Classic Peru & Bolivia Overland: 15 Days

Overland through the Andes of Peru and Bolivia: Inca Cusco and Machu Picchu, the Route of the Sun, Lake Titicaca by boat, La Paz and the Salar de Uyuni.

  Multi-Country South America Tour Package — Daily Departures, All Year

Request Trip
Route Overview

Trip Map

Classic Peru and Bolivia overland journey map: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Puno, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and Uyuni

  Click the map to enlarge

Classic Peru and Bolivia overland journey map: Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Puno, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and Uyuni - enlarged

Peru and Bolivia, the Classic Way: Overland Through the Andes

This classic Peru and Bolivia tour travels overland wherever the road is worth it. From Cusco — with a guided tour of its four Inca sites — you descend into the Sacred Valley, take the panoramic train to Machu Picchu and cross the high Andes on the Route of the Sun to Puno. A boat takes you to the islands of Lake Titicaca, and a tourist bus follows its shore into Bolivia, to La Paz. A short flight then opens the last chapter: three days on the Salar de Uyuni and the lagoons of the Altiplano, one of the most extraordinary landscapes in South America.

At a Glance

Itinerary Summary

The classic Peru and Bolivia overland journey, day by day: Cusco and Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, La Paz and Uyuni. Tap any day to see the details.

  1. Day 1Arrive in Lima: Your Classic Journey BeginsLima
  2. Day 2Lima Old & New: Historic Center to MirafloresLima
  3. Day 3Fly to Cusco & Acclimatize in the Inca CapitalCusco
  4. Day 4Inca Cusco: Koricancha & Four Hilltop SitesCusco
  5. Day 5Sacred Valley Day: Pisac Market & Ollantaytambothe Sacred Valley
  6. Day 6Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes by Panoramic TrainAguas Calientes
  7. Day 7Machu Picchu: The Inca Royal Estate with a GuideCusco
  8. Day 8Across the Andes to Puno on the Route of the SunPuno
  9. Day 9Lake Titicaca by Boat: Uros & TaquilePuno
  10. Day 10Overland into Bolivia: Puno to La PazLa Paz
  11. Day 11Salar de Uyuni: Colchani, Locomotives & IncahuasiSalt hotel, Uyuni
  12. Day 12Altiplano Lagoons: Flamingos & the Red LagoonDesert lodge, Uyuni region
  13. Day 13Sol de Mañana & Polques, Return to UyuniUyuni
  14. Day 14Fly to La Paz: Free Afternoon in the CityLa Paz
  15. Day 15La Paz – Lima Flight & Journey HomeDeparture
In Detail

Detailed Itinerary

Every day of your trip, with where you'll spend the night.

Arrive in Lima: Your Classic Journey Begins – Peru Day 1

Arrive in Lima: Your Classic Journey Begins

Your classic journey starts on the Pacific. After a warm welcome at the airport, settle into your Lima hotel and take an easy evening walk above the ocean at Miraflores, perhaps with a first pisco sour.

Overnight in Lima
Lima Old and New: Historic Center to Miraflores – Peru Day 2

Lima Old & New: Historic Center to Miraflores

A full guided look at Lima, then and now: the Spanish grid of the historic center with its cathedral, palaces and wooden balconies, the catacombs of San Francisco, and the clifftop parks and cafés of Miraflores overlooking the surf.

Overnight in Lima
Fly to Cusco and Acclimatize in the Inca Capital – Peru Day 3

Fly to Cusco & Acclimatize in the Inca Capital

Morning flight across the Andes to Cusco. The rest of the day is deliberately free so your body can adjust to 3,400 m; when you feel ready, sit on a balcony over the Plaza de Armas and watch the city that was once the navel of the Inca world.

Flight Lima – Cusco Overnight in Cusco
Inca Cusco: Koricancha and Four Hilltop Sites – Peru Day 4

Inca Cusco: Koricancha & Four Hilltop Sites

With your guide, peel back Cusco’s layers: the gold-stripped Koricancha beneath the Santo Domingo convent, the Cathedral’s colonial paintings, and four Inca sites on the hills — Sacsayhuamán’s zigzag walls, the carved rock of Qenqo, Puca Pucara and the water channels of Tambomachay.

Overnight in Cusco
Sacred Valley Day: Pisac Market and Ollantaytambo – Peru Day 5

Sacred Valley Day: Pisac Market & Ollantaytambo

A full day in the valley the Incas considered sacred. Pisac’s market and mountainside terraces in the morning, lunch by the river, and in the afternoon Ollantaytambo, a town whose original Inca blocks still line the streets. Overnight in the valley.

