Day 10. Cajatambo - Lima - Cuzco

Submitted by maria on Mon, 15/09/2025 - 09:39

It is 3:15 a.m. and the alarm clock is ringing. The bus leaves at 4 a.m., but we have been advised to be at the station by 3:45 a.m.

Cuzco

The bus leaves more or less on time. We were told it was a direct route, but even so, it took us almost seven hours to get there.

It hurtles down a gorge with impressive vertical rock walls. The track is unpaved until we reach Road 18. Despite the rocky and arid terrain, thanks to the water from the Quichas River, they have managed to turn the valley into an oasis where they have planted lots of fruit trees, and there are even several nurseries.

The bus only stops to let people on and off. During the entire trip, you can only go to the toilet an hour and a half from Lima because they stop to wash the bus.

Cajatambo

We arrived at the bus station in Lima. As in other South American countries, the final station varies depending on the bus company.

Since we had no idea about prices, we looked up an approximate price using the UBER app and negotiated with a taxi driver who, according to the woman at the station, was supposed to be official. In reality, he wasn't, but the man was very nice and took us straight to the airport.

Street stall

We had been told that the bus from Cajatambo took about 10 hours, and we had booked a flight for 7:30 pm with LATAM. When we arrived at the airport, we went to the check-in counter, and a very friendly girl moved our flight forward to 2:20 pm at no additional cost. So perfect, we saved at least 5 hours at the airport.

We ate some sanguches after passing through security. They are a kind of sandwich made with pork, turkey or chicken, onion, lettuce, tomato and sauces. They were delicious. We bought a set menu for 33 soles each, which included chicha morada.

Chicha morada is a very famous drink in Peru made from purple corn. It has a very sweet taste similar to our grape juice.

Cuzco

We arrived in Cuzco at around 3.30 pm. We collected our bags and a taxi we had arranged with our accommodation for 25 soles was waiting for us. It dropped us off at the door.

We emphasise that it dropped us off at the door because our accommodation is located on a very steep street in the centre of Cuzco, next to the famous Calle Siete Borreguitos, but as the ground is stone, cars skid a lot and often don't want to go up. Furthermore, there is no exit and they have to reverse a few metres.

We stayed at Big Vacation Hostel in a double room with bathroom and breakfast, $19/night. They are very friendly and provided us with a map of all the places to visit in Cuzco. They also organise day tours or whatever you need.

We have booked transport with them for the day after tomorrow to Soraypampa and the tour to the Mountain of Seven Colours, when we return from the Salkantay Trek.

Cuzco views

At around 6 pm, it starts to get dark in Cuzco at this time of year. We are back at an altitude of 3,400 metres and we see many people struggling to breathe. Thank goodness we are already acclimatised!

We head to the archaeological site of Saqsaywaman, but it is closing, so we take the path on the right to climb up to the Cristo Blanco viewpoint on Pukamuqu hill.

The views of the city are spectacular. Almost everyone goes up to the viewpoint by taxi or tourist bus (12 soles) from the centre of Cuzco. You can also go up by public bus for 1 sol.

Cristo Blanco

Cuzco is a very safe city, so even if night falls while you're at the viewpoint, it's not a problem.

We came down the hill and walked along Borreguitos Street to enter the famous San Blas neighbourhood and take a stroll before dinner.

Cuzco is a beautiful city full of charming corners, and it's worth getting lost in its streets even at night.

Cuzco is one of the most touristy cities in Peru, and prices are much higher than in other parts of the country.

We returned to the hostel and had dinner there. We had lomo saltado (beef stew with rice) and chicken milanesa with rice, all very tasty for 28 soles.