Sightseeing Bus Tour

Location:
Cusco, Peru

Other Activity Types:
Sightseeing bus tour

By Sharon Cheung

The First Class tourist bus runs between Cusco and Puno, a distance of 388 km. The bus service offers an English speaking guide, tourist stops and lunch. The brochure states that the trip will take 9 hours.

Discover little treasures enroute along a well-trodden journey. The first stop is the church of San Pedro in Andahuaylillas, otherwise known as the Sistine Chapel of the Andes. Built on the site of an Inca temple, this humble looking church houses an assortment of Baroque art and frescoes encased in gaudy gold.

From the church, the bus passes the occasional rundown house along the barren mountainside to Raqchi. There you'll be greeted by local Raqchi woman wearing the traditional dress of black skirts, hand woven burgundy sweaters and wide-brimmed circular black hats.  A mark of Inca construction, the Wiracocha temple in Raqchi has trapezoid doorways and a foundation made of polished quadrangle shaped stones. Trapezoid shaped cutouts are found throughout the walls and are used to store sacred objects.

After Raqchi, bus enters the town of Sicuani and makes its way through the narrow streets in time for lunch. Food is served buffet style outside under a white canopy, as llamas and alpacas roamed nearby. You'll eat fresh salads of corn and cabbage and alpaca stew while listening to the highland sounds of the Andean Amigos.

The tour stops for photo opportunities at La Raya, where a view of the glacier capped Andes beckons to be photographed. At 4,335 metres above sea level, La Raya is the highest point between Cusco and Puno. The last destination before you reach Puno is the Pucara stone museum. This museum is in Pucara’s main square and houses a small collection of original and replicated pieces from the pre-Inca Pucara culture.

The first class bus service is a longer ride from Cusco to Puno compared to the direct bus route or direct train route. However, the sights along the way are well worth the extra time.

Getting There
Access: The bus tour from Cusco to Puno runs daily departing Cusco at 7:30 a.m. and arriving in Puno at 5:00 p.m.

Price Description: The journey is roughly four hours on the bus and costs US $35. The tour includes stops in Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, La Raya, Pucara and a buffet lunch.

Relative price: Mid-Range

Travel Skills: beginner/easy.

Credit cards accepted
MasterCard/Eurocard, Visa

Currencies accepted
US Dollar, Nuevo Sol