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Peru Treks & Adventure - Travel
Information
What is the best way to get from Lima to Cusco?
By far the easiest way to travel
between Lima and Cusco is to fly. There are 6 or 7 flights per
day, and the flight time is about 50 minutes. The alternative is a
long, twisting bus journey through desert and mountains which
takes between 19 and 24 hours depending on the service !! (and
that's without delays!!).
Domestic Flights
There are several airlines operating
the route between Lima and Cusco. The most reliable and
professional companies are Lan and TACA.
Lan
www.lan.com Lan is a Chilean owned airline and probably the
best airline operating domestic flights in Peru. They also offer many
international flights. Lan is a member of One World Alliance (together
with American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia & Quantas amongst others)
so it should be possible to purchase these flights through your local
travel agent when booking your international flight. Their web site also
allows online reservations and secure payments. Domestic flights between
the following major cities in Peru: Lima - Cusco (3 flights per day each
way), Lima - Arequipa (3 flights per day each way), Arequipa - Juliaca,
Lake Titicaca (2 flights per day each way), Cusco - Puerto Maldonado (1
flight per day each way). Good safety record. Recommended.
TACA www.taca.com
Airline from Costa Rica. Operates international flights as well as one
daily domestic flight each way between Lima and Cusco. Good safety record.
Recommended.
Aero Condor www.aerocondor.com.pe
- Tours and flights over the Nasca lines. Package deals from Lima. Started
to operate other domestic routes such as Lima - Cusco in 2005. Peruvian
owned, cheaper flights than Lan and TACA. No accidents.
Star Peru
www.starperu.com The most
recent airline to enter the market with 2 flights per day between
Lima and Cusco. This is a Peruvian company with a fleet of 7
Boeing 737-200s (bought from United Airlines). Flights can be
booked and paid for online, however their website is only in
Spanish. Together with AeroCondor they offer a budget alternative
to Lan and TACA. No accidents that I have heard of so far!
Bus Companies
If you decide to take the bus from
Lima to Cusco there are many bus companies offering daily
services. However it is highly recommended to pay a bit extra and
going with a more professional company such as Cruz del Sur or
Ormeno.
Cruz del Sur
www.cruzdelsur.com.pe
Good quality buses with a good safety record. Website in English
with the facility to reserve and pay online. Can also be booked a
day in advance upon arrival in Peru. Recommended. Lima to
Cusco between 18 and 20 hours depending on service.
Ormeno
www.grupo-ormeno.com
Website in Spanish only with no facility to pay online. Can be
booked in Peru a day in advance. Lima to Cusco 24 hours.
When is the best time to come to Peru?
The high season is between June and
September with July and August being the busiest months. This is
because this is the dry season in the sierra and jungle regions
(Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Amazon jungle) and also because this period
coincides with summer holidays in Europe and North America, Canada
etc. However since Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere it is also
our Winter so the nights can be cold in the Cusco region, often
falling to freezing in July and August.
Weather in Cusco (and the Inca
Trail)
| CUSCO (& Inca
Trail) |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Av. High (°F) |
66 |
66 |
67 |
68 |
68 |
67 |
67 |
68 |
68 |
70 |
69 |
68 |
| Av High (°C) |
19 |
19 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
19 |
19 |
20 |
20 |
21 |
20 |
20 |
| Av. Low (°F) |
44 |
44 |
44 |
41 |
37 |
34 |
34 |
34 |
39 |
42 |
43 |
43 |
| Av. Low (°C) |
7 |
7 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
| Wet days |
16 |
12 |
10 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
14 |
June, July & August
This is the dry
season with little chance of rain. During the day you can expect
blue skies pretty much of the time. Since we are close to the
equator and very high up, the sun can be very strong so always
bring sun protection cream, a hat and sunglasses. It is
comfortable to trek in shorts and t-shirt. However when the sun
goes in it can get cold very quickly so always have a warm
sweater, fleece and long pants close at hand. you also need a good
4-season sleeping bag at night and a warm jacket, woolly hat and
scarf.
The scenery can be
fairly dry and brown during this period with not much activity in
the fields apart from gathering in the harvest and drying it. This
is a time for the people in the village to relax and enjoy some of
the many festivals. August is a month when many people make
offerings to Pachamama (Mother Earth) in thanks of a good harvest
and to bring a luck in the next year. Book hotel rooms /
flights etc well in advance.
September & October
Some years the
rains can start as early as September. However usually we
just get a couple of heavy showers each week
and the rest of the time it is sunny or overcast. The rain just
lasts for a couple of hours and dries up pretty quick. A plastic
rain poncho is recommended. The nights are
milder and a 3-season sleeping bag is usually sufficient on the
Inca Trail.
November, December, January,
February & March
The wet season
usually
starts
around
mid-November and
can
last until the end of March.
January and February are at the height of the wet season. During
these months you can expect rain on 2 out of the 4 days of the
Inca Trail.
Although downpours
can be heavy during this period
they rarely last for more than a few hours and then the sun comes
out. Being in the Southern Hemisphere this is also the summer in
Peru.
The sun
can be very
strong and soon dries up the rain.
The nights are fairly mild.
Bring good waterproof clothing, pack
your sleeping bag within several plastic bags, bring sun
protection cream and a good hat. In fact prepare for just about
all four seasons in one day!! Cusco is generally quieter during
these months with hotels prices dropping a little. You can find
rooms in most hotels upon arrival in Cusco. The maximum limit of
trekkers on the Inca Trail is normally still reached during
November, December and March so it is still important to book in
advance although 2 months in advance is sufficient. The limit on
trekkers is only met on about half of the days in January so if
you are flexible about your Inca Trail departure date you could
risk waiting to book your trek 4 or 5 days in advance (although
not with Peru Treks). The Inca Trail is closed throughout February
to allow for maintenance, conservation projects etc. In fact the
Peru Treks office is closed from 01 February to about the 25
February as we all take a holiday to the sunny beaches of north
Peru and escapes the rains.
April & May
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