La Paz to Lima: Andes & Alpacas — Self-Launched

Land at El Alto (4,000m — the world's highest international airport) and take an official taxi down into the bowl of La Paz (~£6). Check into a hostel in the Sopocachi or Centro area and do almost nothing: coca tea, water, an early night. Altitude is the whole game today. If you feel good by evening, walk to the Witches' Market and grab a salteña and api for dinner.

🚌Airport taxi from El Alto ~BOB 60-70 (~£6); walking after

🛏Hostel dorm or private twin in Sopocachi (~£10-14)

• →Witches' Market wander
• →Mirador Killi Killi viewpoint (free)
• →Coca tea and acclimatisation

Full transit day along the Altiplano, exactly the route the group tour buses. Take an early bus from La Paz's Terminal de Buses to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca (~3.5 hrs, ~£5), cross the Yunguyo/Kasani border on foot (straightforward for most nationalities, small exit/entry formalities), then a colectivo or bus to Puno (~2.5 hrs, ~£3). Arrive by late afternoon and find a hostel near the Plaza de Armas. Book a Lake Titicaca tour for tomorrow morning this evening.

🚌La Paz–Copacabana bus ~£5 + border crossing on foot + Copacabana–Puno bus/colectivo ~£3

🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Puno Plaza de Armas (~£10-14)

• →Altiplano bus views
• →Yunguyo border crossing
• →Puno Plaza de Armas at dusk

Book a two-day Lake Titicaca boat trip with an island homestay through your Puno hostel or GetYourGuide (~£30-40, includes boat, meals and family stay). Boat out to Taquile Island for a lunch in a local restaurant and time with the weaving cooperatives, then cross to a smaller lakeside community (Amantaní or a Taquile-side village) for a night with a local family. Bring small gifts or buy textiles — this is the direct, unmediated version of the tour's homestay moment.

🚌Shared tour boat on Lake Titicaca

🛏Local family homestay on the lake (included in boat trip)

• →Taquile Island lunch and weaving co-ops
• →Community homestay
• →Sunset over Lake Titicaca

Say goodbye to your host family and stop at the Uros floating reed islands on the way back to Puno — often included, otherwise a short boat trip is ~£8-10. Back in Puno by early afternoon: either take a colectivo to the Sillustani chullpa burial towers (entry ~£3) or kayak on the lake (~£15). Book your bus to Cusco for tomorrow morning.

🚌Return boat to Puno; colectivo to Sillustani ~£4 return

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Puno (~£10-14)

• →Uros floating islands
• →Sillustani funerary towers (optional, ~£3 entry)
• →Lake kayaking (optional, ~£15)

The scenic Altiplano run. Tourist buses (Cruz del Sur, Transzela) take ~6-7 hrs with stops at Pukara and La Raya pass (~£12-18); cheaper local buses take longer (~£7). Arrive in Cusco (3,400m) early evening, check into a hostel in San Blas, and take it easy — you're back up high. Book your Inca Trail trek and Sacred Valley day now if you haven't already; permits sell out months ahead.

🚌Puno–Cusco bus ~£12-18 (cheaper local bus ~£7)

🛏Hostel in San Blas, Cusco (~£10-15)

• →La Raya pass photo stop
• →San Blas evening wander
• →Cusco acclimatisation

Free day in Cusco. Walk San Pedro market, the Plaza de Armas, Qorikancha and San Blas; a Cusco Tourist Ticket (~£28) covers Qorikancha-adjacent sites and Sacsayhuamán if you want the ruins. Alternative: a cooking class (~£25-35), whitewater rafting (~£30), or horseback riding in the hills (~£25). Pick up or confirm trek gear and rent a sleeping bag and poles in town if needed (~£10-15 for the trek).

🚌Walking; cheap taxis across town ~£1.50

🛏Hostel in San Blas, Cusco (~£10-15)

• →San Pedro Market
• →Qorikancha and Sacsayhuamán (Tourist Ticket ~£28)
• →Cooking class or rafting (optional)

Book a Sacred Valley day tour through your hostel or GetYourGuide (~£20-30, transport + guide) covering Pisac ruins and market, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo. To replicate the weaving co-op stop, arrange a visit to the Ccaccaccollo women's weaving cooperative south of Pisac (many valley tours include it; otherwise ask your hostel to arrange a driver, ~£25 shared) — buy directly from the weavers. Finish in Ollantaytambo, a great base the night before the trail.