Overnight in the Sacred Valley
Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes by Panoramic Train – Peru Day 6

Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes by Panoramic Train

From Ollantaytambo station the panoramic train threads the Urubamba gorge, glass roof open to the snowy summits. In Aguas Calientes, the afternoon is free to visit the hot springs or the small Manuel Chávez Ballón museum.

Panoramic train Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu: The Inca Royal Estate with a Guide – Peru Day 7

Machu Picchu: The Inca Royal Estate with a Guide

Early bus to the citadel and a guided walk through the Inca royal estate: the Guardhouse viewpoint, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Sacred Plaza and the terraces falling into the canyon. Train and road back to Cusco by evening.

Good to Know

  • Duration: the guided tour lasts approx. 2–2.5 hours.
  • Bus: the shuttle between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu takes approx. 25 minutes each way.
  • Tickets & circuits: entry tickets are sold for a specific time slot and circuit, and the route inside the citadel depends on the circuit booked. Re-entry is not permitted.
  • Passport: you must carry the original passport used to book your ticket.
  • Huayna Picchu & Machu Picchu Mountain: these hikes require a separate ticket and must be booked in advance.
  • What to bring: sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent, a rain jacket and water. Large backpacks, walking sticks without rubber tips, and food are not allowed inside the site.
Train back to Cusco Overnight in Cusco
Across the Andes to Puno on the Route of the Sun – Peru Day 8

Across the Andes to Puno on the Route of the Sun

Cross the Andes south-east by guided coach on the Route of the Sun, stopping at Andahuaylillas, the Wiracocha temple of Raqchi, the 4,335 m pass of La Raya and the Pucará museum, and arriving at the shores of Titicaca in the late afternoon.

Route of the Sun bus Overnight in Puno
Lake Titicaca by Boat: Uros and Taquile – Peru Day 9

Lake Titicaca by Boat: Uros & Taquile

Navigate the highest navigable lake in the world: the floating Uros islands, built and rebuilt from layers of reeds, and Taquile, where men knit and women weave patterns that tell family stories. Back in Puno at sunset.

Lake Titicaca boat trip Overnight in Puno
Overland into Bolivia: Puno to La Paz – Bolivia Day 10

Overland into Bolivia: Puno to La Paz

Continue into Bolivia by land. The tourist bus skirts Lake Titicaca to the border, helps you through immigration on both sides and crosses the high plain to La Paz, whose houses spill down a canyon beneath Mount Illimani.

Bus Puno – La Paz Border crossing Overnight in La Paz
Salar de Uyuni: Colchani, Locomotives and Incahuasi – Bolivia Day 11

Salar de Uyuni: Colchani, Locomotives & Incahuasi

Fly to Uyuni and start the classic 3-day 4x4 route: rusted steam engines at the train cemetery, salt blocks drying in Colchani, the dazzling expanse of the Salar de Uyuni and Incahuasi Island with its giant cacti. Night in a salt-built hotel.

Flight La Paz – Uyuni 4x4 expedition Overnight in a salt hotel on the edge of the Uyuni salt flat
Altiplano Lagoons: Flamingos and the Red Lagoon – Bolivia Day 12

Altiplano Lagoons: Flamingos & the Red Lagoon

Drive into Bolivia’s far south-west, where lagoons at more than 4,000 m are dotted with flamingos. Photograph the Stone Tree in the Siloli desert and reach Laguna Colorada, red with algae and minerals. Overnight at a basic desert lodge.

4x4 expedition Overnight in a lodge in the Uyuni desert
Sol de Mañana and Polques, Return to Uyuni – Bolivia Day 13

Sol de Mañana & Polques, Return to Uyuni

Wake early for the geysers of Sol de Mañana, hissing and bubbling at sunrise, and a dip in the natural pools of Polques. Return across the Altiplano to Uyuni town in the afternoon.

4x4 expedition Overnight in Uyuni
Fly to La Paz: Free Afternoon in the City – Bolivia Day 14

Fly to La Paz: Free Afternoon in the City

Morning flight back to La Paz and a free afternoon. Consider the Valley of the Moon’s clay pinnacles, the San Francisco basilica or simply a cable-car ride for views over the city and El Alto.

