Peru: The Soul of Cusco & Machu Picchu by Train — Self-Launched
9 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £3,075
No-markup version: ~£865 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of G Adventures' 9-day Geluxe Peru trip: Cusco, the Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray), and Machu Picchu by train. Instead of a premium small-group departure with private vans and a CEO, you'll use local colectivos and shared taxis, book the same ruins entries and the same Vistadome/Expedition train direct with PeruRail or Inca Rail, stay in good hostels and guesthouses, and hire local guides only where they genuinely add value (Machu Picchu, the ruins). Same route, same bucket-list moments, roughly a third to a quarter of the price.
Day-by-day
Cusco: Arrival & Acclimatise
Cusco
Land at Alejandro Velasco Astete airport and take a taxi or the Airport Express bus (~£4-6) into the historic centre. Cusco sits at 3,400m, so today is deliberately slow: check in, drink coca tea, and walk only gently. Wander Plaza de Armas, peek into Qorikancha, and eat a light early dinner (try a local menú del día, ~£4). Buy your Sacred Valley tourist ticket (Boleto Turístico, ~£30 for 10 days, sold at the OFEC office on Avenida El Sol) and your Machu Picchu entry + train tickets online today if you haven't already — Machu Picchu slots sell out weeks ahead.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4-6; everything else on foot
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Cusco historic centre (private room ~£18-30/night, dorm ~£8-12)
- →Self-guided Plaza de Armas & Qorikancha walk
- →Buy Boleto Turístico (partial or full)
- →Optional: Inka Museum (~£2)
Sacred Valley: Pisac Ruins & Market
Pisac / Urubamba
Take a local colectivo from Cusco's Puputi street to Pisac (~£1.50, 1hr) or a shared taxi. Climb (or taxi up, ~£2) to the Pisac ruins — the terraces and hilltop citadel here are genuinely on par with the big-name sites and far quieter. Come down for the Pisac market, then book a cheap community-run lunch (Parwa Community Restaurant in Lamay is the exact spot G Adventures uses — book direct or just turn up, ~£8-10). Continue by colectivo to Urubamba (~£1.50) to sleep lower and warmer at ~2,900m.
🚌Colectivo Cusco–Pisac ~£1.50; colectivo Pisac–Urubamba ~£1.50
🛏Guesthouse in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo (~£20-32/night private)
- →Pisac archaeological site (Boleto Turístico)
- →Pisac artisan market
- →Parwa Community Restaurant lunch in Lamay
- →Optional empanada-making with a Pisac village family (~£8-12)
Sacred Valley: Acclimatisation Hike or Via Ferrata
Urubamba / Valle Sagrado
Tune into the altitude with the same two options the group trip offers, done independently. Option A: hike to the Perilnilloq waterfall — a gentle half-day on marked trails through farmland and eucalyptus; get directions from your guesthouse and go early. Option B: book the Sacred Valley via ferrata direct with a local adventure outfit (Natura Vive or similar, ~£35-45) — a via ferrata network of rungs and ladders ending in a lunch with a view. Afternoon: chill, laundry, and a proper market dinner.
🚌Local moto-taxi or colectivo to trailheads ~£1-3
🛏Guesthouse in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo
- →Perilnilloq waterfall hike (free, self-guided)
- →Alternative: Sacred Valley via ferrata (~£35-45 via local operator)
Ollantaytambo: Fortress & Living Traditions
Ollantaytambo
Morning in Ollantaytambo: the Inca fortress and terraces are some of the best preserved in Peru (included on the Boleto Turístico). Wander the original Inca street grid and irrigation channels, then visit a working ceramic studio in the village — the Ayllu Rumiyoc-style family workshops charge around £5-8 for a demo and you can buy direct from the makers. Afternoon is a good moment to confirm your Machu Picchu circuit on the official ticket site and buy your Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes train ticket if not already done.
