If you want to travel from Cusco to Puno there are several modes of transport you can take:

Fly to Puno from Cusco

It’s possible to fly directly from Cusco to Puno with LAN Airline. The flight takes about 50 minutes and should cost around $150-$200. It’s usually much cheaper to book your flight inside Peru than outside. Also note that the airport you need to fly to is actually Juliaca which is a short distance by car from Puno.

Train to Puno

The Peruvian rail network is currently not very extensive, however it is possible to take a direct train from Cusco to Puno. The rail network is currently controlled by Peru Rail and unfortunately for tourists this is surprisingly a very expensive way to travel. A roundtrip by rail between Cusco and Puno currently costs about $220 which is outrageous in my opinion. Rail travel is far cheaper in expensive western countries! Visit the scam merchants at http://www.perurail.com for more info.

Bus to Puno

The cheapest way to travel to Puno from Cusco is by bus. There’s usually several buses per day and take approximately 6 hours to travel between Cusco and Puno. It should cost about ??

Organised trips including visits to ruins.

There are a few interesting ruins between Cusco and Puno, such as the Racchi ruins which are worth a visit if you’re interested in the Inca history. If you take the train or the bus then it won’t be possible to visit these ruins. There are several fairly inexpensive tours you can take from Cusco to Puno that will allow you to visit these places of interest along the way. Shop around at the different tour agenices in Cusco to see what they can offer you.

If you’re not part of a tour and want to make your own way to Pisac then getting there couldn’t be easier. Here’s how:

Taxi to Pisac

Getting a Taxi to Pisac from Cusco is quite easy, and although it’s by far the most expensive way of getting there, it doesn’t cost the earth. Expect to pay around 40 soles in a taxi which is about $13. There are also collectivo taxis which are essentially minivans that set off as soon as they are full. These are very inexpensive and cost around 5 soles. In a taxi the journey should take around 40 minutes.

Bus to Pisac

The cheapest way of reaching Pisac from Cusco is by bus (currently 2.40 soles). The buses set off around every 10 or 15 minutes and are usually full of locals and is therefore the best way of traveling if you want to fully immerse yourself in Peruvian culture. There are also two bus stations in Cusco that serve Pisac. One route goes to Urubamba via Pisac, and the other route goes to Calca via Pisac. The bus usually takes around 50 minutes.

There are basically only two ways of reaching Puerto Maldonado from Cusco. They are:

Bus to Puerto Maldonado

The road link between Cusco and Puerto Maldonado has improved considerably. Not long ago it would have taken 2 or 3 days to reach Puerto Maldonado by Bus , but now it can be done in less than 24 hours, or at least during the dry season. Travelling by land during the wet season is probably not recommended.

Fly to Puerto Maldonado

The quickest and simplest way to reach Puerto Maldonado from Cusco is by airplane which takes less than an hour. You can currently fly direct from Cusco and for a reasonable price too (often much less than $150 for a roundtrip). However,  air carriers and routes change quite a lot in Peru. If there’s no direct flight then you would have to go via Lima at considerably more expense. It is also usually much cheaper to book flights inside Peru than from the outside.

You’ve probably figured out by now that if you want to visit Machu Picchu then you need to go via Cusco, the original capital of the Incas and gateway to The sacred Valley and other Inca Monuments.

There are several ways you can travel to Machu Picchu from Cusco; here are the most common:

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

If you’re feeling fit and adventurous then the best way to visit Machu Picchu is by the Inca Trail. The Inca Trail is one of the most famous hiking treks in the world and will take you on a 4 day trek through some of the most breath taking scenery in the world. However, be warned, you usually have to book the Inca Trail at least 3 months in advance.

Train to Machu Picchu

If you’re short of time or just want to get there in the most comfortable way possible then the best method is to take the train. Trains run several times a day between Cusco and Aguas Calientes (Mauchu Picchu village) and usually take between 3 and 4 hours. If you’re taking the train during peak travel season (June-August) then it’s usually a good idea to book your seat several days in advance.

Alternative Inca Trails to Machu Picchu

If you’re not able to book on the Inca Trail, or just fancy doing something a little different then there are several other treks that finish at Machu Picchu. The most well known is the Salkantay Trek and speaking from personal experience I can say that this trek is absolutely incredible and I highly recommend it.

By Car

Several travel agencies in Cusco offer one-day visits to Machu Picchu by car. I’m not entirely sure how this works because it’s currently impossible to drive 100% of the way there by car. My guess is that they take you to Ollantaytambo by car and then you go the rest of the way by train.

Travelling to Urubamba from Cusco

There are several ways you can travel to Urubamba from Cuzco.

Bus to Urubamba

You can get the bus to Urubamba from Cusco. It costs 3.5 soles and the journey takes about 1 and a half to two hours. You need to get to the bus terminal in Grau in Cusco.  Buses leave very frequently (about every 15 minutes or so) from dawn until about 6.30pm.

Taxi to Urubamba

Taking a taxi is the definitely the quickest way to get to Urubamba.

There are two types of taxi. You can get a private taxi which is is the more expensive option and will cost about 50 soles. You can get a taxi from the taxi terminal in Pavitos in Cusco.

You can also get a shared taxi. You can get a shared taxi from the terminal in Pavitos just off Avenida Grau where the buses leave from. A shared taxi should cost around 6 soles.

Private Tour

There are dozens of tour operators in central Cusco. I’m sure many of they could arrange a tour to Urubamba for you.

Train to Urubamba

There isn’t a direct train from Cusco to Urubamba. You can take the train from Cusco to Ollantaytambo which is about a 20 minute drive from Urubamba.

Here are a few sites where you can find people blogging about their experiences in Cusco

Travelblog.org – Has over 2700 travel blogs that feature Cusco!

TravelPod.com – Has over 2500 blogs featuring Cuzco.

I’ve found that quite often international flights (or at least the ones I’ve been on) have arrived at Lima quite late in the evening, so it might be necessary for you to spend a night in Lima before you fly to Cusco.

Another thing to be aware of is that flights between Lima and Cuzco are often cancelled due to strong winds.

There are several airlines that fly from Lima to Cuzco. Here is an overview:

LAN – LAN is probably the most popular and reliable airline flying to Cusco and has by far the most flights with currently around 15 flights per day in the busier periods. However LAN is not the cheapest with a return flight costing over $400 with taxes and everything. Visit www.lan.com

TACA – TACA is a popular South American airline has one flight per day between Lima and Cusco, with the flight from Lima leaving at 5.40am. However many of their prices do seem to be cheaper than LAN. Visit www.taca.com

Star Peru – Star Peru have 3 flights a day between Lima and Cusco and from my research they appear to be the cheapest option. It’s possible to get a return flight for less than $150 including taxes. www.starperu.com

Aerocondor Peru – Aerocondor apparently have 3 daily flights between Lima and Cuzco, however at the time of writing I can’t get any pricing information from their website. Visit www.aerocondor.com.pe