Cuzco Travel Forum

I am travelling to Peru in May, amongst other things I'm travelling from Iquitos to Pucallpa by boat, but then want to get to Cuzco a little quicker! Any ideas how this leg of my travels is best done?

Pucallpa-Lima and Lima-Cusco by plane is the main option.

Others could be:
Pucallpa-Lima by bus and then plane to Cusco
Pucallpa-Huánuco-Huancayo-Ayacucho-Andahuaylas-Abancay-Cusco (all by bus, will take almost 4 or 5 days if you travel by night to avoid hotels)

Thank you. Is the bus the cheapest way of doing it, it seems like a lot of changing!?!

In fact is cheaper by bus, but you have to be careful with the kind of bus service you choose. Normally the higher price offer you best service. In Huancayo you can ask about Junín company, that has very good buses. Maybe they go to Ayacucho, or maybe you can introduce an interesting variation going to Huancavelica and the to Lircay and Ayacucho, to continue with the original route....but maybe from Huacavelica to ayacucho te service will be only in small vans....

Hi Mario is right,
But travelling by Bus in Peru is pretty hard
It could be very uncomfortable and perhaps unsafe, however this could be the safest and cheapest way: take the bus from Pucallpa to Lima then bus to Cusco via Arequipa it is safe.
Buen viaje
Eliu

Hi Mario is right,
But travelling by Bus in Peru is pretty hard
It could be very uncomfortable and perhaps unsafe, however this could be the safest and cheapest way: take the bus from Pucallpa to Lima then bus to Cusco via Arequipa it is safe.
Buen viaje
Eliu

My reasons for disagree:
1) Being peruvian
2) Did not have any bus problem in my life

Perú has more than 3500 bus departures each day. To have a rate of safety problems (related with crime) of 1% we need to know about 35 safety problems in buses each day. That does not happen.

I don't know which is now the condition of the road from Pucallpa to Huánuco, but from Huánuco it is posible almost reach Huancavelica in a paved road. But is best to go just to huancayo and take the train to Huancavelica. From Huancavelica to Ayacucho a good cultural-contact option is going to Lircay and then to Ayacucho (unpaved, photographic). From Ayacucho to Abancay (or to take a stop in Andahuaylas) is a good idea to look for the best service offered by Molina Unión or Expreso Huamanga, the best two companies in the route, which almost totally un paved. From Abancay to Cusco the pavement is so good that going in a skateboard is a constant temptation, the landscapes are good, and it is posible to catch a bus from any of the best companies that offer the service from Lima to Cusco (the best companies go from Lima to Cusco via Abancay, not Arequipa). Cruz del Sur and Internacional Palomino are very good options.

But if you prefer to go from Pucallpa to Lima, the first you will make 40% of the same previous route from Pucallpa to Huancayo. Is the only way. In Lima I recommend to use the "servicio presidencial" of Internacional Palomino. Good buses, good price and the fastest to go to Cusco using the route Lima-Nazca-Puquio-Chalhuanca-Abancay-Cusco and not the longest via Arequipa. Just be careful in the station, as the surroundings are not absolutely safe.

I have been in 85% of that routes without any problem.....

So much information, thank you so much, I think we will take the bus as we want to see the country not fly over it! Not entirely sure about which route, but it's extremely useful to have bus company names and hear that it isn't too unsafe, do you think it is just as safe for foreigners?