Ultimate Guide to Travelling Peru by Bus

Bell | 22nd November 2024

There are two main ways to get around Peru – by plane or bus. Trains aren’t really a thing except for the one from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Flying may be a good option if you are short on time or hate night buses, though it is usually quite a bit more expensive than by bus.

I took the bus from city to city in Peru 8 times, 6 of which were overnight buses. Personally, I think bus travel in Peru is the perfect way to see the country for cheap. Night buses especially are comfortable with big seats that usually decline 160°, sometimes even 180°, and they save you a night of accommodation. This way, you arrive at your new destination in the morning with no time missed.

Here is everything you need to know about bus companies, luggage, keeping yourself safe and things to look out for:

Table of Contents

Best Bus Companies in Peru

Peru Hop

Despite personally not using it, I HAVE to mention Peru Hop. It wouldn’t be a Peru bus guide without this company. Peru Hop is more of an in-between of a bus company and a tour guide company.

They offer preset routes that you can either do at the advised pace or at your own and you get a certain amount of hop-on and off stops. Peru Hop will make stops at some tourist spots in between two places that no other bus company will stop at. In addition, the entire bus is full of travellers so it’s easy to meet others.

They say that each bus has a guide who will give information about the places you are passing. You also get lots of discounts on tours and accommodation, as well as taxis from the bus station included.

That is the positives – it is a fantastic option if you are short on time or worried about travelling to Peru and want maximum guidance. Peru Hop also has really great reviews and no issues with safety that I have heard about, which obviously provides peace of mind.

I decided against Peru Hop as I wasn’t following their routes and I found it quite a bit more expensive than local transport. I have heard that it balances itself out with the taxis and discounts, but with how cheap taxis are, I believe Peru Hop is still the most expensive option. I also usually went with night buses and honestly just wanted to get on, sleep and get off again at my destination. It didn’t seem worth it to me to do Peru Hop.

Cruz del Sur

I’d say 80% of the buses I took in Peru were with Cruz del Sur, despite having some issues with cancellations with them. Their customer service is unfortunately pretty bad.

Yet they are still a clear leader in safety, comfort and other people on board. By that, I mean that there were other travellers on board which as a solo, female traveller is key so I don’t stand out too much, especially on night buses. It just made me feel a little more comfortable. On top of that, the buses had lots of local ladies using them too, which again made me feel safer.

I also felt that my luggage was always very safe with them, they had a clear labelling system and no guests could get to the luggage compartment until the end of the journey.

As I mentioned, they did cancel two of my buses pretty last minute. Both times I got transferred to the next closest bus, yet that meant I wouldn’t always get my preferred and previously chosen seat. May seem like a small issue, but again as a female, solo traveller, I do not want to end up in a two-seat row next to a random person.

Cruz del Sur is also often a little more expensive than its competitors and I have personally not seen the 180-degree seats, though the 160-degree ones are perfectly fine. Despite all this, I chose Cru del Sur time and time again as I just felt most comfortable with them.

Linea

I really enjoyed travelling with Linea. They unfortunately only go to the North but are safe, comfortable and timely. I also felt my bags were well looked after.

I don’t see them on many Peru bus guides, but I would highly recommend them if going to Huaraz or Trujillo (or other Northern cities)! Most travellers who have been up there will also recommend Linea.

Civa

I think Civa is an okay and budget-friendly option. I used them once to go from Arequipa to Cusco with a night bus and they were completely fine. The seats were the same as on the other buses. Their customer service at the bus station honestly was a little confusing and I was the only foreigner on that bus, so that is something to keep in mind. There were lots of women and families travelling so I didn’t feel unsafe, but I certainly felt a little out of depth.

Transzela

Transzela is another affordable option for the South of Peru that even crosses over into Bolivia. It is one of those companies I would just go and purchase at the station for shorter rides. I have heard of quite a few people who had okay experiences with this company – no major issues which is honestly a win.

Other options

A lot of bus companies in Peru are very similar. They are fine to take for short journeys and you can haggle down the price but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them for overnight.

A few times, we would arrive at the bus station and ask around for prices and then Google reviews for the cheapest ones. With that, we went on a Turismo Real Dorado Bus and a Trans Titicaca one, but to be honest, they all had equally bad reviews and were all equally okay. The experience wasn’t incredible but we and our bags arrived safely.

I took Peru Bus from Nazca to Lima for super cheap and would recommend it for that journey as it is short and the bus is so affordable. You can also buy tickets last-minute on the bus.

How to keep your valuables safe on buses in Peru?

One of the things I was worried about when coming to Peru was having my stuff stolen on the buses, especially the overnight ones. I can now say that I had zero issues with that.

That doesn’t mean you should be careless. Research the bus company and ideally take one that other tourists will be on too. ALWAYS keep your valuables hidden on your body, especially on night buses. NEVER trust the overhead compartment. Of the people I met who had something stolen, all had put that stuff in the overhead compartment (even those were super rare).

Some people wrapped their big backpacks that go in the luggage compartment in plastic or even bin bags to make them less “attractive”. I never did that and had no issues, yet I also chose my bus companies very carefully and probably also just got lucky.

What is the best website to book buses in Peru?

I always bought tickets directly with the bus company on their website or sometimes in person. The main ones are Cruz del Sur, Linea and Civa.

Another option is Busbud, however, it doesn’t always show all the bus companies that are going between cities in Peru. It tends to show the main ones though, so you could look there too.

Is it safe to take a bus from Lima to Cusco?

As for inside the buses and your luggage, I had no issue on my bus from Cusco to Lima. Nor any other buses I took in Peru. Make sure you research the right bus company for you (more on that in the guide above) and get a luggage receipt when dropping off your bags.

I preferred the single seats that most buses had (they have rows of three, so two seats next to one another and then a single seat on the other side). This way I wasn’t sitting next to a stranger and could hide behind the curtains so no one could even see I was a solo, female traveller. In Cruz del Sur and Linea there were also always other tourists.

When it comes to the roads, I never had any issues but the route between Lima and Cusco is basically one long EXTREMELY windy road. I often didn’t notice too much as I went on night buses, but sometimes I’d look out the window and there was just a cliff right next to us. That’s as you are descending from the around 3400m that Cusco lies on to basically sea level. So you have to put a certain amount of trust in the bus drivers and it probably isn’t for you if you get easily car sick.

Peru also regularly has road blockages as part of protests. These are usually announced a few days in advance, but can also surprise you. I have never had any issues but met a few travellers who got suck on

Accommodation options in Peru’s main Cities:

Huaraz:

$ – Lhotse Hostel B&B or Kame House Backpacker
$$ – Casa de Ana B&B
$$$ – Akilpo Home (one of the most expensive in Haaraz and still only £45 per night)