History and Ruins, Peru, Road Trip, South America, Travel preparation

What to See on the Cultural Bus from Puno to Cusco Peru

You can fly, take the train or the bus from Puno to Cusco Peru. Read what to expect on the tourist bus Cusco to Puno and the Puno to Cusco bus. I show you what you’ll see and where you’ll stop on the bus route. Learn why the Puno to Cusco bus is worth your time to see more of cultural Peru.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.

During my travels around South America, I crossed of many of my reasons to visit South America, like the Stargazing in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile and a tour of the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. After my visit to La Paz and Lake Titicaca, it was now time for my last highlight of the trip: head to Cusco and explore Machu Picchu. But I was still in Puno and roughly 400 km away from Cusco. If you want to travel from Puno to Cusco you can fly from Julianca to Cusco in less than an hour. You can take the luxurious train or you can take the bus. A normal bus runs during the night in different price ranges. I decided to opt for the cultural tourist bus from Puno to Cusco instead.

 

Puno to Cusco Cultural Tourist Bus

The tourist bus from Puno to Cusco runs every day and takes you on a luxurious bus from Puno to Cusco in 10,5 hours. It will cost you all day, but you travel in a relaxed pace and you get to see all kinds of cultural sites along the way. The bus stops at 6 different places along the route before they drop you off in Cusco. The same applies (in reverse order) for the Cusco to Puno bus. As I took the route from Puno to Cusco by bus, I’ll focus on that for this blog.

You can click on the Pinterest share button on the left to share this image on Pinterest in a Pinterest friendly size.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
The route of the bus trip with the highlights along the way.

Details for the Ruta del Sol / Route of the Sun

This route on the Puno to Cusco bus is also called Ruta del Sol (the route of the Sun). I’ll give you some details below:

  • Departure time Puno: 7.00 am
  • Arrival time Cusco: 5.30 pm
  • Price for the bus ticket from Puno to Cusco: $45.
    You can also buy your ticket with the entrance fees already included. This is $65. Buy it in advance here.
  • Price for the entrance fees along the Ruta del Sol: 40 Peruvian Soles.

Entrance to Pukara: 10 Soles. Entrance Raqchi: 15 Soles. Ticket for Andahuaylillas: 15 Soles. The guide asked us to pay the 40 Soles up front to him, to prevent any delays.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Ancient Inca ruins of Raqchi

I travelled with Wonder Peru Expedition but there are many other agents out there. If you wish to book your Puno to Cusco bus in advance, check the prices and availibility. We received information on the bus about the stops, how much time we had and we received some beverages on the bus too. Our guide joined us and spoke excellent English (exactly!) and provided us with a lot of background information.

The bus also runs in the opposite direction so you can travel by tourist bus from Cusco to Puno.

 

Why take the cultural Cusco to Puno bus?

When I first planned my trip to Peru, I wanted to take the train journey from Puno to Cusco. I love to travel by train but the schedule was not in my favour and the train journey was quite expensive. Plus you get to sit on the train for over 12 hours, and miss all the fantastic sites along the route.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
After my trip to Uros Islands near Puno it was time to head to Cusco.

I never expected this bus from Puno to Cusco to be that much fun. Yes, I am a bit of a culture geek and I love to learn about ancient history and culture.

I felt I was not getting enough cultural input during my first 2 weeks in South America. This was mainly because I was focusing on outdoor activities *read my epic fail hike in the Colca Canyon and the wonders of nature from Chile and Bolivia. I missed the learning part a bit.

 

Want to read more about bus travel in South America? Read about my bus journey from Peru to Chile.

Relaxed way to travel around Peru

The bus from Puno to Cusco was very relaxed. All I had to do was show up on time in Puno and follow the herd. I know, not very adventurous but it was exactly what I needed. A guide accompanied us and he dished out all his knowledge to the group, which I absorbed like a sponge.

We visited different archaeological sites and ruins from the Ayamara, Quechua, Pukará and Inca culture. This was the perfect built up for the things to come in Cusco and Machu Picchu. To be honest, each different site along the bus route from Puno to Cusco, isn’t really worth a day trip. But…

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Green farmland at lower altitude during the bus trip.

… because they were strung along and we visited each for a short time, it was perfect to get a bit of a feel and vibe from the place.

Are you getting excited to take the bus from Puno to Cusco when you travel around Peru? I’ll tell you what you’ll see and visit during this cultural tourist bus from Puno to Cusco.

 

Puno 3.827m / 12.555 ft. above sea level

I had to be at the Puno bus station at 6.30 am because the bus was leaving at 7.00 am. I took a taxi to the bus station and showed my ticket. I got on the bus which was absolutely freezing. Puno gets very cold at night and the bus still needed to heat up. I selected a nice spot by the window. The bus wasn’t full so this was an excellent way to travel. We would travel first for an hour or two, so I might have dozed off a bit here and there.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
The symbol of region.

Pucará 3.900m / 12.795 ft. above sea level

The first stop was the town of Pucará, 3.900m/ 12.795 ft. above sea level.

Lithic Museum Pucará

We first stopped at the Lithic Museum of Pucará where we saw an immense time line to put the whole reign of the culture of the Pucará in world’s history perspective.

