Self-Launched Iconic Peru: Amazon, Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca
14 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £2,510
No-markup version: ~£1,495 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the 14-day "Iconic Peru" National Geographic Journeys tour — same route, same highlights (Tambopata rainforest, Sacred Valley, the four-day Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca) but booked independently at backpacker/budget rates. You'll fly and bus yourself between Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cusco, Ollantaytambo and Puno, join small shared group treks and tours through GetYourGuide or direct with local agencies, and stay in guesthouses and hostels rather than hotels. Book the Inca Trail permit 4-6 months ahead (only 500 permits/day) and allow a few days to acclimatise to altitude. Costs are rough estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores & Barranco
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport and take an authorised taxi or airport shuttle to a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco (~30-45 min, S/50-70 / £10-15) instead of a private transfer. Settle in, then stretch your legs along the Miraflores clifftop malecón and grab your first ceviche or lomo saltado at a neighbourhood menu-del-día spot. Use the evening to sort a SIM card (Claro/Entel booths at the airport or in Miraflores) and confirm your Tambopata lodge pickup for tomorrow.
🚌Airport taxi/shuttle ~£12; walking and local buses in the city
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Miraflores/Barranco, private or 4-bed dorm (approx £15)
- →Miraflores malecón walk
- →Barranco street art and Puente de los Suspiros
- →Optional 4hr Lima cooking class (~£35-40 via GetYourGuide)
Fly to Puerto Maldonado & into the Amazon
Tambopata
Fly Lima to Puerto Maldonado (LATAM/Sky/JetSMART, ~1h45, one-way £45-70 booked a few weeks ahead). Budget jungle lodges in the Tambopata buffer zone include boat transfers and guided excursions in the nightly rate — book direct with operators such as lodges around the Tambopata National Reserve. After the motorised canoe ride upriver, head out with the lodge naturalist on a night walk to spot tarantulas, frogs and owls.
🚌Domestic flight ~£55; lodge boat transfer included; night walk on foot
🛏Budget jungle lodge, multi-share or simple private room, full board included (approx £45/night including meals and guided excursions)
- →Motorised canoe transfer up the Tambopata River
- →Guided night walk with lodge naturalist
Tambopata rainforest day & caiman cruise
Tambopata
Full day of lodge-included excursions: a dawn walk or canopy lookout for toucans, macaws and howler monkeys, then a canoe paddle on an oxbow lake to look for giant river otters and turtles. After dinner, join the lodge's motorised canoe trip along the riverbanks to spot caimans with headtorches. All activities are part of the lodge package — confirm at booking which excursions are included so you're not paying twice.
🚌Canoe and boat trips with the lodge
🛏Budget jungle lodge (approx £45 including meals and excursions)
- →Dawn birdwatching walk
- →Oxbow lake canoe trip
- →Night caiman-spotting cruise
Back out of the jungle & fly to Cusco
Cusco
Canoe out and catch the short flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco (~1h, £40-60). Take an airport taxi to your guesthouse in San Blas (~S/20-30) and take it easy on arrival day — Cusco sits at 3,400m. Drink coca tea, walk slowly, and have an early night. In the evening you can swap the tour's planetarium visit for the cheaper, independently bookable Cusco Planetarium tour (~£12-15, book direct or via GetYourGuide).
🚌Domestic flight ~£50; airport taxi ~£5
🛏Guesthouse in San Blas or historic centre, private room (approx £17)
- →Cusco Planetarium evening visit (~£13)
- →Gentle acclimatisation walk around Plaza de Armas
Sacred Valley: Pisac, Ollantaytambo & Potato Park
Ollantaytambo
Rather than a private van, join a small-group Sacred Valley day tour (~£25-35 via GetYourGuide) covering Pisac ruins and market, Urubamba lunch and Ollantaytambo. To see the Potato Park community, arrange it directly through the Parque de la Papa association (Pisac) or ask a local agency in Cusco to build a half-day community visit (~£25-35) — this replaces the tour's exclusive National Geographic moment. Stay the night in Ollantaytambo to shorten tomorrow's start and buy your Inca Trail supplies (snacks, water purification tablets, cash in soles).
🚌Shared minibus/tour transport from Cusco ~£8; local collectivos between valley towns £1-2 each
🛏Family guesthouse in Ollantaytambo, private room (approx £16)
- →Pisac ruins and market
- →Ollantaytambo fortress
- →Parque de la Papa community visit (booked direct)
Inca Trail Day 1: Km 82 to Wayllabamba
Inca Trail
The four-day Inca Trail must be done with a licensed agency — permits sell out months ahead and are only issued to registered operators, so book by roughly March/April for a December or January departure (~£420-480 per person for a group trek with guide, cook, porters, all meals, camping equipment and entrance fees). Most trek groups pick up in Ollantaytambo, so you can be collected straight from your guesthouse. Today's hike is a gentle warm-up along the Cusichaca valley to Wayllabamba camp (3,000m), passing Llactapata ruins.
