The Best of Southern Peru: Self-Launched (Lima to Cusco via Paracas, Nazca, Arequipa, Colca & Titicaca)

Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) and get to your accommodation. The official Airport Express Lima bus runs to Miraflores/Barranco for around S/20 (~£4) and is far cheaper than a taxi; if you take a taxi use a licensed app (Uber/Cabify) and expect S/60–80. Stay in Miraflores (central, walkable, good hostels) or Barranco (bohemian, better nightlife). Spend the evening walking the Malecón clifftop path and eating ceviche at a local cevichería — a set lunch menu (menú del día) costs S/15–25 (~£3–5).

🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£4, or app taxi ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room in Miraflores/Barranco (e.g. Pariwana, Flying Dog, or a guesthouse)

• →Walk the Malecón in Miraflores
• →Ceviche dinner in Barranco

Do the same historic centre the group tour covers, but on your own schedule. Take a Metropolitano bus or Uber to Plaza de Armas and explore the Main Square, Government Palace and Cathedral exterior. Book a small-group or free (tip-based) walking tour of the centre via GetYourGuide or Guruwalk if you want narration, or simply pay the S/10 (~£2) entry to the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs — one of Lima's best-value sights. In the afternoon head to the Museo Larco in Pueblo Libre (S/35, ~£8) for pre-Columbian ceramics, or just wander Chinatown and the Mercado Central for cheap eats.

🚌Metropolitano bus card ~S/5 (~£1); Ubers ~£3–5 per hop

🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room in Miraflores/Barranco

• →Self-guided Plaza de Armas walk
• →San Francisco Convent & catacombs (~£2)
• →Museo Larco (optional, ~£8)

Take an early morning bus to Paracas — Cruz del Sur or Oltursa run from Lima's Javier Prado or Plaza Norte terminals, roughly 3.5 hours and £10–15. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Paracas town. Afternoon: book the Ballestas Islands boat excursion directly at the Paracas pier or via GetYourGuide (~S/60–80, £12–16) — 2 hours out to see sea lions, penguins, pelicans and the Candelabra geoglyph. Alternatively do the boat trip first thing tomorrow. Sunset at the Paracas National Reserve is worth a shared taxi trip (~£10 split).

🚌Cruz del Sur / Oltursa bus Lima→Paracas ~£12 (3.5 hrs)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Paracas town

• →Ballestas Islands boat excursion (~£14)
• →Candelabra geoglyph viewpoint
• →Paracas National Reserve sunset (optional)

Morning Ballestas boat trip if you didn't do it yesterday. Then take a local bus or shared taxi to Ica (~1 hour, ~£3), drop bags and head to Huacachina oasis for the classic dune buggy + sandboarding run — book on the spot at the oasis or via GetYourGuide (~S/60–90, £12–18). Sample pisco at a vineyard in Ica (many offer free or cheap tastings with a bottle purchase). Late afternoon catch a Cruz del Sur bus from Ica to Nazca (~2.5 hours, ~£8). Sleep in Nazca town.

🚌Local bus Paracas→Ica ~£3; bus Ica→Nazca ~£8

🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Nazca town

• →Huacachina dune buggy & sandboarding (~£15)
• →Ica vineyard pisco tasting
• →Huacachina oasis lagoon

Book a 30-minute Nazca Lines overflight directly with a local operator at Nazca's small aerodrome or via GetYourGuide — around US$80–110 (~£65–90) including the mandatory airport tax. Flights are weather-dependent and morning is smoothest, so book the earliest slot. If you'd rather save money, the Mirador viewpoint on the Pan-American Highway (~£2 by colectivo) gives you two of the figures for almost nothing. Afterwards visit the Chauchilla Cemetery or the Maria Reiche museum (both cheap). Overnight bus to Arequipa with Cruz del Sur or Oltursa (10–11 hours, reclining seat ~£20–28) — this saves a hotel night and is a standard backpacker move.

