Next we will give you the steps to follow to get to Cusco from abroad. The first step is to get to Peru. International flights that arrive in Peru arrive in the city of Lima (the only international airport in the Inca country). From there you can board a plane to get to Cusco (approximately 1 hour of travel). The other option is to take a bus (approximately 20 hours of travel).
How to get to Peru?
Peru is the third largest country in South America with a total area of ??1,285,220 square kilometers.
It has a modern international airport in Lima, the capital of the country. Jorge Chávez International Airport is the only one that receives flights from abroad.
Direct flights arrive at Lima airport from: Amsterdam, London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, ??Punta Cana, Havana, San José, Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Los Angeles, all the countries of South America and more .
Flights to Peru from the United States, Mexico and Canada
From the United States there are direct flights to Lima from the airports of Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Atlanta, New Jersey, Montreal, Toronto, Cancun and Mexico City.
Flights to Peru from Europe
From Europe you can get to Peru directly from the airports of Madrid, Barcelona, ??Paris, Amsterdam and London.
Flights to Peru from Latin America
The cities of Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, Quito, La Paz, Sao Paulo, Havana, Santiago de Chile, San José de Costa Rica, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Santo Domingo, Guayaquil and many more in Latin America; They have non-stop flights to Lima – Peru.
Flights to Peru from Asia or Oceania
People coming from countries in Asia or Oceania will have to make stops in the United States or Europe because there is no direct flight to Peru from cities on these continents.
How to get from Lima to Cusco?
You can travel from Lima to Cusco by plane or by bus.
- A flight from Lima to Cusco takes approximately 1 hour.
- A bus trip from Lima to Cusco takes 20 hours on average.
There is also a luxury train service that departs from Arequipa to Cusco, which runs through the Andes to Puno and up to Cuzco after 2 days of travel.
However, the vast majority of tourists decide to travel to Cusco by air from the city of Lima.
By plane: by speed
Without a doubt, the fastest option to get to Cusco is by plane. Several airlines offer daily flights to Cusco from Lima with a flight time of just over an hour. With most flights departing before 11 a.m. (and the earliest taking off at 5 a.m.), travelers have the option of planning a full day of adventure upon arrival. However, it is advisable to take the day of arrival calmly to acclimate to the altitude.
Many international travelers choose to take a connecting flight to Cusco from Lima directly after arriving in Peru. If this is the case with your itinerary, keep in mind that you will have to go through customs before taking the connecting flight.
Which airlines offer direct flights to Cusco?
Sky Airline, Delta, LATAM Airlines, Viva Air, LATAM Airlines Peru and Iberia have direct flights to Cusco.
How much does a trip to Cusco cost by plane?
The cost of the trip to Cusco is 125 USD.
What is the cheapest season to fly to Cusco?
The cheapest month to fly to Cusco is March.
How much does it cost to travel to Cusco and Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu is one of the favorite destinations of travelers in Peru, so below I explain how to organize a one-week route. The cost of the route is 580 USD (just over 11 thousand MXN) and includes the entrance to Machu Picchu with the panoramic tourist train ride, excursions in and around Cuzco, lodging and food for a week. To this should be added the cost of the plane from your place of origin.
When to visit Cusco?
Cusco can be visited at any time of the year. However, it is considered that from April to October is the ideal time to visit.
During those months there is a low chance of rain, the mountains are more lush and the sun shines more brightly.
Likewise, the influx of visitors usually increases during those months.
Touring Cusco is discovering endless mysterious places, with hidden stories in corners that you may have never seen before stepping on this country. We recommend you to visit another impressive destinations in Cusco like the tour to rainbow mountain peru or the humantay lake tour from cusco, which only takes one day. But if you are gonna to stay more days in Perú, other archaeological places you can know will be the choquequirao trek peru, the salkantay trek to machu picchu, and the classic inca trail 4 days 3 nights.
What is the best month to travel to Cusco?
According to tourists who have already visited Cusco, May is the best month to get to know the tourist attractions of this place.
May offers one of the best climates of the year in Cusco. Also, during those days there are not a large number of tourists in Cusco. Therefore, the visitor can visit the tourist attractions with less people around.
The weeks leading up to Christmas and New Years are also considered good times to visit Cusco. Another of the festivities to take into account is the famous festival of the ‘Inti Raymi’ (Sun Festival), which is celebrated every June 24.
Cusco Airport
The Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport or Cusco Airport is the second most important airport in Peru, behind the Lima Airport, the air terminal is located in the Region and Province of Cusco, in the District of Wanchac-San Sebastián, about 3.7 km from the imperial city of Cuzco.
The air terminal receives flights from the main cities of Peru and also international flights, since Cuzco has one of the great wonders of the world, which is the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
How to go from Cusco Airport to the city center
Cusco Airport is the second most important in Peru, after Lima, and has a traffic of about 3 million passengers per year. It is located about 5.5 km from the Plaza de Armas of Cusco and here I leave you the options you have to go from the airport of Cusco to the center of the city.
Bus
Although buses cannot enter the air terminal, they usually park outside the airport to take you to the city center. There are also minibuses – which can hold up to 40 people – whose cost is 60 cents per person, which will take you to the Plaza Mayor.
Taxi
Boarding a taxi is the safest means of transport to get from the airport to the city. The Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport has an official taxi company; they are inside the airport.
Other ways to get from Lima to Cusco
By bus: by sight
If the time and sacrifice of an extremely long route is not something that worries you and what you want is to appreciate the magnetic landscapes that you will see on the route, then a bus trip could be the ideal option to get to Cusco from Lima. Undoubtedly the wonderful thing about this experience is the possibility of knowing the country from a unique perspective where the Pacific coast, the desert regions and the wonder of the Andes, mark the way.
Companies like Cruz del Sur and Ormeño offer two different routes with varying travel times. The fastest option (18-21 hours) takes passengers to Cusco from Lima via Nazca and Abancay. The longest option (24-27 hours) goes from Lima to Nazca – however, this alternative passes through Arequipa before arriving in Cusco. Although this journey takes longer, the latter is more picturesque and can be done in different stages so that passengers can live a tourism experience.
South tour: for the experience
Instead of wondering how to get to Cusco from Lima, intrepid travelers will ask how to make the most of the route south. To experience the best of the Pacific coast, you can take advantage of and spend a night in Nazca before turning east on the highway of the Liberators that connects you with the Andean mountain range.
If you prefer the option of going to Arequipa and making an extensive stop to get to know the White City, then the route that passes through the city of Puno is the alternative. However, the most direct way is to take a bus to Arequipa, stay a few days to explore the wonderful landscapes as well as its churches, convents and palaces and then head towards your final destination – the capital of the Inca Empire, located 3,399 meters high. .
And how to get to Machu Picchu?
Once in the city of Cusco, the tourist is more than 100 kilometers from the Inca City of Machu Picchu.
To get to Machu Picchu from Cusco you must follow the following steps:
a) Board a bus that will take you to the town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (trip of 2 hours, approximately).
b) Board the train that will transport you from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, a place known as Machu Picchu town (trip of 2 hours, approximately).
c) Board one of the buses that will take you from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (30 minutes of travel). The other option is to walk up to Machu Picchu (2 hours of walking, approximately).
And when is the best time to go to Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu, like Cusco, has 2 seasons during the year: the rainy season and the dry season (from April to October). The latter is the best alternative to visit the Inca City. The days are sunny and ideal for a walk in the fresh air.
However, the rainy season (from November to March) also offers a good opportunity to visit Machu Picchu with greener fields and fewer tourists around. It is only recommended to bring a rain poncho in case a rain begins.
