Machu Picchu & the Amazon — Self-Launched Edition
10 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £1,840
No-markup version: ~£1,360 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 10-day "Journeys: Machu Picchu and the Amazon" — Lima to Cusco via the Amazon rainforest and the Sacred Valley, with the iconic Inca Trail trek into Machu Picchu. You'll book the same experiences yourself: a jungle lodge stay in Puerto Maldonado with a naturalist guide, Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley, the Parwa community restaurant and Potato Park, the Cusco Planetarium, and the Inca Trail with an official licensed guide and porter. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP (the trail permit and guide/porter team are the biggest single cost and must be booked months ahead — Inca Trail permits sell out for peak season).
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima
Lima
Land at Lima's Jorge Chávez Airport and make your way to a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco (Airport Express Lima bus, ~£7, or a shared taxi). Settle in, then wander the Malecón clifftop path at sunset and grab dinner at a local menú del día spot. Book your onward flight to Puerto Maldonado tonight or tomorrow.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus to Miraflores ~£7
🛏Budget hostel in Miraflores/Barranco, dorm or private room, £10-15
- →Malecón sunset walk
- →Barranco street-art wander
Fly to Puerto Maldonado & jungle lodge
Puerto Maldonado / Tambopata
Fly Lima to Puerto Maldonado (~£60-90, book early with LATAM or Sky). Most Amazon jungle lodges include boat transfer from town. Book a 2-night Tambopata lodge package direct (these are comparable to G's G Lodge Amazon but self-bookable). After lunch and settling in, join the lodge's evening night walk with a naturalist guide — look for tarantulas, owls, snakes and poison dart frogs.
🚌Flight Lima-Puerto Maldonado ~£75; lodge boat transfer included
🛏Tambopata jungle lodge, 2-night package including meals, guided walks and boat transfers
- →Night walk with naturalist guide
- →Jungle lodge settling-in
Oxbow lakes & caiman-spotting cruise
Tambopata
Full day of jungle excursions: morning oxbow-lake visit to learn about the rainforest's flora and medicinal plants with your naturalist guide, plus wildlife spotting along the trails. After dark, head out by motorised canoe to search for caimans on the riverbanks — all standard inclusions in a Tambopata lodge package.
🚌Lodge canoe and trail transfers included
🛏Tambopata jungle lodge (package)
- →Oxbow lake visit
- →Jungle nature walks
- →Caiman-spotting night cruise
Fly to Cusco & the Planetarium
Cusco
Boat back to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Cusco (~£70-90). Cusco is high (3,400m), so take it easy: check into a hostel, drink coca tea, and rest. In the evening, book a slot at the Cusco Planetarium in the Llaullipata Ecological Reserve (~£12-15 booked directly) — telescopes, southern-hemisphere constellations and Inca astronomy.
🚌Lodge boat transfer; flight Puerto Maldonado-Cusco ~£80
🛏Hostel in Cusco historic centre, £8-15
- →Cusco Planetarium night visit
Sacred Valley, Potato Park & Parwa restaurant
Sacred Valley / Ollantaytambo
Take a colectivo or shared van from Cusco into the Sacred Valley (Pisac first, ~£2). Visit the potato park communities near Pisac (guided community visit bookable locally) and have lunch at Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosqo, the farm-to-table project that G Adventures and Planeterra kicked off — self-bookable direct. Explore Ollantaytambo ruins (Boleto Turístico, ~£18) and overnight in Ollantaytambo to start the trail.
🚌Colectivo Cusco-Pisac-Ollantaytambo ~£4 total
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo, £12-20
- →Potato Park community visit
- →Parwa Community Restaurant lunch
- →Ollantaytambo ruins
Inca Trail day 1 — KM82 to Wayllabamba
Inca Trail
Start the Inca Trail with your licensed guide and porter team (you must book through an authorised operator months ahead — permit + guide/porter/cook/meals typically £450-650 per person, the single biggest expense). Trek the relatively gentle first day to Wayllabamba (~12km), passing Llactapata ruins, with meals cooked by the trail team.
🚌Trail transfer from Ollantaytambo to KM82 included in trek package
🛏Inca Trail camp (tent) or Cusco hotel if doing the train option
- →Inca Trail trek day 1
- →Llactapata ruins
Inca Trail day 2 — Dead Woman's Pass
Inca Trail
The toughest day: climb to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,198m, the trek's high point, then descend to the Pacaymayo valley. Lunch and camp meals provided by your trail cook. Pace yourself and hydrate — altitude is serious here.
🚌On foot with guide and porters
🛏Inca Trail camp (tent)
- →Inca Trail day 2
- →Dead Woman's Pass summit
Inca Trail day 3 — ruins & Winay Wayna
Inca Trail
Descend through cloud forest past Runkurakay and Sayacmarca ruins and the spectacular Phuyupatamarca. Arrive at camp near Winay Wayna, with the final climb to the Sun Gate waiting tomorrow. All meals from the trail team.
🚌On foot with guide and porters
🛏Inca Trail camp (tent)
- →Inca Trail day 3
- →Runkurakay, Sayacmarca & Phuyupatamarca ruins
Sun Gate & Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu / Aguas Calientes
Early start to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) for sunrise over Machu Picchu, then descend into the citadel for a guided tour of the Lost City with your trail guide (included in the trek package). Optional extra: climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if your permit allows. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
🚌On foot; return train Aguas Calientes-Ollantaytambo/Cusco next day
🛏Hostel in Aguas Calientes, £12-20
- →Sun Gate sunrise
- →Guided Machu Picchu tour
- →Optional Huayna Picchu climb
Return to Cusco & depart
Cusco
Take the train and bus back to Cusco (PeruRail/IncaRail to Ollantaytambo ~£45-70, then colectivo/van ~£3). Spend the afternoon in Cusco's San Blas and Plaza de Armas, visit Qorikancha or Sacsayhuamán, then catch your onward flight or bus. Trip ends in Cusco, matching the original itinerary.
🚌Train Aguas Calientes-Ollantaytambo ~£55; van to Cusco ~£3
🛏Hostel in Cusco (or onward travel)
- →Cusco San Blas & Plaza de Armas
- →Qorikancha or Sacsayhuamán
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,360 | £1,840 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £480 per person (26%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,360
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 Machu Picchu & the Amazon — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,360 per person for 10 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,840 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,360 — a saving of roughly £480 (26%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, hiking, culture 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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