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Peru is the ideal South American country for backpackers of all ages to travel around. The varying landscape from mountains to jungle, to sea, and sand (dunes!) ensures that there is something of interest for everyone. However, the public transport system is notoriously not excellent, and like many other backpacking countries, tourists are often the target of crime. The solution? Peru hop – the safe hop on/off bus for travellers in Peru. Here’s our (Gemma and Craig) Peru Hop review taking your from Lima to Cusco with scenic stops along the way.
» Plan your trip to Peru with our popular Peru itinerary
Peru Hop – safe and fun travel in Peru
Why Choose Peru Hop?
Craig and I (Gemma) can’t believe how quickly we have progressed through Peru without feeling rushed.
After our fast-paced five-week trip through South East Asia in 2013 (Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand) we were adamant we would take our time.
We do have 18 months worth of career break after all (annoying, I know!) The reason?
Peru Hop’s well-organised itinerary which offers enough flexibility to avoid the feeling confined. Maybe the coca tea is partly to blame too.
Peru Hop is a hop-on/off bus company is similar to those in Australia and New Zealand.
Their buses travel to/from six to ten stops along the Western coast of Peru from the capital, Lima then inland towards Cusco, where you acclimatise before your trek to Machu Picchu which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Thinking of hiking to Machu Picchu? Here our guide on the 14 ways to get there.
We did the Lares Trek, a less saturated alternative to the Inca Trail.
Peru Hop Guides
Peru Hop is more than transportation.
Each bus ride has a guide (a local who can speak Spanish and English) and depending on where you are going, the guide may be getting off with you (the bus that is).
Big shout out to Carlos who we partied with in Huacachina! Is Peru Hop worth it? We think so for the local knowledge.
Salud from me (Gemma) & Craig – try the Peruvian pisco!
Peru Hop and Hostels
Peru Hop is a hostel booking service. Not booked your hostel?
No bother.
Most guides will call ahead and book you into their partner hostels at a discounted price.
For example, Kokopelli Backpackers in Paracas is 35 Peruvian soles 8-bed dorm normally but 30 Peruvian soles exclusively for Peru Hop customers. The company offers 20% off all dorms and 10% of private rooms.
Peru Hop attempts to suit everyone’s needs too by offering a ‘party’ hostel option for the Pisco-loving Hopsters and a ‘quiet’ option for… us (although we loved Kokopelli in Cusco).
Have your hostel booked already?
No problem!
We wanted to stay at Bananas in Huacachina but still met up with everyone that night and you can use the facilities at the Peru Hop partner hostels anyway. No pressure to book through Peru Hop.
Peru Hop organises tours. We weren’t going to bother going to Paracas but Will (co-founder of Peru Hop) suggested we researched it online.
I’m glad we did because we would have missed out on the cute penguins on Islas Ballestas!
These tours are discounted, for example, this trip with Paracas Explorers is not even available on their website but $15 USD with Peru Hop.
The tours are not mandatory. The company has attempted to make your life easier on the road but they are not forceful.
We skipped the sandboarding tour and opted for a more professional experience with Sandboarding Peru because we wanted to sand-ski too. Some stops have free Peru tours to break up the journey.
We enjoyed the Pisco vineyard tour on the way to Arequipa.
If you’ve seen Peru on Instagram then you’ll know Rainbow Mountain. Peru Hop offers an additional tour there too.
Isla Ballestas, can’t believe we nearly missed this!
Peru Tour Routes
Peru Hop has developed a variety of tours to suit all time frames and budgets starting from $70 USD (Canyon to Lake to La Paz) to $199 USD ‘The Full South’ Lima to Cusco which includes Paracas, Huacachina, Nazca, Arequipa and Puno (minimum 6 days).
The backpacker’s bus can start at Lima in Peru, La Paz in Bolivia or Copacabana on the border. Here’s an example of four Peru Hop itineraries.
Peru Hop Bus Facilities
Peru Hop is equipped for long-distance journeys.
The bus has a toilet which is only for ‘number ones’ though (the guides are very clear about this).
The guide will democratically let Hopsters choose a film from their collection. Meet The Millers is genuinely funny, who would have thought it?
The overnight bus from Huacachina to Arequipa was as comfortable as sleeping on a bus gets.
The guide gives you a blanket and the seats are semi-reclining.
For long-distance journeys, such as Arequipa to Cusco) the guide takes your food order and calls ahead to the stop point (such as a truck stop or restaurant) and puts in your order. You are paying for that convenience and communication.
This meal was around ten Peruvian soles each (food options – chicken, rice and veg, chifa, vegetarian omelette etc).
Friends For Life
The bus is safe but most importantly you make friends!
Hello to Jess, Liam and Ryan who we met on our first Peru Hop journey and partied with on our last in Cusco!
Hester, gutted we missed you! I bought your sweatshirt by the way…
Hola to B, Ben and Simon who we trailed from Huacachina to Arequipa then on to Cusco with.
Us Two Scots (Gemma and Craig) are social creatures; we need a break from each other for our own sanity!
Can Peru Hop Save You Money?
