Self-Launched Amazon Riverboat & Machu Picchu Adventure
14 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £2,799
No-markup version: ~£920 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 14-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Amazon Riverboat & Machu Picchu Adventure" — Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu by train (or the one-day Inca Trail from KM104), Cusco, then a budget riverboat/lodge stay deep in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve out of Iquitos. Instead of a tour group and a private charter boat, you'll use Peru's excellent budget flight network, colectivos and public buses, book a shared multi-day Amazon riverboat or jungle lodge with a naturalist guide directly, and pick up community-run weaving co-op, Parwa-style farm-to-table lunches and guides via GetYourGuide or on arrival. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores & ceviche
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an official taxi or the Airport Express Lima bus (~£3-4) into Miraflores or Barranco. Skip the included private transfer and just use the bus — it's safe, cheap and runs to both districts. Settle into a hostel, then walk the Malecón clifftop path at sunset and eat ceviche at a neighbourhood cevichería (£4-6). Book your Lima–Cusco flight tonight for in two days' time (Sky, Latam or JetSmart, ~£35-50 one way if booked ahead).
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£3.50; walking
🛏Hostel dorm in Miraflores/Barranco (~£12)
- →Malecón sunset walk
- →Ceviche dinner in Barranco
- →Book internal flights
Lima — markets, Museo Larco & Barranco
Lima
Free day in Lima. Do the city cheaply and independently: walk the historic centre (Plaza de Armas, San Francisco catacombs ~£2), then take a Metropolitano bus to Pueblo Libre for the Museo Larco (£6) — one of the best pre-Columbian collections in South America. Afternoon in Barranco: street art, Puente de los Suspiros, and a cheap menú del día lunch (£3-4). If you want the cooking class the tour offers as an optional, book a half-day ceviche-and-pisco class on GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences (~£30-40) rather than through an operator.
🚌Metropolitano bus card ~£1 + fares ~£0.50 each
🛏Hostel dorm in Miraflores/Barranco (~£12)
- →Historic centre walk
- →Museo Larco
- →Barranco street art
- →Optional cooking class
Fly to Cusco — acclimatise gently
Cusco
Morning flight Lima–Cusco (~1h10, ~£35-50 booked ahead). Take a taxi or the airport colectivo to your hostel in the historic centre (~£3). Don't overdo it on day one at 3,400m: drink coca tea, walk slowly, and do a light loop of Plaza de Armas and San Blas. Buy the Boleto Turístico later only if you want the museum/ruins circuit (£22 for the full ticket; partial tickets available). Book your Sacred Valley colectivo and Machu Picchu entry online tonight — Machu Picchu tickets sell out in peak season, so buy direct at machupicchu.gob.pe (~£40 for circuit 2 including the classic viewpoint).
🚌Flight ~£40; airport taxi ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12)
- →Plaza de Armas & San Blas wander
- →Buy Machu Picchu entry online
- →Coca tea acclimatisation
Sacred Valley by colectivo — Pisac, weaving co-op, Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo
Self-launch the Sacred Valley instead of the guided coach day. Catch a colectivo from Cusco's Puputi/Arcopal street to Pisac (~£1.50, 1h) for the huge Sunday-style market and hillside ruins. Continue by colectivo to Calca and Urubamba (~£1.50). Near Lamay you can visit community textile projects and farm-to-table lunches similar to the ones the tour includes — the Asociación de Tejedoras de Ccaccaccollo and Parwa-style community restaurants accept walk-ins or book via a local agency in Cusco (~£10-15 for lunch plus weaving demo). Finish in Ollantaytambo, climb the storehouse ruins above town (~£5 with partial Boleto Turístico) and grab a chicha at a local chichería.
🚌Colectivos Cusco–Pisac–Urubamba–Ollantaytambo ~£5 total
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (~£14)
- →Pisac market & ruins
- →Community weaving co-op visit
- →Community farm-to-table lunch
- →Ollantaytambo storehouse hike
Train to Aguas Calientes (or KM104 one-day Inca Trail)
Aguas Calientes
Two options. Easy route: take the PeruRail/Inca Rail Expedition service from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (~1h40, ~£45-60 booked ahead; cheaper if you book the earliest or latest departures). Adventurous route: book the one-day Inca Trail permit in advance (limited daily slots, ~£150-200 through a licensed agency in Cusco — permits are only sold via agencies) and get dropped at KM104 to hike via Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate. In Aguas Calientes, soak at the hot springs (£2.50) and eat at the Mercado Central rather than the tourist strip.
🚌Train Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes ~£50
🛏Hostel in Aguas Calientes (~£16)
- →Scenic train ride
- →Optional KM104 Inca Trail day hike
- →Aguas Calientes hot springs
- →Mercado Central dinner
Machu Picchu sunrise, back to Cusco
Cusco
Take the first Consettur bus up (~£10 return) or walk the 1,600-step staircase for free from 5am. Enter with your pre-bought ticket and either self-guide with a downloaded audio guide or hire a licensed guide at the gate (~£5-8 split between 2-4 people) — that's the equivalent of the tour's included guided visit. Optional free climb to the Inca Bridge. Bus down, train back to Ollantaytambo (~£50) and colectivo to Cusco (~£2). Evening: San Blas bars or a £3 menú dinner.
