21 Days in Ecuador & Peru: Self-Launched Andes, Amazon & Inca Trail Adventure

Land at Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) and take the Aeroservicios bus (~£2) or an official taxi (~£22) into the city. Base yourself in La Mariscal or the edge of the Centro Histórico. Spend the afternoon acclimatising gently at 2,850m: wander Plaza Grande, peek into the gold-leafed La Compañía church (£3) and walk La Ronda for street art and canelazo. Drink plenty of water and keep the evening early — altitude headaches are common on night one.

🚌Airport bus Aeroservicios ~£2, or taxi ~£22 split between two

🛏Hostel dorm or private double in La Mariscal (~£12–18 pp)

• →Plaza Grande and La Ronda walk
• →La Compañía church interior (£3)
• →Free old-town orientation on foot

Take a morning bus from Quito's Terminal Quitumbe to Latacunga (~£3, 2 hrs) and connect to a shared pickup or bus up to Quilotoa village (~£3, 2 hrs). Walk the crater rim for free views of the turquoise caldera, then hike the steep 30–40 min trail down to the lake shore and back up (a mule is ~£6 if the altitude bites). Overnight in a simple village guesthouse to catch sunset over the rim — far nicer than day-tripping from Quito.

🚌Quito–Latacunga bus ~£3; Latacunga–Quilotoa shared pickup ~£3

🛏Quilotoa village guesthouse (~£12 pp)

• →Quilotoa crater rim walk
• →Hike down to the crater lake
• →Optional mule return ~£6

Back down to Latacunga, then take the bus south along the Avenue of the Volcanoes (~£4, 3.5 hrs) with Cotopaxi and Tungurahua looming on either side. Arrive in Baños de Agua Santa and immediately hit the free public hot springs or the nicer Termas de la Virgen (~£4). Book your canyoning or rafting slot for tomorrow at any agency on Calle Ambato — it's the adventure capital of Ecuador for a reason.

🚌Quilotoa–Latacunga pickup ~£3; Latacunga–Baños bus ~£4

🛏Hostel in Baños centre (~£10–14 pp)

• →Avenue of the Volcanoes photo stops
• →Termas hot springs (£4)
• →Book rafting or canyoning for the following day

Rent a bike (~£5) and ride the Ruta de las Cascadas downhill towards Río Verde, stopping at the Agoyán dam, the tarabita cable car (~£2) and the Manto de la Novia falls. The finale is El Pailón del Diablo (£2 entry), where you squeeze through rock tunnels to feel the thunder up close. Return by local bus (~£1) with your bike, or push on and get a lift back. Evening street-food dinner at the Mercado Central.

🚌Bike rental ~£5; local bus back ~£1

🛏Hostel in Baños centre (~£10–14 pp)

• →Cycling the Ruta de las Cascadas
• →El Pailón del Diablo (£2)
• →Tarabita cable car (£2)

Long travel day: bus Baños–Quito (~£4) then Quito–Otavalo (~£3, 2 hrs) from Terminal Carcelén. Arrive for the market in the late afternoon when vendors wind down, or overnight and hit the Saturday textile market at dawn. Take a taxi or shared pickup (~£5) up to Cuicocha lagoon for the 4–5 hr crater-rim hike (£4 park entry) with views down to the two volcanic islets. Optional boat ride on the crater lake ~£4.

🚌Baños–Quito bus ~£4; Quito–Otavalo bus ~£3; taxi to Cuicocha ~£5 shared

🛏Guesthouse in Otavalo (~£12 pp)

• →Otavalo indigenous market
• →Cuicocha crater rim hike (£4 entry)
• →Optional crater boat trip (£4)

Morning at the Otavalo market for textiles and street food (fritada con mote, salted mango), then bus back to Quito (~£3). Do a self-guided colonial walk: Plaza Grande, the Presidential Palace, the Basilica del Voto Nacional (tower climb £2), then the free City Museum. In the afternoon take a bus or taxi to Mitad del Mundo (£5 entry) to straddle the equator line — the Intiñán museum (£5) is genuinely more fun than the official monument.

🚌Otavalo–Quito bus ~£3; local buses ~£1

🛏Hostel in La Mariscal (~£14 pp)

• →Otavalo market shopping
• →Basílica del Voto Nacional tower (£2)
• →Mitad del Mundo and Intiñán museum (~£10 combined)

Ride the TelefériQo cable car (£8) up the flanks of Pichincha to 4,100m — a short walk on the trails gives huge views over the city if the clouds cooperate. Come down, warm up over lunch, then spend the afternoon at La Capilla del Hombre (£5), Oswaldo Guayasamín's powerful art museum. Finish with a coffee and a last prep session: pack a dry bag and headtorch for tomorrow's Amazon leg.

