Picked the overnight bus over the $40 flight to Cusco, zero regrets | Budget Travel Hacks

Jesse Thompson · 2026-08-25T01:45:28.444053+00:00

I was planning my Peru trip for months and had it narrowed down to a 22 hour night bus for $25 or a short flight for $65. The bus sounded rough but I figured I'd save the cash for more Machu Picchu entrance fees. Honestly the seats reclined way more than I expected and they gave us a hot meal at like 11pm which was wild. I woke up somewhere in the Andes with the sunrise hitting the mountains and it totally beat any boring airport view. Plus I skipped the altitude shock because we climbed slowly over the whole ride. The only downside was one guy snoring two rows back but earplugs fixed that. Has anyone else taken the overnight bus route through the Andes, or did I just get lucky? The driver stopped at a tiny market around 3am and they had the best empanadas I've ever eaten, so I'm curious if that's a regular thing.

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Picked the overnight bus over the $40 flight to Cusco, zero regrets | Budget Travel Hacks - The Community Guide