One service that constantly comes up as you research your trip to Peru is PeruHop. This company is marketed toward gringos as an easy alternative to local buses throughout the country. There are multiple routes so you can decide exactly how long you want to travel. With door to door bus service, it can feel like a no brainer to use PeruHop.
But this service comes with a cost and that alone is what made me look into alternatives. I spent a month in Peru, never used PeruHop, and managed just fine as I traveled Peru by bus.
Do You Need to Use PeruHop?
No, you do not need to use PeruHop while traveling Peru. I used local buses throughout the country and never had any issues, but I understand that it’s a popular option for so many travelers to Peru, so I think it’s worth talking about both the pros and cons about using PeruHop.
Pros to Using PeruHop
In my opinion, the biggest positive about using PeruHop is the door to door service. Rather than struggling to find your hotel when you arrive in a new city, PeruHop takes care of that transportation. That’s a huge bonus in places like Arequipa and Cusco where the bus stations are further away from the historic center (which is where you’ll likely want to stay).
PeruHop offers stops along the way. So while those on traditional buses have to go from city to city nonstop, PeruHop stops at some cool attractions along the way. Get out, stretch your legs, and see something that all of the travelers on traditional buses miss.
The promise of safety is a huge selling point for a lot of people. In fact, PeruHop bases a lot of its marketing about how it is the safe option. You will be able to get consistent service and not have to worry about accidentally choosing an unsafe bus line.
You’ll have the opportunity to meet more travelers. Of course you will meet travelers on tours and at hostels and hotels, but you’ll also be able to meet travelers on the bus. For some, this can be a huge benefit.
If you’re nervous about the language barrier as you travel around Peru, PeruHop prides itself on having help in English, particularly when crossing the Peru-Bolivia border.
Lastly, PeruHop can help you book extra day trips. These are open to other travelers not using PeruHop, but I think there is something to be said for the convenience of organizing transportation and activities all in one place.
Learn even more at PeruHop’s website.
Cons to Using PeruHop
To me, the biggest con is the price. When I looked at PeruHop, I realized that it was more expensive than taking traditional bus lines. It’s a service that is primarily targeted to gringo tourists and the price can reflect that.
Next, you’re reliant on PeruHop’s schedule. The bus leaves when it leaves and that’s it. On traditional buses, you have more options because there are more companies to choose from. In my case, it meant that I was able to take a Nazca Lines flight after a night bus from Cusco and then continue on to Huacachina, a combination that is not possible with PeruHop.
The actual route can be problematic too. While I traveled from south to north, a route that PeruHop offers, I couldn’t go my exact route of Puno to Arequipa to Cusco to Nazca (which I chose for acclimatization). Instead, you’d be doing Puno to Cusco to Arequipa to Nazca. That’s not a huge difference, but it was not the way I wanted to travel.
Similarly, you are locked in to a particular route. Once you commit, you can change your dates, but not your route. This means if you want to visit cities in a different order, you’re out of luck.
Lastly, it’s not an “authentic” way to travel. I absolutely hate that way of thinking, but on PeruHop, it will just be other foreign travelers. Locals don’t use PeruHop, but they will use the local buses to get around their country.
Peru by Bus and Alternatives to PeruHop
If you don’t want to take PeruHop, you have three options. The first is renting a car, which I don’t recommend. You’ll have some very long journeys in Peru and I think a car is just a hassle that you don’t need. Nearly every foreign traveler manages without one.
The second option is buses, which is what I did when I traveled in Peru. I’m not going to say that these long buses are fun, but they were affordable and I was able to get everywhere I needed to go, so I can’t complain.
Lastly, for some of the longer journeys, you can fly. There is a decent domestic flight network in Peru and for the longer journeys (particularly anything involving Cusco), this can be a good option. It’s the most expensive option, but it can be a great option for some travelers.
Common Tourist Bus Routes in Peru
If you’re not going to use PeruHop, you’ll likely be relying on local buses to get you around the country. While bus routes are pretty easy to find online, here’s what I used.
Lima to Paracas – This was my last bus of my trip to Peru, so I used a bus company that I had used several times before and had a good experience. Cruz del Sur operates several buses per day between Lima and Paracas.
Paracas to Huacachina/Ica – There’s no direct bus to Huacachina (unless you use PeruHop), so you’ll need to look for buses to the city of Ica and then take a taxi or Uber from the Ica station to Huacachina. I used Cruz del Sur which ran several times per day.
Ica to Nazca – I stopped in Nazca to do a Nazca Lines flight. Since I had traveled from Cusco to Nazca via Cruz del Sur, it just made sense to continue my journey on Cruz del Sur. There’s a few buses between Nazca and Ica on Cruz del Sur each day, but not a lot. There is a much more local bus station across the street from Cruz del Sur in Nazca, I’ll be honest that it didn’t look as nice.
Nazca to Cusco – This was my longest bus journey of my entire trip to South America, coming in at about 15 hours. I took Cruz del Sur which was comfy, but not the best overnight bus (seats only went to 160 degrees instead of a 180 degree lay flat seat).
It’s not necessarily a cheap bus, but consider that this also doubles as your accommodation for the night. Plus, when we boarded in Cusco, we were given a bag of snacks and two bottles of water.
I’d also suggest booking your bus from Nazca to Cusco in advance. I booked two days in advance and had no issues.
Cusco to Arequipa – This route could technically be done during the day, but most bus companies offer this as an overnight bus because the journey is about 10 hours. I used Tranzela and had a good experience.
Note that I recommend booking this bus route in advance. This is a bus where I had to switch companies as the first bus that I had planned to take was sold out when I went to purchase my ticket online in advance.
Arequipa to Puno – This is a long bus ride during the day, coming in at seven to eight hours. I used Tranzela, but it wasn’t my favorite experience. We left late, which was unusual for my buses in Peru, and that soured me a little bit. Still, I can’t complain since I did get to my destination without issues.
Puno to Copacabana – I went from Copacabana to Puno, which involves crossing the Bolivia-Peru border. I used TransTiticaca which I would recommend. Even though it was a South American bus, they had someone on the bus explaining the border crossing in English as well as Spanish. They made it super easy to cross the border and I would recommend them for people not wanting to use PeruHop.
Final Thoughts
PeruHop can be convenient and I absolutely understand why so many travelers make use of it. However, it’s not the only way to travel Peru. While it takes just a bit more planning, it’s pretty easy to travel Peru by bus.
Continue Your Adventure
Cusco & Machu Picchu: Spend a day in Cusco acclimating to the altitude or take a some time to visit some of the amazing day trips. Huamantay Lake has gorgeous views, Rainbow Mountain is busy but beautiful, and Ausangate 7 Lakes Hike was my favorite. For a DIY trip, visit Pisac. Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu or just climb Huayna Picchu. Don’t miss my top tips for visiting Machu Picchu.
More in Peru: There’s more to Peru than just Cusco. I really enjoyed Arequipa which is also a great base for visiting the Colca Canyon. For different scenery, head to the beach town of Paracas for Las Ballestas Islands or to cycle the Paracas Reserve. The desert oasis of Huacachina is always a hit and the Nazca Lines are a bucket list item for many. Get even more info in my Peru Travel Guide.