🚌Local buses and taxis around the city ~£4

🛏Hostel in La Mariscal (~£14 pp)

• →TelefériQo cable car (£8)
• →Short Pichincha trail walk
• →La Capilla del Hombre museum (£5)

Fly Quito–Lago Agrio (~£65 one way, 45 min) or take the overnight bus (~£12, 8 hrs). From Lago Agrio take the shared lodge transport to El Puente and board a motorised canoe for the 3-hr run up the Cuyabeno River to your jungle lodge. Most lodges bundle transport, all meals, guides and activities into one 4-night package (~£350–420 pp) — book direct with the lodge or via a Quito hostel tour desk. Settle in, then a short introductory walk around the lagoon at dusk.

🚌Flight QUI–LGQ ~£65; lodge road + canoe transfer included

🛏Cuyabeno eco-lodge, shared cabin (all-inclusive)

• →Motorised canoe up the Cuyabeno River
• →Introductory rainforest walk
• →Wildlife spotting: monkeys, river dolphins, caimans

Sunrise birding from the canoe, then a proper rainforest walk with a naturalist guide explaining medicinal plants, ceiba trees and the reserve's Siona and Secoya indigenous communities. Afternoon canoe excursion to look for pink river dolphins and hoatzins. After dark, head out on foot with torches for tarantulas, tree frogs and caiman eyes glowing on the water — the highlight of most people's time here.

🚌Canoe and on-foot excursions with lodge guide

🛏Cuyabeno eco-lodge (all-inclusive)

• →Guided rainforest hike
• →Medicinal plant walk
• →Afternoon canoe excursion
• →Night forest walk

Paddle or motor to the Siona community of Seoqueya, where a family demonstrates cassava bread preparation and traditional cooking over an open fire. Continue to Laguna Grande, the reserve's flooded-forest lake, for a swim in the dark tannin water and a spectacular Amazon sunset. Return after dusk to spotlight caimans along the banks.

🚌Canoe transfers included in lodge package

🛏Cuyabeno eco-lodge (all-inclusive)

• →Siona community visit and cassava bread demo
• →Laguna Grande swim and sunset
• →Nocturnal caiman spotting

A full day exploring further upriver — some lodges do a longer hike on primary forest trails with a spot of fishing for piranhas, others head to a different lagoon. Keep an eye out for squirrel monkeys, macaws and anacondas. If you have the energy, ask for an extra sunrise canoe before breakfast; it's included and far less crowded than the afternoon outings.

🚌Canoe and hiking with lodge guide

🛏Cuyabeno eco-lodge (all-inclusive)

• →Primary rainforest hike
• →Optional piranha fishing
• →Birdwatching and wildlife observation

Early canoe out for the sunrise and last wildlife sightings, then return to El Puente and the road transfer to Lago Agrio. Fly or bus back to Quito and crash in La Mariscal. Note that flights from Lago Agrio are limited — the overnight bus (~£10) is a reliable fallback.

🚌Canoe and road transfer to Lago Agrio (included); flight LGQ–QUI ~£60 or bus ~£10

🛏Hostel in La Mariscal (~£14 pp)

• →Sunrise canoe trip
• →Flight or bus back to Quito

Morning flight Quito–Lima (~£130 with Avianca or LATAM if booked ahead; can drop to ~£90 with a stop). Take a green taxi or Airport Express Lima bus (~£6) into Miraflores, your base for the next three nights. Lima sits at sea level — an easy reset before the Andes. Easy first evening: ceviche at a mercado, followed by a pisco sour at a Barranco bar.

🚌Flight Quito–Lima ~£130; Airport Express bus ~£6

🛏Hostel in Miraflores (~£15 pp)

• →Arrive and acclimatise at sea level
• →Ceviche dinner in Miraflores

Self-guided Centro Histórico loop: Plaza San Martín, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace (catch the changing of the guard at 11:45), the Cathedral (£2) and the San Francisco Monastery and catacombs (£3, guided visit mandatory). Stop at Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores on the way home (£3) or just view it from outside. Finish at Parque del Amor above the Costa Verde cliffs for sunset.