The museum is small but shows some gruelling statues of decapitation which was common during the reign of the Pucará. They believed, if you decapitate your enemy, his strength will transvers into you.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Would you have stopped to see the Pukara church?

Ruins of Kalassaya

After we exited through the gift shop, we left the village behind and explored the ruins of Kalassaya, a little outside Pucará. I found this mighty interesting as this was basically my first encounter with ancient ruins of South America and pre-Inca culture.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Pucara ruin selfie.

The ruins of the old town of Pucará are dated from 1.800 years BC. This was the reign of the Pukara culture and was the focus of the administration and religion.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
The ruins of Pukara with the mountains in the back.

The main thing to see is the ruins of the Kalassaya pyramid and the staircase. There is also a sunken court, but you need a lot of imagination to picture what might have happened there. All in all a great site with striking views of the small town of Pucará below and the Route of the Sun alongside it.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
The sunken court where rituals were performed.

For more info, visit pukara.org

La Raya 4.335m / 14.222 ft. above sea level

There isn’t much to see or do at La Raya, but this is the highest point on the bus from Cusco to Puno. Local people have set up some things you can buy and you can get a picture with the altitude sign. Always nice to have proof of where you’ve been.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
This wasn’t the highest point I’ve been in South America, but still pretty cool.

The surrounding area is striking though.

High in the mountains, the river beneath it, the snow covered peaks and the railway tracks approaching the gorge. This is a great point to stretch your legs!

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
The mountains, river and the railway at La Raya.

Sicuani 3.540m / 11.614 ft. above sea level

Another stop on the Puno to Cusco bus. A person got to eat of course. As you’re travelling as a tourist, you’ll be dropped off at a tourist restaurant where you’ll be served the tourist lunch menu for tourist prices. There isn’t anything else around to wonder off on your own, so I took the opportunity for a toilet break and waited for the bus to leave again.

Raqchi 3.450m / 11.319 ft. above sea level

After this, things got really exciting as we approached Raqchi. Raqchi is about 110 km from Cusco and I can recommend this as a day trip. We had little time as our tour guide guided us through the main ruins, but the complex is massive and I wish I would have had more time to wonder off and explore on my own.

But then again, if I hadn’t been on this tourist bus from Puno to Cusco, I wouldn’t have known about it.

 

So, what is so great about Raqchi in Peru?

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Panorama of the ruins of the temple of Viracocha in Raqchi.

The ruins of Raqchi show you the remains of the Temple of Wiracocha (or Virachocha), the main Inca god of creation. He was the god of the sun, the moon and civilisation.

His temple remains can be seen at the archaeological site of Raqchi, where you’ll see the adobe wall of the temple and many administration houses. In the hills overlooking the ruins, you’ll see the ancient Inca trail.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Guard towers at the Raqchi Ruins

As Raqchi was an important religious Inca site, it was highly protected and the people here were monks, high priest and other noble men and guards.

The sky was striking blue, the grass turned the yellow of autumn. As the sun was blistering down on our little group, I saw history unfold before me. I looked up to the remains of the massive temple of Wiracocha and imagined what is was like in the 15th century.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
and a Raqchi selfie too

Andahuaylillas 3.093m / 10.147 ft. above sea level

After such a great complex of ruins, we moved to more modern times when we visited the church of the tiny town of Andahuaylillas. The church is referred to as the Sistine Chapel of South America, and although it was very beautiful and the frescos were vibrant, it doesn’t really compare.

But it was a nice church, and again I learned a lot about this cultural history. We learned that after the Spanish conquest, painters from Europe, educated local artists to make the same religious paintings in the new churches.

As the Peruvian artists had never seen European churches or art, they adapted their own style and form. Our guide showed us the key elements of catholic religion intertwined with the local Pachamama culture.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
The church of Andahuaylillas.

More info on Andahuaylillas.

We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the church, but we received a DVD with information and pictures. With your entrance ticket to Andahuaylillas you can also visit the churches of Huaro and Canincuna. These are part of the “Ruta del Barroco Andino“ and with your ticket, you’ll help the social projects of these churches and the region.

 

Read more: Interesting Inca Sites near Cusco Peru other than Machu Picchu.

Cusco 3.400m / 11.155 ft. above sea level

After the last stop on the Puno to Cusco bus, we headed to Cusco. No more stopping until we reached the bus terminal of the tour company where I took a taxi downtown. We did see one more unique thing on the bus.

As we approached the Cusco Valley, the driver slowed down the bus, so we could all see the ancient Inca gate way to the Cusco Valley and the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The last sun beams of the day flowed through the holes in the ruins, giving it a magic spell.

When you travel from Puno to Cusco Peru you can fly, take the train or the bus. I'll tell you what to expect on the cultural bus trip from Puno to Cusco.
Inca gate way as you enter the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Are you looking for something relaxed to do in Cusco after such a long day?

Check out my post about the Chocolate Museum in Cusco.

This cultural bus tour from Puno to Cusco was over, but I never imagined it to be that much fun. I learned a lot about pre-Inca culture and Inca culture. And I learned about the adaptation of the Catholic religion from local Pachamama culture and I saw beautiful scenery along the way.

