We thought this was a wonderful unique way to see the smaller towns and learn more about the indigenous Incan culture, support local people's in rural areas, and see some urban areas uncommon for visiting. We were lucky enough to get the front seats on the top deck, which was amazing views of the Andes. Our guide was great at keeping such a large group on time while answering all of our questions about the sites. We didn't feel rushed but having quick stops along the way really made the day fly by! They serve c*ca and Muna tea while approaching higher altitudes and then cool beverages later in the day, we loved the guide and the attendant serving on the bus. The buffet lunch was incredible. Seats were amazing on the bus and good air flow from the vents. It took a bit to connect to wifi but eventually it did connect and the USB chargers were very handy to keep electronics charged up for our arrival to Puno
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- First Aid Kit
- Service on board with cold and hot drinks
- Touristic bus from Cusco to Puno
- Guided tours in Spanish and English
- Ticket entrances to visit tourist places in each stop (optional)
- Buffet lunch at a local restaurant
Excludes
- Gratuities
- Transfers from and to the bus station in Cusco and Puno
- The buffet lunch doesn't include cold drinks
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- If you departs from Puno, the bus station is located at Avenida Costanera 430, Puno
Return
- If you final destination is Cusco, the bus station is located at Avenida Pacifico J-9-1, San Antonio, Cusco (one block of Colegio Bolivariano)
Itinerary
After boarding the tourist bus located at the bus station in the city of Cusco, we will begin a 1-hour journey towards the beautiful south valley in order to make the first stop in Andahuaylillas situated at 3,093 meters above sea level. This lovely Andean town has an incredible jewel of the architecture dating back to the seventeenth century known as the Sistine Chapel, with an impressive work covered in gold leaf and paintings of the art school of Cusco. There is a fascinating artwork inside the Church of San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, ceilings and walls decorated in a Baroque style, many of them belong to the Peruvian painter Luis de Reaño. Definitely, it should be a must in your travel bucket list.
The bus ride continues, for one hour and a half, until reach the archaeological site of Raqchi, our second stop located at 3,450 meters above sea level. The temple of Wiracocha was built next to the Vilcanota River during the fifteenth century and, currently, it has huge walls that belonged to temples, as well as aqueducts and tombs. In this place, there are circular storehouses known as Colcas. Them were used to hold different kind of grains such as quinoa, potato, corn, among others. Another interesting fact is that Raqchi is part of the incredible Inca Trail.
The tour to Puno by bus continues until we reach the city of Sicuani to enjoy a buffet lunch in a local restaurant, that offers local and regional dishes, vegetables, desserts and hot drinks like mate de coca.
After lunch and a travel of 40 minutes by bus, we are going to reach the highest point of the tour called La Raya Pass, situated at 4,335 meters above sea level. This is the border of the cities of Cusco and Puno, and here, we are going to make a short stop to admire the snow-capped Chimboya and take pictures of beautiful landscapes.
The next and the last visit will be at Museum of Pucara, after a trip of more than an hour from La Raya pass. This museum has an excellent collection of monoliths, stone sculptures and ceramics belonging to the culture of Pucara, a civilization developed in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. At the end, we will take the tourist bus to travel for two more hours towards the city of Puno. Along the way you will be able to admire landscapes of the heart of the Andes, passing through the city of Juliaca, until we arrive at the bus station of Puno at 05:00 p.m.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Getting from Cusco to Puno was just so easy on this one way day tour. Pick-up from the hotel and the staff at Puno helped organise transport to your hotel. All the stops were worthwhile, the pick of them was the Church of Saint Peter the Apostle in Andahuaylillas. An excellent buffet lunch was provided in a nice location. As usual beautiful scenery was everywhere. Marita was terrific as a guide and allowed us plenty of time at the different places. The coach was large and comfortable. This tour provides good value all things considered compared to a normal bus, especially an overnight one.
The trip from Cusco to Cusco was worthwhile. The guides were knowledgeable about the places we visited and managed the schedule so everyone had time to see what they wanted. The food at the midway point was excellent. My only complaints is that the air conditioning was intermittent.
The stops were so-so and overall it is a very long journey to Puno. They stopped multiple times and sometimes for an unnecessary amount of time for what it was. We were sitting at the back of the bus and it got very hot at some point (the AC was not working properly). However the guide was really nice and tried his best to please us.
Our guide was informative and we enjoyd the trip.Unfortunatelly there was a strike,and we couldn’t visit archeological site in Racchi.
Conhecer os sítios arqueológicos da região foi muito interessante. O ônibus confortável e o guia bastante atencioso.
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