Our journey begins in Andahuaylillas, home to the breathtaking Church of Saint Peter the Apostle — often called the “Sistine Chapel of America.” Built in the 16th century by Jesuit missionaries atop a sacred Inca site, this architectural treasure blends Spanish Baroque style with Andean symbolism. From the outside, its adobe-and-brick façade is modest. But step inside, and you're surrounded by gold-leaf altars, vivid frescoes, and intricate paintings that make this one of the most stunning religious sites in South America.
Next, we explore Raqchi, a remarkable Inca archaeological site and official “Best Tourism Village.” The highlight here is the Temple of Wiracocha - one of the largest Incan structures still standing. According to ancient chronicles, this grand temple was built by an Inca emperor to honor Wiracocha, the invisible Supreme God of the Andean people, this massive temple stood 15 meters tall and showcases the Inca’s masterful engineering. Surrounded by ancient ruins and rich spiritual legacy, Raqchi is a powerful step back into the heart of Inca civilization.
Midway through the journey, we’ll stop for a relaxing 1-hour buffet lunch featuring the best of traditional Andean cuisine. This is more than just a meal — it’s a chance to savor local flavors like quinoa soup, roasted vegetables, Andean potatoes, fresh salads, and regional meats, all prepared with highland ingredients. Set in a peaceful highland town, the restaurant offers stunning mountain views and a warm, welcoming atmosphere — the perfect break to recharge before continuing on to Puno.
We pause at Abra La Raya, the dramatic mountain pass that marks the natural border between Cusco and Puno. At over 4,300 meters above sea level, it’s the highest point of the journey and a breathtaking showcase of the Andes in full glory. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and endless sky, this is a perfect moment to stretch your legs, take photos, and feel the vastness of Peru’s highlands.
Our final stop is Pucará, the earliest major settlement of the Titicaca Basin, dating back to 500 BC. Once a thriving highland center, Pucará housed thousands — from priests and artisans to farmers and warriors. Today, it offers a rare window into pre-Inca civilization, known for its monolithic stone sculptures with striking geometric and animal forms, and vibrant multi-colored ceramics used in both daily life and sacred rituals. A fascinating glimpse into the roots of Andean culture.
I strongly recommend this trip! It's good way to travel from Puno to Cusco or opposite. There are 5 stops with interesting places and sightseeing and you couldn't feel the long way. Tha lunch was very good! The tour guide Matías was excellent and familiar in detail with the history and culture of the places we visited!
It was a great trip! The bus was comfortable and well maintained but our guide, Ellie was absolutely the best. She gave explanation of every stop we took, together with some information about Peru. Very informative, very helpful!
We took trip from Puno to Cusco and it was really great. Our guide Alex was magnificent, he made the trip more fascinating with a lot of informations about sights, about places and so on. I highly recommend this trip.
We had very good expirience on our way to Puno. Pukata museum was a big surprise for us , a civilization 13,000 years old . Wow. Bus us comfortably, guild knowledgeable, highway in good condition. It is enjoyable ride.
Excellent bus ride, enjoyed all the places. I was hoping for more explanations in the beautiful "cathedral", but other thanthat the tour was very good
Great value trip from Cusco to Puno on a modern, safe bus. Our guide Manuel and driver Benny did a great job to make the trip informative, safe and on schedule. The stops broke the trip up and were welcome sights to see. The buffet lunch provided was fantastic with lots of choice and the little snack bag a nice touch. Highly recommended.
Very well organised. Very good and informative guide. The tour run on time and the bus was very comfortable. Having the WiFi while on board the bus during the entire journey was fantastic. The lunch was very good with a lot of choices from the buffet self service
We had a wonderful experience with Inka Express on the Route of the Sun tour from Cusco to Puno! Our guide, Manuel, was excellent. He spoke both English and Spanish very well, explained the itinerary clearly, and shared interesting and informative details about each place we visited. The bus was comfortable, with spacious seats, Wi-Fi, and an onboard washroom, making the long journey enjoyable. The sightseeing stops were well organized, with plenty of opportunities to explore and take photos. The lunch buffet was also a great addition, offering a nice break during the trip. Overall, a comfortable, informative, and enjoyable way to travel from Cusco to Puno while discovering beautiful scenery and historical sites along the way. Highly recommend Inka Express and our fantastic guide, Manuel!
It was excellent! The bus was comfortable with tea and coffee provided. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly.
The tour was excellent. The bus was very comfortable and seatsreclined all the way. The tour guide spoke very good english and lunch buffet was excellent with lots of vegetarian choice.
Really friendly tour guide and happy to talk you through everything. All of the locations were interesting with loads of history tied to each place
Horrible experience. We stopped four times for nonsense tourist traps. In hindsight I would have rented a car myself and drove. A 5 hour trip turned into 12 hours because of all of the tourist traps. I would never recommend this anyone, ever. Completely sucked and was horrible. One stop is the Sistine Chapel of South America. I've been to both and believe me it doesn't compare. Too many stops. I would recommend Peru Rail from Cusco to Puno 11 times out of 10. The issue is the rail doesn't operate everyday so we were forced to do this nonsense. YOU SHOULD NEVER DO THIS!
