The Total Peru Package: Lima, Desert Oases & Machu Picchu — Self-Launched
11 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £1,170
No-markup version: ~£675 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, hostel-based 11-day route that covers the same ground as the G Adventures Roamies "Total Peru Package" — Lima's Barranco food scene, ceviche on the coast, dune buggies and sandboarding at Huacachina, Ballestas Islands wildlife, Cusco's backstreets and San Pedro market, lesser-known Sacred Valley ruins, the Perolniyoc waterfall hike, and Machu Picchu — all booked yourself using Peru's excellent public buses, the PeruRail/Inca Rail valley trains and locally run day tours. You'll sleep in hostels and guesthouses, eat where locals eat, and travel at your own pace instead of on a fixed group schedule. All figures are approximate per-person estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — settle into Barranco
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official taxi or airport bus (Airport Express Lima, ~£5) or a ride-hailing app to Barranco, the colourful bohemian district south of the centre. Check into a hostel dorm near the Puente de los Suspiros. Spend the afternoon wandering Barranco's murals and the Bajada de Baños clifftop walk, then eat at a local menú del día spot (~£4-5). No group welcome meeting required — instead join a free walking tour in the morning if you want to meet people, or check your hostel noticeboard for pub crawls and day-trip boards.
🚌Airport Express bus or taxi from LIM airport (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm, Barranco (e.g. Pariwana or Barranco's Backpackers Inn equivalent), ~£12/night
- →Barranco street art and Puente de los Suspiros walk
- →Bajada de Baños coastal viewpoint
- →Cheap menú del día dinner
Lima south to Huacachina via a fishing village
Huacachina
Take an early Cruz del Sur or Oltursa bus from Lima's Javier Prado or Terminal Plaza Norte towards Ica (~4.5-5 hrs, ~£13-18). Get off or break the journey at Cerro Azul or Paracas for a fresh seafood lunch and a ceviche demo — plenty of beachfront cevicherías in Cerro Azul will show you how it's made if you ask. Continue to Ica, then a short taxi (5 min, ~£2) to the Huacachina oasis. Book a sunset dune buggy + sandboarding tour locally or via GetYourGuide (~£15-20) — the operators run hourly from the oasis. Swim/wade at the lagoon at sunset, then drinks at a hostel bar.
🚌Cruz del Sur/Oltursa bus Lima–Ica (~£13-18); local taxi to oasis ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or private in Huacachina (e.g. Banana's Adventure Hostel equivalent), ~£12-15/night
- →Cerro Azul seafood lunch and ceviche demonstration
- →Sunset dune buggy ride and sandboarding
- →Huacachina lagoon at sunset
Free day in Huacachina — pick your own adventure
Huacachina
A DIY free day. Options: a Nazca Lines scenic flight from Ica's aerodrome (~£75-95, book locally or on GetYourGuide; light aircraft, ~30 min), a pisco vineyard tour and tasting around Ica (~£10-15), a morning in Paracas for kiteboarding (~£45 for a lesson), or a second dune buggy run. Otherwise the cheapest and best option is the hostel pool and a cold Cusqueña. Grab dinner at a spot around the lagoon.
🚌Local taxis / collectivos to Ica or Paracas (~£2-5 each way)
🛏Hostel dorm or private in Huacachina, ~£12-15/night
- →Optional Nazca Lines scenic flight (~£75-95)
- →Optional pisco distillery tour and tasting (~£12)
- →Optional kiteboarding lesson in Paracas (~£45)
Ballestas Islands boat trip, then back to Lima
Lima
Early shared taxi or bus to Paracas (~45 min, ~£5). Join a 2-hour boat excursion to the Ballestas Islands — sea lions, Humboldt penguins, boobies and the Candelabra geoglyph. Book direct at the Paracas pier or via GetYourGuide (~£15-18); bring a jacket, it's cold and choppy. Seafood lunch on the Paracas waterfront (~£6), then a mid-afternoon bus back to Lima (~£15). Evening in Barranco or Miraflores — a pisco sour at a local bar (~£4).
🚌Shared taxi/bus to Paracas ~£5; Cruz del Sur bus Paracas–Lima ~£15
🛏Hostel dorm, Barranco or Miraflores, ~£12-14/night
- →Ballestas Islands wildlife boat excursion
- →Paracas seafood lunch
- →Night out in Barranco or Miraflores
Fly to Cusco and acclimatise
Cusco
Book a morning LATAM/Sky/JetSMART flight Lima–Cusco (~£45-75 one way, more if booked late). Take a taxi from Alejandro Velasco Astete airport to a hostel in the historic centre (~£3). Take it easy on day one at 3,400m: coca tea, water, no big meals. In the afternoon walk or taxi to the Cristo Blanco statue above the city (~£2 taxi) for views over Cusco and Sacsayhuamán, then wander back down through San Blas. Buy your Machu Picchu and train tickets today if you haven't already (see Day 8).
