Peru & Bolivia in 3 Weeks: Inca Trail to Salt Flats

Stops on this route

Day by Day

1. 1

   Lima

   • Day 1

     Arrive in Lima — Miraflores & First Ceviche

     Transit

     Fly into Jorge Chávez International Airport and take a taxi or Uber (around $12-15 USD) to the upscale Miraflores district. Walk the Malecón Cisneros clifftop boardwalk above the Pacific for sunset, then ease into Peruvian cuisine with a classic ceviche and leche de tigre at one of Miraflores' many cevicherías — La Lucha for a casual sandwich or Central if budget allows for the world-class tasting menu. Lima sits at sea level so you can eat and drink freely before heading to altitude.

   • Day 2

     Larco Museum, Barranco & Lima's Food Scene

     Spend the morning at Museo Larco in Pueblo Libre (admission ~$15 USD), whose vaults hold thousands of pre-Inca gold and ceramic artifacts including an explicit erotic collection — give yourself 2 hours. Walk the colorful bohemian district of Barranco in the afternoon, crossing the Bridge of Sighs and browsing gallery-filled streets. For dinner, try Surquillo Market or the causas, tiradito, and pisco sours at one of the neighbourhood trattorias before your flight to Cusco tomorrow.

2. 2

   Cusco & Sacred Valley

   • Day 3

     Fly to Cusco — Acclimatization Day (3,400 m)

     Transit

     Take a morning LAN or LATAM flight from Lima to Cusco (1 hour 20 minutes). Altitude sickness is a real risk at 3,400 m — take it slow, drink plenty of water, and sip coca tea offered by nearly every guesthouse. Check into a hostel in San Blas or near Plaza de Armas and spend the afternoon walking gently: the 12-angled stone in Hatunrumiyoc, Qorikancha sun temple, and the cathedral on the plaza. Avoid alcohol on day one.

   • Day 4

     Sacred Valley — Pisac Ruins & Sunday Market

     Join a shared minivan tour from Cusco to the Sacred Valley (around 30 soles). Hike up to the Pisac terraced citadel early before midday heat and tour groups arrive — the agricultural terraces and cliff-carved tombs are some of the finest Inca stonework outside Machu Picchu. On Sundays the artisan market below fills with weavers and vendors selling alpaca textiles. Continue along the valley to Ollantaytambo for lunch and an afternoon walk around the village's ancient Inca water channels.

   • Day 5

     Ollantaytambo Fortress & Train to Aguas Calientes

     Transit

     Explore Ollantaytambo's massive fortress at sunrise — the huge pink granite blocks of the Temple of the Sun were being assembled when the Spanish arrived in 1536, and you can still see the unfinished sections. Take the afternoon Peru Rail Expedition or Vistadome train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (1.5 hours, $50-90 USD depending on class). The valley narrows dramatically into lush cloud forest as you descend. Check into a guesthouse in Aguas Calientes, have a quiet dinner, and prepare your gear for tomorrow.

3. 3

   Machu Picchu

   • Day 6

     Machu Picchu — The Lost City of the Incas

     Take the first bus up from Aguas Calientes at 5:30 AM ($12 USD round trip) or hike the 90-minute Sun Gate trail to arrive at dawn for the most dramatic light and thinnest crowds. Pre-book your timed entry ticket online (mandatory, around $45 USD) — Circuit 1 covers the classic panoramic terrace viewpoint, the Temple of the Sun, and the Intihuatana stone. Arrive back in Aguas Calientes by early afternoon, soak your legs in the geothermal hot spring pools on the edge of town, and rest for the multi-day trek starting tomorrow.

   • Day 7

     Inca Trail Day 1 — Km 82 to Llactapata (or Salkantay Day 1)

     Classic Inca Trail: transfer to Km 82 trailhead for a 12 km first day through the Urubamba valley past the Llactapata ruins (2,700 m) to camp at Wayllabamba — a manageable warm-up day. Salkantay alternative (increasingly popular, no permit lottery required): drive to Mollepata and hike toward Soraypampa base camp beneath the glaciated Salkantay peak (6,271 m). Both options include porter or mule support if booked through a licensed agency (~$600-900 USD for 4-day guided trek including all meals).

