Self-Launched Peru: Machu Picchu Uncovered (8 Days, Lima to Lima)
8 days · Peru
G Adventures charges £1,750
No-markup version: ~£735 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly take on G Adventures' 8-day TailorMade Peru sample itinerary. You cover exactly the same ground — Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu — but book it yourself: budget guesthouses and hostels instead of hotels, shared airport buses instead of private transfers, the Viva Air/Sky/LATAM domestic flight booked direct, the Expedition/Inca Rail train up the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu entry plus a small-group or shared guide bought through GetYourGuide or the official Ministerio de Cultura portal. The weaving co-op and community restaurant stops can be replicated by visiting the same community tourism projects independently. Expect to acclimatise properly (Cusco sits at 3,400m), carry your own bags, and be flexible: Machu Picchu tickets sell out weeks ahead in high season, so book the circuit you want early. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Lima — Miraflores or Barranco base
Lima
Land at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) and make your own way into town. The official Airport Express Lima bus runs to Miraflores/Barranco for around £7 one-way (buy at the counter or online); a taxi via app (Uber/Cabify) or an authorised green-taxi desk is roughly £12-15. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Miraflores (safe, walkable, near the clifftop parks) or Barranco (bohemian, better nightlife). Afternoon: walk the Malecón, watch the paragliders over the Pacific, and grab a cheap menu del día or a ceviche at a local market stall. Book your Cusco flight for tomorrow morning tonight if you haven't already. Note: central Lima and the historic centre need extra care after dark — keep valuables minimal.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£7 or app taxi ~£12-15; walking in Miraflores/Barranco
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse in Miraflores or Barranco, private room ~£20-25/night (dorm ~£9-12)
- →Walk the Miraflores Malecón clifftop path
- →Sunset at Parque del Amor
- →Optional: Bike Miraflores & Barranco bike tour (£25-28 via GetYourGuide)
- →Optional: evening ceviche + pisco sour food walk
Fly Lima → Cusco, city tour and acclimatise
Cusco
Book a morning domestic flight (LATAM, Sky or JetSMART) from Lima to Cusco — roughly £55-85 one-way if booked 3-6 weeks out; JetSMART's hand-luggage-only fare is usually cheapest, and foreign travellers should carry their international ticket number to avoid the domestic flight tax. From Cusco airport take an authorised taxi (~£4-5) or the colectivo/combis into the centre. Check in, then take it very easy: this is 3,400m. In the afternoon join a free/small-tip walking tour of the Plaza de Armas, Qorikancha, San Blas and the San Pedro market (tip-based, ~£5-8 tip), or pay entry to the Inka Museum (~£2.50). Drink coca tea, avoid alcohol and big meals, and sleep early. Buy your Boleto Turístico (partial or full, ~£15/£25) at the office for tomorrow's ruins.
🚌Domestic flight Lima–Cusco ~£55-85; airport taxi ~£4-5
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Cusco historic centre, private room ~£18-24 (dorm ~£8-11)
- →Free walking tour of Cusco historic centre (tip-based)
- →San Pedro market wander
- →Inka Museum entry ~£2.50
- →Buy Boleto Turístico for Sacred Valley sites
Sacred Valley full day — Pisac, weaving co-op, Ollantaytambo
Cusco → Sacred Valley → Ollantaytambo
This is the DIY version of the operator's guided Sacred Valley day. Easiest and best-value option: a full-day Sacred Valley small-group tour from Cusco booked on GetYourGuide/Viator, typically £25-35, covering Pisac ruins and market, Urubamba lunch stop and Ollantaytambo — or do it independently by colectivo: combi from Cusco to Pisac (~£1.50, 1hr), then Pisac → Urubamba (~£1.50), then Urubamba → Ollantaytambo (~£1). At Pisac, see the terraced ruins (Boleto Turístico covers entry) and the artisan market. Stop at a community weaving co-operative in the valley — the Amaru/Chinchero and Awamaki-style projects near Urubamba welcome visitors for small donations or purchases; ask your guesthouse to point you to a genuine community-run one rather than a tour-bus shop. Lunch at a community tourism restaurant in the valley (menu del día ~£4-6). Finish with the Ollantaytambo fortress ruins (~£8 with Boleto, or 70 soles single entry). Sleep in Ollantaytambo so tomorrow's train is short.
🚌Shared minibus/colectivo circuit ~£6 total, or GetYourGuide small-group tour ~£25-35
🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo, private room ~£16-22 (dorm ~£8-10)
- →Pisac ruins and artisan market
- →Community weaving co-operative visit
- →Ollantaytambo fortress ruins
- →Community restaurant lunch (menu del día)
Train to Aguas Calientes, hot springs and market
Ollantaytambo → Aguas Calientes
Take the morning Inca Rail or PeruRail Expedition service from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) — about 1h20, roughly £45-60 one-way depending on class and how early you book; book online at incarail.com or perurail.com as soon as your dates are fixed, as these sell out. Check your Machu Picchu entry ticket is confirmed for tomorrow (official portal machupicchu.gob.pe, or via a GetYourGuide entry+guide package). Explore the town: the craft market along the river, cheap set lunches, and in the afternoon soak at the Baños Termales hot springs (~£3-4 entry, walkable or short taxi). Buy your bus ticket up to Machu Picchu tonight if you're not walking (Consettur round trip ~£15-17) and pack a day bag for a very early start.
