Peru itinerary and transport help
 

In July, 24 days in Peru not counting travel days. Looking at the following places, but by independent travel via individual bus tickets, or flights when required (Iquitos). Looking for deluxe buses in the daytime from place to place, and recommendations of locations esp neighborhoods on where to stay. Starting out in an AirBnb in Miraflores. First visit to SA but over a year total of independent travel in Asia.

Lima -- Miraflores
Nazca for a lines overflight
Arequipa, just for the town no canyon
Puno for the town and Titicaca, would travel to Bolivia but too onerous for Americans to get visa right now
Sacred Valley and MP
Cusco
Iquitos + jungle lodge stay (want to see Amazon so looking at this area of Peru) [flight via Lima]
Lima overnight near airport before flight home at 10 PM [flight to Lima, same day transit to 10 pm US flight seems unwise?]

Willing to hang out in places for 3-5 days as needed, but how many days each place? Looked at tours and Peru Hop but seemed rushed or overpriced for what you get.

Taking a stab:

Lima 3 nights
Nazca 2 nights
Arequipa 4 nights
Puno 3 nights
Ollantaytambo 6 nights
Cusco 3 nights
Amazon Jungle lodge 3 nights
Iquitos 1 night1
Lima 1 night

Starting the planning for the overland bus part:

Lima to Nazca Cruz del Sur bus @ 11 am from Av. Javier Prado Este, 7.5 hours, 2nd class about $25

Leaves from the east side of Lima to help avoid traffic.

First thing to do is sit down with Google maps, airline & bus websites, Rome2Rio etc and work out how long it is going to take to get from A to B to C. Second decide how much time you want to allocate to each place in to contact of how long you have in total. As a minimum I would want 3 nights in any one place ( ex Nazca) which gives you two full days to do stuff. Allow most of a day to change locations as distances are vast. To an extent you can mitigate this by taking overnight buses. I know you said daytime buses but most of teh longer journeys are overnight. If you don’t want night buses then flying may be the only option for some journeys.

What you have outlines is a fairly standard itinerary along a well trodden "gringo trail" . Peru Hop is an easy if expensive option but everything is organised for you. Personally, I think, where is the fun is that?

Very easy to DIY in South America. If you managed Asia ok they SA will present no problems.

This is what I would consider as a decent first trip

Nights

LIma 3
Arequipa 3
Puno 3 ( poss 1 night Tacquile)
Cusco 4
Ollantaytambo /Machu Picchu 4
Cusco 1
Puerto Maldonado 4/5
Lima 1

lots of variations on this are possible. You could substitute PM with Iquitos which would mean transiting in Lima, would take longer and be more expensive but a different experience to PM

Many variations on this. Bear in mind tthat much will be at high altitude to do your research and plan accordingly.

July is a great time for the Andes.

I am English but I don’t think getting a visa for Bolivia is anymore onerous to get into for Americans that it ever has been. May be worth exploring that option as Bolivia is an amazing country with a lot to offer. Copacabana is just over the border from Puno and IMO is a much better place for Titicaca than Puno. It is 5 hours from there to La Paz which is one of teh most fascinating cities in South America.

All of these places we covered in our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com just click on the destinations tab to get to the relevant country.

Crellston, thanks, I was just coming to terms with the need for an overnight bus onward from Nazca, that's the only good option other than arriving at midnight and would prefer to not have to deal with a new city after midnight.

It is more onerous, $160 plus bank statements, passport photos, a yellow fever certification, and more. In 2019 there was no visa requirement for US citizens.

2023 https://bo.usembassy.gov/information...-requirements/

2019 https://visaguide.world/south-america/bolivia-visa/

It's a political decision based on a change of government, I read about it previously, this is all I can find now https://resources.envoyglobal.com/gl...eli-nationals/

Adding to above: Bolivia has been on my radar for years and I would have gone and spent $1000. Now I won't go, not sure who wins here? If they think their country is so desirable that I will surpass any inconvenience or roadblock-- well I won't. And who even knows that these requirements are in place, what's the political gain?

Your choice of course but I think you will find that that it all down to reciprocity rather than them thinking "their country is so desirable". The US charges Bolivians to enter the US so they do the same in return. Entirely understandable IMO.

As a UK citizen I confess I feel a little peeved at the US charging me for an ESTA to enter the US when US citizens get into the UK for free, though it hasn’t stopped me visiting the US.

