Tour overview

This 25-day small-group adventure crosses Peru and Bolivia, from the Amazon rainforest and the Inca Trail to the high deserts and salt flats of the Bolivian altiplano. Groups have no more than 16 travellers aged 15 and over, with a local leader throughout and specialist guides in the jungle and on the trek. Most nights are in hotels, with a jungle lodge, three nights camping, a lakeside homestay and simple desert stays along the way. The trip is land-only, starting in Lima and ending in La Paz, with three internal flights included.

After a walking tour of Lima's colonial centre, you fly to Puerto Maldonado and travel by motorised canoe to a thatched eco-lodge in the Madre de Dios rainforest. Guided walks look for macaws, monkeys, capybaras and giant otters, and a night walk searches for caimans. You then fly to Cusco, the old Inca capital, and travel through the Sacred Valley. On the way you share lunch with a community that keeps Inca traditions and stop at a social enterprise café that trains single mothers.

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From Ollantaytambo you hike the classic four-day Inca Trail with porters, crossing Dead Woman's Pass at 4,200 metres and passing the ruins of Sayacmarca and Wiñay Wayna. You enter Machu Picchu at dawn through the Sun Gate for a guided tour. The Quarry Trail, or a train journey with time in Cusco, are alternatives. Next, you head to Lake Titicaca, visit the floating Uros reed islands and stay overnight with a family in Llachón, then walk across Taquile Island, known for its hand-knitted textiles.

Crossing into Bolivia, you explore La Paz, a city spilling down the sides of a vast canyon, and its Witches' Market. A three-day 4WD journey then crosses the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. You stop at the Train Cemetery and the cactus-covered Isla Incahuasi, then continue past coloured lagoons, the Stone Tree and the flamingos of Laguna Colorada to steaming geysers at sunrise.

The trip ends in Bolivia's colonial cities. You visit Potosí, built on the silver of Cerro Rico, and Sucre, the white UNESCO-listed capital, with its 68-million-year-old dinosaur footprints at Cal Orcko and the pre-Inca Chataquila trail. Then you fly back to La Paz.

The physical rating is high. You need good fitness for the trek and the long travel days at altitude, and some nights are basic. It suits adventurous travellers who want the full sweep of the central Andes in one trip.

Trip highlights

  • Two nights at a jungle eco-lodge in the Peruvian Amazon (Days 2–3)
  • The four-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, entering through the Sun Gate (Days 6–9)
  • A homestay with a family in Llachón on Lake Titicaca (Day 12)
  • Three days by 4WD across the Salar de Uyuni and the Andean desert (Days 17–19)
  • Laguna Colorada and the geysers of the Eduardo Avaroa reserve (Days 18–19)
  • Dinosaur footprints at Cal Orcko and the Chataquila trail near Sucre (Days 22–23)

Comparing tours? Read our guide: Peru, Bolivia, Galapagos or the Lot? The Best Multi-Country South America Tours · Inca Trail or Train? Every Way to Reach Machu Picchu on an Escorted Tour

Your route

18 stops from Lima to Sucre

25-day route: Lima – Amazon – Cusco – Inca Trail – Puno – La Paz – Uyuni – Potosí – Sucre – La Paz
  1. Lima Day 1
  2. Puerto Maldonado Day 2
  3. Jungle lodge (Amazon) Days 2–3
  4. Cusco Days 4 & 9–10
  5. Ollantaytambo Day 5
  6. Inca Trail (camping) Days 6–8
  7. Machu Picchu Day 9
  8. Puno Days 11 & 13
  9. Uros Islands Day 12
  10. Llachón Day 12
  11. Taquile Island Day 13
  12. La Paz Days 14–15 & 24–25
  13. Uyuni Days 16 & 19
  14. Isla Incahuasi Day 17
  15. Salar de Uyuni (village) Day 17
  16. Laguna Colorada Day 18
  17. Potosí Day 20
  18. Sucre Days 21–23

Why choose this tour

Few trips combine the Amazon, the Inca Trail, Lake Titicaca and the Uyuni salt flats, and this one links them with three internal flights to save long road journeys. Local leaders in Peru and Bolivia, a jungle lodge, a lakeside homestay and visits to community enterprises bring you close to local life.

