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.
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.
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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.
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.
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…
… 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
How nice to hear Maggie! I hope you’ll have an amazing trip and let me know what you thought about the cultural bus tour! I really loved it.
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 🙂
The place was beautiful Emily. I can recommend it.
Panorama of the ruins of the temple of Viracocha in Raqchi absorbs me. Help me please. I wanna go now.
Book a ticket and gooooo Michael!
Wow, I am planning to go to Peru and this article comes in time. Thanks for your sharing. The trip on the bus looks really interesting. I can see the trace of history from ancient life from that.
Lithic Museum of Pucará attracts me a lot. It seems come from a fairy tale of Peru. Must try!
I saw this option on my last day in Peru – what a bummer. Would have taken it otherwise 🙂
Awhh too bad Anna. Good excuse to return to Peru.
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.
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!
You’re welcome Jessica. It was an internal stuggle as I really wanted to take the train but this worked out great in the end.
Sounds like a great way to see a lot of the area in a short time and to understand exactly what you are seeing and the history around it.
Absolutely Katelyn, without the guide I would have been like: erhmm…?
I love bus rides. I enjoy the views (ideally) and those stops look perfect. Definitely a transport mean I would take (despite the time oftraveling).
Yes Arzo, if you take the nightbus, you still spend the same amount of time driving and stopping (for bus driver breaks) but now you get to see and explore a bit.
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!
You’re welcome Ro. I wanted to get from A to B too, and I did. Didn’t really matter it took all day, it was worth it.
Ooh, this is exactly the way I love to travel. Taking the scenic route and seeing all the sites along the way. Peru is high up on my bucket list and when I get there, this is definitely something I will look at doing.
Great Sara! I hope you get to go one day.
This sounds like such a great trip! I love your pictures!
Thank you Sanne, glad you like it.
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.
Absolutely Cynthia. I would have never went out to visit these places on a stand-alone trip. Now, seeing them on the route was an excellent way to get to know a little bit about a lot of places.
What an amazing adventure!! I’m definitely adding this to my Peru to do list!
Excellent Asdghik. Do you have a set plan on when you want to go to Peru?
What a great way to travel! Sounds like you had an amazing time!
Thank you Jess, it was a great tour.
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.
I love to discover some of the background of a country too Gina. 20 days in Mexico sounds like a good tour.
I am currently planning my first trip around South America and this looks to be a can’t miss experience! How much time would you recommend in each place?
Excellent! If you want to see the same sights, I’d recommend to just take the same tour/bus ticket. You’ll see it all. If you have your own car, you can have a quicker lunch and spend more time in Raqchi.
We are working on organizing a trip to Peru right now and this post has got me so excited! It’s been a while since we’ve been to rural South America and all of these place look so beautiful!
That will be great for your and the family Kevin! Have you seen my post about Huacachina? That will be loads of fun for the kids too.
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 🙂
You’re welcome Deni. I hope to give a little sneak preview in other things of Peru while this is not too far out of Cusco.
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!
I was so happy all my travels went as planned because the strikes are rather noturious! Hope you get a do-over one day Lauren.
I am a culture vulture myself and I would love to do this one day. Most tours usually start from one point and then return back to the same place. But this one is unique with so many places to see. I would love to see Raqchi. Nice post.
This tour is really catering for the gringo trail in Peru Soumya. Culture vulture.. I have to remember that. Lol.
How much does the luxurious train cost? It sounds comfy and I don’t do well with long uncomfortable rides… but I don’t know if I’d be down with missing out on all the cultural sights!
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.
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.
The day flew by and it was one of the shortest rides in South America. Loved it Soraya.
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.
Absolutely Roger. Well flying has its advantages too. Maybe next time.
This looks like an amazing trip filled with great cultural stops. If I ever get to Peru I will definitely do this!
I hope you can go one day Tom, I think you would like it.
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.
Your welcome Christine. I read about it but even the Lonely Planet shares little information about these amazing cultural sights.
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 🙂
Excellent Joe! Let me know if you have more questions. Would love to hear what you think of it when you return.
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 😉
Thank you Helene. I try to give useful information to help others. Glad you liked it!
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.
Excellent point Sasha. I will add the regular fair to the post. At the moment, with Cruz del Sur the bus trip from Puno to Cusco is $21-$29 so a bit more than the $7 lol