🚌Consettur bus ~£10; train ~£50; colectivo ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12)
- →Machu Picchu sunrise entry
- →Optional Huayna Picchu or Inca Bridge
- →Licensed guide at the gate
Cusco free day — rafting, biking or ruins
Cusco
Use the free day the way the tour does. Book whitewater rafting on the Urubamba (~£25-35 including transport, book via any Cusco agency or GetYourGuide), or mountain biking in the hills above the city (~£20-30). Cheaper option: walk up to Sacsayhuamán and Q'enqo on the partial Boleto Turístico (~£12) and picnic. Buy your Cusco–Lima flight for tomorrow and your Lima–Iquitos flight for the day after (~£45-60 one way; LATAM/Sky/Star Perú all fly this route).
🚌Walking/short taxi ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm in Cusco centro (~£12)
- →Optional Urubamba rafting
- →Optional mountain biking
- →Sacsayhuamán & Q'enqo ruins
Cusco → Lima → Iquitos, board the river
Iquitos / Amazon River
Morning flight Cusco–Lima, connect to Iquitos (~1h50; note flights Cusco–Iquitos usually connect in Lima, allow 3h). Skip the private transfer and take a mototaxi from the airport to the river port (~£2). Your Amazon leg is booked directly with a small riverboat operator or jungle lodge working the Pacaya Samiria Reserve — operators like Amazon Explorer, Tapiche Reserve, or locally in Iquitos, offer 4-6 day shared departures on converted riverboats with naturalist guides (~£350-550 per person for 5-6 days full board, cheaper than the tour's chartered Amatista). Board in the afternoon and take a first skiff excursion at dusk to hear the jungle come alive.
🚌Flights Cusco–Lima–Iquitos ~£100 total; mototaxi ~£2
🛏Shared cabin on a riverboat (~booked in Amazon package)
- →Iquitos riverside orientation
- →Afternoon boat departure
- →Dusk skiff excursion
Pacaya Samiria — monkeys, sloths and macaws
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Early morning excursion by skiff into the flooded forest — the best window for wildlife: squirrel monkeys, three-toed sloths, hoatzins, macaws, river dolphins. Most shared riverboat packages include a naturalist guide and all meals on board, so use the free hours to sit on deck and watch the water. In the afternoon, a guided jungle walk to a riverside community (usually San Isidro or similar) to learn about subsistence farming, cassava and traditional crafts — this mirrors the tour's 'Local Living Moment' with an Indigenous family, just arranged by your boat's guide rather than a large group operator.
🚌Skiff excursions included
🛏Shared cabin on a riverboat
- →Dawn wildlife skiff
- →Jungle walk
- →Indigenous community visit
- →Night caiman spotting
Nauta, medicinal plants and night excursion
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Many riverboat routes stop at Nauta, the town where the Marañón and Ucayali rivers merge to form the Amazon — a good spot for a market walk and cheap breakfast (£2). Then cruise deeper into the reserve. Afternoon jungle walk focused on medicinal plants with your naturalist guide; many boats also arrange a shaman visit (~included or a small £5-10 donation/contribution). After dark, head out by skiff with a spotlight to look for caimans, frogs, night monkeys and owls.
🚌Riverboat cruising + skiffs
🛏Shared cabin on a riverboat
- →Nauta town visit
- →Medicinal plant walk
- →Shaman visit
- →Night wildlife excursion
Tributaries by skiff — flexible wildlife day
Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Water levels dictate the route, so keep it flexible. Expect a long skiff day into narrow tributaries where you can paddle or fish piranha with a line and hook (your guide will rig it). Birdlife is extraordinary here — wattled jacanas, cormorants, iguanas and river turtles basking on logs. Ask your guide which excursions are included and which cost extra; most shared packages bundle 2-3 excursions per day, lectures and all meals.
🚌Skiff excursions included
🛏Shared cabin on a riverboat
- →Tributary skiff exploration
- →Piranha fishing
- →Birdwatching
- →Onboard naturalist talk
Last morning in the reserve, back to Iquitos
Iquitos
Final dawn excursion — often the most rewarding, as wildlife is active and the water is flat. Return to Iquitos by boat, check into a budget hotel in the centre (~£12-15), then explore the city independently: the iron Casa de Fierro in Plaza de Armas, the Belén floating market (go with a local guide, £5-8, and don't bring valuables) and a cold camu camu juice. Cheap dinner at a local 'menú' spot (£3).
🚌Boat back to Iquitos included; mototaxis ~£2
🛏Budget hotel in Iquitos centre (~£14)
- →Dawn skiff excursion
- →Belén floating market
- →Plaza de Armas & Casa de Fierro
Iquitos → Lima
Lima
Fly Iquitos–Lima (~1h50, ~£50-70). Note that flights sell out and some days only have one departure — book ahead. Back in Lima, stay in Miraflores and use the afternoon for anything you missed: the Parque del Amor, a ceviche lunch, or the Magic Water Circuit fountains (~£1.50) which the tour sells as an optional night out. Pack for home.
🚌Flight Iquitos–Lima ~£60; Airport Express bus ~£3.50
🛏Hostel dorm in Miraflores (~£12)
- →Magic Water Circuit
- →Miraflores seafront
- →Final ceviche dinner
Depart Lima
Lima
No activities planned. Take the Airport Express bus (~£3.50) or a taxi (~£12) to Jorge Chávez for your international flight. If your flight is late evening, a morning surf lesson at Punta Hermosa or a Lima food market crawl (Surquillo, ~£5) fills the time cheaply.
🚌Airport Express bus ~£3.50
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Surquillo market crawl
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£920 | £2,799 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,879 per person (67%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£920
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 Self-Launched Amazon Riverboat & Machu Picchu Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £920 per person for 14 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 £2,799 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £920 — a saving of roughly £1,879 (67%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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, wildlife, 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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