🚌Inca Rail/PeruRail Expedition Ollantaytambo–Aguas Calientes ~£45-60
🛏Budget guesthouse in Aguas Calientes, private room ~£20-28 (dorms limited and pricier here)
- →Aguas Calientes handicraft market
- →Baños Termales hot springs ~£3-4
- →Optional: Mandor waterfall walk (~£3)
Machu Picchu at dawn — circuit, guided tour, back to Cusco
Aguas Calientes → Machu Picchu → Cusco
Up before sunrise for the first buses (from ~5:30am) or the free-ish walk up the steps if you're fit — the bus is ~£15-17 return and worth it. Your timed entry ticket gets you onto a designated circuit (Circuit 1 or 2 are the classic postcard viewpoints; tickets are sold first-come-first-served, so book well ahead). A 2-2.5hr shared or small-group guide inside the site can be booked via GetYourGuide for ~£30-45 including entry, or hire a licensed guide at the gate for ~£25-30 per group — splitting one with other travellers keeps it cheap. Remember: no re-entry, no plastic bags, passport stamping at the exit gate. If you have time and energy, the short walk to the Inca Bridge is free and gives a great view. Afternoon: shuttle bus down, train back towards Ollantaytambo/Poroy, then a shared van or bus onward to Cusco (~£4-6), arriving evening.
🚌Consettur bus up/down ~£15-17; train back ~£45-60; shared van Poroy/Ollantaytambo–Cusco ~£4-6
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Cusco historic centre, private room ~£18-24 (dorm ~£8-11)
- →Machu Picchu sunrise entry with circuit
- →Shared licensed guide inside the site
- →Optional free Inca Bridge walk
- →Passport stamp at the exit
Cusco free morning + Peruvian cooking class
Cusco
Slow morning: coffee in San Blas, browse the artisan galleries, or visit Qorikancha (~£4) or Sacsayhuamán on foot from the centre (~£8 with Boleto, 20-25min uphill walk). In the afternoon do the cooking class — book direct with a Cusco cooking school or via GetYourGuide/Klook, typically £25-35 for a market tour plus a hands-on class making causa, lomo saltado and pisco sours. Wandering the San Pedro market with a local cook first is the highlight. Evening free for a cheap dinner (menu del día £3-5, or a sit-down dinner £8-12).
🚌Walking; taxi across town ~£1.50-2.50 if needed
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Cusco historic centre, private room ~£18-24 (dorm ~£8-11)
- →San Pedro market food tour
- →Peruvian cooking class ~£25-35
- →Sacsayhuamán or Qorikancha visit
- →San Blas artisan browsing
Fly Cusco → Lima, coastal evening
Cusco → Lima
Fly back to Lima (Sky/LATAM/JetSMART, ~£55-85 one-way; early-afternoon departures are usually cheapest). Settle back into your Miraflores or Barranco hostel. Spend the late afternoon in Barranco — the Bridge of Sighs, street art, the Bajada de Baños walk down to the coast — then eat at a Barranco market or a neighbourhood cevichería. Optional splurge: a sunset drink on a Miraflores rooftop or the Huaca Pucllana ruins lit up at night.
🚌Cusco airport taxi ~£4; flight Cusco–Lima ~£55-85; Lima airport bus ~£7
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse in Miraflores or Barranco, private room ~£20-25 (dorm ~£9-12)
- →Barranco street art and Bridge of Sighs walk
- →Bajada de Baños coastal walk
- →Optional: Huaca Pucllana night visit ~£3
- →Optional: Barranco food and pisco crawl
Depart Lima
Lima
Depart at any time. Grab breakfast at a local panadería (pan con chicharrón or tamal, ~£2-3), then take the Airport Express bus or an app taxi to Jorge Chávez for your international flight. If you have a late flight, the Larco Museum (~£8) or a last ceviche in Barranco is an easy way to fill the morning — most hostels will hold bags.
🚌Airport Express Lima bus ~£7 or app taxi ~£12-15
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional: Larco Museum ~£8
- →Optional: last ceviche in Barranco
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£735 | £1,750 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,015 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£735
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 Peru: Machu Picchu Uncovered (8 Days, Lima to Lima) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £735 per person for 8 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 £1,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £735 — a saving of roughly £1,015 (58%) per person.
How long is the Peru trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, culture, 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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