Peru: Lima, the Sacred Valley & the Inca Trail — Self-Launched

Fly into Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official taxi or airport bus (Airport Express Lima, ~£6) to a hostel in Miraflores. Settle in, then walk the cliffside malecón for Pacific views and watch the paragliders drifting over the bay. Grab your first ceviche and a Pisco sour at a local market stall or neighbourhood restaurant — the cevicherías around Miraflores are excellent value at lunchtime. Spend the evening sorting your Inca Trail paperwork and confirming your trek briefing.

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

🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Miraflores (~£12–18/nt)

• →Malecón cliffside walk
• →Ceviche and Pisco tasting at a local market

Rent a bike for a few hours (~£8/day) or join a small-group city bike tour (~£25–30 via GetYourGuide) and ride the coastal path south from Miraflores into bohemian Barranco. Stop at the Puente de los Suspiros, the graffiti-covered streets and the small art galleries, then reward yourself with coffee and cake in a Barranco café. In the afternoon, visit the Museo Larco if you want pre-Inca context before the trek (entry ~£9). Eat dinner in Barranco's market scene — cheap, excellent and lively.

🚌Walking and bike hire (~£8)

🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Miraflores (~£12–18/nt)

• →Self-guided bike ride Miraflores to Barranco
• →Puente de los Suspiros and Barranco street art
• →Optional Museo Larco (~£9)

Take a morning domestic flight from Lima to Cusco (~£55–80 one-way with LATAM or Sky; book early for the cheapest fares). At 3,400m the altitude is real — check into a hostel in the San Blas or Centro Histórico area, drink coca tea, and take the day very slow. An easy orientation stroll around the Plaza de Armas and a short climb to San Blas viewpoint is plenty. Optional: Inka Museum (~£2) or the Cusco Tourist Ticket (~£28) if you want to see more sites later. Meet your trekking agency for the pre-trek briefing this evening if scheduled.

🚌Domestic flight Lima–Cusco (~£55–80)

🛏Hostel private room or dorm in Cusco (~£14–20/nt)

• →Plaza de Armas and San Blas orientation walk
• →Trek briefing with local operator
• →Optional Inka Museum (~£2)

Take a local colectivo or public bus from Cusco to Pisaq (~£2, about 1 hour). Hike up to the Pisaq ruins on the ridge above town — bring your Boleto Turístico (~£28, covers Pisaq plus many other sites) or pay the site entry. Pisaq's Sunday market is the biggest, but the daily artisan market is good too. Have lunch at a community-run restaurant in Lamay or Pisaq (~£5–7), then continue by colectivo to Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (~£2) and check into a family guesthouse. Ask your host about arranging a pachamanca dinner (~£12–15) — the underground-stone-cooked feast takes hours to prepare, so request it the day before.

🚌Public colectivo Cusco–Pisaq–Urubamba (~£4 total)

🛏Family guesthouse in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (~£15–22/nt)

• →Pisaq ruins hike
• →Pisaq artisan market
• →Community-run restaurant lunch
• →Optional pachamanca dinner (~£13)

Use today to acclimatise further at a lower altitude than Cusco. Pick one: a gentle half-day hike to the Perolniyoc waterfall near Soqma (arrange a local guide in Ollantaytambo, ~£15–20), or a via ferrata and zipline adventure at Sacred Valley Via Ferrata near Pachar (~£35–45 booked direct or via GetYourGuide). Simpler option: explore Ollantaytambo's fortress ruins (included in Boleto Turístico) and its original Inca street grid. Shop for trek snacks in Urubamba market, pack your duffel to the 6kg porter limit, and get an early night.

🚌Local colectivos and walking (~£3)

🛏Family guesthouse in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (~£15–22/nt)

• →Perolniyoc waterfall hike or Sacred Valley via ferrata
• →Ollantaytambo fortress ruins
• →Trek packing and market shop

Your licensed local operator collects you early from Ollantaytambo (most include this pickup) for the short drive to Km 82, the trailhead. Passport control and checkpoint, then an easy warm-up day of around 12km at gentle gradient past the ruins of Llactapata, with views down to the Cusachaca valley and river. Lunch and dinner are cooked by your trail chef and included in your permit package. Camp at Wayllabamba (~3,000m) — a comfortable but basic campsite; most reputable operators provide tents, dining tent and a cook, but check what's included when booking.

🚌Operator transfer to Km 82 (included); hiking ~12km

🛏Inca Trail camping (included in trek package)

• →Inca Trail Day 1: Km 82 to Wayllabamba
• →Llactapata ruins viewpoint

The hardest day: a steady climb of around 1,200m to Warmiwañusca, Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215m, then a long descent to Pacaymayo camp. Start early, walk at your own pace, and let the porters overtake you — they do this in sandals. Drink water constantly and keep electrolytes handy. Once over the pass, the trail drops into cloud forest and the campsite is reached by mid-afternoon. Your operator's cook handles all meals; tip your porters and chef at the end of the trek (~£25–40 total is customary).

🚌Hiking ~11km with 1,200m ascent

🛏Inca Trail camping at Pacaymayo (included in trek package)

• →Inca Trail Day 2: Dead Woman's Pass (4,215m)
• →Runkurakay ruins en route

A gentler but long day: over the second pass at Runkurakay, down past the oval ruins of Sayacmarca and into proper cloud forest, with orchids and bromeliads lining the path. The stone tunnel and the terraces of Phuyupatamarca are highlights, and the descent to Wiñay Wayna camp includes a side visit to its spectacular terraced ruins. Arrive early enough to rest — tomorrow is an alpine start for the Sun Gate.

🚌Hiking ~10km

🛏Inca Trail camping at Wiñay Wayna (included in trek package)

• →Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca ruins
• →Wiñay Wayna terraces visit

Up around 3:30–4am to queue at the checkpoint, then walk the final stretch to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate, for your first view over Machu Picchu as the light comes up — the moment the whole trek is built around. Descend into the citadel for your guided tour (a licensed guide is a permit requirement and usually included in your trek package; Circuit 3 is standard for Inca Trail hikers). Afterwards take the shuttle bus down to Aguas Calientes (~£10) and check into a hostel. Eat well and sleep properly for the first time in days.

🚌Hiking ~6km; Machu Picchu shuttle bus down (~£10)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (~£18–25/nt)

• →Sun Gate sunrise arrival
• →Guided tour of Machu Picchu (Circuit 3)
• →Aguas Calientes hot springs (optional, ~£4)

Option A: buy a second-day Machu Picchu ticket in advance (~£40, book with your operator as permits are limited) to climb Huayna Picchu or walk a different circuit at a quieter hour. Option B: sleep in, then take the PeruRail or Inca Rail Expedition service from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (~£50–65 one-way, book weeks ahead — the cheap seats sell out) and a colectivo or bus onward to Cusco (~£3). Either way, finish with a farewell dinner in Cusco — try cuy, alpaca steak or a big plate of lomo saltado.

🚌Expedition train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo (~£55); colectivo to Cusco (~£3)

🛏Hostel private room or dorm in Cusco (~£14–20/nt)

• →Optional second Machu Picchu entry / Huayna Picchu (~£40)
• →Scenic train through the Urubamba valley
• →Farewell dinner in Cusco

Last morning in Cusco — pick up textiles or coffee at San Pedro market, then head to Alejandro Velasco Astete airport for your onward flight, or continue overland to Puno and Lake Titicaca if you're extending. Budget a taxi to the airport (~£3–4).

🚌Taxi to Cusco airport (~£3); onward flight not included

🛏—

• →San Pedro market souvenir shopping