5-Day Journey of Colours to Machu Picchu — Self-Launched
5 days · Peru
Inkayni Peru Tours charges £615
No-markup version: ~£348 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A solo-friendly, self-launched version of Inkayni Peru Tours' "5 Day Journey of Colors to Machu Picchu" — same Cusco base, Chinchero, Moray, Maras salt pans, Aguas Calientes overnight, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, but built from hostels, collectivos, shared vans, PeruRail/Inca Rail tickets and day tours booked direct or via GetYourGuide. The big win: you control your own Machu Picchu entry permit on the official government site (tuboleto.cultura.pe), which is the single hardest thing to secure in Peru and is the main reason operators charge a premium. Costs are rough estimates for one traveller in a dorm or budget private room, excluding international flights and travel insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cusco — acclimatise and collect permits
Cusco
Fly or bus into Cusco (Alejandro Velasco Astete airport or the Cruz del Sur/Oltursa bus terminal from Lima/Arequipa) and take a taxi or the Airport Express bus into the historic centre. Settle into a hostel in San Blas or the Centro Histórico and spend the day going deliberately slow — Cusco sits at 3,400m and Day 4 (Rainbow Mountain at 5,000m) will punish you if you rush. In the afternoon, confirm your Machu Picchu entry ticket on tuboleto.cultura.pe (Circuit 2 is the classic full-citadel route; Circuit 3 is the panorama-lower route — book whichever is open for your date, ideally 6-8 weeks ahead), print/screenshot your PeruRail or Inca Rail ticket to Aguas Calientes, and reserve your Rainbow Mountain day tour. Evening: coca tea, a light dinner in San Blas, and an early night.
🚌Taxi from Cusco airport to centre ~S/25-35 (£5-7); colectivo from bus terminal ~S/3
🛏Hostel dorm in San Blas or Centro Histórico (e.g. Wild Rover, Kokopelli, Pariwana or a small family guesthouse) — £10-16/night
- →Acclimatisation walk around Plaza de Armas and San Blas
- →Confirm Machu Picchu entry permit on tuboleto.cultura.pe
- →Book Rainbow Mountain day tour (GetYourGuide or a Cusco agency on Plaza Regocijo)
- →Buy Boleto Turístico if you want extra Cusco/Sacred Valley sites
Chinchero, Moray and the Maras salt pans, then train to Aguas Calientes
Sacred Valley / Aguas Calientes
The classic operator day is easily self-driven with collectivos and shared vans. Take a shared van or colectivo from Cusco to Chinchero (S/5-8, ~45 min) for the colonial church and the weaving cooperative where local women demonstrate natural-dye textiles. Then hop a colectivo down to Urubamba (S/3-5) and pick up a shared taxi or mototaxi to Moray (S/10-15 return), where you can walk the concentric Inca terraces — buy the Cusco partial ticket (Boleto Turístico Parcial, ~S/70/£15) if you want Moray and the Chinchero ruins included. Next, a short shared ride to Maras village and on to the Salineras de Maras salt pans (entry ~S/10), a genuinely spectacular walk down between the evaporation ponds. Continue by colectivo to Ollantaytambo, then take the PeruRail Expedition or Inca Rail Voyager train to Aguas Calientes (book online ahead, ~£45-65 one way, S/180-230 return if you buy the return leg now). Overnight in Aguas Calientes at 2,040m — a warm shower, cheap set-menu dinner and an early night before the 5am start.