Best suited to

  • Fit, adventurous travellers keen to hike the Inca Trail
  • Travellers who want both the Amazon and the high Andes
  • Photographers drawn to the salt flats and desert lagoons
  • Solo travellers, who can share a room at no extra cost
Machu Picchu among the Andes mountains, Peru

Day-by-day itinerary

25 days from Lima, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia

  1. Day 1 · Lima Arrive in Lima

    The trip starts with a welcome meeting at 2pm, followed by a walking tour of Lima's historic centre, with its colonial mansions, palaces and churches. In the evening you could join the group for an optional dinner.

    Hotel
    Hotel
  2. Day 2 · Puerto Maldonado, Peruvian Amazon Into the Amazon

    Fly from Lima to Puerto Maldonado and repack a small bag for the jungle. A motorised canoe takes you a couple of hours upriver to a thatched eco-lodge in the Madre de Dios region, with a lunch stop on the way and a short orientation walk on arrival.

    Hotel
    Jungle eco-lodge
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  3. Day 3 · Peruvian Amazon Amazon rainforest

    A half-day guided trek introduces the rainforest and the medicinal uses of its plants. Watch for macaws, monkeys, peccaries, capybaras and giant otters. After lunch and free time, a night walk looks for caimans and other nocturnal animals.

    Hotel
    Jungle eco-lodge
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  4. Day 4 · Puerto Maldonado, Cusco Fly to Cusco

    Return to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Cusco, at 3,450 metres. After time to acclimatise, an orientation walk takes in the Plaza de Armas, San Pedro Market, the twelve-angled stone, San Blas and the Qoricancha, the great Inca sun temple.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  5. Day 5 · Sacred Valley, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo

    Travel through the terraces of the Sacred Valley, stopping for lunch with a community that keeps many Inca traditions. In Urubamba, stop for a snack at a social enterprise restaurant that trains single mothers. Continue to Ollantaytambo, one of the few places where the Incas defeated the Spanish.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  6. Day 6 · Inca Trail, Llactapata Inca Trail: day one

    Start the four-day Inca Trail with porters carrying the camping gear and a small duffle of your things, while the rest of your luggage stays in Cusco. The first day passes the ruins of Llactapata. Alternatives are the Quarry Trail or two days in Cusco before taking the train.

    Hotel
    Camping
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  7. Day 7 · Dead Woman's Pass, Pacaymayo Valley Inca Trail: Dead Woman's Pass

    The hardest day: a steep climb of about five hours to Dead Woman's Pass, the trail's highest point at 4,200 metres, with wide views of the valley. Then descend to camp in the Pacaymayo Valley at 3,650 metres.

    Hotel
    Camping
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  8. Day 8 · Runkuracay Pass, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Wiñay Wayna Inca Trail: cloud-forest ruins

    Climb to Runkuracay Pass at 3,980 metres for views of the snowy Cordillera Vilcabamba, then descend past the ruins of Sayacmarca. Cross a third pass to Phuyupatamarca, the Town Above the Clouds, and walk down Inca steps to the last camp by Wiñay Wayna.

    Hotel
    Camping
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  9. Day 9 · Sun Gate, Machu Picchu, Cusco Machu Picchu

    Breakfast is at 4am. When the checkpoint opens at 5am, hike about 2.5 hours to the Sun Gate for the first view of Machu Picchu, weather permitting. A guide shows you around the citadel, built around 1440 for the Inca nobility, before you return to Cusco by train and road.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  10. Day 10 · Cusco Free day in Cusco

    A free day to rest or explore. You could browse San Pedro Market, visit the cathedral, go mountain biking in the hills or take a day trip to Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  11. Day 11 · Puno, Lake Titicaca Across the altiplano to Puno

    A long drive by local bus across the high altiplano to Puno on Lake Titicaca, at 3,800 metres the highest navigable lake in the world. Puno is a centre of Aymara and Quechua culture. In the evening you could try the local grilled trout.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  12. Day 12 · Uros Islands, Llachón Uros Islands and Llachón homestay

    Cruise to the floating Uros Islands, built from layers of totora reeds. Continue to the community of Llachón for a homestay with a local family. Help with daily tasks, learn a few words of Quechua and perhaps join a football game before dinner with your hosts.