🚌Overnight bus Nazca→Arequipa ~£24 (10–11 hrs)

🛏Overnight bus (reclining seat)

• →Nazca Lines 30-min overflight (~£75)
• →Mirador viewpoint (budget alternative)
• →Maria Reiche Museum or Chauchilla Cemetery

Arrive early morning, check into a hostel near the Plaza de Armas and take it slow (you're at 2,335m). The Santa Catalina Monastery is the star — entry S/45 (~£9), and you can wander the painted cloisters for hours. Explore the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the Mercado San Camilo for a cheap lunch of rocoto relleno or adobo arequipeño. Free walking tours leave from the plaza daily. Optional: Juanita the Ice Maiden mummy at the Museo Santuarios Andinos (~£8).

🚌Local taxis/colectivos ~£3 total

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Plaza de Armas, Arequipa

• →Santa Catalina Monastery (~£9)
• →Plaza de Armas & Cathedral
• →Mercado San Camilo food market

Join a 2-day Colca Canyon tour booked cheaply in Arequipa (agency touts on the plaza or GetYourGuide) — around £35–55 including transport, guide, breakfast and one night's basic lodging in Chivay or Cabanaconde. You'll drive through Aguada Blanca National Reserve (vicuñas and volcanoes) and soak at Calera hot springs (S/15 entry). Or, for the fully independent version, take the 5am Reyna bus from Arequipa to Cabanaconde (~4 hrs, ~£5) and hike into the canyon yourself, staying at a village lodge. Either way, this is your first real altitude push — drink coca tea and hydrate.

🚌Shared minibus with tour ~£10 element, or public Reyna bus ~£5

🛏Basic guesthouse in Chivay or Cabanaconde (included in tour, or book direct ~£12)

• →Aguada Blanca National Reserve
• →Calera Hot Springs (~£4)
• →Colca Canyon viewpoints

Early start to Cruz del Cóndor for the morning condor-viewing window (birds rise on thermals mid-morning) — the classic viewing platform, and a short walk along the rim for fewer crowds. Then continue by tour minibus or public bus via Maca, Achoma and Yanque (Incan terraces, colonial churches) to Chivay, and on toward Puno. From Chivay, public buses run to Puno via Arequipa (~7–8 hrs) or take a direct tourist bus — Cruz del Sur/4M Express tickets ~£12–18. Arrive Puno in the evening (3,800m — go easy) and stay near the main plaza.

🚌Colca→Chivay→Puno buses ~£15 (7–8 hrs)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Puno Plaza de Armas

• →Cruz del Cóndor condor viewpoint
• →Maca, Achoma & Yanque villages
• →Incan terraces viewpoints

Book a full-day Lake Titicaca boat trip either at Puno's pier on arrival the night before or via GetYourGuide — fast boat with a bilingual guide runs S/90–150 (~£18–30) including Uros floating islands and Taquile, with a simple trout lunch on Taquile. Be aware: Uros is heavily commercialised and reviewers flag persistent upselling — it's the one place on this route where you'll feel pressure to buy. Alternative: skip Uros and take the public boat to Taquile or Amantaní and stay a night with a local family (~£20 incl. meals) for a far more genuine experience. Evening back in Puno: wander the plaza and try local trout.

🚌Boat included in tour (~£10 element); public boat to Taquile ~£6 each way

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Puno Plaza de Armas

• →Uros floating islands
• →Taquile Island hike & lunch
• →Optional homestay on Amantaní

Two options. The comfortable option is a tourist bus (Inka Express or similar) that stops at the Pucará Museum, the Wiracocha temple at Raqchi, the Sistine-style Andahuaylillas chapel and La Raya pass, with lunch — around £28–35, 10 hours, book a day ahead. The cheap option is the regular public bus Puno→Cusco (~£8–12, 6–7 hrs, fewer stops). Either way you arrive Cusco by evening. Settle into a hostel in San Blas and drink lots of coca tea — 3,400m is no joke on arrival day.

