How to Get Around Peru

Getting Around

Domestic flights are the fastest way to cover Peru's terrain — LATAM and budget carriers connect Lima with Cusco, Arequipa and Iquitos in an hour or two each.

Long-distance buses connect most coastal and highland cities, and demonstrations and strikes disrupt both traffic and public transport.

Trains run Arequipa–Cusco–Puno and Cusco–Ollantaytambo–Machu Picchu; the train is the standard way to reach the site, since no road reaches Aguas Calientes directly. Demonstrations, strikes and derailments can all disrupt them, Machu Picchu services included.

Taxis. Licensed taxis are not metered, so agree the fare first — and drivers sometimes do not provide change, or keep driving until they can get some. Use only authorised cabs from inside airport terminals and bus stations, or a reputable company or ride-hailing app: criminals posing as taxi drivers rob tourists on the routes to and from the main airports, including Lima's Jorge Chávez International, and at bus terminals. Within Lima, traffic is heavy and ride-hailing apps are the easiest and safest option.

Verified against Global Affairs Canada, September 2026.

Check the bus company against the government list

Start here, because it is the decision with the most consequence. The Government of Peru publishes a list of the bus companies with the highest rates of involvement in fatal or serious-injury traffic accidents. Intercity coach travel can be genuinely dangerous — crashes are usually caused by excessive speed, poor vehicle maintenance and driver fatigue — so the operator you pick matters more than the seat you pick.

Four rules that follow: use only reputable companies; avoid taking buses and coaches at night; keep your belongings and identification on you for long-distance travel; and do not store bags under or above your seat, or on an empty seat beside you.

In Lima, many local buses are old, poorly maintained and overcrowded, and their drivers tend to dominate the roads and disregard other drivers and pedestrians. Buses and minibuses do connect most major cities, and demonstrations and strikes disrupt both traffic and public transport.

Taxis are not metered

Licensed taxis are not metered, and drivers sometimes do not provide change, or will keep driving until they can obtain some — so carry small notes and settle the number first. Confirm the fare in advance and do not pay until you have arrived.

Do not hail on the street. Use official taxi companies located inside airport terminals or bus stations, or a reputable company booked through a hotel, or a ride-hailing app. Within Lima the traffic is heavy enough that the apps are the easiest option anyway.

Trains

Two routes matter: Arequipa–Cusco–Puno, and Cusco–Ollantaytambo–Machu Picchu, the latter being the only practical way in, since no road reaches Aguas Calientes. The line is worked by PeruRail and Inca Rail; Inca Rail runs from Cusco or Ollantaytambo, and its bimodal service pairs a coach from Cusco with the train from Ollantaytambo.

Demonstrations, strikes and derailments can all disrupt the trains, Machu Picchu services included — and strikes start with little or no notice and spread between regions, so a fixed-date ticket deserves a contingency.

Flying

Domestic flights are the fastest way across the terrain, with LATAM and budget carriers linking Lima to Cusco, Arequipa and Iquitos in an hour or two. Iquitos is worth noting as the largest city in the world unreachable by road — for the Amazon it is fly or boat, and nothing else.

Altitude arrives with the transport

The thing that catches people out about Peruvian transport is how fast it gains height. You are at risk of high-altitude illness above 2,500 metres, and in many tourist areas altitude changes quickly — Cusco, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Huaraz, Ayacucho and the Colca Canyon are all named. A flight from Lima at sea level to Cusco at 3,400 metres does in ninety minutes what a bus would do over a day, and the body notices. Do not ascend quickly, and do not exercise or drink alcohol before acclimatising.

Armed gangs have stopped buses to rob travellers, and there are other route-specific risks: the detail is on Stay Safe.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against PeruRail — PeruRail runs the Cusco-Sacred Valley-Machu Picchu train (September 2026).
Checked against Global Affairs Canada — Licensed taxis in Peru are not metered, and taxi drivers sometimes do not provide change or will continue to drive until they can obtain change, Trains operate between Arequipa, Cusco and Puno and between Cusco, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, and demonstrations, strikes and derailments can disrupt travel by train including trains to or from Machu Picchu, Buses and minibuses operate between most major cities and demonstrations and strikes can lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation, The Government of Peru publishes a list of the bus companies with the highest rates of involvement in fatal or serious injury traffic accidents; intercity bus travel can be dangerous because of accidents usually caused by excessive speed, poor vehicle maintenance and driver fatigue, and only reputable transportation companies should be used, buses and coaches avoided at night, belongings and identification kept on you for long-distance travel, and bags not stored under or above the seat or on empty seats, Many local buses in Lima are old, poorly maintained and overcrowded, and drivers of these vehicles tend to dominate the roads and disregard other drivers or pedestrians, Licensed taxis in Peru are not metered and drivers sometimes do not provide change or will continue to drive until they can obtain change; taxis should not be hailed on the street, official companies inside airport terminals or bus stations used, the fare confirmed in advance, and payment withheld until arrival, Trains operate between Arequipa, Cusco and Puno and between Cusco, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, and demonstrations, strikes and derailments can disrupt travel by train including services to or from Machu Picchu; PeruRail and Inca Rail are the named operators, Buses and minibuses operate between most major cities in Peru and demonstrations and strikes can lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation, You are at risk of high-altitude illness above 2,500 metres and in many areas of Peru including tourist areas altitude changes quickly, including Ayacucho, Cusco, Huaraz, Puno, Lake Titicaca and the Colca Canyon, with greater risk if you ascend quickly or exercise or drink alcohol before acclimatising, Licensed taxis are not metered and drivers sometimes do not provide change or will continue driving until they can obtain change, Strikes occur frequently in Peru, often with little or no notice, and expand quickly from one region to another; they can complicate travel and disrupt public transport and services including the ability to travel to or leave isolated tourist destinations such as Machu Picchu, The Government of Peru publishes a list of the bus companies with the highest rates of involvement in fatal or serious injury traffic accidents; intercity bus travel can be dangerous because of accidents usually caused by excessive speed, poor vehicle maintenance and driver fatigue, and only reputable transportation companies should be used, buses and coaches avoided at night, belongings and identification kept on you for long-distance travel, and bags not stored under or above the seat or on empty seats, Many local buses in Lima are old, poorly maintained and overcrowded, and drivers of these vehicles tend to dominate the roads and disregard other drivers or pedestrians, Licensed taxis in Peru are not metered and drivers sometimes do not provide change or will continue to drive until they can obtain change; taxis should not be hailed on the street, official companies inside airport terminals or bus stations used, the fare confirmed in advance, and payment withheld until arrival, Trains operate between Arequipa, Cusco and Puno and between Cusco, Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, and demonstrations, strikes and derailments can disrupt travel by train including services to or from Machu Picchu; PeruRail and Inca Rail are the named operators, Buses and minibuses operate between most major cities in Peru and demonstrations and strikes can lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation, You are at risk of high-altitude illness above 2,500 metres and in many areas of Peru including tourist areas altitude changes quickly, including Ayacucho, Cusco, Huaraz, Puno, Lake Titicaca and the Colca Canyon, with greater risk if you ascend quickly or exercise or drink alcohol before acclimatising (September 2026).
Checked against Inca Rail — Inca Rail travels to Machu Picchu from Cusco or Ollantaytambo, both routes connecting to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), and its bimodal service combines a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo with the train onward, Inca Rail travels to Machu Picchu from Cusco or Ollantaytambo, both routes connecting to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes), and its bimodal service combines a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo with the train onward (September 2026).