The Inca Journey — Self-Launched
10 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £1,460
No-markup version: ~£1,095 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of G Adventures' classic Lima–Cusco–Sacred Valley–Machu Picchu–Amazon trip. You'll fly between Lima, Cusco and Puerto Maldonado yourself, ride the Vistadome/Observatory train to Aguas Calientes, book a local Machu Picchu guide through GetYourGuide, and stay at a family-run Tambopata jungle lodge instead of G Lodge Amazon. Same ruins, same wildlife, same weaving co-op and farm-to-table lunch — just booked piecemeal, typically for well under half the group-tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores & the cliff-top malecón
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International (LIM) and take an official taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (~£5–8) to a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco. Settle in, then walk the malecón clifftop path at sunset and eat your first ceviche and lomo saltado in a local menú del día spot (S/15–20). Book your Lima–Cusco flight for tomorrow morning tonight — LATAM, Sky and JetSmart all fly the route and prices are cheapest 3–6 weeks out.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£6 or taxi ~£8
🛏Hostel in Miraflores/Barranco (dorm ~£12/night, private ~£25)
- →Malecón sunset walk
- →Ceviche dinner in Barranco
- →Book Lima–Cusco domestic flight
Fly to Cusco — acclimatise gently
Cusco
Morning flight to Cusco (~£55–75 one way, 1h20). Take a taxi to your guesthouse in San Blas and do almost nothing for the first few hours — coca tea, water, no big climbs. In the afternoon wander slowly to Plaza de Armas and San Blas's cobbled lanes. Skip the altitude-heavy activities; instead join a cheap evening cooking class (Klook/GetYourGuide, ~£25–35) or a Peruvian coffee/chocolate workshop. Buy your Boleto Turístico (S/130, ~£27) from the COSITUC office — it covers Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo and Sacred Valley sites.
🚌Domestic flight Lima→Cusco; airport taxi ~£4
🛏Guesthouse in San Blas, Cusco (~£15–20/night)
- →San Blas wander
- →Cusco cooking class (book via GetYourGuide/Klook)
- →Buy Boleto Turístico
Sacred Valley day trip — Pisac, weaving co-op, Ollantaytambo
Sacred Valley / Ollantaytambo
Take a shared colectivo or a full-day shared van tour from Cusco (book the night before via your hostel or GetYourGuide, ~£18–25). Route: Pisac ruins and market → a Chinchero or Ccaccaccollo weaving co-op where local women demonstrate backstrap weaving (small entry/donation ~S/10–20) → lunch at a community farm-to-table restaurant such as Parwa in Lamay (~S/35) → Ollantaytambo ruins and the Inca storehouses up the hillside. Stay overnight in Ollantaytambo rather than backtracking — much better for tomorrow's train.
🚌Shared van tour / colectivo Cusco→Ollantaytambo ~£20
🛏Hostal in Ollantaytambo (~£16/night)
- →Pisac ruins & market
- →Women's weaving co-op demonstration
- →Parwa community farm-to-table lunch
- →Ollantaytambo ruins & storehouse hike
Train to Aguas Calientes — hot springs & market
Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)
Morning PeruRail or Inca Rail service from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (~£45–60 one way, ~1h40 — book at least 2–3 weeks ahead, it sells out). Drop bags at your hostal and visit the Machu Picchu museum (Museo Manuel Chávez Ballón, S/25) and the artisan market. In the evening soak in the Baños Termales (S/20, ~£4) at the top of town. Sort out tomorrow's bus ticket and Machu Picchu entry ticket now — entry is timed and capped, so buy at machupicchu.gob.pe or via GetYourGuide weeks ahead.
🚌Train Ollantaytambo→Aguas Calientes ~£50
🛏Hostal in Aguas Calientes (~£20/night)
- →Scenic Vistadome train
- →Machu Picchu museum
- →Aguas Calientes hot springs
Machu Picchu with a local guide — back to Cusco
Machu Picchu / Cusco
Take the 5:30am Consettur bus up the switchbacks (~£10 return) for gates opening. Join a small-group English-speaking guide you booked via GetYourGuide (~£25–35 for a 2.5h tour, or hire an official guide at the gate for S/80–120 split between 2–4 people). Entry ticket ~£35–45 depending on circuit; choose Circuit 1 or 2 for the classic postcard view and Circuit 3 if you want the Sun Gate panorama. Afterwards, walk down to the Puente Ruinas and take the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, then a colectivo to Cusco (~£4).