🚌On foot / local moto-taxi ~£1-2
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (~£20-32/night private)
- →Ollantaytambo archaeological site
- →Ceramic studio visit & demo in the village (~£5-8)
- →Optional: Pinkuylluna granary hike (free)
Maras Salt Pans & Moray
Maras / Moray
From Ollantaytambo or Urubamba, take a colectivo towards Maras (~£1.50) and a moto-taxi or shared taxi up to the salt pans (Salineras entry ~£2). The concentric white pans shining in the sun are exactly as described — go early to beat the tour vans. A short shared taxi on to Moray (~£2-3) gets you to the mysterious circular terraces (entry ~£3, or covered by the Boleto Turístico parcial). Return via Chinchero if time allows, then back to Cusco by colectivo (~£2) for the last three nights.
🚌Colectivos and shared taxis Urubamba–Maras–Moray–Cusco ~£6-8 total
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Cusco centre
- →Maras salt pans
- →Moray circular terraces
- →Optional: Chinchero market & weaving demo
Cusco: Ancient Capital on Foot
Cusco
Do the guided city walk independently or with a cheap tip-based free walking tour (GuruWalk-style, ~£5 tip) that covers Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, Qorikancha, San Blas and the mirador at San Cristóbal. In the afternoon climb to Sacsayhuamán and Q'enqo (Boleto Turístico) — the stonework up there is astonishing and the views over Cusco are the best in town. Book a proper Machu Picchu guide for Day 8 (official guides meet trains in Aguas Calientes, ~£25-35 for a 2.5hr private tour, or join a small group for ~£10).
🚌On foot; taxi back from Sacsayhuamán ~£2
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Cusco centre
- →Free walking tour of Cusco historic centre
- →Sacsayhuamán & Q'enqo
- →San Blas neighbourhood & mirador
Scenic Train to Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes
Take a colectivo from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (~£2, 1.5hr) and board the PeruRail Expedition or Inca Rail Voyager to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). Book direct online: roughly £55-75 one way for the standard service, or upgrade to the Vistadome (~£90) for panoramic windows if you want the same feel as the group trip. The ride follows the Urubamba River as the valley gets greener and lusher. Arrive, check in, buy your bus ticket up to the ruins for the morning (round trip ~£18) and eat cheap at the market.
🚌Colectivo Cusco–Ollantaytambo ~£2; train to Aguas Calientes ~£55-75
🛏Budget guesthouse in Aguas Calientes (~£25-40/night, book early)
- →Scenic Urubamba valley train ride
- →Aguas Calientes riverside walk & hot springs (~£4)
Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco
Machu Picchu / Cusco
Up early for one of the first buses (05:00-05:30) to catch sunrise over the citadel. Your timed entry ticket (~£38-45, booked weeks ahead on the official Machu Picchu site) assigns you a circuit — Circuit 2 is the classic full-tour route; Circuit 1 gives the panorama from the upper terraces; anyone wanting Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain needs a separate add-on, limited to a few hundred people a day. Meet your local guide at the gate for a 2-2.5hr tour (~£25-35 private, ~£10 in a small group), then explore at your own pace. Descend by bus, and take the afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo (~£55-75) plus colectivo to Cusco (~£2). Splurge option: lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge next to the gate (~£35-45) instead of the group-trip included meal.
🚌Bus up/down ~£18; train Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo ~£55-75; colectivo ~£2
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Cusco centre
- →Machu Picchu with local guide
- →Sunrise from the upper terraces
- →Optional: Huayna Picchu add-on (~£15, book early)
Cusco: Departure
Cusco
Final morning for coffee in San Blas, souvenir shopping at San Pedro market (far cheaper than the tourist strips), and a last look at the Plaza. Take a taxi or Airport Express to the airport for your onward flight. If you have time, add a day trip to the Rainbow Mountain or a Sacred Valley coffee farm — both bookable locally for ~£25-35.
🚌Airport taxi ~£4-6
🛏—
- →San Pedro market
- →Optional: Rainbow Mountain day trip (~£25-35)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£865 | £3,075 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,210 per person (72%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£865
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 Peru: The Soul of Cusco & Machu Picchu by Train — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £865 per person for 9 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 £3,075 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £865 — a saving of roughly £2,210 (72%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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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