peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

230
CUZCO BUSES
DESTINATION COST* (SOLES) DURATION (HRS)
Abancay 15-20 5
Arequipa 25/126 9-11
Ayacucho 65/95 14-16
Copacabana (Bolivia) 50/70 15
Ica 90/176 14-15
Juliaca 20-35 5-6
La Paz (Bolivia) 60/80 12
Lima 90/176 18-22
Nazca 90/180 14
Puerto Maldonado 50/70 11
Puno 20-40 6-7
Quillabamba 25-35 6-7
Tacna 60/125 17
*Prices are general estimates for normal/luxury buses
Cuzco & the Sacred Valley 8 C u zC O
www.cruzdelsur.com.pe) have the safest and
most comfortable buses across the board. Of
the cheaper companies, Wari (%22-2694) and
especially Tour Peru have the best buses.
There are departures to Juliaca and Puno
every hour from 4am to 11pm, and at random
hours through the day. Cheap, slow options
include Power (%22-7777) and Libertad
(%950-018-836); these stop to let passengers
on and off along the way, so you can use them to
access towns along the route. Midrange-priced
Littoral (%23-1155) and CIAL (%965-401-414)
are faster and more comfortable.
The most enjoyable way to get to Puno is via
Inka Express (%24-7887; www.inkaexpress.
com; Av La Paz C32, El Óvalo) or Turismo Mer
(%24-5171; www.turismomer.com; Av La Paz
A3, El Óvalo), which run luxury buses every
morning. The service includes lunch and an
English-speaking tour guide, who talks about the
four sites that are briefly visited along the way:
Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Abra la Raya and Pucará.
The trip takes about eight hours and costs
around S143.
Departures to Arequipa (S25 to S30, nine
hours) cluster around 6am to 7am and 7pm to
9:30pm. Ormeño offers a deluxe service at 9am.
Cruz del Sur, CIVA (%24-9961; www.civa.
com.pe) and Celtur (%23-6075) offer relatively
painless services to Lima. Wari is the best of
the cheaper options. Most buses to Lima stop
in Nazca (12 hours) and Ica (14 hours). These
buses go via Abancay and can suffer holdups in
rainy season. Between January and April, it may
be worth going via Arequipa (25 to 27 hours)
instead.
Buses depart every couple of hours through
the day for Abancay and Andahuaylas (S45, six
to eight hours). Celtur has slightly nicer buses
than other companies on this route. Change at
Andahuaylas to get to Ayacucho via rough roads
that get very cold at night. If you’re going to
Ayacucho by bus, wear all of your warm clothes
and if you have a sleeping bag, bring it onboard
the bus.
San Martín (%984-61-2520) and Expreso
Sagitário (%22-9757) offer direct buses to
Tacna (S70, 17 hours). Expreso Sagitário also
goes to Arequipa, Lima and Puno, and may be
more open to bargaining than other companies.
Various companies depart for Puerto Maldonado
between 3pm and 4:30pm; CIVA is probably
the best option.
Buses to Quillabamba via Santa María leave
from the Santiago terminal, a brisk 20-minute
walk from the center. Around the corner in Calle
Antonio Lorena, many more companies offer
air-conditioned, speedy comfort in the form of
modern minivans that cost twice as much and
cut a couple of hours off the trip. There are departures
of both types of service at 8am, 10am,
1pm and 8pm. Change at Santa María to get to
Santa Teresa.
Transportes Siwar (off Map p204; Av Tito
Condemayta 1613) has buses to Ocongate and
Tinqui (S9, three hours), the start of the Ausangante
trek, leaving from behind the Coliseo
Cerrado several times a day.