Peru Hop is actually cost-effective, for what’s included.
I was pricing the individual journeys we wanted to do with Cruz del Sur, the bus company mostly used by tourists in Peru, and Peru Hop popped up in the search engine. I was pleasantly surprised to see the comparison between the two services.
For example, ‘regular class’ seat prices with Cruz del Sur:
- Lima to Paracas ($18 USD)
- Paracas to Ica ($6)
- Ica to Arequipa ($32)
- Arequipa to Cusco ($42)
- Total: $98
If you want VIP seating (160-degree reclining seats), add approximately $3-5 per trip, $110-118.
Peru Hop’s price for this above itinerary is $179, which is the ‘To Cusco Without the Lake’ option as the Cruz del Sur route does not include a Lake Titicaca crossing. That was some experience!
Cruz del Sur rides don’t include:
- English and Spanish speaking guides
- Convenience calls like booking food ahead on long-distance trips
- Local tours
- Discounted accommodation
Naturally, not everyone wants that. If this is your style of travel, go for the public buses. Tranquillo!
We measure how cost-effective something is by not just taking money into an account and also the time saved.
Peru Hop has saved a massive amount of time, and arguments, the main reason we fought in Asia was through planning.
Check out this post on South America bus travel for another comparison.
» We saved £20K to travel! Discover the 5 S’s of saving
A Soft Warning – An Honest Peru Hop Review
The only warning – Peru Hop does not leave from every destination every day so you need to do a bit of forwarding thinking to ensure your itinerary is met.
However, this is probably the case with other forms of transport too.
Peru Hop has factored in how long they would recommend staying in each place so if you are taking a fast route through Peru you can do with missing the hot spots.
Oh and don’t forget to check out our Peru guide which details what not to miss, and all the other vital information required for your trip to Peru.
If you fancy heading to Chile from Arequipa it can be done independently, check out this article on how to take the bus from Arequipa to San Pedro Atacama.
Peru Hop Testimonial
Don’t believe our glorious review (they are partnering with Peru Hop so obviously they are raving about it…)?
Here is a testimonial from Simon, our Hopster amigo, explaining why this service is one of the best Peru tours –
The pickup service makes travelling in Peru very easy.
The guides made bus rides interesting with their explanations about local culture and Peruvian history. Every effort was made to ensure that arriving at your hostel was simple, no more stressing about finding a taxi and attempting to communicate an obscure address.
Included tours removed the hassle of trying to plan events ahead while remaining competitive in price.
Hopsters at the Red Beach
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a more ‘mature’ person, is Peru Hop for me?
Thanks to Marty for leaving a comment about his experience ‘I am a 61-year-old man and did the Peru Hop with my nephew and had a great time. There were other middle-aged people on the bus but most were the younger traveller types. Everyone got along fine and had a great time’.
Is Peru Hop really worth the money?
It really depends on what you are in Peru for. Do you want a safe, efficient trip where destinations are planned out for you with support in finding accommodation and the chance to make friends? Yes!
Are you on a very tight budget and willing to spend longer than necessary on public transport? Go for the alternative local route.
Is Peru Hop suitable for solo travel?
Peru Hop was made for solo travel. You have a ready-made family waiting for you four wheels.
Final Thoughts
A serious round of applause to Will and Connor (travellers themselves) aka Peru Hop.
The company is now well established in South America, working effectively in a ‘foreign’ country (the boys are Irish) they’re doing a great job keeping the rest of us safe and connected.
This is an honest review (as always) in exchange for two Hop passes. Well done lads and thanks for all of the advice. We look forward to our next trip with… Bolivia Hop!
- Peru Hop Lima office address: Centro Comercial “Torre Larco” Office 206, Avenida Jose Larco 812, Miraflores, Peru
- Contact: [email protected]
Going to Peru? Pin to your Peru board
Are you going to hop on/off in Peru? Do let us know in the comments below. Gracias!
» Read next: everything you need to know about travelling in Peru
Thanks to Peru Hop for partnering with us. An honest review as always.
Horribly disappointing experience!
My experience with Peru Hop was absolutely awful. I took the “Lima WIthout the Canyon” trip from Cusco to Puno. On the first leg of the trip to Puno, 2 people had their bags taken at the designated stop in Puno. The Peru Hop guide had no idea what to do. On the second leg of the trip from Puno to Arequipa, the heater wasn’t working and the bus was absolutely frigid for the entire bus ride. We were not given a wristband until half way through the trip and the guides checked who we were, anyone can get on the buses.
While in Nazca, I waited outside of the bus to ensure that my bag made it on. There is video footage from the Peru Hop pick up stop in Nazca showing that my bag was on the bus. When we arrived to Huacachina, my bag was already gone before getting off the bus to collect it. The drivers were throwing the bags off of the bus directly onto the sidewalk, unattended, at night, in a touristy town that is notorious for theft and robberies. Many of the passengers on the bus saw the drivers doing this. The next day, the cargo area of the bus was left unattended again in Huacachina after the bags were loaded on. Another bag could have easily been stolen at the time and the passengers complained.