    Hotel
    Family homestay
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  13. Day 13 · Taquile Island, Puno Taquile Island

    Cruise to Taquile Island, where the men knit and the women spin. Walk uphill for about an hour to the main square to see the textiles, then descend about 500 steps to the boat and return to Puno.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  14. Day 14 · La Paz, Witches' Market Into Bolivia: La Paz

    Cross into Bolivia, where your Bolivian leader takes over, and continue to La Paz. A walking tour shows you the colonial centre and its markets, and you could browse the Witches' Market for folk remedies and charms.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  15. Day 15 · La Paz Free day in La Paz

    A free day in La Paz, a city filling a vast canyon. Options include the Moon Valley, the ruins of Tiwanaku or the Coca Museum. A 6pm meeting welcomes new travellers joining the group.

    Hotel
    Hotel
  16. Day 16 · Uyuni To Uyuni

    A long drive by private vehicle to Uyuni, the remote gateway to the salt flats, arriving in the late afternoon. The hotel is basic but clean, with perhaps your last hot shower for a few days.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  17. Day 17 · Train Cemetery, Colchani, Salar de Uyuni, Isla Incahuasi Salar de Uyuni

    Set off by 4WD to the Train Cemetery and the salt-producing village of Colchani, then onto the vast white salt flats. Visit a salt hotel and Isla Incahuasi, a cactus-covered island and the top of an ancient volcano, with an optional hike. Continue south to a simple village stay.

    Hotel
    Basic village guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  18. Day 18 · Siloli Desert, Arbol de Piedra, Laguna Colorada Andean desert and Laguna Colorada

    Drive past Chiguana Salt Lake and the Ollagüe volcano to the Siloli Desert and the Stone Tree. In the Eduardo Avaroa reserve, walk around the red waters of Laguna Colorada, watching for flamingos, llamas, vicuñas and foxes. Stay in a community dormitory in Huayllajara or Polques.

    Hotel
    Shared dormitory
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  19. Day 19 · Laguna Verde, Valle de Rocas, Uyuni Geysers and back to Uyuni

    Rise early to see the geysers at sunrise, with an optional dip in a hot spring. Drive past Laguna Verde, the Valle de Rocas and the mining town of San Cristóbal, returning to Uyuni around 5pm.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  20. Day 20 · Potosí Potosí

    Take a local bus to Potosí, once one of the richest cities in the world thanks to the silver of Cerro Rico. An orientation walk shows you its colonial buildings. You could visit the National Mint or the Santa Teresa Convent Museum.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  21. Day 21 · Potosí, Sucre To Sucre

    After a free morning in Potosí, take a local bus to Sucre, Bolivia's constitutional capital, a UNESCO-listed city of whitewashed colonial buildings. In the evening, try saltenas, the local empanadas.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  22. Day 22 · Sucre, Cal Orcko Sucre and Cal Orcko

    After an orientation walk, visit Cal Orcko, with more than 12,000 dinosaur footprints around 68 million years old. You could then visit the Recoleta convent for its views or explore around Plaza 25 de Mayo.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  23. Day 23 · Chataquila, Sucre Chataquila trek

    Hike a pre-Inca path on the Chataquila trek, mostly downhill, with fine views of the Andes. The afternoon is free. You could visit the textile museum or see a Bolivian dance show.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  24. Day 24 · La Paz Fly to La Paz

    Fly back to La Paz in the morning or afternoon, depending on the schedule. You could visit the Coca Museum or relax at the hotel.

    Hotel
    Hotel
    Meals
    Breakfast
  25. Day 25 · La Paz Trip ends in La Paz

    The trip ends after breakfast, and you can leave at any time. Extra nights in La Paz can be arranged when you book.

    Meals
    Breakfast
A cable car above La Paz at sunset, Bolivia

Where you stay

  • Lima (1 night) Hotel
  • Amazon (2 nights) Jungle eco-lodge
  • Cusco (1 night) Hotel
  • Ollantaytambo (1 night) Hotel
  • Inca Trail (3 nights) Camping
  • Cusco (2 nights) Hotel
  • Puno (1 night) Hotel
  • Llachón, Lake Titicaca (1 night) Family homestay
  • Puno (1 night) Hotel
  • La Paz (2 nights) Hotel
  • Uyuni (1 night) Hotel
  • Salt flats (1 night) Basic village guesthouse
  • Laguna Colorada area (1 night) Shared dormitory
  • Uyuni (1 night) Hotel
  • Potosí (1 night) Hotel
  • Sucre (3 nights) Hotel
  • La Paz (1 night) Hotel