🚌Tourist bus Puno→Cusco with stops ~£32 (10 hrs) or public bus ~£10

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in San Blas / Centro Histórico, Cusco

• →Pucará Museum
• →Temple of Wiracocha at Raqchi
• →Andahuaylillas chapel
• →La Raya pass viewpoint

Book the Boleto Turístico del Cusco (~S/130, £24) — it covers Sacsayhuamán, Qenko, Pucapucara, Tambomachay, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and more, so buy it once and use it over the next days. Morning: Koricancha / Temple of the Sun (S/15 separate) and the Pre-Columbian Art Museum (reviewers rate it the best in Cusco, ~£7). Afternoon: take a colectivo or city bus up to Sacsayhuamán and walk back down through Qenko, Pucapucara and Tambomachay. Sunset drinks on a San Blas balcony. This is also your day to secure Machu Picchu entry tickets online (machupicchu.gob.pe) and book the Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes train.

🚌City bus/colectivo to Sacsayhuamán ~£1; taxis ~£3

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in San Blas / Centro Histórico, Cusco

• →Koricancha Temple of the Sun (~£3)
• →Sacsayhuamán, Qenko, Pucapucara & Tambomachay (Boleto Turístico ~£24)
• →Pre-Columbian Art Museum (~£7)

Easy half-day trip from Cusco. Cheapest route: colectivo from Cusco to Chinchero or Urubamba (~£2) then a shared taxi or collectivo to Moray (included in your Boleto Turístico), then walk or take a short taxi to the Maras salt pans (entry S/10, ~£2). Alternatively, a combo tour booked locally costs ~£20–25 including transport and guide. The salt pans at Maras are spectacular — buy a bag of salt straight from the co-op. Back to Cusco for the afternoon; use the time to pack a small overnight bag for Aguas Calientes and leave your main bag in Cusco hostel storage.

🚌Colectivos + shared taxi ~£8 total

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in San Blas / Centro Histórico, Cusco

• →Moray circular terraces
• →Maras salt mines (~£2)
• →Chinchero weaving village (optional)
• →Urubamba valley views

Take an early colectivo to Pisac (~1 hr, ~£2) for the hilltop ruins (Boleto Turístico) and the famous artisan market. Then a bus/colectivo to Ollantaytambo (~1.5 hrs, ~£3) — climb the terraces and explore the Inca town grid. Catch the PeruRail or Inca Rail afternoon train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (book online in advance: ~£45–60 for the standard Expedition/Voyager class; buy early to avoid the expensive last-minute fares). Overnight in Aguas Calientes — a basic hostal costs £18–30. Buy your bus ticket up to Machu Picchu (round trip ~£18) at the Consettur office on arrival.

🚌Colectivos Cusco→Pisac→Ollantaytambo ~£5; train Ollantaytambo→Aguas Calientes ~£50

🛏Budget hostal in Aguas Calientes

• →Pisac ruins & artisan market
• →Ollantaytambo Inca town & terraces
• →Scenic train through the Urubamba gorge

Catch the first buses up from Aguas Calientes (from ~5:30am, included in your Consettur ticket) to see the citadel in early light with far fewer people. Your Machu Picchu entry ticket (~S/152, £28) must be booked in advance online — a local guide at the gate costs ~S/40–80 shared, or join a small-group tour through GetYourGuide (~£25) for the 2.5-hour temples-and-palaces walk. If you want to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, book that specific ticket tier well in advance (they sell out weeks ahead and cost a bit more than the standard entry). Afternoon: bus down, train back to Ollantaytambo (~£50, book together with the outbound for cheaper fares), then colectivo or bus to Cusco. Overnight in Cusco.

🚌Consettur bus ~£18 return; train Aguas Calientes→Ollantaytambo ~£50; colectivo to Cusco ~£3

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Cusco

• →Machu Picchu sunrise entry & guided tour
• →Optional Huayna Picchu climb (pre-booked ticket)
• →Optional Machu Picchu Mountain hike