🚌Metropolitano bus ~£0.50; local taxis ~£3

🛏Hostel in Miraflores (~£15 pp)

• →San Francisco Monastery and catacombs (£3)
• →Lima Cathedral (£2)
• →Plaza Mayor and Government Palace
• →Parque del Amor sunset

Wander Barranco's murals and crumbling mansions, cross the Puente de los Suspiros, and browse the MAC contemporary art museum (£3) and MATE (£4, Mario Testino's photography). Walk the Malecón at golden hour along the cliff edge. Book a food tour or just DIY it through the market stalls and anticucho carts — this is Lima's best eating neighbourhood.

🚌Metropolitano or shared taxi ~£2

🛏Hostel in Miraflores (~£15 pp)

• →Barranco street art walk
• →MAC museum (£3)
• →MATE museum (£4)
• →Malecón coastal walk

Cheapest option is a domestic flight Lima–Cusco (~£55 booked ahead) rather than 21 hrs by bus. Alternatively fly to Arequipa and bus in slowly for altitude acclimatisation. Get your Boleto Turístico (£22, covers Sacsayhuamán, Qenko, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and more) and a Machu Picchu entry ticket online in advance — they sell out in high season. Easy first afternoon: Plaza de Armas, San Blas cobbled lanes, coca tea.

🚌Flight Lima–Cusco ~£55; airport taxi ~£4

🛏Hostel in San Blas (~£14 pp)

• →Plaza de Armas and San Blas wander
• →Buy Boleto Turístico (£22)

Collectivo from Cusco's Puputi street to Pisac (~£2, 1 hr) for the famous Sunday/high-season market and the hilltop ruins (£8 with Boleto). Bus onward to Urubamba then Ollantaytambo (~£3 total), where you can climb the spectacular terraced fortress (included in the Boleto). Sleep in Ollantaytambo so you can catch an early train to Aguas Calientes tomorrow — cheaper and calmer than doing it from Cusco.

🚌Collectivos Cusco–Pisac–Urubamba–Ollantaytambo ~£5 total

🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (~£13 pp)

• →Pisac market and ruins
• →Ollantaytambo fortress climb
• →Sacred Valley viewpoints

Take the 6am Expedition train Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes (~£55 one way, 1.5 hrs) or the far cheaper Hidroeléctrica route for the very budget-minded. Bus up the switchbacks (~£10) for your timed entry (£40 standard ticket; add Huayna Picchu or Montaña if available). Hiring a licensed guide at the gate is ~£18 pp split with another couple, or bring a good podcast guide. Return bus + train to Ollantaytambo, then a shared van back to Cusco (~£6).

🚌Train Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes ~£55 each way; Machu Picchu bus ~£10 return; shared van back to Cusco ~£6

🛏Hostel in Cusco centre (~£14 pp)

• →Machu Picchu entry (£40)
• →Guided site tour (~£18 split)
• →Optional Huayna Picchu or Montaña hike

Morning city tour on foot: the Cathedral (£3) and Qorikancha Temple of the Sun (£4), then walk or take a taxi up to Sacsayhuamán for the boleto-included ruins. Continue by collectivo or on foot along the ridge to Qenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay — all on the same Boleto Turístico. It's an easy, unhurried day that doubles as sound altitude conditioning.

🚌Local buses and taxis ~£4

🛏Hostel in Cusco centre (~£14 pp)

• →Cusco Cathedral (£3)
• →Qorikancha (£4)
• →Sacsayhuamán, Qenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay (Boleto Turístico)

Book a shuttle tour the day before with any Cusco agency (~£25–35 including breakfast and lunch, 3.5 hr drive each way). You leave around 4am, reach 4,300m trailhead and walk 1.5–2 hrs up to 5,000m — genuinely tough, so bring layers and take it slow, or hire a horse (~£15). Many operators combine it with the quieter Red Valley detour for an extra £3. Back in Cusco by early evening.

🚌Shared minivan tour from Cusco ~£30 all-in

🛏Hostel in Cusco centre (~£14 pp)

• →Rainbow Mountain guided day trip
• →Optional Red Valley detour
• →Optional horse hire (~£15)

Final morning: pick up last souvenirs at San Pedro market, then take a taxi to Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport (~£4) for your onward flight. If you're heading to Lima for an international connection, domestic flights run hourly and cost from ~£45. Airport departure tax is included in ticket prices in Peru.

🚌Taxi to Cusco airport ~£4; onward flight Cusco–Lima from ~£45

• →San Pedro market shopping
• →Airport transfer