Land of the Incas: Self-Launched Peru Adventure
13 days · Peru
Trafalgar charges £3,400
No-markup version: ~£1,700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of Trafalgar's 13-day "Land of the Incas" tour — Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Paracas and Huacachina. Instead of a 20-48 person coach group with tour director, you book your own hostels, use Peru's excellent local bus network (Cruz del Sur, Oltursa), the PeruRail/Inca Rail Vistadome, and self-bookable day tours via GetYourGuide or directly with local operators. Same headline experiences, a fraction of the cost. Costs are rough estimates for a solo backpacker travelling in dorm/private budget rooms; expect ±20% variation by season.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores or Barranco
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM). Skip the hotel transfer and take an official taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus to Miraflores (~£5) or the cheaper Airport Bus to Barranco. Check into a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco — both are safe, walkable and have good food scenes. In the evening take a stroll along the Malecón clifftop and grab a cheap menu del día or ceviche at a local huarique. Pre-book your Lima→Cusco flight tonight and confirm your Machu Picchu entry ticket on the official Ministry of Culture site (machupicchu.gob.pe) — tickets sell out in peak season.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£5, or official taxi ~£15-20
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Miraflores/Barranco (~£12-18/night)
- →Malecón clifftop walk
- →Ceviche dinner in Barranco
- →Book Machu Picchu entry ticket online
Lima city highlights — free walking tour & historic centre
Lima
Join a free (tip-based) walking tour of Lima's UNESCO historic centre (GuruWalk or Free Walking Tour Lima, ~£8 tip). See the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, and the San Francisco Monastery catacombs (~£3 entry). Visit the Casa de Aliaga or Casona San Marcos area for colonial architecture. In the afternoon, head to a local peña or cultural centre in Barranco for live música criolla and cajón percussion — many bars in Barranco have free entry midweek. Optional: Miraflores evening walk to Kennedy Park and Larcomar.
🚌Metropolitano bus or local combi ~£1-2 per trip
🛏Same hostel, Lima (~£12-18)
- →Free walking tour of historic centre (tip-based)
- →San Francisco Monastery catacombs
- →Barranco music bar / peña evening
Fly to Cusco, transfer to Sacred Valley (acclimatise low)
Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo/Urubamba)
Take an early budget flight Lima→Cusco (LATAM/Sky/JetSMART, ~£60-90 one-way booked ahead). Rather than staying in Cusco at 3,400m, take a shared colectivo or taxi (~£4-8) straight down to the Sacred Valley at ~2,800m to acclimatise — this is the key backpacker trick. Base yourself in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba in a guesthouse. Afternoon: wander Ollantaytambo's Inca streets and grab a menu del día. Buy coca tea at any shop. Book your Ollantaytambo→Aguas Calientes train (Inca Rail or PeruRail, ~£50-70 return) for day 5.
🚌Flight Lima→Cusco ~£75; shared colectivo to Sacred Valley ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo/Urubamba (~£15-22/night)
- →Fly to Cusco
- →Ollantaytambo old town wander
- →Acclimatisation day in the valley
Sacred Valley day tour — Maras, Moray & weaving communities
Sacred Valley
Book a small-group Sacred Valley day tour via GetYourGuide or directly with a local Ollantaytambo operator (~£20-30), covering Pisac ruins and market, Moray's circular terraces (~£3 entry with Boleto Turístico) and the Maras salt pans (~£3). Alternatively take local colectivos between towns for ~£1-2 each leg. In the afternoon visit a Chinchero weaving cooperative — dyeing and backstrap-loom demonstrations are free but expect to buy something small. Sample chicha (fermented corn beer) at a family chichería for pennies.
🚌Shared tour minibus or colectivos ~£5-10
🛏Same guesthouse, Sacred Valley (~£15-22)
- →Pisac ruins & market
- →Moray terraces
- →Maras salt mines
- →Chinchero weaving demonstration
- →Chicha tasting
Train to Aguas Calientes & Machu Picchu
Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu
Take the morning train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Inca Rail or PeruRail, ~1h20m, ~£40 each way — book well ahead). Drop your bag at the hostel and take the bus up to Machu Picchu (~£10 return) or walk up the steps (~1.5h, free). Enter with your pre-booked timed ticket (~£35 for circuit 2 general entry). Do a self-guided circuit — signage and a map are enough, or rent an audio guide (~£5). Alternatively hire one of the official guides at the gate (~£25 shared). Evening in Aguas Calientes: hot springs (~£3) and cheap eats.
🚌Train Ollantaytambo→Aguas Calientes ~£40; Machu Picchu shuttle bus ~£10
🛏Hostel in Aguas Calientes (~£15-25/night)
- →Scenic Vistadome-style train
- →Machu Picchu self-guided circuit
- →Aguas Calientes hot springs
Sunrise at Machu Picchu & back to Cusco
Machu Picchu → Cusco
Optional second-day Machu Picchu entry (~£35 — buy in advance) for sunrise from the upper terraces, or hike Huayna Picchu (~£15 extra, limited daily slots, book months ahead). Take the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (~£40), pick up your bag, then take a shared colectivo (~£3) or cheap bus to Cusco. Check into a hostel in San Blas. Evening: gentle acclimatisation walk around the Plaza de Armas.