Nazca has always been an awkward place. It is on the main Panamerican Highway but night buses are a way of life in Peru. Over the years I have probably taken 50+ overnight buses in Peru and more elsewhere in SA. In Peru the first line bus companies like Cruz de Sur, Ormeño, Movil etc are very comfortable and very reliable. I always opt for Ejecutivo/VIP/ First class as it is not that much more expensive than standard and more eco friendly than flying. The route south from Lima to Arequipa is pretty tedious - a lot of sand and rubbish strewn roads.

Arequipa to Puno is nice by tour bus from Chivay as there is a lot to see but you don’t want to see Colca so there is another normal bus from Arequipa , CDS I think, which does have some nice scenery along the way .
if you are dead set against night buses, then check out teh schedules before going too far into planning your itinerary as that may well have a significant influence.

Noting that the UK charges Bolivians a £115 tourist visa fee. Also the $185 (it's gone up from $160) fee charged for Bolivians to visit the US pays for an interview and the photos are used for a background check. When an American visits Bolivia I assume the photos are just discarded, and the $160 is pocketed as there is no interview or investigation, it's just a stamp at the border. The Israel angle is suspect also.

Committing to night buses. Not really against Colca Canyon but it's out of the way and takes time, and I've seen canyons.

So don’t go to Bolivia. Your choice, but judging by the number of Americans I have met on our travels there, it is not a problem for too many do seem. I don’t see what Israel has to do with the matter. Different countries have different rules for different countries. Perhaps Bolivia has better relations at governmental level with the UK ran the US?

if it is a political point you are making, fair enough. I would travel to India or China for political and moral reasons, nor did I travel to the US when Trump was president. If an economic one then I would just mention that Bolivia is a way cheaper country in which to travel than Peru so it is highly likely you would recover the cost of a visa

That’s a valid point. I’d have to get spouse buy-in which is unlikely. Reading in the paper today potato smugglers regularly cross Titicaca, so a small tip would get a person into and out of Bolivia visa-free.🫤

Israel matters because the US and Israel were added to the visa waiver program together when the Bolivian government leadership changed in 2019, then taken off together when the government changed back in 2021. So there was approximately an 18 month window when Americans could enter Bolivia free. Also proof that it’s a purely political position.

I didn't find a CDS day bus, but am taken with the Nativa Express so considering them with the overnight at the canyon.

Not all bus companies in Peru appear online. Sometimes its is easier to enquire with your accommodation or at the local bus station. Never heard of native express. The main tourbus company operating between Chivay and Puno is 4M. I recall they leave Chival around 14:00. If you didn't want an overnight in the canyon then it may be possible to get a half day tour from Arequipa and get them to drop you in Chivay. The tours do leave Arequipa at some ridiculous time (4/5am) which would make for a long day.

Thanks again. Here's the tour company https://www.nativa-express.com/ I realize that Cusco to Lima is the cheaper direction but kind of like saving the best for last, and then getting a yellow fever jab in Lima (with 2 weeks to take effect) makes sense. Right now YF jabs in the US go for the low $200s and only travel clinics.

I know most people take a tour, but they always just rush around, and I don't want to overload. However I am finding all of this planning a little overwhelming. In my younger travel days with unlimited time I just went day by day and didn't plan more than a few days ahead, much less stressful.

Noting that there are day options Puno to Cusco either the train (appears to be every other day) or another culture day bus tour with stops. I think another day bus tour with stops is the way to go. So my limited online research is only showing a night bus ride Nazca to Arequipa as the only essential night bus. The deluxe buses with the full recline look pretty sweet.

I understand your comment about the Iquitos area being more expensive now that I am looking, but realistically this is my only trip to Amazonia and not actually seeing the river doesn't seem right. I have seen other tropical rainforests (Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia) so just rainforest might not be enough for me. Kind of cringing over the native village visits advertised with these lodge stays, I would prefer to not turn indigenous people into performers.

I am wondering if there are any hut-to-hut or lodge-to-lodge overnight hikes in Peru? I am interested in the Choquequirao Trek but I think it involves true backpacking with no toilets.

