Machu Picchu Travel Forum

I will be visiting Peru for the first time (and probably only time) in Jan 2009. There will be 3 of us, and we will be there for about 11 days. We will be stationed in Lima, but want to take a bus tour to Cuzco/Machu Picchu. I realize this will take 3-4 days to accomplish, but I have no idea where to start looking to purchase this 'tour'. We would like to take a bus from Lima to Arequipa, stay one night there, then go on to Cuzco/Machu Picchu. We're not sure about the return trip to Lima - whether there's another route/overnight stop to consider or just to take a non-stop back. Anyway, do you have any suggestions/recommendations as to who we can contact to help book this part of our vacation? While we cannot afford anything first class, we do want to ensure everything we do is safe. Thank you for your time and consideration!

You may want to start with looking at my Peru transportation pages.

Other members with, in my opinion, good info are:

Marissa-risse73
and
Ken-kzapanta

You might want to rethink your plans, not to rain on your parade but in fact in southern Peru it is the height of the rainy season and many times the roads are closed due to mudslides. Traffic accidents also multiply during this time as well.

Suerte
SAM

Flying would be relatively safer than bus/car around the peak of rainy season. A possible alternative would be: bus to Arequipa, then from there, fly to Cusco. From Cusco, negotiate a cab fare that will take you directly to "lower ground" (e.g., Ollantaytambo) to avoid the ill-effects of altitude. From there, take the Peru Rail train to Aguas Calientes, where you will need to buy the following: RT MP bus ticket and MP entrance tickets. See my Aguas Calientes page re: tips for independent MP travelers. Also, see my MP page for updates if you wish. Goodluck & enjoy beautiful Peru!

Hi,
I will be going to Peru the same time as you and I'm getting kind of worried about the whole weather thing. Have you had any positive responses from anyone?
Thanks,
Terry

Take it from someone who spent 22 hours on a Cruz del Sur bus this past weekend from Lima to Cusco, spend the extra money and buy a plane ticket. We are flying back on Friday, and it costs $80 US more ($57 on bus, $137 on Star airlines). The bus was nice with seats that recline somewhat so you can attempt to sleep (yeah right) and they served us dinner and breakfast (not eggs and bacon, tho ; ) Have you ever sat for 22 hours? It is miserable.