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation — 24 nights hotels, a jungle eco-lodge, 3 nights camping, a family homestay and 2 nights in simple desert stays
  • Meals 23 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 8 dinners
  • Flights Lima to Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado to Cusco, and Sucre to La Paz
  • Transport motorised canoe, boats on Lake Titicaca, 4WD across the salt flats, private vehicles, taxis and public buses
  • Inca Trail or Quarry Trail hike with porters, or the train option, plus a guided tour of Machu Picchu
  • Amazon guided walks, the Sacred Valley community lunch, the Lake Titicaca homestay, the salt flats 4WD tour, the Cal Orcko dinosaur footprints and the Chataquila trek
  • Local leader throughout, with specialist guides in the jungle and on the trek

Not included

  • International flights to Lima and home from La Paz
  • Visas and entry fees, including a Bolivian visa for some nationalities
  • Meals not included 1 breakfast, 11 lunches and 16 dinners
  • Optional activities and museum entries
  • Tips, travel insurance and personal spending
Reed houses of a Uros floating village on Lake Titicaca

This trip might not be for you if…

Honest disclaimer — please read

  • You want flights included — international flights are not included
  • You want comfort every night — there is camping, a homestay and shared dormitories
  • You don't cope well at altitude — much of the trip is above 3,500 metres
  • You want a relaxed pace — the physical rating is high

Good to know

Meals by day Breakfast: Days 2–14 and 16–25 · Lunch: Days 2–3, 5–8, 12 and 17–19 · Dinner: Days 2–3, 6–8, 12 and 17–18
Highest altitude ~5,000 m on the Uyuni 4WD high passes; Dead Woman's Pass (Inca Trail) 4,200 m; Quarry Trail high pass 4,450 m
Tour starts Lima, Peru — welcome meeting 2 pm Day 1 at the hotel
Tour ends La Paz, Bolivia — Day 25, no activities scheduled, free to depart after breakfast
Languages Spanish across both countries; Quechua and Aymara widely spoken in highland communities; English at hotels and with your leader throughout
Currency Peruvian Sol (PEN) in Peru, Boliviano (BOB) in Bolivia — USD widely accepted at upscale hotels, cash for rural and trek tips
Visas UK passport holders don't need a visa for Peru (90 days); Bolivia is visa-on-arrival for UK travellers (~$50, 30 days) — check current FCDO advice before booking
Physical rating High — moderate-to-strenuous hiking at altitude, three days of 4WD travel, multiple long bus and flight days
Suitable for ages 15-99 (mixed-age group)
Inca Trail permits Provide full passport details at booking; the Inca authorities will refuse entry if names don't match exactly
Group composition Welcome meeting in Lima (Day 1), a second in La Paz (Day 15) — fellow travellers may change for the Bolivia section
FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Bolivia · UK FCDO travel advice for Peru
A boat on a jungle river in the Peruvian Amazon

In pictures

Departures & prices

From £3,192 per person, twin share, tour only. 81 upcoming departures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book this tour?

Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.

What financial protection do I get?

Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.

Are flights included?

Three internal flights are included: Lima to Puerto Maldonado, Puerto Maldonado to Cusco, and Sucre to La Paz. International flights to Lima and home from La Paz are not.

Do I have to hike the Inca Trail?

No. You can choose the four-day Inca Trail, the three-day Quarry Trail, or stay in Cusco and take the train to Aguas Calientes. All three options include a guided visit to Machu Picchu. Inca Trail permits are limited, so book early.

How fit do I need to be?

The physical rating is high. The Inca Trail crosses passes up to 4,200 metres, and the trip spends many days above 3,500 metres with long road journeys.

What is the accommodation like?

Mostly hotels, plus a jungle eco-lodge, three nights camping on the trail, a family homestay on Lake Titicaca and two simple desert stays on the salt flats, one in a shared dormitory.

What meals are included?

23 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 8 dinners, including full board in the Amazon, on the trek, at the homestay and on the salt flats.

Can solo travellers share a room?

Yes. Solo travellers can share with another traveller of the same sex at no extra cost, or pay a single supplement where available. Some nights, such as camping and the desert dormitory, are shared.

Can you tailor the trip?

Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.

What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.

ATOL protected 100% financially protected in a Trust bank account PTS 6035 4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.

Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary

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