Lake Titicaca - Cusco - Machu Picchu
MCS AlexClimbOther MCS AlexClimb mountain programs in Bolivia
Maximum altitude: 3,880 m
Program category: excursion
Duration: 9 days
Season: year-round
Optimal format: group of 8 people / 1 guide
Program price: from USD 1,800
Tentative dates: May 10, 2026 - May 25, 2026
Contact the organizer via WhatsApp or Telegram: +44 7727 445099
What else can you add to Bolivia's mountaineering programs besides the classic trips to the Uyuni Salt Flats and geysers, visit to the sorcerers' market in La Paz, or standard tour to the cemetery of old steam locomotives?
The answer is in the title!
Now get ready, I want to offer you a stunning program from the "Do It All in 9 Days" category!
This program perfectly fills the information vacuum that inevitably arises after challenging mountain routes.
Where, if not in Bolivia or Peru, can you fill this vacuum with the true treasures of bygone civilizations, experience firsthand places where the very land is steeped in ancient legends?
Lake Titicaca, the "blue mirror" of the lost Inca empire, inhabited floating islands, the abandoned sacred city of Machu Picchu – a mysterious monument of hoary antiquity.
Additionally, we'll visit lesser-known but even more stunning locations in the Cusco area, including the "Seven-Colored Mountain," an iconic location and the region's most photogenic mountain range.
It sounds incredible, but all of this can be accomplished in a single, customized program!
The travel itinerary is designed around convenient connections between the Bolivian capital of La Paz, Lake Titicaca, which borders Peru, and the city of Cusco - popular tourist destination and the starting point for the famous Machu Picchu route and many other excursions.
This comprehensive excursion program is designed to complement any more active parts of a Bolivian or Peruvian travel program, such as climbing or mountain trekking.
However, when combined with a 4-5-day tour to the Salar de Uyuni, the Titicaca - Machu Picchu excursion program can be considered a unified emotional foundation for a visit to Bolivia and Peru.
An important feature of the proposed program is its "reversibility."
As a tour block, this program can be viewed from both the Bolivian or Peruvian sides. For example, after completing a mountain expedition in the Cordillera Blanca or Huayhuash.
In this case, the starting point of the route will be Lima and the end point will be La Paz, with the ground logistics remaining virtually unchanged.
Having dedicated over 20 years to exploring the routes of South America, I can confidently say that for climbers, naturalists, historians, and ethnographers, the treasures of this continent are limitless.
The history, culture, and nature of South America are so diverse that any effort to explore them reveals only endless horizons.
Climbing mountain peaks gives us a tremendous amount of positive emotions and a necessary level of physical fitness.
But we mustn't forget that many mountain expeditions take place in corners of the world closely linked to unique historical and cultural events.
Having climbed the mountains of Bolivia or Peru, it would be unfair to ignore such an important part of a Real Journey as learning about the ancient history and modern culture of these places!
Excursion Program: "Andes, Bolivia - Peru, Lake Titicaca - Cusco - Machu Picchu" Season 2026
Day 1 - Transfer from La Paz to Copacabana, boat transfer to the Island of the Sun, hotel accommodation
Day 2 - Excursion to the Island of the Moon and an ancient Inca sanctuary, return to the hotel on the Island of the Sun, island tour
Day 3 - Return to Copacabana, land transfer to Puno (Peru), excursion with a visit to the floating islands of the Uros people*, boat transfer to Amantani Island**, accommodation in a private house
*The floating islands of the Uros people are located in a bay of the lake Titicaca, 14 km from the city of Puno. The Uros are believed to have been one of the oldest ethnic groups to inhabit the Andean Highlands.
Throughout recorded history, their livelihoods revolved around fishing and bird hunting. This ethnic group has always preferred to remain isolated from mainland civilizations, which has allowed them to preserve unique cultural traditions characteristic only of the Uros people.
Day 4 - Visit to the survived pre-Inca temple on Amantani Island, walk around the island, transfer to Puno, overnight bus to Cusco.
Day 5 - Arrival in Cusco, hotel check-in, city tour with a visit to the Inca Culture Museum, lunch, afternoon city tour and rest.
Day 6 - Excursions: Temple of the Water Gods and Tambomachay Fortress, Kenko Sanctuary, Puka-Pucara Fortress, Pisac City Complex. (This can be shortened or supplemented.) Return to Cusco
Day 7 - Excursions: Pikiacta, an ancient settlement of the Waka people, pre-Inca era, Tipon Water Temple. Continuation of the route towards the "Seven-Colored Mountain." (This can be shortened or expanded.) Return to Cusco
Day 8 - Early departure to Ollantaytambo, train to Aguas Calientes, transfer to the start of the excursion route to Machu Picchu - a full-day excursion. Return to Cusco late in the evening, overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 - Flight to Lima or La Paz
The price of the Titicaca - Cusco - Machu Picchu program, 2026 season:
USD 1,800 *- 8 participants per group / 1 guide
* Price per participant
You need to be prepared for:
- A very intensive excursion program, a lot of moderate physical activity (walking);
- Carrying a backpack is not expected;
- The air temperature at an altitude of over 3,000 m can drop to +5°C;
Conditions: No contraindications to staying at altitudes of 4,000-5,000 m
The price includes: the services of a English-speaking guide and a local Spanish-speaking assistant, all transfers in accordance with the Program, use of a basic set of medications, lunch boxes for daytime snacks, hotel accommodations according to the program.
The price does not include: airfare to the program's starting point (La Paz LPB or Lima LIM), travel insurance with a minimum limit of 50.000 USD, evening meals and drinks in restaurants, tips for service staff.
MCS EDIT 2025