Flight Uyuni – La Paz Overnight in La Paz
La Paz – Lima Flight and Journey Home – Peru Day 15

La Paz – Lima Flight & Journey Home

Transfer to El Alto International Airport for your flight to Lima and your international connection home. End of services.

Flight La Paz – Lima Transfer to the airport · End of services
Know Before You Go

What's Included

A transparent breakdown of what's covered in your package and what isn't.

Included

  • Every airport, station and hotel transfer in Peru and Bolivia
  • 14 nights’ lodging with breakfast (2 of them on the Uyuni expedition: salt hotel and Altiplano lodge)
  • Lima walking and driving tour with a local guide
  • Cusco city tour with the Koricancha and the four Inca sites above the city
  • Full Sacred Valley day: Pisac and Ollantaytambo
  • Round-trip train between the Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes
  • Machu Picchu admission, guided visit and shuttle bus up and down
  • Guided Route of the Sun coach between Cusco and Puno, lunch included
  • Lake Titicaca boat day to the Uros and Taquile Islands, with lunch
  • Puno – La Paz tourist coach with help at the border
  • Uyuni Salt Flats 3-day 4x4 circuit with driver-guide, all meals and reserve fees
  • Entrance tickets for every visit in the program
  • Round-the-clock local support while you travel

Not Included

  • Flights Lima – Cusco, La Paz – Uyuni – La Paz and La Paz – Lima (we quote them for you)
  • Visa for Bolivia where your passport requires one
  • International flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Meals not specified in the itinerary
  • Activities and entrance fees on free days
  • Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain tickets
  • Tips and personal expenses
Secure Booking

Tour Package Rates

Per person based on double / twin room accommodation. Choose your preferred service level.

Essential ★★

Comfortable stays, essential services
$2275Estimated Total
Request

Comfort ★★★

Standard premium service, upgraded hotels
$2699Estimated Total
Request

Deluxe ★★★★★

Top-tier luxury hotels & private experiences
$4150Estimated Total
Request
Accepted Payment Methods
SSL Encrypted Payment
Protected Transaction
Instant Confirmation

Your data is protected with 256-bit security encryption. No card details are stored on our servers.

Start Your Journey

Request Your Custom Trip

Fill out the form below and our travel specialists will contact you within 24 hours.

Hotel Category *
0 / 500 characters

Classic Peru & Bolivia 15 Days: Your Questions

Is this a multi-country tour package or a tailor-made trip?

It is a complete South America tour package — hotels, transfers, guides, trains, flights coordination and excursions are all planned — but it runs as a tailor-made trip: you choose the date, the hotel category and the group size, and any day can be adjusted. Departures are daily, all year.

What makes this a classic Peru and Bolivia tour?

It follows the route travelers have taken for decades: Cusco and Machu Picchu, then overland across the Andes to Lake Titicaca and La Paz, finishing on the Uyuni salt flat — the essential highlights of both countries.

How much of the trip is overland?

Cusco to Puno (Route of the Sun) and Puno to La Paz are by tourist bus, the Sacred Valley and the Uyuni expedition by road, and Machu Picchu by train. Only Lima – Cusco, La Paz – Uyuni – La Paz and La Paz – Lima are flights.

Is a night in the Sacred Valley included?

Yes. After the full-day excursion to Pisac and Ollantaytambo you sleep in the valley, lower and warmer than Cusco, and board the train to Machu Picchu the next morning without a long early drive.

What is it like to sleep in a salt hotel?

The first night of the Uyuni expedition is in a hotel built from blocks of salt — walls, tables and sometimes even beds. It is a simple but unforgettable experience on the edge of the salt flat.

Do I need a visa for Bolivia?

Whether you need a Bolivian visa depends on your passport: many nationalities enter freely for tourism, others must apply beforehand or, in some cases, at the border. Requirements are updated from time to time, so confirm with the nearest Bolivian consulate before you book, and make sure your passport has at least six months’ validity.

Can I take this trip as a solo traveler or with a group?

Yes. It works for solo travelers, couples, families and groups of friends. You travel with your own guides and transfers, so the pace adapts to you; solo travelers pay a single-room supplement, and groups of four or more get better rates per person.

How much does the classic Peru and Bolivia tour cost?

Your price is set by the hotel category (Essential 2★, Comfort 3★, Superior 4★ or Deluxe 5★) and the size of your group. See the Rates tab for today’s price per person in a double or twin room; flights between cities are quoted separately.

Need help planning your trip? 💬