🚌Shared Sacred Valley tour van (~£20-30 including guide); or public buses Cusco–Pisac–Urubamba–Ollantaytambo ~£6 total

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ollantaytambo (~£12-16)

• →Pisac ruins and market
• →Ccaccaccollo weaving cooperative
• →Ollantaytambo fortress
• →Optional craft beer stop in Urubamba

Your licensed Inca Trail operator (booked months ahead — permits are limited and only sold through registered agencies, ~£450-550 for the 4-day trek including guide, cook, porters, meals, campsite fees and the Machu Picchu entry) picks you up at Ollantaytambo and drives to Km 82. Checkpoint, then an easy first day along the Urubamba river past Llactapata ruins to camp at Wayllabamba (~3,000m). Porters carry up to 6kg of your gear in a duffle — pack light and rent what you can.

🚌Operator van Ollantaytambo–Km 82; hiking

🛏Inca Trail camp – Wayllabamba (included in trek)

• →Inca Trail checkpoint
• →Llactapata ruins
• →Trek day 1 (~11km)

The hard day: a long, steep climb to Warmiwañusca / Dead Woman's Pass at 4,198m, the trail's high point, then down to camp at Pacaymayo. Start early, go slow, drink water. Your guide sets the pace and the cook handles all meals — this is where a decent operator earns its money.

🚌Hiking

🛏Inca Trail camp – Pacaymayo (included in trek)

• →Dead Woman's Pass 4,198m
• →Trek day 2 (~12km, the toughest day)

Over two passes — Runkuracay (~3,950m) and the ~3,700m pass — through cloud forest and original Inca staircases, with views of the Cordillera Vilcabamba and Urubamba valley. Reach Phuyupatamarca, the 'town above the clouds', then continue ~1.5 hrs down to Wiñay Wayna camp (~2,650m) for an early night before the Sun Gate.

🚌Hiking

🛏Inca Trail camp – Wiñay Wayna (included in trek)

• →Runkuracay and second pass
• →Phuyupatamarca ruins
• →Wiñay Wayna ruins
• →Trek day 3 (~16km)

Up at 03:30, queue at the checkpoint, and walk to the Sun Gate for first light over Machu Picchu. Descend to the ruins for a guided site tour (included with your trek; 2 hrs), then bus down to Aguas Calientes (~£10) and take the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo/Cusco (Expedition/Vistadome class ~£45-70; a cheaper PeruRail/Inca Rail option plus colectivo from Ollantaytambo can cut this to ~£35). Night out in Cusco if you have the energy.

🚌Machu Picchu–Aguas Calientes bus ~£10; train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo ~£45-70; colectivo to Cusco ~£2

🛏Hostel in San Blas, Cusco (~£10-15)

• →Sun Gate sunrise
• →Guided Machu Picchu tour
• →Optional Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain climb (book ahead, ~£15)

Rest or push on: the Inka Museum (~£2), Rainbow Mountain day trip (~£25-35 including transport and breakfast), mountain biking in the Sacred Valley (~£30), or a slow afternoon in San Blas cafés. Tonight, book your overnight bus to Arequipa — Cruz del Sur 22:00-ish departures take ~10 hrs in reclining seats (~£15-22).

🚌Overnight bus Cusco–Arequipa ~£15-22

🛏Overnight bus (or a final Cusco hostel night if you prefer to sleep first)

• →Inka Museum
• →Rainbow Mountain trip (optional)
• →Mountain biking (optional)

Arrive in Arequipa mid-morning, drop bags at a hostel in the historic centre and explore: the Santa Catalina Monastery (~£14), the Plaza de Armas, and the Juanita ice maiden at the Santuarios Andinos museum (~£6). In the afternoon, arrange a 2-day Colca Canyon tour for tomorrow with a reputable operator (~£45-75 including transport, guide, one night, some meals) or do it independently by bus — the tour is cheaper and simpler.

🚌Walking; taxis ~£1.50

🛏Hostel in Arequipa centro (~£10-14)

• →Santa Catalina Monastery
• →Plaza de Armas and Mirador Yanahuara
• →Colca Canyon tour booking

Early start over the high puna (pass ~4,900m) to Chivay, then on to Cruz del Cóndor to watch Andean condors ride the thermals out of the canyon. Optional soak in the Chivay hot springs (~£4). Overnight in Chivay or a canyon village as part of your 2-day tour (overnight included).