🚌Train back ~£40; colectivo Ollantaytambo→Cusco ~£3
🛏Hostel in Cusco San Blas (~£12-18/night)
- →Sunrise Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu hike
- →Return train
- →Cusco Plaza de Armas stroll
Cusco — Sacsayhuamán, Koricancha & city tour
Cusco
Buy the Boleto Turístico (~£20) covering Sacsayhuamán, Qenqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and several museums. Walk up to Sacsayhuamán (20 min from Plaza de Armas) and visit the four nearby sites on foot. In the afternoon, visit Koricancha (Sun Temple, ~£3) and Cusco Cathedral (~£3). Optional extras: San Pedro Market food tour (~£15), a Peruvian cooking class (~£25), or a half-day trip to Maras/Moray if you skipped it. Evening: San Blas bars.
🚌Walkable; local taxis ~£1-2
🛏Same hostel, Cusco (~£12-18)
- →Sacsayhuamán & Boleto Turístico sites
- →Koricancha
- →Cusco Cathedral
- →San Pedro Market
Cusco → Puno by bus, via Raqchi
Puno
Take an early Cruz del Sur or Oltursa bus from Cusco to Puno (~10 hours, ~£15-20, book online). Sit on the right side for views. If you want the Raqchi stop and La Raya Pass photo stop, book a tourist bus (e.g. Wonder Peru, ~£20) that stops at Andahuaylillas and Raqchi. Arrive Puno (~3,800m) — take it easy. Check into a hostel near the Plaza de Armas. Dinner: trucha (trout) from Lake Titicaca at a local restaurant (~£4).
🚌Cruz del Sur/Oltursa bus Cusco→Puno ~£18
🛏Hostel, Puno (~£10-15/night)
- →La Raya Pass viewpoint
- →Raqchi Inca site (tourist bus option)
- →Puno Plaza de Armas evening
Lake Titicaca — Uros & Taquile self-booked boat tour
Lake Titicaca / Puno
Book a full-day Uros Floating Islands + Taquile Island boat tour through GetYourGuide or directly at Puno's port (~£18-25 including the Taquile landing fee). Boats leave ~7-8am. On Uros you'll meet families and can buy handicrafts; on Taquile, walk the island trails, see the UNESCO-listed weaving traditions and eat a home-cooked lunch with a local family (~£5). Back in Puno by late afternoon. Note: this is a shared tourist boat, not a private cruise — perfectly good and cheap.
🚌Shared boat tour from Puno port (included in tour price)
🛏Same hostel, Puno (~£10-15)
- →Uros Floating Islands
- →Taquile Island hike
- →Taquile weaving demonstration
- →Home-cooked island lunch
Fly Puno→Lima→bus to Paracas
Paracas
Morning flight Juliaca (near Puno) → Lima (~£60-90). From Lima airport take a taxi to the Cruz del Sur terminal (Javier Prado) and catch an afternoon/evening bus to Paracas (~3.5h, ~£12). Or take an overnight Cruz del Sur bus from Puno direct to Lima if you'd rather save a flight (~18h, ~£25). Check into a hostel in Paracas village (not the resort — much cheaper). Evening stroll along the Malecón and seafood dinner.
🚌Flight Juliaca→Lima ~£75; bus Lima→Paracas ~£12
🛏Hostel, Paracas (~£12-18/night)
- →Travel day
- →Paracas Malecón evening walk
Paracas, Ica & Huacachina sandboarding
Paracas / Ica / Huacachina
Morning: Bodega El Catador or Cultur Pisco winery tour (~£8 including tasting) in the Ica valley. Then visit Ica Regional Museum (~£2). Afternoon: book a Huacachina dune buggy + sandboarding sunset tour via GetYourGuide or on arrival at Huacachina (~£18-25 for 2 hours). Stay for sunset over the dunes with a cheap beer. Return to Paracas by shared taxi or colectivo (~£3).
🚌Shared taxi/colectivo Paracas–Ica–Huacachina ~£5-8 total
🛏Same hostel, Paracas (~£12-18)
- →Pisco winery tour & tasting
- →Ica Regional Museum
- →Huacachina dune buggy & sandboarding
- →Desert sunset
Ballestas Islands boat trip & return to Lima
Paracas → Lima
Early morning shared boat tour to the Ballestas Islands (~£12-15, buy at the Paracas pier or via GetYourGuide) — expect sea lions, Humboldt penguins and the Candelabro geoglyph. Back by ~10am. Take a midday Cruz del Sur bus back to Lima (~3.5h, ~£12) and check into a Miraflores/Barranco hostel. Farewell dinner: a proper ceviche and pisco sour at a local spot (~£12). Optional: join a free evening walking tour of Barranco's street art.
🚌Shared boat ~included; bus Paracas→Lima ~£12
🛏Hostel, Lima (~£12-18/night)
- →Ballestas Islands boat tour
- →Candelabro geoglyph
- →Barranco street art
- →Farewell ceviche dinner
Depart Lima
Lima
Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a last breakfast at a local café or pick up souvenirs at the Mercado de Surquillo. Take the Airport Express bus or a taxi to Jorge Chávez International Airport. If you have a late flight, day rooms or left-luggage at Miraflores hostels are cheap. Safe travels!
🚌Airport Express bus ~£5 or taxi ~£15-20
🛏None (departure day)
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Trafalgar
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Trafalgar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,700 | £3,400 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,700 per person (50%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Trafalgar-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,700
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 Land of the Incas: Self-Launched Peru Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,700 per person for 13 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 Trafalgar?+
Yes — Trafalgar charges around £3,400 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,700 — a saving of roughly £1,700 (50%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 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 culture, adventure, 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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