🚌Colectivos Cusco-Chinchero-Urubamba S/12-18; shared taxi to Moray/Maras S/25-35; colectivo to Ollantaytambo S/5; PeruRail Expedition Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes ~£45-60
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Aguas Calientes (e.g. Hostal Las Orquídeas, Supertramp Hostel or similar) — £16-25/night; book early, rooms sell out at peak
- →Chinchero colonial church and weaving cooperative
- →Moray Inca agricultural terraces
- →Maras salt pans (Salineras)
- →Ollantaytambo village wander while waiting for the train
Machu Picchu at dawn, then back to Cusco
Machu Picchu / Cusco
Take the Consettur bus from Aguas Calientes up to the citadel (S/24 one way / ~S/48 return, or ~£10 return — buy at the ticket office the evening before, queues start at 5am). Enter on your pre-booked circuit with your passport and ticket, and either join the free-ish 2-hour official guide pool at the gate (S/30-50 per person if you share with others) or download a self-launched audio guide via the GetYourGuide app (~£8). Circuit 2 gives you the classic postcard view plus the lower citadel; if you booked Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (separate permit, ~S/70-90/£15-20, sells out months ahead), the extra 1.5-2 hours of climbing is worth it. Bus back down, lunch in the market, then the afternoon PeruRail/Inca Rail train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (~£50-70), followed by a colectivo or shared van into Cusco (S/8-15). Evening back in Cusco — a low-key dinner and know that tomorrow is a 4:30am pick-up.
🚌Consettur shuttle bus Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu ~£10 return; PeruRail/Inca Rail Aguas Calientes-Cusco ~£50-70; colectivo Ollantaytambo-Cusco ~£2
🛏Same Cusco hostel/guesthouse as Day 1 — £10-16/night
- →Sunrise entry to Machu Picchu citadel
- →Optional Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain climb (pre-booked permit)
- →Shared guide or downloadable audio tour
- →Cusco historic centre evening walk
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) — the big altitude day
Rainbow Mountain / Cusco
Book this the cheapest way in Cusco: dozens of agencies around Plaza de Armas and Calle Plateros sell the same shared tour for S/70-100 (~£16-22) including transport, breakfast, lunch and a guide — GetYourGuide lists equivalent tours at £25-35 if you'd rather book in advance. Expect a brutal 4:30-5:00am pick-up, a 2-hour minivan drive to Cusipata for breakfast, then on to the trailhead at 4,600m. Walk the 1.5-2 hour uphill route (or hire a horse for ~S/60-80/£13-18 round trip) to the Vinicunca viewpoint at 5,036m, with the red-and-turquoise layers of the mountain and Ausangate behind. Back down for a village lunch and return to Cusco by 3-4pm. Evening: rest, pack, last wander through the San Pedro market for souvenirs.
🚌Shared minivan day tour from Cusco (included in the S/70-100 tour price)
🛏Same Cusco hostel/guesthouse — £10-16/night
- →Vinicunca (Rainbow Mountain) hike at 5,036m
- →Optional horse hire for the ascent
- →Ausangate mountain viewpoint
- →San Pedro market souvenir shopping
Cusco slow morning and departure
Cusco
A relaxed final morning — climb the steps to San Blas for coffee and the view over the terracotta rooftops, visit Qorikancha (the Inca sun temple under the Santo Domingo convent, ~S/15) or the free Cusco Cathedral exterior, and pick up any last postcards. Taxi to the airport (S/25-35) or the bus terminal for onward travel to Puno/Lake Titicaca or Lima. If you have a late flight, a short guided free-walking-tour of the historic centre (tip-based, ~£5-8) is a nice final hour.
🚌Taxi to Cusco airport ~S/30 (£6); or bus to Puno (~£15-20, 6-7 hrs)
🛏Not included — checkout by 10-11am
- →San Blas viewpoint and coffee
- →Qorikancha / Santo Domingo
- →Optional tip-based free walking tour of Cusco
- →Onward travel to Puno or Lima
Self-launched vs. Inkayni Peru Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Inkayni Peru Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£348 | £615 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £267 per person (43%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Inkayni Peru Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£348
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 5-Day Journey of Colours to Machu Picchu — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £348 per person for 5 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 Inkayni Peru Tours?+
Yes — Inkayni Peru Tours charges around £615 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £348 — a saving of roughly £267 (43%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 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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