There are a number of operators who offer lodge based treks. Mountain Lodges of Peru and Andean Lodges are two of the better known. I imagine that they will be v expensive though. Toilet facilities on many of the treks like the Inca Trail have pit toilets but they are pretty grim as they are re used by a lot of people. When we did the Lares to Ollantaytambo trek we used a private guide who arranged for us to camp near villages where we used their (basic) facilities and sometimes joined the locals for dinner . I am sure if we had asked he could probably have arranged for us to stay in rooms in those settlements.

Thanks Crellston, that's exactly what I was looking for. It is certainly on the pricey end about $3300/person for the 6 night Salkantay trek. But realistically it can get us into a wild setting and good hikes without having to scout out poop locations or sleep on the ground. I could simply never get my wife to agree to that. I am of the age where this kind of splurge makes sense. There are some seasonal discounts offered for pre-booking now.

Mountain Lodges of Peru offers the Salkantay trek and a Lares trek. Andean Lodges has a circuit east of Cusco in a wilder area. The other lodge to lodge trekking I have found is either the Mountain Lodges of Peru tour marked up by another tour operator, or something that parallels the highway in the Sacred Valley which seems kind of silly.

Adding that Salkantay Trekking has a yurt system with toilets and showers.

Moving on from the fairly worthless Lonely Planet “Peru,” ordered Footprint and Rough Guide from library. I’m looking for something more like Rick Steves that can be used to coalesce an itinerary. LP is just a dictionary of places.

The visa for US citizens to get into Bolivia is nothing new. I went through it

July can be very cold something to consider for any L Titicaca /Puno overnight stays.

I think the pandemic did a number on 4M bus as well as many tour operators and airlines. Maybe that Nativa Express was more nimble as a start up.

I always recommend 3B in Barranco for first time visitors to Lima.

​​​​​​You can overnight in Ica to break the trip to Nazca.

Best odds are to get to the airport early. Note it's a very short flight. Nazca is a fairly safe town no worries about arriving late.

​​

You are following the well trodden Tourist Trail. May as well use the PeruHop website as a starting itinerary. They are probably as up to date as anything. Issue with all guidebooks is that no one buys them anymore and the updating is a big issue. Especially for pre- vs post-pandemic. Peru was hit very hard as Lima locked down and a lot of rural folks brought the virus back to their villages. Plus the political unrest didn't help this year.

TripAdvisor has a few good participants including our own crellston. It's been quite a while since I visited but as far as transfer from Lima Airport I still think I would go with taxidatum. I was one of their very early customers, the owner was my driver! They are also in Cusco now.
https://taxidatum.com/

PS as far as night vs day buses, I tried to take daytime when the scenery would be too good to miss. There are some routes such as along the coast between Lima and Trujillo/Chiclayo where you don't miss much. I think I was able to find day buses going south from Lima but always tried to grab the very early ones even if it meant leaving the hotel before normal breakfast.

I was able to fly into Arequipa so have not done the bus between the coast and there.

Thanks for the additional notes. I did check out Peru Hop but it all seems so formulaic. I have done dune stuff previously also so no appeal with that stop. The social aspect may be of interest however.

Noting for others that with LATAM now in SkyTeam it is possible to book Iquitos>>USA (and from other cities) on one ticket, no need to overnight in Lima on the way home if not interested. Delta will pick up the leg home from Lima (or JFK or Atlanta). Would also work with KLM or Air France I suppose. If the Holiday Inn near the Lima airport were not so dang expensive it wouldn't be a big deal to overnight there.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that you USE PeruHop, just that if you want to copy an itinerary theirs is probably as up to date as any. Your itinerary is already "formulaic". You are not going off the beaten path from what you've posted so far. The most off the beaten path places I've been are around Cajamarca, to Chachapoyas, via Celendin and the Maranon Canyon (THAT's a canyon) and then on to the Owlet Lodge. Huancayo is pretty off the beaten path, except for Peruvians, especially if the train isn't running..


The other thing to note about Colca, since you don't like paying taxes, is that they had started requiring tourist tickets, think it is about $20 USD equivalent. crellston has been more recently.
Colca is not just about a canyon. There are two distinct pre-Inca cultures there, small colonial churches from the 16th c, the Inca granaries, ruins at Uyo Uyo ruins (can be done as a tough day hike from the Killawasi Lodge in Yanque) and a few hot springs, some quite accessible. Plus Condors in the right season.

