Essential South Peru — Self-Launched Edition

Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) and take a licensed taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (S/ 25–30, ~£6) to Miraflores. Rather than the operator's airport meet-and-greet, just pre-book an airport transfer or use the official taxi desk inside arrivals. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in Miraflores (safe, walkable, near the coast) or the cheaper, more bohemian Barranco. Spend the afternoon gently: walk the Malecón clifftop path, grab a ceviche and a Pisco sour, and sort your SIM card (Claro/Entel tourist SIM ~S/30) and a Bembos or market dinner. Optional evening: the Magic Water Circuit (Parque de la Reserva) in central Lima — take a taxi or Metropolitano bus, entry ~S/4, and book a shared guided visit via GetYourGuide if you want the dinner included version.

🚌Airport Express Lima bus or taxi from LIM (~£6)

🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Miraflores/Barranco (e.g. Pariwana, Kokopelli, or a family guesthouse)

• →Malecón coastal walk
• →Miraflores/Barranco wander
• →Optional: Magic Water Circuit (Parque de la Reserva)

Do the classic Lima highlights self-launched with a small-group walking tour. Book a free/walking-tour-based old town walk (Free Walking Tour Lima, tip ~£8) covering Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral exterior, and the streets around Casa Aliaga. Casa Aliaga (the oldest continuously inhabited colonial mansion in the Americas) can be entered by joining a timed visit — book ahead by phone/email or through a GetYourGuide combo. Then take a taxi (~S/15) or Metropolitano bus to the Larco Museum in Pueblo Libre, one of the best pre-Columbian collections in Peru, entry ~S/35; the on-site café is a nice lunch stop. Evening: cheap menu-del-día dinner in Miraflores (~S/20) or a Lima food-market tour if you want the foodie version.

🚌Metropolitano bus and taxi around Lima (~£5)

🛏Same Lima hostel/guesthouse

• →Free walking tour of Lima old town
• →Casa Aliaga colonial mansion
• →Lima Cathedral
• →Larco Museum

Fly Lima to Cusco (Alejandro Velasco Astete, CUZ) — book LATAM/Sky/JetSmart yourself 4–8 weeks ahead, ~£60–90 one way. Take a taxi or the airport minibus to your hostel in the historic centre (~S/10–20). Important: go slow. Take it easy on arrival, drink coca tea, and avoid a heavy schedule if you're feeling the altitude. If you're fine after lunch, buy a Boleto Turístico (partial ticket, ~S/70) and do a short self-guided or small-group afternoon tour of Coricancha (Temple of the Sun, ~S/15), the Cathedral, then head up to Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo and Puka Pukara — easiest by shared taxi/colectivo to the sites (a few soles), or book a half-day small-group city tour via GetYourGuide (~£18). Stay two nights minimum in Cusco to acclimatise.

🚌Domestic flight Lima–Cusco (~£75), taxi/colectivo to sites (~£6)

🛏Hostel or family guesthouse in Cusco historic centre (e.g. Pariwana Cusco, Wild Rover, or a San Blas guesthouse)

• →Coricancha (Temple of the Sun)
• →Cusco Cathedral
• →Sacsayhuamán
• →Qenqo
• →Puka Pukara

Join a small-group Sacred Valley day tour (booked on GetYourGuide/Klook, ~£30–45 with lunch) or do it DIY by colectivo and local bus. The classic loop: Chinchero (Sunday market, textile demonstrations at the Living Museum of Yucay — weaving, adobe, pottery and silverware demos, plus llama/alpaca feeding), then Ollantaytambo's terraces and fortress climb. DIY version: colectivo Cusco–Chinchero (~S/8), colectivo to Urubamba (~S/5), then bus/colectivo to Ollantaytambo (~S/3); the Boleto Turístico covers most sites. Eat a proper Andean lunch in Ollantaytambo (~S/30). Sleep in Ollantaytambo rather than a high-end valley hotel — it makes tomorrow's early train to Machu Picchu much easier.

