If you're traveling to Peru, odds are you're heading to more than one city. Peru is known for tons - whether you're going to relax in the quaint beach towns, explore the huge metropolitan city of Lima, surf the sand dunes of Huacachina, or hike the most famous ruins in the world (Machu Picchu), odds are you have more than one stop. Getting into Peru is pretty obvious, you'll fly. Traveling within Peru is where the road gets a little messy. We've broken it down below so that you have all the options laid out for you and so you can once again, leave the planning to us and just enjoy your trip.
Where to book the initial flight:
First step first, you have to enter the country. You'll want to fly to the capital, Lima and travel from the city. The airport is the third biggest in South America and is usually pretty easy to get in and out of. If you happen to be trekking South America 1. we're jealous and 2. You can cross the border pretty easily from Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Brazil (always make sure you have the right visa if you're jumping around). Just like everything, how you travel is going to largely depend on your budget. However, flights within the country are pretty doable so if you're in a time crunch you're not going to break the bank.
Getting around in Lima:
Lima is known for a lot of things but may be most famously known for its traffic. When getting around Lima, we recommend taking taxis or rideshares and avoid driving at all costs really. The bus system also isn't super easy and can sometimes be a little unsafe here so we'd stay away from public transport within the city.
Traveling in Cusco:
Traveling in Cusco (an actual excerpt from our guide, how lucky!) If you're in Cusco for five days, we recommend mostly taking taxis around. A taxi from Cusco to the Sacred Valley will be no more than $40 and is for sure the quickest and most convenient way to travel, but there are also mini buses that circulate that route that can be as low as $3. The minibus (collectivo) system is very much used by locals and is definitely the more adventurous route. You can find the minibus station at the intersection of Av Miguel Grau and Av del Ejército - the buses leave from here frequently. You can use either option to travel around Cusco and its neighboring towns including the Sacred Valley but we would stick to taxis if you're looking for the best and quickest way to get around.
Heading to Machu Picchu, there really only is one right option and that's the train. Taking our favorite, the Peru Rail (linked here: https://www.perurail.com), is the most scenic and beautiful way to see Machu Picchu. You can take the train from Ollantaytambo all the way up!
A Three Day Transportation Example 🗺️🚞🫶🧳💓
Day 1: Taxi from Airport to breakfast in Cusco Taxi from Cusco to Urubamba Stay the night in Urubamba |
Day 2: Taxi from Urubamba to the train station in Ollantaytambo Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes Bus or hike from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu Bus or hike down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo Taxi from Ollantaytambo to Urubamba Stay the night in Urubamba |
Day 3: Taxi from Urubamba to Maras for Mountain View Experience Taxi from Maras to Cusco Stay the night in Cusco |
Traveling nationally:
Just like everything, how you travel is going to largely depend on your budget. However, flights within the country are pretty doable, so if you're checking out Arequipa, Piura, Trujillo, or Cajamarca, consider flying. If you want to take a bus, you can find more affordable fares here: https://www.cruzdelsur.com.pe/en/ which is pretty safe as well. If you don't want to handle travel, transfers and stops on your own, we recommend using Peru Hop to take you anywhere you want. They have different packages by days that range from a one night outing in Lima to taking you for eight days around the whole country! We linked them for you here: https://www.peruhop.com
We wouldn't be us without a shameless plug - this info is part of our Cusco Guide (our fully linked fully planned itinerary). Click below and get a fully planned trip to one of our favorite countries in the whole wide world ⛰️ Love y'all!
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