Cheapest 35-Day Peru Bolivia Route: Lima to Copacabana

A 5 weeks bolivia and peru itinerary budget covering Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Puno, La Paz, Uyuni, and Copacabana fits 7 cities across 2 countries into five weeks. That works out to roughly 5 days per stop, enough time to settle into each city without rushing to the next bus station. At the brokepackr level, daily costs average $19/day, covering the cheapest hostel dorm beds (averaging $7/night), street food and self-catering ($5/day), and local transport ($2/day). The price gap between the cheapest city (Puno at $14.51/day) and the priciest (Lima at $19.34/day) is worth planning around. All prices on this page are in USD.

The cheapest dorm beds vary across the 7 stops. The cheapest beds are in Copacabana ($6.30/night) and Puno ($6.53/night), while Lima ($8.64/night) and Arequipa ($7.65/night) sit at the top. Street food and market meals average $5/day for the route. Puno is the cheapest place to eat at $3.99/day, while Copacabana runs $5.70/day for street food and self-catering. Inter-city ground transport for the full route comes to $549 to $742, sticking to the cheapest bus options and booking in advance. Adding it up: 35 days of dorm beds, street food, local transport, and inter-city travel comes to roughly $654 to $1397 before international flights, stretching every dollar.

Pairing Peru and Bolivia creates genuine variety. Each country brings different food traditions, transit systems, and price points, giving the route a sense of progression rather than repetition. The Cusco to Arequipa connection takes just 5 hours by shuttle, and the cheapest leg (Arequipa to Puno) starts at $8 by bus. The route trends cheaper as it goes, starting at $19.34/day in Lima and dropping to $17.70/day by Copacabana. All stops align for April through October travel, when drier conditions and moderate temperatures make each city more walkable and enjoyable.

April through October is the recommended window, balancing good weather with reasonable hostel availability. Avoid January when conditions are less favorable for overland travel. The cost table below breaks down exactly what each city costs per day, sorted so the cheapest stop (Puno) stands out immediately. Below that, the transport section shows pricing and duration for every city-to-city connection on the route. Toggle between the brokepackr, backpackr, and flashpackr tiers to see how costs shift at each spending level.