Route:

Travel Time:
Nazca to Lima Bus: 6.5 – 7 hours
Flight Cusco: ~1.5 hours (Visit Cusco attractions)
Total: ~9 – 10 hours (Excluding time spent in Cusco)

Bus from Nazca to Lima, Flight to Cusco

Cost:
Bus: $20 – $40
Flight: $80 – $200+
Total: ~$100 – $240+

Pros:
Fastest and least tiring
Best for tight schedules

Cons:
Expensive
Misses major attractions

Best For:
Travellers on short trips and tight schedules, comfort-focused travellers who prefer flying over taking the bus, or those exploring multiple countries in the region and wanting to see just the highlights of Peru, such as Nazca and Machu Picchu.

Route:
Bus from Nazca to Puno, Stay, Bus to Cusco

Travel Time:
Nazca to Puno: ~16 hours

Rest in Puno and visit Lake Titicaca and Uros Island, Cusco.
Puno to Cusco: ~7 hours
Total: ~23 hours excluding time spent in Puno and Cusco

Cost:

Puno: $35 – $50
Cusco: $50 – $60
Total: ~$85 – $110.00

Pros:
Direct route
Includes Lake Titicaca

Cons:
Very long bus journey
Can be tiring in high altitude

Best For:
Budget travellers
Those okay with long bus rides.

Route:
Nazca – Arequipa – Chivay – Puno – Cusco

Travel Time:
Nazca to Arequipa: ~10 hours
Arequipa to Chivay: 3 – 4.5 hours
Chivay to Puno: ~6 hours
Puno to Cusco: ~7 hours
Spread over multiple days. Rest in each town/city and visit Arequipa, El Misti Volcano, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Uros Island, Cusco

Total: ~23 hours excluding time spent in each town/city

Cost:
Arequipa: $29 – $35

Chivay: $35 – $150

Puno: $38 – $150

Cusco: $20 – $70
Total: ~$122 – $405

If you choose this Scenic Route option to take a road trip from Nazca to Arequipa and Arequipa to Puno, then Puno to Cusco, the tours below cost less than booking individual bus trips, all the transfers and tours are taken care of, making your travel completely hassle-free.

• Walking Tour Arequipa Including Santa Catalina Monastery
• From Arequipa To Puno: 3-Day Tour to Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca (Accomodation not included)
• Cusco: Scenic Sun Route to Puno with Buffet Lunch

Pros:
Most scenic route
Visit Arequipa & Colca Canyon
See condors & Lake Titicaca
Less tiring (broken into parts)

Cons:
Time-consuming
More planning required

Best For:
Slow travellers
Nature lovers

Budget travellers
Travellers wanting full Peru experience

Nazca

Hacienda Majoro Boutique & Resort (Where we stayed) 

A perfect place to visit Nazca and relax in the evening, with beautiful grounds and a pool. The property is full of history and style, decorated with a blend of Inca heritage and colonial European influences. The hotel sits on expansive grounds with orange trees heavy with fruit, and llamas and peacocks roam freely. A small hill near the dining area features waterfalls flowing gently, adding to the charm. The hacienda is a 5-minute drive from the airport and has been beautifully converted into a hotel, combining old-world charm with modern comforts.

Don Agucho Hotel A new hotel that is very clean and conveniently located close to the Nazca Lines.

Arequipa

La Hosteria (Where we stayed) is a beautiful boutique hotel that was once a palace or mansion. The room we stayed in had a beautiful view of the volcanoes El Misti and Chachani.
They offer a very good breakfast. La Hosteria is about 5 km away from the Bus terminal Terrestre de Arequipa.

Chivay

The restaurants in Chivay are not close to the hotels, so it is advisable to choose one that has an on-site restaurant offering all three meals.
La Casa de MammYacchi Coporaque (Where we stayed)
This hotel is located in the centre of Chivay and has its own restaurant. It features a beautiful lounge, and they light a fire in the evening, which is wonderful. The meals are buffet-style, which we enjoyed. It offers beautiful views of the surrounding area and is a great place to stay.

Hotel El Refugio d’Elise (recommend this for the thermal bath within the property, but they dont have a restaurant)
This hotel sits right at the shore of the Colca river sound of the river flowing around the property can be heard.
They have natural thermal baths from the hot springs in the Andes mountains. The water is run through pipes to here. It is a fantastic place to stay if you want the thermal bath experience right within your door.

Puno

Conde de Lemos Hotel (Where we stayed)
The location was great in the middle of the town. The rooms were big and the hotel is just behind the historic buildings in town.

Cusco

Antigua Casona San Blas (Where we stayed) is about 8 minute walk to the Main square – Playa De Armas. It was cozy and beautifully decorated. The rooms were big and staff were friendly.

Ollantaytambo

El Albergue Ollantaytambo (Where we stayed) hotel was just inside the Ollantaytambo train station complex. The train stopped right in front of the hotel. The hotel had its own organic farm. At night, one of the office rooms in the station was converted into a dining area and dinner was served along with vegetables from the farm. Candles and music created a magical atmosphere.

The PeruRail train arrived a few hours earlier than departure, giving us a chance to take as many pictures as we wanted. Varun had fun going in and out of the train several times.

Nazca

There are many tours that combine Huacachina and Nazca in a single itinerary. However, both are desert regions, and it’s easy to get tired and worn out. Each place also offers a lot to do, so trying to cover both in one day can feel rushed.

Our recommendation, especially for travellers with kids, is to explore Huacachina and Nazca on separate days, and plan your transfer back to Lima on the third day.

Here are a few tours we suggest:

Nazca Lines Overflight from Nazca

Nazca Lines Tour from Ica

If flying isn’t for you (especially with all the twists and turns of the aerial tour), you can still explore the Nazca Lines by land with a guide.

If you are planning to stay in Nazca and enjoy a relaxed vacation, you can book this shuttle transfer from Ica to Nazca

Arequipa

Walking Tour through the Historic Center of Arequipa

Walking Tour Arequipa Including Santa Catalina Monastery (Tour we recommend)

If you have a bit more time in your trip and are looking for an adventure, this two-day tour to climb the volcano Chachani is an unforgettable experience 2 Days Climbing Volcano Chachani Tour, Conquer Your First 6,070m

From Arequipa: 3-Day Tour to Colca Canyon and Lake Titicaca (Tour we recommend)

This two-day tour to Puno doesn’t include attractions within the city itself, so you may need to book a separate tour to explore Puno. Instead, we recommend the three-day tour mentioned above, which includes Lake Titicaca and other key attractions in and around Puno.

Colca Canyon 2 days from Arequipa with final transfer to Puno

Cusco

Cusco City Tour You visit several Inca sites in Cusco in this Cusco: City Tour | Half-Day Tour to 4 Archaeological Sites

Sacred Valley Tour and Cusco to Ollantaytambo Transfer

This Getyourguide tour takes you to Sacred Valley tour from Cusco and drops you off at Ollantaytambo as optional dropoff. This is excellent as you get to tour the Sacred Valley which is one of the main attractions in Cusco and also get the free ride to Ollantaytambo.

Or you may book this transfer directly from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
The trip from Cusco to Ollantaytambo is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, everything will depend on the traffic of the city.