🚌Operator minibus to Km 82 trailhead (included in trek price); 12km hiking
🛏Inca Trail camp (tent provided by trek operator)
- →Inca Trail hike Day 1
- →Llactapata ruins
- →Guided camp briefing
Inca Trail Day 2: Dead Woman's Pass
Inca Trail
The big one: a long, steep climb to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,198m — the highest point of the trek. Start early, pace yourself with coca leaves and plenty of water, and enjoy the views back down the valley. Descend to Pacaymayo camp for an early afternoon. Your trek cook handles all meals; tip the guide and crew at the end of the trek (roughly £10-20 per hiker for guides and £5-8 for the crew is a fair independent budget).
🚌Hiking ~12km, 6-8 hours
🛏Inca Trail camp (Pacaymayo)
- →Hike to Dead Woman's Pass (4,198m)
- →Runkurakay ruins en route
Inca Trail Day 3: Two passes to Wiñay Wayna
Inca Trail
Cross Runkurakay pass (3,950m) for glimpses of the Cordillera Vilcabamba snow peaks, then climb gently through cloud forest to Phuyupatamarca ("the city above the clouds", 3,650m). Descend through orchid-rich cloud forest to camp near Wiñay Wayna (2,650m) — an earlier night tonight as tomorrow starts before dawn.
🚌Hiking ~16km, 7-8 hours
🛏Inca Trail camp (Wiñay Wayna)
- →Runkurakay and Sayacmarca ruins
- →Phuyupatamarca
- →Wiñay Wayna ruins
Sun Gate sunrise, Machu Picchu & train to Cusco
Machu Picchu / Cusco
Leave camp before dawn to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) for sunrise over Machu Picchu, then descend for the included two-hour guided tour of the citadel. Inca Trail hikers are assigned Circuit 3 with Sun Gate access. After the tour, take the Consettur bus down to Aguas Calientes (£10-12), have lunch, then take the Expedition train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (~£55-70 one-way, book on PeruRail/Inca Rail when you book permits) and a shared van or bus on to Cusco (~£6).
🚌Consettur bus ~£11; Expedition train ~£60; van to Cusco ~£6
🛏Guesthouse in Cusco, private room (approx £17)
- →Sun Gate sunrise
- →Guided Machu Picchu tour
- →Aguas Calientes free time
Free day in Cusco
Cusco
A well-earned rest day. Explore the UNESCO-listed historic centre on a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£5), visit Qorikancha (S/15) and the San Pedro market for a cheap almuerzo, or join the Cusco cooking class independently (~£30-35 via GetYourGuide) instead of the operator's pre-booked version. Optional extras booked direct: Rainbow Mountain day trip (~£25-30) or half-day rock climbing in the Sacred Valley (~£35). San Blas has the best-value cafés for dinner.
🚌Walking; taxis around town £1-3
🛏Guesthouse in Cusco (approx £17)
- →Free walking tour of Cusco
- →Qorikancha and San Pedro market
- →Optional cooking class or Rainbow Mountain trip
Scenic bus to Puno across the Altiplano
Puno
Take a daytime tourist bus from Cusco to Puno (~10 hours, £18-28 with Cruz del Sur, Oltursa or similar) — a comfortable reclining seat and the same Altiplano views as the tour's van. Several services stop at Andahuaylillas, Raqchi and La Raya pass (4,338m) en route at no extra cost. Puno sits at 3,800m, so take it slow on arrival and pick a hostel near the Plaza de Armas. Dinner: trucha (trout) from Lake Titicaca.
🚌Tourist bus Cusco–Puno ~£22
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in central Puno, private room (approx £14)
- →Andahuaylillas church and Raqchi ruins (bus stops)
- →La Raya pass viewpoint
Lake Titicaca: Uros, Taquile & Luquina Chico
Lake Titicaca / Puno
Book a full-day shared boat tour from Puno's port (~£22-28 with local agencies or GetYourGuide) covering the floating Uros reed islands and Taquile Island. To recreate the tour's community lunch, choose a Taquile or Luquina Chico community-tourism operator that includes a family home lunch — ask the agency for the community-tourism option rather than the standard restaurant stop. Optionally add an afternoon trip to the Sillustani burial towers (S/59 entry + ~£10 transport).
🚌Shared boat tour ~£25; local minibus
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Puno (approx £14)
- →Uros floating islands
- →Taquile Island textiles and hike
- →Luquina Chico family lunch
- →Optional Sillustani towers
Fly Puno–Lima and explore the capital
Lima
Transfer to Juliaca airport (~45 min, shared taxi £6-8) and fly to Lima (~1h40, £45-65). Check into a Miraflores hostel and spend the afternoon on a free walking tour of the historic centre or the Parque del Amor and Larco Mar clifftops. Last-night dinner: a proper menu at a local huarique in Surquillo or Barranco for £6-9.
🚌Shared taxi to Juliaca ~£7; domestic flight ~£55; airport bus/taxi ~£10
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Miraflores, private room (approx £15)
- →Lima historic centre walk
- →Miraflores and Barranco evening
Depart Lima
Lima
Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a final ceviche lunch or a morning surf lesson at Punta Hermosa, then take the Airport Express bus or a taxi to Jorge Chávez for your international departure. If you're flying late, most Miraflores hostels will store bags free of charge.
🚌Airport Express bus ~£5 or taxi ~£12
🛏None (departure day)
- →Free morning in Miraflores
- →Optional surf lesson (~£25)
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,495 | £2,510 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,015 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,495
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 Iconic Peru: Amazon, Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,495 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 £2,510 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,495 — a saving of roughly £1,015 (40%) 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, 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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