By Car in Cusco and Machu Picchu

By Car

Although it's possible to drive from Lima to Cusco, or beyond Cusco to Puerto Maldonado or Puno, poor road conditions make it highly inadvisable. To visit remote sights in the Sacred Valley of the Inca, however, you must travel by car. Or, for about US$50 a day, you can hire a taxi.

If you want to explore the nearby Sacred Valley by car, which is advised, Cusco is the only place to rent a vehicle. However, you won't need or want to drive in the city itself; heavy traffic, lack of parking, and narrow streets, many of them pedestrian only, make a car an unnecessary burden. Avis has a branch here, as do local firms Explores Transportes and OSDI Rent-a-Car.

Car Rentals

Avis (Aeropuerto Velasco Astete. 084/248-800). Explores Transportes (Plateros 356. 084/261-640). OSDI Rent-a-Car (Urb. Mateo Pumacahua B-10. 084/251-616).