Peru Travel Guide

Below is a detailed travel guide for Peru. You don’t need to book Peru tours to experience what Peru has to offer. Take some notes from my tips and tricks to build the perfect Peru travel itinerary.

Transportation while in Peru

Navigating Peru is fairly easy if you have google maps or maps.me on hand when using buses, Ubers, taxis, private van companies, and rentals.

• Buses in Peru will take you around from city to city for around 30 to 60 PEN to nearby towns. To give you an idea, it costs about 39 PEN a person to go one-way from Lima to Ica and it’s about 119 PEN from Lima to Arequipa. The company that I am most familiar with is Cruz Del Sur, but there are also other traditional bus systems. I’ve also heard of Peru Hop, which is primarily a tour company, but they also have a pass system that will take you from city to city (limited to certain areas).
• Taxis and Ubers are very convenient for a more private transportation, and you can negotiate the price before hand (get a taxi off the street, they’re cheaper than calling a company). Also, keep in mind that getting a taxi at the airport is usually more expensive than anywhere else. To get to and from the airport, we would always use Uber, which consistently cost us 40 PEN. Getting from district to district cost us anywhere from 8 to 14 PEN. When you find a good driver, don’t be afraid to ask him/her if they are willing to take you to a further location; just show him a pinpoint location using your map of where you want to go if he’s not familiar with the location. Most drivers barely make 140 PEN a day, and if you have a group of 4 – or want to cram in a group of 5 – you’ll be saving a lot more money than getting a tour. You’ll also be able to get to anywhere and everywhere you want for cheap at the convenience of your own time. My buddy negotiated with a taxi driver to drive him around for a day, about eight hours, for a mere 80 PEN. Our group called an Uber to take us from Cusco to Picas for 140 PEN round trip, and from Lima to Paracas to Huacachina and back to Lima for 740 PEN – this saved us a lot of money.
• There are also private van companies out in Peru. Vans, of course, will give you more space since taxis and Ubers are usually compact cars. Our quote for Lima to Paracas to Huacachina and back for 880PEN.
• If you’re ready to tackle the streets of Peru, then you can’t beat a rental car. I met a Spanish duo, that had been driving across the country with their rental car during our train ride to Aguascalientes. Their 15-day car rental cost about 500 PEN in total and pumping gas cost around 3-4 PEN a liter. Inside major cities and touristy areas, it can be a pain to drive. Peruvians drive very aggressively, but if you are patient, you shouldn’t have a problem. Outside of those areas, streets open up and driving becomes much easier. If you’re on a limited schedule, rentals are a good idea. You can do as much as you want without restricting yourself to tour schedules or bus schedules. I do advise to research as much as you can on road conditions. Certain routes to some destinations will require you to drive off-road and on narrow pathways that may only fit one-way traffic (such as the road to the starting trail point of Lago Humantay or the Inca Trail).
• Do as the locals and hop on a collectivo. Collectivo’s are the cheapest options to get around (2+ PEN) and there are plenty around. Each collectivo has a destination point already made, like a bus. Make sure you know exactly where your collectivo is going.
• Tour busses are great when you don’t want to hassle with the detailed planning or drive off-road. The tour companies have very experienced drivers and buses that take you to those locations without worry. If you plan on adventuring to Machu Picchu for a day trip from Aguascalientes, the bus and trekking are the only options. To save a good chunk of money, do your research to get the best reviews. Then do more research to get the best prices. Tour rates are a lot more expensive when bought from the U.S.
• Trains are the only option if you plan on visiting Machu Picchu without hiking the Inca Trail. The two main companies are Inca Rail and Peru Rail. Major train stations are located in Poroy, a town outside of Cusco, and Ollantaytambo, located 2.5 hours away from Cusco; the last station is from Urubamba. Within each train company, there are classes of trains that dictate how expensive seats will be. The more affordable Peru Rail trains are the Expedition and the Vistadome (a round trip on the Vistadome cost me 135 PEN).  The train station from Ollantaytambo had the most options for departure and arrival time. You can also pick roundtrip routes that put you at different stations.

Peruvian Food and Drinks

There’s good food all around. If you want to save a few bucks, avoid the places the tour guides are bringing their clients, or avoid the central tourist areas in general. I would be cautious of the cebiche, and I would ask the locals before eating it from street vendors.

Popular Cities and Attractions to Put in Your Peru Travel Itinerary

Many excursions are overpriced if bought in the U.S. Try asking your host for prices beforehand or wait until you get into the city. Usually, if you wait until last-minute, prices drop tremendously.

Keep in mind that when you pay for a tour, it doesn’t include the park entrance fee – usually, it only costs 10 PEN.

Popular Photography Spots in Peru

• Machu Picchu
• Paracas
• Rainbow Mountain