Great experience . Tour guide was very good. Bus was very comfortable and buffet lunch was excellent. Lots of vegetarian options
It was neat to stop along the way and see Inc. ruins and learn more about their culture. The bus was comfortable though nothing too fancy. The guide, Eli, was very knowledgeable and kind.
The trip was fun and the stops were lovely. Also, the snacks, lunch and hot beverages were great! Only thing that really bothered us was the extra 53 PEN they asked for once on the bus for admission to sites. After looking into it, this info was provided in the FAQ section on the website but it was not at all indicated clearly and upfront on the reservation… this was pretty disapointing as we have a budget to respect and this came as a surprise. Anyways, we recommend the trip overall but the price should include everything.
Great experience! Our tour guide Eli is very knowledgeable and friendly.
very good trip, top guide Alfredo and good food! Everything was as expected. Buses are modern and very confortable.
An economical way to break up the trip.
It was a great experience and a bang for your buck.
The guide was great! Easy and comfortable trip
Really nice way to get a scenic trip with stops and lunch between Cusco and Puno. The sites we stopped at war very interesting and the guide explained everything clearly. Only downside is due to the stops and road closures the overall journey took about 12 hours and arrived later than expected in Puno.
Mesmerising Andes journey from Cusco to Puno — highly recommended! Honestly, Inka Express was one of the best tours of our Peru journey and offered excellent value for money. The journey was exceptionally well organised once we got underway, with an excellent lunch, snacks, coffee and water included. We particularly appreciated the thoughtful onboard facilities — Wi-Fi, phone charging and good safety features — which made such a long journey comfortable and enjoyable. Our guide was excellent at explaining the history and significance of the places we visited and was attentive to the passengers throughout the day. A special mention to our driver, Mario, who was a very safe and careful driver and clearly prioritised passenger safety. Our only hiccup was the initial departure point, which felt rather disorganised. There was some confusion about passengers moving between buses and seats, with no clear information about which bus to board or where to sit. Once we were on our way, however, everything went perfectly. We highly recommend the Inka Express Sun Route for anyone wanting to experience the mesmerising landscapes, history and culture of the Andes between Cusco and Puno. A fantastic experience and excellent value for money!
Very well organised, great comfortable bus and a great guide with us.
The bus was the most comfortable I've ever been in: lots of leg space and really nice chairs. Snacks were also provided. Our guide Manuel was really knowledgeable and was swiftly switching between English and Spanish. All the costs were provided up front. The stops were really fun and the lunch was great.
Very comfortable Bus and Eli has been a very good guide!
We had a really nice trip, it was well planed and we hand enough time to visit the different stops without wasting time. Our guide Eli was great and she explained to us many things about both the inlays and the modern Peru. Thank you Eli!!
Very good trip from Cusco to Puno. All very good. Excelent guide Manuel, good and safe driver, good and very nice stops which allowed us to see beautiful heritage, good restaurant, good wifi. We fully recommend the company.
The bus itself was clean, very comfortable, and had WiFi! The guide was very knowledgeable and kept the bus to a good schedule. The downside was an unfortunate start to the day with the seating on the bus, apparently some passengers through their bookings actually book assigned/ reserved seats, no one told us this and there were no signs or anything noting which seats were reserved. My husband and I were one of the first ones on the bus and at the last minute were kicked out of our seats because they weee apparently reserved seats (we had zero way of knowing this). I wasn’t able to sit with my partner for the trip which was very frustrating and could have easily been resolved if the tour company posted signs on which seats had been reserved before everyone started boarding
Would recommend it highly . Guide was great. route and stops unimaginable - we even saw some Flamingoes
Our guide Manuel and the driver were excellent in all regards. We would have liked a bit more time at each site, 5 minutes more would be enough.
Hector & Manuel were great...friendy & knowledgeable...very comfortable seats & plenty of space...great lunch.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip with Inka Express!! Our guide Felix was engaging, funny and absoltely committed to us learning about the places we visited. Although the journey is long it is broken up well with stopping to get out and walk through archeological sites, or have lunch. I chose this trip so I could experience the Peruvian landscape and it didn't dissapoint - spectacular! I highly recommend this tour!!! The bus was super comfortable and it was nice to let someone else do the driving.
Super comfortable bus with snacks and teas and coffee too! The stops ere perfectly paced and interesting, saw and leant lots . Our guide, Lenin was very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend the trip! 10/10
Very comfortable bus, knowledgeable guide, and well-organized trip with food and drinks. Very beautiful and interesting places. Excellent value for money.
A very well balanced trip. The points of stop are perfectly selected. Efraim, the guide, is an excellent source of information, providing much more of it than you could expect. The bus was very comfortable, with much legroom. A delicious lunch on the way, included in the price. Worth recommending!
Five different stops, really interesting places to visit along the way, best buffet lunch including trout. Totally worth it. Best way to travel between Cusco and Puno.
