Cusco is world famous thanks to Machu Picchu, but within its natural landscapes we will have the opportunity to find many tourist destinations that are worth visiting.
And Arequipa is considered in Peru as the second best destination in the country, an enigmatic place full of beauty in its city, and in the interior.
Discover today the basic guide to get to know both destinations on your next visit.
Getting from Arequipa to Cusco by plane
Duration: 1 hour
Flying from Arequipa to Cusco is the easiest and fastest way to travel between these two wonderful cities. The flight time is approximately one hour from the Alfredo Rodríguez Ballón airport in Arequipa to the Alejandro Velasco Astete airport in Cusco. Latam and Persian Airlines offer two daily flights.
Getting from Arequipa to Cusco by train
From Arequipa you can travel by train to the city of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, and from there to the city of Cusco. This ‘Belmond Andean Explorer’ train service is one of the most luxurious trains in the world and lasts 2 days, 2 nights.
Getting from Arequipa to Cusco by bus
Travel to Cusco from Arequipa. The bus trip takes 10 hours. However, to get to Arequipa you must travel from Lima (16 hours of travel).
It is also possible to get to Cusco from the tourist city of Puno. The bus trip takes approximately 7 hours.
And how to get to Machu Picchu?
Once in the city of Cusco, the tourist is more than 100 kilometers from the Inca City of Machu Picchu.
To get to Machu Picchu from Cusco, you must follow these steps:
a) Take a bus that will take you to the town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (approximately 2-hour trip).
b) Take the train that will take you from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, a place known as Machu Picchu town (approximately 2-hour trip).
c) Take one of the buses that will take you from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (30-minute trip). The other option is to walk up to Machu Picchu (approximately 2 hours walk).
Arequipa to Cusco by Bus
The two cities that represent the greatest tourist attraction in Peru, Arequipa, known as "the white city" and Cusco, called "navel of the world", are separated by a distance of 482 kilometers (approx.) by road. If you want to take the trip along the Arequipa - Cusco route, from the city of Arequipa, you will find a varied offer in the land transportation service offered by the companies Oltursa, Tepsa, Movil Tours and Civa. The cost of the tickets ranges from 40 soles to 110. The average duration of the trip, in any of the companies mentioned, can reach 11 hours. In that time you will be able to see, from the comfort of your seat, the diversity of the geography offered by the dry and sunny climate of the white city. If you are a traveler who prefers daytime tours, you have the option of taking the buses that leave at 9:30 a.m. Departure times are also offered from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Terminals in the city of Arequipa can be found in the vicinity of the international bus terminal. In Cusco, the bus terminals are located near the Via Evitamiento.