I am a little worried about arriving in Lima. What do you recommend?

The best thing you can do is leaving the airport as soon as possible. You will probably pay “too much” for a taxi ($ 28.00 to Miraflores, or downtown Lima ) but it is the safest thing you can do. It is not a good idea spend a lot of time bargaining, talking to different taxi drivers or (worse), walking out of the airport to take a cheaper taxi. You will arrive only once in Lima!

The safest area to stay in Lima is Miraflores. If you want to go downtown Lima , be aware for pickpockets and robberies. There are several nice hostals for all prices in Lima .

If you want to stay a day to visit Lima , we recommend you to visit e.g. the Gold Museum . You can also take a City Tour that includes the nicest sites in Lima . Most people, however, take a flight or a bus out immediately after arriving or the day after.

I have heard of a Lima Pick Up Package, what is that?

There are agencies that offer a Lima Pick Up Package. This is a nice and safe start in Peru ! When you arrive at the airport in Lima, you will be picked up by a representative of the school who will have a sign with your name on it. He will take you to a comfortable two star hotel. The next day, after breakfast, you will be taken back to the airport where you will pick up your flight ticket at the airline counter.

Is it possible to travel overland from Lima to Cusco?

There are two options but both are pretty time consuming. The first route will lead you to Cusco via Ayacucho, Andahuaylas and Abancay and is really beautiful. However, most part of the road is unpaved (and the buses and the hotels bad) and it might be a little too much for the traveller who has just arrived to Peru. All together, it will take you about 48 hours to get to Cusco. There are several bus companies that offer this service throughout the year; however, the route is too dangerous to consider in rainy season.

The second option will go to Arequipa first, and then to Cusco . The Lima - Arequipa part is fast: the majority of the trip is via the Panamerican highway, along the coast. Buses are fine and depart about every half an hour from Lima. Arequipa is a beautiful, colonial city, where the traveller might want to consider staying a day or so before continuing the trip. But if you prefer, there is a direct connection to Cusco that departs between the hours of 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. The road is not too good, it might be freezing cold at night and the bus crowded. Now you will start traversing the Andes, this is the real side of Peru! You will arrive in Cusco in the early morning, between 4:00 and 8:00.