🚌Colectivos and local buses along the valley (~£6)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (~£15–20)

• →Chinchero
• →Living Museum of Yucay demonstrations
• →Ollantaytambo fortress climb
• →Local market

Catch an early PeruRail or Inca Rail train from Ollantaytambo station to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) — book online well ahead, ~£55–90 return depending on class and season. Buy your Machu Picchu entry ticket yourself on the official Ministerio de Cultura site (machupicchu.gob.pe) — Circuit 2 or 3 is standard, ~S/152 (~£33), and they sell out, so book with the date you want weeks in advance. From Aguas Calientes, take the Consettur bus up to the ruins (~£9 one way, or ~£18 return) or walk the stairs if you're fit. You can enter Machu Picchu unguided (max 4 hours) or join a small-group licensed guide at the gate (~£15–20 per person shared). Lunch in the village, then overnight in Aguas Calientes. Optional: book a second entry or Huayna Picchu/Intipunku climb for tomorrow, subject to availability.

🚌PeruRail/Inca Rail Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes (~£60 return) + Consettur bus (~£18)

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (~£20–25; prices are inflated here)

• →Scenic train ride
• →Machu Picchu entry with optional shared guide
• →Aguas Calientes hot springs (optional)

If you bought a second entry ticket (or Huayna Picchu), get up at dawn and take the first Consettur bus up for the quieter morning light — this is the day the group tour includes as 'on your own', so it's fully DIY in both versions. Otherwise, have a relaxed breakfast, wander the Mandor waterfall trail or the butterfly garden, and catch a late-morning or early-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo, take a colectivo or local bus to Cusco (~S/10–15, 1.5–2h) or a shared taxi. Check back into your Cusco hostel, and enjoy an easy evening in San Blas — cheap pizza, a pisco sour, and an early night after two big days.

🚌Train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo (~£35 one way) + colectivo to Cusco (~£3)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Cusco historic centre

• →Optional second Machu Picchu entry or Huayna Picchu
• →Mandor waterfall walk
• →San Blas evening

Take the full-day tourist coach from Cusco to Puno (~£30–45 with Inka Express, Turismo Mer or similar, booked online) — it stops at Andahuaylillas' painted church, the Wiracocha Temple at Racchi, the La Raya pass and the Pucara Lithic Museum, with lunch in Sicuani included. It's a long 9–10 hour day, but far cheaper than a private transfer and the same sights. Cheaper still: an ordinary Cruz del Sur/Flores bus (~£12–18, 6–7h) with no sightseeing stops. Arrive in Puno, take a short taxi to your hostel, and keep the evening gentle — you're at 3,800m. Eat a light local dinner and book tomorrow's Lake Titicaca boat tour through GetYourGuide/Klook or your hostel (~£20–30).

🚌Inka Express/Turismo Mer tourist coach Cusco–Puno (~£35)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Puno (~£12–18)

• →Andahuaylillas church
• →Wiracocha Temple at Racchi
• →La Raya pass
• →Pucara Lithic Museum

Join a shared full-day boat tour from Puno's main pier to the Uros floating islands and Taquile Island (booked in advance via GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with a local operator, ~£20–30 including a simple lunch on Taquile). The Uros visit includes a demonstration of how the reed islands are built; Taquile brings a walk up to the village, a weaving/cultural briefing from the islanders and stunning lake views. Return to Puno by late afternoon. Because the tour is shared-boat style rather than the group's private transfer, timings are a bit tighter — bring sun protection, cash for crafts, and a warm layer for the wind on the water.

🚌Shared tour boat to Uros and Taquile (~included in tour cost)

🛏Same Puno hostel/guesthouse

• →Uros floating islands
• →Taquile Island hike and weaving demonstration
• →Lunch on Taquile

Final breakfast at the hostel, then make your own way to Juliaca's Inca Manco Cápac Airport (JUL), about 45 minutes from Puno. Shared colectivo/taxi from Puno to Juliaca is ~S/15–25 (~£4–6); a private taxi is ~S/80–100 (~£18–22). Alternatively, take the Puno–Juliaca train if running, or continue overland to Bolivia (Copacabana is a few hours further by bus) if you want to extend. Budget for a domestic flight Juliaca–Lima (~£50–80) if you're connecting home from Lima — book it early, as Peruvian domestic flights are often delayed or rescheduled.

🚌Colectivo/shared taxi Puno–Juliaca (~£5) plus onward domestic flight if needed (~£65)

🛏—

• →Transfer to Juliaca airport
• →Optional overland extension to Copacabana, Bolivia