🚌Domestic flight Lima–Cusco ~£45-75; airport taxi ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm, Cusco historic centre (e.g. Wild Rover or Milhouse equivalent), ~£12-15/night
- →Cristo Blanco viewpoint
- →Sacsayhuamán exterior and San Blas backstreets
- →Coca tea and altitude acclimatisation
Cusco on foot — market, aqueduct and San Blas
Cusco
Self-guided walking day. Start at San Pedro market for juice, cheese and tamales (~£3 breakfast) and see the souvenir and food stalls in full swing. Follow Calle Sapantiana to the famous aqueduct stairway waterfall, then climb to San Blas for the plaza, artisan shops and views. Lunch at a local spot in San Blas (~£5). Afternoon: pick one museum — the Inka Museum (Qusikancha) is ~£2.50, or buy the Cusco Tourist Ticket (Boleto Turístico, ~£26) if you plan to hit several sites. Alternatively book a Cusco food tour on GetYourGuide (~£30) or a Peruvian cooking class (~£25-35).
🚌On foot; occasional taxi ~£1-2
🛏Hostel dorm, Cusco, ~£12-15/night
- →San Pedro market
- →Sapantiana aqueduct and stairway waterfall
- →San Blas neighbourhood
- →Inka Museum or Cusco food tour/cooking class
Off-the-beaten-track Sacred Valley and Perolniyoc waterfall
Ollantaytambo
This is the day that's hardest to replicate solo on public transport, so either (a) hire a remís/driver for the day (~£55-70 per car, split between 3-4 people from your hostel) or (b) book a small-group Sacred Valley + Perolniyoc hike tour via GetYourGuide (~£35-45). Route: Killarumiyoq (Temple of the Moon), Iglesia Ñaupa, then the hike up to the Perolniyoc waterfall (~2-3 hrs round trip, moderate). Pack a lunch. Continue to Ollantaytambo in the late afternoon; drop your bag at a guesthouse, then walk up to the Ollantaytambo ruins for sunset (~£12 entry with Boleto Turístico or ~£5 standalone) and dinner in the old town.
🚌Private remís day hire ~£55-70 split / or small-group tour ~£35-45; or collectivo Cusco–Ollantaytambo ~£3 if touring independently
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Ollantaytambo, ~£12-16/night
- →Killarumiyoq (Temple of the Moon) ruins
- →Iglesia Ñaupa archaeological site
- →Perolniyoc waterfall hike
- →Ollantaytambo ruins at sunset
Train down the valley to Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes
Book PeruRail or Inca Rail from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) in advance — ~£55-80 one way depending on class; the early-morning Vistadome/Expedition services sell out weeks ahead in high season. The ride follows the Urubamba river gorge. Arrive before lunch, check into a guesthouse, then use the afternoon for the Mandor waterfall walk (~£5 entry, 1.5-2 hrs) or the Banos Termales hot springs (~£6). Sort out your bus ticket for Machu Picchu (Consettur, ~£9-10 one way or ~£18 return) and confirm your entry time for tomorrow. Budget an early night — the bus queue starts around 5am.
🚌Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes train ~£55-80; Consettur bus tickets ~£18 return
🛏Guesthouse or hostel, Aguas Calientes, ~£18-25/night (pricier town)
- →PeruRail/Inca Rail valley train
- →Mandor waterfall hike
- →Aguas Calientes hot springs
Machu Picchu, then back to Cusco
Cusco
Buy your Machu Picchu entry ticket yourself in advance at tuboleto.cultura.pe (or via GetYourGuide) — Circuit 1 or 2 general entry is ~£38-48 for adults; circuits are capped and sell out, so book the moment your dates are fixed. Take an early Consettur bus up, enter at your slot time and hire a licensed guide at the gate (~£25-35 split between a few people) or book a small-group guided entry online (~£25-30). Expect 3-4 hrs on site. Back down for lunch in town, then the afternoon train to Ollantaytambo (~£55-80) and a shared van/collectivo or bus on to Cusco (~£4). Evening: Cusco nightlife or a quiet dinner in San Blas.
🚌Consettur bus up ~£9-10; train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo ~£55-80; collectivo/bus to Cusco ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Cusco, ~£12-15/night
- →Machu Picchu with licensed local guide
- →Sun Gate viewpoint if on a Circuit 3 / Inca Trail route
- →Train and bus back to Cusco
Free day in Cusco — Rainbow Mountain or relax
Cusco
Your pick. The full-day Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) tour leaves around 3-4am and costs ~£30-45 booked locally or via GetYourGuide — genuinely high altitude (5,000m), so only if you've acclimatised well. Other options: mountain biking above Cusco (~£25-35), horseback riding in the hills (~£18), the Sacsayhuamán–Q'enqo–Puka Pukara archaeological circuit with a Boleto Turístico (~£26), a chocolate or weaving workshop, or simply markets, cafés and souvenir shopping. Farewell dinner and drinks in the centre.
🚌On foot; tour pickup included if booked
🛏Hostel dorm, Cusco, ~£12-15/night
- →Optional Rainbow Mountain day tour (~£30-45)
- →Optional mountain biking or horseback riding
- →Cusco museums, markets and shopping
- →Farewell dinner in the historic centre
Depart Cusco
Cusco
Check out and head to the airport for your onward flight, or extend your stay — Cusco hostels are cheap and there's plenty more (the Amazon fringe, Lake Titicaca via Puno bus ~£20, or Arequipa's Colca Canyon) if you want to keep going. If you're flying out of Lima, book the Cusco–Lima leg in advance (~£45-75).
🚌Taxi to Cusco airport ~£3; domestic flight if connecting via Lima ~£45-75
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Departure flight or onward travel planning
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£675 | £1,170 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £495 per person (42%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£675
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 Total Peru Package: Lima, Desert Oases & Machu Picchu — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £675 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 £675 — a saving of roughly £495 (42%) 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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