Of course it does, that is a key principle of their entire business model. They are transporting tourists around Peru along well trodden routes, staying accommodations that they have tried and tested using local guides at the various locations. What they add is flexibility as you can pick and choose where to use them and for what and mix and match with independent arrangements.
As mlgb points out, those itineraries are well used and they work but you will obviously pay a premium.

Independent travel in Peru is easier than in any other South American country. The transport system is excellent but one needs to recognise the realities that many of the more efficient routes/method require overnight bus travel. If that is definitely not for you then I do feel that you will need to perhaps adjust your itinerary to reflect this and perhaps reduce the number of places you visit and rely on air transport.

Another good source of itinerary inspiration is https://www.intrepidtravel.com/uk/peru They mostly operate small group tours but generally use local guides and transport (rather than their own) . I believe they also offer private tours at a premium. Again they will charge a premium over independent travel and I am not suggesting you use them but simply take one of their itineraries and use it for routes and timings.

Tom, looking through your past posts here, I think it might be an idea to identify priorities for which places you want to visit within your 24 days. See which places are better served by locally organised tours - A trek, the Colca Canyon and Amazon immediately spring to mind. Once you have that nailed, allocate time to each and then plan around that. Note that specialist treks such as the one you considered above will probably only run on specific days. Colca, Amazon and MP you will be able to arrange anytime you want subject to availability.

I am facing similar issues planning our second trip to Mexico. The first was easy enough but this one cover the Dia del Muertos celebrations which, as mlgb will attest to, is causing me all sorts of problems! As is always the case flexibility is key.

Many people decide not to do Nazca on a first trip.

I had gone to Peru several times before I decided to tick it off the bucket list. For me, it was an out and back from Lima - Ica - Nazca and return.

I took a morning Lima bus, probably Cruz del Sur, to arrive in Ica mid day. Stayed one nIght at Hotel Villa Jazmin & thought was a good value , but not right in center of town (taxis were cheap). They arranged the dune buggy ride for me, and I taxied to Huacachina and back just for the sunset tour. Next day I bussed to Nazca, I probably waited until the following morning to book the Nazca flight with a travel agent in town. There are dozens of them. They also set me up with a few land tours, I liked the aqueducts and we went to some sites where you can see lines on the ground, and the cemetery. I stayed two nights in Nazca, Casa Andina, and then straight back to Lima. I remember the room was okay and it was just a few blocks from the bus terminal. Can't remember what time the bus was, bur probably a late because I went on a few tours that day.

Oh yes, Ica and Nazca were both excellent locations to try seafood, my receptionist at 3B (at the time) was a foodie and gave me some good leads. Since it was 10 years ago, I don't know that I should recommend them.

Part of the issue is running stuff past spouse who is so overwhelmed with migrant children this year at her school (ironically, the worst behavior issue is a 5 year old from Peru who walked here via the Darien Gap) that it takes forever for approval of the steps/lodging. Looks like this will be a retirement trip for us both, although it started out just being one for me.

The issue with straying from the Gringo Trail is that with only 24 days, that's pretty much all that there is time for, there's the bucket list items (Nazca, Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Amazon) and the time's up. I just can't see going back.

I'm finding the Rough Guide is better than LP but still short of logistics. I guess with the Instagram set (those under 30) all doing Peru Hop without roughing it there's no market out there for a do-it-yourself guide anymore. A problem with PH according to videos is that there are 2 overnight bus rides but without the possibility of deluxe seats, just sitting up all night which just doesn't work for us.

Footprint Guides were pretty good. Looks like the most recent is from 2018, Amazon sells.

ISBN 9781911082552

You can also find some info on the website of Bradt who bought out Footprint

https://www.bradtguides.com/destinat...-america/peru/

Footprint guide coming from library.

Just discovered https://mapcarta.com/N7103671797 and all the possibilities are finally opening up. I can zoom in and see the trails and lodging and roads, and then cross reference with alltrails.com for each segment of interest to see how demanding it is.

Re the lodge to lodge place for Salkantay: I finally got through to someone and the hikes mostly follow roads except the Salkantay pass. Not exactly false advertising but it is not a back door to Machu Picchu as advertised. It's another way to get to the train that stops at Aguas Calientes. Also their 40% off sale doesn't look so good once you finally get the July prices, double the January prices posted on the website. They do have nice maps of their extended tour which includes day hikes in the sacred valley, and I could just put any of those together myself.

