There was a time when all the roads that crossed the Tahuantinsuyo began and ended in the magical city of Cusco. Today this is no longer the case. However, this incredible city continues to attract thousands and thousands of travelers every day, who travel to explore the incredible tourist attractions of Cusco.
You should consider the travel recommendations and practical tips to help you get to the city of Cusco safely and comfortably. To get to the city of Cusco there are many ways and routes. You can travel by plane, which is the fastest and safest way from the city of Lima, Juliaca, Puerto Maldonado and Arequipa. By bus or car from the capital city, Lima; and you can go via Nazca – Abancay, Arequipa or Juliaca. But of all these alternatives, only a few options are the most recommended. Let’s see what they are.
How to get to Cusco from Lima?
Cusco, the Rome of America and the favorite destination of millions of travelers, is located in the heart of the Peruvian Andes, more than 500 kilometers south of Lima. Therefore, the way you want to get to the cosmopolitan city will depend on the type of trip you want to make to the heart of America.
And to get to this thousand-year-old city you can take a domestic flight, take the road trip or combine the trip by car and train. But many intrepid travelers want to enter the city of Cusco with a tour, which can start in the city of Lima, Arequipa or Puno. The choice will depend on the taste of each traveler.
Get to Cusco by plane
The best way to go from Lima to Cusco is by plane for 70% of travelers. Well, the trip is much more comfortable, safe and the travel time is shorter.
There are 3 airlines that currently cover the Lima – Cusco route: Latam, Viva Air and Sky Airlines. Travel time by plane only takes 45 to 60 minutes. And the flights depart from the Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima and arrive at the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco. Latam is the airline that operates 80% of flights on this route. Sky Arirlines operates 15% of flights and finally Viva Air with 5%. The Aero Peru airline will soon operate. It is also expected that airlines such as Avianca, Peruvian, LC Peru and Star Peru will reopen their flights in Peru, in this way the costs of flight tickets can be more accessible.
This option is ideal for travelers from all over the world who must necessarily arrive in Lima before taking their flight to Cusco. However; There is an exception, travelers from Chile, Colombia and Bolivia do not have to go to Lima; since they can take direct flights to Cusco from the following cities: La Paz, Santiago de Chile and Bogota.
Apart from Lima, you can also get to Cusco by plane from these cities in Peru: Arequipa, Puerto Maldonado, Juliaca and eventually from Pisco, Iquitos and Trujillo.
Remember that international flights to Peru arrive at dawn. So, consider your connection time to the city of Cusco and plan a resting place. On the other hand, also do not forget to buy your air tickets months in advance, since this route is in high demand.
Get to Cusco by bus
Another way to get to Cusco is by bus or private car. But, this odyssey is made more for adventurers. Well, the trip of more than 1000 kilometers takes 23 hours, on average. Not only is the travel distance, also along the trip you will face sudden changes in the weather. Example; You will ascend from 100 meters above sea level, from the coast to 4000 meters above sea level, then another descent to 2100 meters above sea level and then another ascent to 3400 meters above sea level. Sometimes these ascents, descents and the endless curves make the passenger have problems with altitude sickness or soroche.
The bus trip from Lima to Cusco can be done in any of the ground transportation companies: Cruz del Sur, Excluciva, Oltursa or Tepsa. Exclusive, it is one of the companies that has the most comfortable and comfortable buses, a 2-level bus only has capacity for 32 passengers and has 180 ° seats. By land you can choose to travel through the following routes:
- Lima – Paracas – Nazca – Abancay – Cusco (shortest and busiest route). Distance: 1102 Km. Travel Time: 23 hours average.
- Lima – Paracas – Nazca – Arequipa – Cusco. Distance: 1523 Km. Travel Time: 28 hours average.
- Lima – Paracas – Nazca – Arequipa – Juliaca – Cusco. Distance: 1624 Km. Travel Time: 30 hours average.
If you are thinking of getting to Cusco by bus or private car through any of these three routes. Ideally, you should make stops so that you can visit the tourist attractions of Paracas, Huacachina, Nazca, Arequipa or Puno. In this way you will not only enjoy the impressive views, but also make the most of your time.
How far is it from Lima to Cusco?
The distance between Lima and Cusco is 573 km.
How long is the bus trip from Lima to Cusco?
By bus it is almost 20 hours of travel, it is tiring, it is not worth it. And by plane 1 hour approx. Hello, look at the prices of buses from Lima – Cusco. They cost around 140 soles to 180 soles, depending on the companies and the travel time is from 20 hours to 22 hours. A bus company that I recommend is OLTURSA.
How much does the ticket from Lima to Cusco cost?
The ground transportation companies that have this route in their itinerary are Oltursa, Excluciva, Tepsa, Movil Tours, Wari Palomino, Civa and Expreso Los Chankas which offer varied prices in their Lima – Cusco tickets, from 90 to 185 soles.
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).
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.
Cusco to Puno Bus
There are several bus travel options from Cusco to Puno:
Direct trip: There are direct Cusco to Puno Bus. The trip takes around 7 hours from Cusco to Puno. The buses leave from the land terminal in Cusco, located Via de Evitamiento. The companies that offer this service are: Transzela (sleeper bus).
Tourist bus: There are also companies that offer a tourist Cusco to Puno Bus. The tourist bus companies that work on this route are: Inka Express and Wonder Peru Expedition. The bus makes stops along the way so that passengers have the opportunity to take pictures. Also included in the ticket: lunch and snacks, and guided tours in English and Spanish.