🚌Consettur bus ~£10, train back ~£50, colectivo ~£4
🛏Guesthouse in Cusco (~£16/night)
- →Sunrise bus to Machu Picchu
- →Guided tour of the citadel (GetYourGuide or gate guide)
- →Return train + colectivo to Cusco
Free day in Cusco — Rainbow Mountain or Sacsayhuamán
Cusco
Pick your own adventure. Options: a Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) day tour (~£25–35 departing 4am, includes breakfast and lunch — acclimatise first!), Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo and Qorikancha using your Boleto Turístico, the Inka Museum (S/10) and San Pedro market for a S/12 almuerzo. Budget an afternoon to confirm your Puerto Maldonado flight and jungle lodge pickup for tomorrow.
🚌Walking / local taxi ~£4
🛏Guesthouse in Cusco (~£16/night)
- →Rainbow Mountain day tour (optional)
- →Sacsayhuamán & Q'enqo with Boleto Turístico
- →San Pedro market lunch
Fly to Puerto Maldonado — into the Tambopata jungle
Puerto Maldonado / Tambopata
Morning flight Cusco→Puerto Maldonado (~£60–80, 45 mins). Book a 2-night all-inclusive ecolodge package in advance — options like Posada Amazonas, Refugio Amazonas, Tambopata Research Center or the cheaper Wasai Maldonado/Lodge packages run ~£120–180 pp for 2 nights including all meals, boat transfers and a naturalist guide (direct or via Klook). Most lodges collect you at the airport, run you to their office for a duffel repack (large bags stay behind), then motorised canoe 45–90 mins up the Tambopata or Madre de Dios river. Afternoon: settle into your screened room, then an evening night walk with a naturalist looking for tarantulas, owls, frogs and snakes.
🚌Domestic flight ~£70; canoe transfers included
🛏Tambopata ecolodge, 2-night package (~£150 total incl. meals, transfers, guide)
- →Flight to Puerto Maldonado
- →Motorised canoe transfer
- →Guided night walk
Oxbow lakes, clay licks and caiman cruise
Tambopata
Early start for a boat trip to an oxbow lake (Tres Chimbadas or Lake Sandoval) to spot giant river otters, hoatzins, caimans and macaws; most lodges also offer a clay lick visit for parrots and macaws at dawn. Afternoon is free — hammock, swimming hole, or a short plantation/medicinal plant walk with your guide. After dinner, head out by motorised canoe with a spotlight to find caimans on the riverbanks and, if you're lucky, night monkeys. All of this is included in the lodge package.
🚌Included motorised canoe excursions
🛏Tambopata ecolodge (included in package)
- →Oxbow lake boat excursion
- →Macaw clay lick
- →Caiman-spotting night cruise
Back to Puerto Maldonado — fly to Lima
Lima
Morning excursion or birdwatching from the lodge canopy tower, then return by canoe and transfer to Puerto Maldonado for the afternoon flight to Lima (~£65–85). Check into a Miraflores hostel, then finish with a proper final dinner — a seafood spot in Barranco or a pisco sour bar. Optional: Paragliding over the Costa Verde (~£60) if you have daylight.
🚌Canoe + lodge transfer included; flight ~£75
🛏Hostel in Miraflores (~£14/night)
- →Canopy birdwatching
- →Flight Puerto Maldonado→Lima
- →Barranco dinner & pisco sours
Depart Lima
Lima
Breakfast, last-minute souvenir shopping at the Inka Market or Larcomar, then Airport Express bus or taxi to Jorge Chávez for your international flight home. If your flight is late, the Museo Larco (S/35) is an excellent half-day and stores bags free.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£6
🛏—
- →Museo Larco (optional)
- →Souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,095 | £1,460 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £365 per person (25%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,095
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 The Inca Journey — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,095 per person for 10 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 £1,460 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,095 — a saving of roughly £365 (25%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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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