🚌Shared Colca Canyon tour minibus (included)

🛏Simple hostal in Chivay or canyon village (included in Colca tour)

• →Cruz del Cóndor condor viewpoint
• →Chivay hot springs (optional, ~£4)
• →Colca villages and terraces

Morning walk or second condor viewpoint, then back to Arequipa by mid-afternoon. Take an overnight bus south along the coast to Nazca (~9-10 hrs, ~£15-20) — Cruz del Sur or Oltursa reclining seats. You'll arrive early morning.

🚌Colca tour minibus back to Arequipa; overnight bus Arequipa–Nazca ~£15-20

🛏Overnight bus

• →Morning canyon views
• →Pan-American highway night bus

Decide on the flight: a 30-minute light-aircraft overflight of the Nazca Lines runs ~£70-90 (booked locally or via GetYourGuide; morning flights are smoother, take motion sickness tablets). If the flight is out of budget, the Mirador tower on the Panamericana (~£2) gives a partial view. In the afternoon, take a shared taxi or tour to the Chauchilla desert cemetery to see the 1,500-year-old mummies and pottery (~£15 including transport and entry) and a Nazca pottery studio.

🚌Local taxis and shared tour transport ~£10

🛏Hostal in Nazca town (~£9-13)

• →Nazca Lines overflight (optional, ~£70-90)
• →Mirador viewpoint
• →Chauchilla cemetery and potter's studio (~£15)

Short bus or colectivo to Ica (~2.5 hrs, ~£4), then a taxi to the Huacachina oasis (~£3). Settle into a hostel by the lagoon, then book an afternoon dune-buggy and sandboarding sunset trip (~£15-20) — the exact activity the group tour includes. Evening drinks at the oasis.

🚌Bus Nazca–Ica ~£4; taxi to Huacachina ~£3

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Huacachina (~£10-15)

• →Dune buggy and sandboarding at sunset (~£15-20)
• →Huacachina oasis swim

Morning visit to a bodega for pisco and wine tasting in Ica (~£8-10) — the wineries around Ica are the origin of pisco sour. Then take an afternoon Cruz del Sur bus to Lima (~4.5-5 hrs, ~£10-14). Check into a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco. Optional evening: the Magic Circuit of Water fountains park in Parque de la Reserva (~£1.50 entry).

🚌Ica–Lima bus ~£10-14; local taxis/colectivos

🛏Hostel in Miraflores or Barranco, Lima (~£12-18)

• →Ica bodega wine and pisco tasting (optional, ~£9)
• →Parque de la Reserva fountains (optional)

A proper Lima day on your own: Barranco's murals and the Puente de los Suspiros, the Museo Larco (~£10) for pre-Columbian ceramics, and Mercado Surquillo or Mercado de Surquillo for a cheap ceviche lunch. A free walking tour of the historic centre (~tips) covers the Plaza Mayor and San Francisco church. Dinner: ceviche and a pisco sour in Barranco (~£12-15).

🚌Metropolitano bus ~£0.60 per ride; taxis ~£2-3

🛏Hostel in Miraflores or Barranco (~£12-18)

• →Free walking tour of the historic centre
• →Museo Larco (~£10)
• →Barranco street art
• →Ceviche at Surquillo market

Buffer/slow day to cover delays or add something the tour does as an optional: the Pachacámac adobe temple complex and paso horse show south of Lima (~£25-35 with transport), or a surf lesson at Miraflores (~£25), or simply the Malecón clifftop walk and ceviche. Use the day to sort onward travel, laundry and a final group meal.

🚌Local buses/taxis; ~£3-5 if heading to Pachacámac

🛏Hostel in Miraflores or Barranco (~£12-18)

• →Malecón coastal walk
• →Pachacámac ruins and paso horse show (optional)
• →Surf lesson (optional)

Breakfast, last-minute souvenir stop, then a taxi or Airport Express bus to Jorge Chávez International Airport (~£5 by bus, ~£9 by taxi). Trip ends. International flights not included.

🚌Airport Express bus ~£5 or taxi ~£9

🛏—

• →Departure