; the cheaper Expedition/360 services are fine). Check into a guesthouse near the river, then do a self-guided evening stroll along the Vilcanota to spot hummingbirds and orchids.
🚌Train Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes (~£45-60)
🛏Guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (~£20-30)
- →Ollantaytambo ruins and Inca town walk
- →Scenic train ride
- →Evening riverside nature walk
Machu Picchu at sunrise, back to the Sacred Valley
Aguas Calientes / Sacred Valley
Buy your Machu Picchu entry ticket online in advance (foreign adult ~£40; Circuit 2 is the classic postcard route, Circuit 1 covers the upper terraces — tickets sell out weeks ahead). Take the Consettur bus up from town (~£10 return) for the earliest slot as the mist lifts. Circuit-guide rules require a licensed guide, so join a small-group guide at the gate (~£12-18, bookable via GetYourGuide or through your guesthouse) or hire one in Aguas Calientes the night before. Train back to Ollantaytambo in the afternoon (~£45-60) and overnight in the valley.
🚌Consettur bus up/down (~£10) + return train (~£45-60)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba (~£15-22)
- →Sunrise entry to Machu Picchu (Circuit 2)
- →Licensed small-group site guide
- →Return scenic train
Maras salt pans, Moray and on to Cusco
Cusco
Join a shared Maras–Moray day tour or take colectivos to Maras and walk down to the salt pans (~£4 entry) and the Moray circular terraces (Boleto Turístico covers Moray). Shared tours from Urubamba/Ollantaytambo run ~£15-25 including transport. Lunch at a valley restaurant, then take the public bus or shared van from Urubamba to Cusco (~£2-4, 1.5 hrs). Evening: self-guided orientation walk through San Blas and the Plaza de Armas, and a dinner tasting Andean produce — many Cusco restaurants do native-potato and quinua tasting menus for £10-18.
🚌Shared tour transport/colectivos (~£8) + bus Urubamba–Cusco (~£3)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room in Cusco Centro or San Blas (~£18-28)
- →Maras salt pans
- →Moray terraces
- →Cusco orientation walk and Andean tasting dinner
Cusco: Inca history, Sacsayhuamán and San Pedro market
Cusco
Use the Boleto Turístico for the Cathedral, Koricancha (Sun Temple) and Sacsayhuamán — walking up to Sacsayhuamán takes 20-25 minutes and saves on taxis. Skip the operator's private tented picnic and instead pack a market lunch from San Pedro market (cheese, fruit, bread for ~£4) to eat on the hillside above the city. Afternoon free to wander San Blas galleries; entry to the Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP) is ~£8 and open to independent visitors. Farewell dinner at a mid-range Cusco restaurant (~£15-20).
🚌Walking and occasional taxi (~£4)
🛏Hostel/guesthouse private room in Cusco (~£18-28)
- →Cusco Cathedral and Koricancha
- →Sacsayhuamán ruins
- →San Pedro market picnic
- →MAP museum visit
Fly Cusco to Lima and depart
Cusco / Lima
Fly Cusco–Lima (~£55-90) with a buffer for delays (afternoon or evening flight). If your international departure is late, store bags at the airport or take a day-use hotel near Miraflores/Airport for ~£25-35 and grab a last lunch in Lima. Allow at least 3-4 hours between the domestic arrival and your international check-in.
🚌Taxi to Cusco airport (~£3) + domestic flight Cusco–Lima (~£55-90)
🛏None (day-use room optional, ~£30)
- →Domestic flight back to Lima
- →Optional last Lima lunch
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £5,500 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £4,320 per person (79%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
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, Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 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 £5,500 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £4,320 (79%) 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, 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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