I was very happy to take this bus tour in Peru and I hope I peaked your interest to consider this journey if you travel by bus from Cusco to Puno or the other way around.

Buy your culture Puno to Cusco Bus Tickets here

Have you travelled from Cusco to Puno? At what site would you like to spend more time? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Probe around the Globe uses affiliate links. If you decide to purchase your Puno to Cusco bus ticket via one of my affiliate links, I’ll earn a small commission. This is at no extra coast to you.

57 Comments

  1. Maggie Coleman

    Hello Naomi! Thank you for your wonderful blog! I am traveling to Peru with my husband and 3 friends at the end of July. We will be doing this bus tour (and a lot of the other things you wrote about), so this post was so helpful to get an idea of what our trip will be like. I am so excited to see South America for the first time! Thanks so much for this detailed report!

  2. Emily

    Coollll !!! Your post gives details soooo clearly 😀 It makes me wanna head to Peru immediately 🙂
    Maybe i’m gonna spend much time at Ragchy cause it looks wayyy so peaceful through your photo 😀
    Thanks for giving so many tips Naomi 🙂

  7. Anisa

    This sounds really interesting. I really never think about traveling by bus, but you definitely pointed out some good reasons why you should. I still need to visit Peru, so will pin this for when I finally get around to it.

  8. Jessica

    This looks like a great deal and definitely something I would be into! The photos are great- I love traveling by train as well but it looks like you got a good view just the same. If I’m ever in the area I will have to consider this. Thanks for letting us know about this trip!

  11. Ro

    I should take a cue here. Sometimes I’m so concerned with getting from point a to b the quickest way possible that I forget so much is left to be explored taking the slower route. Thank you for the reminder!

  14. Cynthia

    What a fabulous way to travel – I love the idea of being able to stop and learn a little about things along the way. And, I also relate to and appreciate your point that some things aren’t worth an entire trip in and of themselves, but being able to see a bunch of them together makes a big difference.

  17. Gina

    Your trip reminded me of one I did in Mexico when I was 19. It was for 20 days, but we saw all the best and most beautiful things about Mexico. It was incredible and I learned a lot about the culture. By doing this cultural trip in Peru, I would like to see Puno.

  20. Deni

    I can definitely see why you opted for the bus trip instead of the luxurious train ride! Sometimes it’s not only the destination, but the journey as well! I would be very interested in seeing Raqchi for a day trip. Although I was quite interested in many of the stops (culture & history nerd over here too), I would love to really see its entirety instead of passing through it quickly! I also loved the entrance to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for passing on the tip about the bus trip 🙂

  21. Lauren West

    We were going to take a bus from Puno to Cusco a couple of years ago but unfortunately all of our bus travel in Peru was canceled due to a worker’s strike in southern Peru! We’ll have to retake that journey on another visit. We would definitely like to stop to see the Pucara church!

    1. Probe around the Globe

      The train is between 250$ and 300$ and is actually not that comfy. It is luxurious but the train goes in a painstackingly slow pace and each twist of the tracks you’ll feel (so I was told). I really wanted to take the train but I’m glad I got to see all these amazing sights along the way.

  24. Soraya

    I think you made the right decision! I love the idea that this bus stops along the way so you get to actually enjoy some sights. As much as I love train travel, it would annoy me if I couldn’t stop at places I’d seen on the way. The bus trip sounds comfortable despite it being 10 hours, but if you’re stopping along the way, then I don’t think I would really notice the time too much.

  25. Roger Wellington

    Awww Peru is one of my favorite destinations in the world. Reading your post brings me back such fond memories. I remember that I flew from Cusco to Puno, but now I know that I should have taken a cultural bus tour to see all these attractions. I love seeing Incan ruins. The Incan capital of Cusco is one dynamic city. It’s so majestic.

  27. Christine K

    What a great choice for exploring along the route to Cusco. I love the fact that the cultural bus stopped at all those places. It appears to be really good value too. I did not know this option existed so I thank you for sharing all the information. Definitely bookmarked for future reference.

  28. Joe

    Thanks for sharing this – I’m going to Peru next April, and Puni followed by Cusco is definitely part of the plan! Haven’t looked in to the travel options, but the way you’ve sold this has put it at the front of the queue of options – the relaxed pace definitely suits me, and as a bit of a culture geek myself, the various stop offs look like they’re right up my street 🙂

  29. Helene

    Hi! Love your post!! I wanted to go to South America at the end of the year but it fell through! definitely on my bucket list though!! thanks for this I love your maps and the indications it’s so detailed and practical. Sometimes people describe their experience but then you don’t really know the details if you want to do the same! so thank you ! I’m pinning this for later 😉

  30. Sasha

    Fabulous post. What a great way to see some lesser visited destinations. I also caught the bus from Cusco to Puno and remember the view being gorgeous! Do you remember how much the regular bus is on this route compared to the cultural bus? Would love to know if its roughly the same price as it was in 2012 or if its changed drastically with more tourism. I remember it being maybe $7 (I am hoping that is accurate). Thanks for sharing.

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