The Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport is the only airport in Cusco. The airport has been constantly named the second most important air terminal in Peru; after the Lima airport (Jorge Chavez International Airport), annually having around 2,500,00 national and international passengers. The Cusco airport is located 5.5 km from the Plaza de Armas, in the historic center of Cusco. The cab ride is approximately 20 minutes.
Unlike the Lima airport, which has the luxury buses of Airport Express Lima, the Cusco airport does not have such a service. There is no bus service that takes you directly to or from the Cusco airport and downtown Cusco. However, Cusco has a network of privately owned minibusses known as combis. Every combi company has a specific route that runs all day. They do not have a fixed schedule, but they pass frequently. The price is 1,00 (PEN). The buses stop full and the seats are very limited, there is no luggage storage.
Taxis by themselves the most popular means of transportation to or from the Cusco airport. Upon arrival at the Cusco airport you will meet many taxi drivers offering their services. In the luggage pick-up area, inside the terminal, there are 2 small tables offering transportation from the airport. Llama Taxis are one of them, their taxis are Black Toyotas Saloons that are modern and safe. The price from Cusco airport to Plaza de Armas or any of the tourist hotels in Cusco (within the city) is 45/55 soles ($ 15 USD). Beyond this just outside the doors on your left, after picking up your luggage, there will be a lot of taxi drivers (you will not lose them). In the typical style of Peruvian taxi drivers, they can be burdensome and persistent, but do not let this discourage you. No taxi has a fixed charge for the sections so they will have to be at a price before entering. The price of a taxi from the Cusco airport to the historic center of Cusco is around S / .10-15 soles ($ 3.50-5.00 USD) for a 20-minute trip. Keep in mind that taxi drivers will start offering you prices of S/.25-30 soles ($ 7.50-10.00 USD) or even more. You must have the patience and ability to negotiate a price. Taxi drivers are required to pay S / .2 soles for parking when leaving the airport. Usually they ask the passengers for an additional price they had left, be firm and inform them that this was not part of what was agreed.
Cusco Airport: There are several companies offering private transportation from the Cusco airport to the historic center through the internet. Cusco Transport Tours, Cusco Airport Shuttle and Cusco Transfers (to name a few).Prices start at $ 20 USD and increase for each additional passenger.
Landing and taking off in Cusco is chilling. This airport has visibility restrictions and only operates during the day, due to the visual requirement that pilots need to land. Flights to and from Cusco are constantly delayed by cloud cover or bad weather making it almost impossible to land on the runway. The airport in Cusco is basically an airport that operates only when there is good weather. If the cloud cover is less than 3,800 feet above the airport, the planes can not land. Compared to Lima, planes can not land alone if there is cloud cover less than 200 feet above the airport. This is because the Cusco airport is at the height of the Andes at more than 11,100 feet and surrounded on all sides by larger mountains. The airport of Cusco is limited in other aspects as well, the arrivals are only a part. For example, in windy weather, flights may be delayed because in Cusco planes can only land from the west and take off from the east. But be secure that all precautions are for your security and problems are unual so you can take an unforggetable trip without a problem.
At the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Cusco Airport, Peru, you can find a variety of services and amenities for passengers. Some of the common services and facilities you can find at the airport are:
Check-in counters: Here you can check in for your flight and get your boarding pass.
NOTE: The airport is open from 05:00 am to 10:00 pm. It is not possible to stay overnight at the airport.
In the small parking lot of the airport there are some shops and kiosks. They are directly in front of the main door of the terminal on the other side of the parking lot. They sell a variety of sweets, biscuits, drinks and even sandwiches at reasonable prices and much cheaper than what they sell inside the airport.
On the first floor there are 20 check-in tables with limited space.
The seats are comfortable but extremely limited, often not enough for the number of passengers waiting at the airport.
Since there is no way to increase capacity at the current location, a new airport is being built in Chinchero, just outside of Cusco. Peru would be starting with the construction of the airport even with the controversy about the potential risks to the ecological elements of Chinchero. Chinchero International Airport – Cusco will be located more than 30km from Cusco and this new airport will have more than double the capacity of the Cusco airport. It is scheduled to open in February 2026.
Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Perú, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.
If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.
The best season is during the dry season, which covers the months April to the end of September. In October the rains begin and you can find Machu Picchu covered by clouds. If you travel in June, we recommend you to book the Inti Raymi 2020 Tour that takes place in June 24th, and also hike the Palcoyo Mountain Tour, which is an incredible Rainbow Mountain located in the Andes.
