Peru: Inca Trail & the Amazon (Self-Launched)

Fly into Cusco and take it easy on day one to acclimatise to the 3,400m altitude. Check into a sociable hostel in the historic San Blas quarter, drink plenty of coca tea, and take a gentle wander of the Plaza de Armas to begin adjusting to the thin air.

🚌Taxi or shuttle from Cusco airport to town centre, ~£4

🛏Budget hostel in the San Blas quarter, ~£14/night

• →Check into a budget guesthouse in the San Blas neighbourhood
• →Gentle stroll of the Plaza de Armas and the San Pedro craft market
• →Drink coca tea and rest to acclimatise to altitude

Take a colectivo or organised public mini-bus into the Sacred Valley. Explore the terraces of Pisac market and ruins, then continue to Ollantaytambo in the afternoon. Support community food projects by eating at locally run farm-to-table restaurants in the valley rather than standard tourist stops.

🚌Public colectivo or shared mini-bus from Cusco through the Sacred Valley, ~£6

🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in Ollantaytambo, ~£16/night

• →Visit the Pisac ruins and colourful artisan market
• →Lunch at a community-run farm-to-table restaurant
• →Wander the Inca grid streets of Ollantaytambo and its hilltop fortress ruins

Spend a full day exploring the Sacred Valley at your own pace. Visit the salt pans of Maras and the agricultural terraces of Moray, which you can reach by shared taxi or by renting a bike for the day. In the evening enjoy the calm, star-filled skies of the valley.

🚌Shared taxi/collectivo to Maras and Moray, ~£10

🛏Budget hostel/guesthouse in Ollantaytambo, ~£16/night

• →Day trip to the Maras salt mines and Moray circular terraces
• →Optional bike hire to explore the valley independently
• →Relax in the evening in Ollantaytambo

Begin the iconic four-day Inca Trail hike. Take an early bus/collectivo to the trailhead at Kilometre 82, register, and start walking along the Urubamba River through the Cusichaca Valley. Book a community-based porter-and-guide package in Cusco through a licensed operator (permits are strictly limited, so reserve months ahead). Camp at the first official campsite.

🚌Shared bus/van from Ollantaytambo/Urubamba to Km 82 trailhead

🛏Licensed Inca Trail campsite with tent, ~included in trek package

• →Book a licensed Inca Trail trek with guide and porters (permits required, book 3-6 months ahead)
• →Walk Day 1: Km 82 to the first campsite along the Cusichaca Valley (~11km)
• →Set up at the regulated trail campsite

The toughest day of the trek, climbing to the 4,215m Abra de Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass). Take the ascent slowly and steadily, then descend to the Pacaymayo valley campsite. Your porter team will have camp set up and a hot dinner waiting.

🚌Hiking (Inca Trail Day 2)

🛏Licensed Inca Trail campsite, ~included in trek package

• →Trek over Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215m
• →Descend into the Pacaymayo valley to camp
• →Enjoy a hot meal cooked by your porter team

A gentler but spectacular day crossing the second and third passes, passing the ruins of Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca set high above clouds. The route descends through lush cloud forest rich with orchids and birdlife before reaching the campsite close to Winay Wayna.

🚌Hiking (Inca Trail Day 3)

🛏Licensed Inca Trail campsite at Winay Wayna, ~included in trek package

• →Trek past the archaeological sites of Runkurakay, Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca
• →Descend through cloud forest to Winay Wayna campsite
• →Optional early sunrise visit to the Winay Wayna ruins

Wake before dawn to reach the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) as the light rises over Machu Picchu. Enter the citadel on your pre-booked circuit ticket and take a guided tour, then explore on your own. In the afternoon, take the bus down to Aguas Calientes and relax in the hot springs before an early night.

🚌Bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, ~£10

🛏Budget hostel in Aguas Calientes, ~£18/night

• →Sunrise arrival at Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate
• →Guided tour of the Machu Picchu citadel on your assigned circuit
• →Soak in the Aguas Calientes hot springs and wander the town

Take the scenic Vistadome train (or the cheaper Expedition/PeruRail service) back from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, then a colectivo the rest of the way to Cusco. Recover in Cusco with a well-earned meal and a lazy afternoon of souvenir shopping.

🚌Train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo ~£45, then colectivo to Cusco ~£2

🛏Budget hostel back in Cusco, ~£14/night

• →Scenic train ride from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
• →Return colectivo to Cusco
• →Recovery afternoon in Cusco

Take a short domestic flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado in the Amazon basin. From the airport, transfer to the river port and board a motorised canoe for the journey upstream to your jungle lodge in the Tambopata Reserve. Arrive before dark to hear the rainforest come alive.

🚌Flight Cusco–Puerto Maldonado ~£75; river canoe ~£15

🛏Amazon jungle lodge in the Tambopata Reserve, ~£30/night (included full board)

• →Domestic flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado
• →Motorised canoe trip up the river to a jungle lodge
• →Evening arrival and orientation at the rainforest lodge

Head out with naturalist guides from your lodge to explore the reserves' oxbow lakes by dugout canoe, where you may spot giant river otters, hoatzin birds and caiman. Learn about the medicinal uses of forest plants and try your hand at spotting monkeys and macaws in the canopy.

🚌Dugout canoe and jungle trails (included with lodge)

🛏Amazon jungle lodge, ~£30/night (full board included)

• →Oxbow lake canoe expedition searching for giant otters and wildlife
• →Guided nature walk learning medicinal uses of rainforest plants
• →Macaw and monkey spotting in the canopy

By day, go on further jungle exploration, including visiting clay licks where parrots and macaws gather. After dark, take a motorised canoe out onto the river for a caiman-spotting night cruise, scanning the banks with a torchlight to see their glowing red eyes.

🚌Motorised canoe and jungle trails (included with lodge)

🛏Amazon jungle lodge, ~£30/night (full board included)

• →Visit a clay lick to watch macaws and parrots
• →Guided jungle trek for nocturnal/seasonal wildlife
• →After-dark caiman-spotting boat cruise with a torch

Canoe back downstream to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Lima, the capital. Settle into a central hostel in the bohemian Barranco or Miraflores neighbourhoods, ready to explore the city on your final days.

🚌Canoe ~£15; flight Puerto Maldonado–Lima ~£80

🛏Budget hostel in Miraflores or Barranco, Lima, ~£15/night

• →River canoe back to Puerto Maldonado
• →Flight from Puerto Maldonado to Lima
• →Evening in the Miraflores/Barranco waterfront districts

Explore Lima's colonial centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site with grand plazas and cathedrals, then visit the Larco Museum for its famous ceramics collection. Spend the afternoon in the artsy Barranco district and finish with a world-class ceviche dinner by the coast.

🚌Local public transport (metro/buses/colectivos) across Lima, ~£4

🛏Budget hostel in Miraflores/Barranco, Lima, ~£15/night

• →Walking tour of the historic Lima city centre
• →Visit the Larco Museum pre-Columbian ceramics collection
• →Explore the colourful Barranco neighbourhood and coastal cliffs

Enjoy a relaxed morning at a seaside mirador or a last Peruvian coffee before heading to the airport for your onward flight.

🚌Airport transfer, ~£10

🛏Not required (departure day)

• →Last walk along the Miraflores seafront
• →Transfer to Jorge Chávez International Airport