   • Day 8

     Trek Day 2 — Dead Woman's Pass (4,215 m)

     The hardest day on the Inca Trail: a 7-hour climb to Abra de Warmihuañusca (Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,215 m — the highest point of the route — before a steep descent to Pacaymayu camp. Start early with headlamps, dress in layers, and accept that the altitude will slow you to a crawl near the top. The reward is sweeping views over cloud forest valleys and a ring of snowcapped peaks. Salkantay trekkers cross a similar high pass at 4,650 m beneath the glacier before dropping to the warm Apurímac valley.

   • Day 9

     Trek Day 3 — Cloud Forest, Orchids & Inca Ruins

     A longer but gentler day: pass two more Andean passes and descend into humid cloud forest thick with orchids, hummingbirds, and bromeliads. Visit the well-preserved ruins of Runkurakay, Sayaqmarka, and Phuyupatamarka along the trail — site guides explain their function as Inca way-stations and astronomical observation points. Camp at Wiñay Wayna (3,700 m) with time to explore the magnificent terraced ruins and the nearby hot shower station, a trekkers' luxury.

   • Day 10

     Trek Day 4 — Sun Gate Sunrise & Machu Picchu

     Transit

     Wake at 3:30 AM and hike the final 2 km to Inti Punku (Sun Gate, 2,745 m) to watch first light break over Machu Picchu far below — one of the great moments in adventure travel. Descend to the citadel and explore for the rest of the morning with your guide, who will unlock the history of the Temple of the Three Windows, the Royal Tomb, and the Inca road network. Take the afternoon bus down to Aguas Calientes and the evening train back to Ollantaytambo, then transfer to Cusco.

4. 4

   Puno & Lake Titicaca

   • Day 11

     Bus to Puno — Uros Floating Reed Islands

     Transit

     Take the Tourist Bus (Turismo Mer or Peru Hop) from Cusco to Puno along the altiplano — a 7-hour journey with stops at Andahuaylillas church, La Raya pass, and Pucara ruins en route. Arrive in Puno (3,830 m) in the afternoon and board an afternoon boat to the Uros islands: artificial floating platforms made entirely of totora reeds, inhabited continuously for centuries. The Uros people demonstrate reed boat construction and reed-layer island maintenance — the islands flex underfoot.

   • Day 12

     Taquile Island & Amantaní Homestay

     Take an early morning boat (2.5 hours) to Taquile island, where the community has maintained a unique social structure and textile tradition — Taquile men knit while walking and the island has no hotels or cars. Hike to the hilltop main plaza at 3,950 m for views across the cobalt-blue lake to the Bolivian shore. Return to Puno via Amantaní island if time allows, stopping to see the Temple of Pachamama. Sillustani funerary chullpa towers at sunset make a superb optional add-on (30 km from Puno, shared taxi around 30 soles).

5. 5

   Copacabana & Isla del Sol

   • Day 13

     Border Crossing to Bolivia — Copacabana

     Transit

     Take a shared minibus from Puno to the Peruvian border at Desaguadero or the more scenic Yunguyo crossing (4 hours, ~15 soles). Process immigration on both sides and continue to Copacabana on the Bolivian shore of Lake Titicaca (visa on arrival for most nationalities, $30-60 USD depending on your passport). The whitewashed Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana draws pilgrims from across Bolivia. Book a morning boat to Isla del Sol (30 minutes) and arrange an overnight stay in a basic guesthouse for sunrise on the island.

   • Day 14

     Isla del Sol Trek — Inca Staircase & Sacred Rock

     Transit

     Hike the north-to-south trail across Isla del Sol (17 km, 4-5 hours) passing the Inca staircase Fuente del Inca, the Sacred Rock where Inca creation myths say the first Inca emerged from the lake, and Pilkokaina temple ruins. The path crosses a narrow isthmus and climbs to 4,100 m with views over a lake so large it resembles an inland sea. Take the afternoon boat back to Copacabana, then a bus to La Paz (3.5 hours — the bus boards a large raft to cross the Strait of Tiquina).