We have just Finished 4 amazing weeks in Peru and the only two bad experiences we had, both involved Inca Express. First we had booked a 6 hour bus from Arequipa. This bus was actually okay with good wide, reclining seats. However the temperature in the bus was 35 degrees Celsius for more than 5 hours of the trip, which was unbearable. When we asked the bus guide there was nothing to do about it… A couple of days later we had a booking for Route of the Sun (Puno-Cusco). The day before, we received a mail from the agency that we had to pay an extra 20 US dollars for pick up and drop off, even though we had booked and paid for everything on their own website. It made no sense, but at that time we didn’t really feel we had no other option than just paying. However, have we knew from the beginning that we would have had to pay 40 dollars, we wouldn’t have booked this, as a taxi is like only 4-5 dollars. Well, we paid the extra 20 dollars as we wouldn’t risk to miss this trip. Tickets are popular and it was supposed to be a beautiful trip. Booking for this trip was made 10 months prior, so we were really surprised to experience that we had gotten the worst 4 tickets in the bus, with almost no view or leg space. The bus service lady didn’t really care about our complaints, but we were lucky that the guide gave up his two seats, so at least we got two okay seats. The trip itself was okay, with some interesting shops, but also some stops lwhere it only felt like we “had” to spend some money. When we arrived to Cusco, surely the only ones who hadn’t a driver waiting was us, even though we had been forced to pay extra. After some complaints and some phone calls, a driver arrived and drove us to the hotel. He didn’t know where we were going, so it was just a driver the guides had called. When we got to the hotel I wrote Inca Express customer service and complained. They apologized and informed us, that their booking department would get back to me within some days on mail. Today, three weeks later I have heard nothing from them and my messages on WhatsApp are not looked at…… surprise 🙄 Best advice is to stay away from Inca Express and look somewhere else
I wish we had some more time to visit Raqchi and the last site (the pyrami dwe did not even go to) rather than stay in therestaurant (which was OK but of no special interest). Maybe propose the same version but with a pic-nic instead, to gain some time for visits.
Comfortable journey, interesting to see more of the country on our way to Puno
Very courteous. Informative. Very delicious food. It would have been nice to have a little more time at the stops. Unfortunately, my seat wasn't working quite right. All in all, highly recommended.
The coach was extremely comfortable, with large reclining seats, USB charging points, and reliable high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the journey. We were provided with a bottle of water and some snacks, and the lunch buffet offered a good variety of food. One aspect I wasn't so keen on was how the entrance fees for the attractions were handled. I didn't mind paying to visit some of the sites, but at the start of the trip the guide collected the total cost for all of the attractions in one go. This made us feel as though we had to pay for and visit every attraction, rather than having the flexibility to choose which ones we wanted to see. Overall I would recommend
Excellent trip from the beginning to the end. Eli, our guide, was spectacular! Provided lots of insight on the beautiful attractions (landscapes, ruins, archotecture, Peruvian culture and history), gave us plenty of time for the visits and was very attentive to our needs. Packed breakfast, beverages, and lunch were included and very good. Eli also let us try the Chuta bread, a delicious and kind extra from her. The driver was excellent as well and took us safely and timely to our destination. I would highly recommend the INKA Express tour and Eli.
Well organized. Great sites to see on the road, which we would have not visited otherwise. We had a great time and enjoyed every minute. Eli, our guide, was great - gave us a lot of background knowledge and explained simply and effectively what we were visiting throughout the tour .
This was a really good way to get from Cusco to Puno, and we’re glad we did it! Livario was a wonderful guide and you get to see great extra bits of Peru (churches, museums, beautiful scenery). A nice lunch is also included. We’re glad we did this instead of going straight to Puno! My husband realized once we got to the bus that he had forgotten something important in our hotel, and Livario and the entire team were so, so helpful in making sure we got it back—they went entirely out of their way! Thank you!
A great way to make a long drive less boring! Really enjoyed seeing the places along the way and the guide was fabulous!
The journey itself is an enjoyable experience, The guide was excellent and the bus comfortable. Included lunch was also good. Communication leaves much to be desired. Had booked hotel pick up and drop off also. There was no contact by the operator and messaged them 2 days before to confirm details of the pickup. There was no response and then called them the day before. Again no response but got a messsge asking which trip we had booked and which hotel was pick up from !! Messaged back that this information was in their voucher which I had sent them earlier in the day. Again silence and then was informed in the evening that pickup would happen 6.20am. On arrival in Puno there was no body to guide us to the included and prepaid hotel transfer. After looking for the driver in vain arranged our own transportation. Messaged the operator and they casually replied that the Driver had a breakdown. Suggest only book the tour and no add ons.
Excellent experience! The torito experience was a different way to enjoy the Pucará time
Great way to observe and understand part of this beautiful and complex country: landscape, history, society.
Great experience, the trip was amazing and the guide Elly very kind and provided us great explanations on all the sites. Super recommended!
Great bus, great service, wifi (starlink), great guide. We took also the train (Peru rail and Inka) and the bus is way better.
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