A nice excursion of a few hours is around Pisac, take a taxi to the top and hike down, this puts you on another part of the "Inca Trail". There are other walks around Ollantaytambo, the Sacred Valley and Cusco, alltrails and the Footprint Guide should cover them. I'm sure these hikes are now all swarming with other travelers but when I did them it was before the 100th anniversary and so relatively peaceful. And before the locals got priced out of living in their own villages, sadly.

Glad I went when I did.

When visiting Pisac, a nice DIY hike, would be to jump off the bus back to Cusco at Tambo Machay and then follow the Inca Trails from there to Cusco via various ruins - Puca Pucarra, Q'enko, and the magnificent Sacsayhuaman for where it is 20-30 mins stroll back down through San Blas into central Cusco. Takes around three hours, is all level or downhill and makes a great first hike to acclimatise to the altitude. Some photos and more detail https://accidentalnomads.com/2013/06...s-above-cusco/ Some great views along the way especially from Sacsayhuaman where you can see Cusco from above

I have finally started to reserve things. Questions about drug availability in Peru:

1. Is the altitude sickness preventative Acetazolamide (Diamox) available over the counter without a prescription?

2. What about malaria prophylactics like atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine?

3. Do the internal airfares vary much, or just buy whenever plans firm up?

Thanks for the replies. Looking for someplace in Miraflores that gives the yellow fever vax if you know one. I might normally skip it for this short visit but planning to visit East Africa eventually so might as well do it now. I had the shot in 1988 so I think I am still good, so it's for my wife.

So far have booked a 4 night airbnb in Miraflores on arrival, then the last five nights are setting up like this:
2 nights at a restored mansion in Iquitos, booked via Booking.com (cancellable)
2 nights at Cieba Tops, also booked via Booking.com so cancellable and no money required up front. I realize this is an older, top end place but looking at the surrounding jungle this part of the Amazon is so populated I doubt any of these places is very good for wildlife, so this excursion is more an Amazon visit with history and some jungly elements. Last night in Lima looking at using IHG points at either the Holiday Inn across from the airport (expensive) or the Holiday Inn Express in San Isidro, fewer points and with free breakfast and then places to go during the day (flight home at 10pm). I don't know how we would spend the day at the HI across from the airport, I don't think there's any walking or sites in the area.

IIRC many report getting the YF jab at Lima Airport. Otherwise it may be at a public hospital which I would avoid.

You are correct there is nothing of interest at the airport.

With that many nights in Iquitos you probably could get into a reserve with wildlife.

I don't think you can buy malaria meds OTC.I've always been able to get malarone from my US doctor. I'm not sure whether you can source it in Peru. You do need to find the recommended drug for whichever strain is present.

For my own record, posting a doxycycline approach to malaria prevention
http://www.defence.gov.au/adf-member...ns/doxycycline

Too many side effects and contraindications. If you're able to get it malarone is better, but not cheaper.

If Malarone (or generic) is not available in Peru OTC then it ends up being pretty pricy for me. My doctor will only refer to their internal travel clinic, and that consultation (almost certainly with a nurse practitioner reading recommendations off the CDC website-- I can do that) is not covered by insurance, nor is the Malerone, so potentially a $450 prescription. Doxycycline is a form of tetracycline so well known and used.

$450 for Malerone?! are you sure about that? I can get a 10 day supply here in the UK from a reputable online pharmacy for around £35 (say $45) . Someone is ripping off the US travellers!

I doubt that a private consultation plus the cost of the drugs in a private clinic in Lima would be anything like $450. Maybe check out the clinic in Lima airport to see if they can help

I asked at a pharmacy what 30 tablets of generic malarone would be and got the usual cryptic reply.

”The full retail price is $170. But no one pays retail. If insurance doesn’t cover the drug we find coupons and promo codes to bring the total down by about 25%.”

But that’s only the hard cost, I would have to ask at the travel clinic what their consultation cost is since insurance won’t cover that either. Or just try to get something locally in Peru.

About tourist bus Arequipa>>Chivay>>Puno:

M4 is still operating but the cost is high, $110. I tried the 2 Whatsapp numbers on the Nativa Express, the first one was not responded to but the second one did, same service for $70, still expensive but a little more reasonable.