6. 6

   La Paz

   • Day 15

     Arrive La Paz — Witches' Market & Mi Teleférico

     Arrive in La Paz (3,650 m — the world's highest administrative capital) and recover with a slow morning. Walk the Witches' Market (Mercado de las Brujas) on Calle Linares, where stalls sell llama fetuses, dried frogs, herbs, and amulets used in Andean spiritual rituals — vendors explain the uses with good humor. Ride the Mi Teleférico cable car network across multiple lines for sweeping aerial views over the bowl-shaped canyon city and surrounding Altiplano — the whole 10-line network costs about $1.50 USD per trip.

   • Day 16

     Death Road Downhill Mountain Bike (64 km)

     Transit

     The Yungas Road — nicknamed the World's Most Dangerous Road — descends 3,500 m in 64 km from La Cumbre pass (4,700 m) through cloud forest to Coroico (1,200 m). Guided downhill bike tours depart La Paz daily at 7 AM (around $35-50 USD including bike, helmet, and lunch) and require no prior mountain biking experience for the unpaved sections. The vertical drop, jungle scenery, waterfalls, and adrenaline rush make this one of Bolivia's unmissable experiences. Return to La Paz by late afternoon and buy your bus ticket to Uyuni.

7. 7

   Uyuni Salt Flats

   • Day 17

     Night Bus to Uyuni — Train Cemetery

     Transit

     Take the overnight bus from La Paz to Uyuni (10-12 hours, ~100-180 bolivianos). Arrive early morning, check into a guesthouse, and recover with breakfast. After resting, visit the Train Cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes) on the edge of town — rusting 19th-century steam locomotives abandoned in the desert when the railway industry collapsed, now covered in grafitti and slowly dissolving into the salt air. Book a 3-day 4WD jeep tour departing the following morning through one of the many agencies on Avenida Arce.

   • Day 18

     Salar de Uyuni — Salt Desert & Perspective Photos

     Your 4WD jeep heads onto the Salar de Uyuni — at 10,582 km² the world's largest salt flat, sitting at 3,650 m — passing through Colchani village where salt is processed. Stop at the Incahuasi cactus island (Isla Incahuasi) rising from the white expanse for panoramic views across the flat, then drive to the center of the salar for classic forced-perspective photos using miniature dinosaurs or a rubber duck. In rain season (Jan-Mar) a thin water layer creates a perfect reflection of the sky; in dry season (May-Oct) cracked hexagonal patterns stretch to the horizon. Night in a salt hotel near Colchani.

   • Day 19

     Eduardo Avaroa Reserve — Colored Lagoons & Flamingos

     The second day of the jeep tour heads south through the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve (4,500-5,000 m altitude — the highest point of the whole trip). Jade-green Laguna Verde and crimson-red Laguna Colorada are stained by mineral sediments and host thousands of flamingos feeding on algae in the freezing salt water. Pass rock formations sculpted by wind erosion, geothermal Sol de Mañana geyser field bubbling at 4,800 m, and hot springs at Aguas Termales Polques — bring your swimsuit for the 37°C pools in sub-zero morning air.

   • Day 20

     Return Across the Salar — Sunset & Stargazing

     Transit

     The third jeep tour day returns north across the altiplano with additional stops: the Valley of Rocks (Valle de Rocas), more painted lagoons, and llama-dotted grasslands. Arrive back at the salar edge in time for a golden-hour sunset — the salt flat's flat white surface amplifies the oranges and reds of the sky in every direction with no horizon break. Uyuni's altitude and lack of light pollution make it one of the best stargazing spots on Earth — the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye on clear moonless nights. Transfer to Uyuni town.

   • Day 21

     Depart — Fly from Uyuni or Continue to San Pedro de Atacama

     Transit

     BoA and Amaszonas operate small-plane flights from Uyuni Airport (UYU) to La Paz or Santa Cruz (1-1.5 hours) connecting to international departures. Alternatively, arrange a private jeep transfer via the Eduardo Avaroa reserve to the Chilean border at Hito Cajón, crossing into San Pedro de Atacama (5-6 hours, around $80-100 USD per person) for continuation into Chile — the Atacama Desert's geysers and moonscapes make a natural extension. Check your visa requirements for Chile well in advance.

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Further reading

• South America on Wikipedia
• South America travel guide on Wikivoyage