I spoke to the co-founder of Peru Hop, Peter Coates. After admitting negligence, he refused to pay me any type of reimbursement for the cost of my bag and it’s contents. I lost $2400 worth of gear due to their error, as each piece adds up ($200 backpack, $150 hiking shoes, and so on) when you are an international traveler going for a long period of time… far moreso than a typical Peruvian jumping on a bus for a weekend trip with a day pack. Peter Coates said he has been advised not to make any exceptions to help, as Peru Hop would therefore have to do that for everyone. Yet he has claimed several times that this is the first time this incident has happened… after 2 other bags had been taken just on my Peru Hop trip alone.
Others who have previously taken Peru Hop said their drivers were throwing bags on the sidewalk during their trip as well. This is the first bus company I’ve seen that doesn’t have any sort of ticket system to ensure that the bags are safely given to their owners.
Peru Hop is dishonest, extremely unprofessional, and have no care for any of their customers. The Peru Hop website boasts guarantees of the safety and security of their passengers and their belongings while on the bus… yet have no desire to stand behind their services and guarantees to help their customers in situations that occur on their negligence. I highly recommend seeking other tour, trains, and bus companies for traveling around Southern Peru.
I am really sorry to hear about your experience. I will pass your comment back to Peru Hop too. This was the complete opposite from our experience but thank you for sharing it.
Hi Katherine,
First off, we would like to tell the readers that Huacachina is not notorious for theft and robberies and this is an insult to the people living there. Huacachina is a charming small city in the desert of Peru and the people living there contribute to it being one of the favorite destinations amongst tourists in Peru. They are proud Peruvians who appreciate tourists taking their time to come to this wonderful place and share it with them.
In terms of the people being let on the bus, then our guides are always standing at the entrance of the bus, making sure that only people who booked get on the bus. We have never had people on the bus who were not supposed to be there.
Next, the driver is never the one getting off the bus as the first person – the passengers are the first ones. Once our passengers are off the bus, the driver starts helping our passengers with the luggage and the driver gives you the luggage directly. Furthermore, you mention video evidence that the bag was on the bus, however, there is no CCTV in our baggage storage areas (same as all buses in Peru).
You also mention that your luggage was gone even before getting off, but you also mention that the driver left luggage unattended on the street, so, unfortunately, there is no red line in what you say.
As mentioned in our email correspondence, you were told that we would assist with a police complaint and give you a letter for insurance purposes, so you could claim back all of her losses on travel insurance for her lost/stolen bag. However, you refused as you did not have any travel insurance, despite every airline and travel agency (including Peru Hop) strongly recommended spending a little money on it.
You did not want to make a formal police complaint or proceed through the formal and appropriate channels of a travel insurance claim, but you demanded $2,400 in cash from us, but we refused. When you were refused, you made various threats against our company and 1 of our founders, Peter Coates.
Additionally, not only here on this blog did you write a bad review, but you also made your friends publish false reviews on our Google account as well as Trip Advisor. According to the guidelines of public forums, like Google and Trip Advisor, one can only publish a review if one actually took the service, so you invited your friends to not follow the guidelines. You and your friends were trying to cause issues for our company when it was your own negligence that lost your bag and your own decision to not pay for travel insurance.
We have surpassed more than 150.000 passengers on our buses. We are not perfect but baggage handling is something we have massive experience in and we will not be blamed for your negligence or the fact you did not want to pay for travel insurance and proceed with a formal police complaint.
Peru Hop
Hi Gemma, really appreciate all the information in this post and your others on your Peru travels! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip through Peru in late August/ early September and Peru Hop seems like such an easy way to get to everything we want to do. How far in advance did you book your tickets with Peru Hop?
I’m also trying to decide if we should stay overnight in Nazca in order to do a flight over the Nazca lines… I think it might be more worth it to have an extra day in Cusco though.
Perfect Katie, Peru is such a great country to travel around with the other half! I think we were three weeks in advance, you might want to send them an email to see how much availability they have beforehand. Mention you read our guide please, appreciate it!
It’s tough making these choices eh?!
Check out our full Peru itinerary for even more (sorry!)
Thanks Gemma! And yes, you’re right–it’s tough when you’re choosing between two good things!
So true! Try choosing pet insurance – that’s where I’m at just now, it’s paralysing!
What currency are The prices you quote in?
Either soles or USD.
Hello!
Your review on Peru Hop sounds quite reassuring.
By what I’ve read and if you dont mind confirming this, there are multiple tours and accomodations included in the price, such as stops at heritage sites and other thibgs along the way? Or am I wrong in assuming the prices are included?
Peru Hop seems to be quite a bit more expensive then if we were to use individual bus companies but if the accomodations exceed the services and experience than I think we may take the bite.
Cheers!
Peru Hop is predominantly a bus service. It offers some free tours such as the Pisco tour and others you can add on. Accommodation is not included but discounts are offered as described in the article.
Hola Gemma and Craig , just come around your blog abour Peru and is really helpful to me as I am planning to travel there. Can I ask you some little tips , do you think that it is worth to do Huacachina for two days and then drop off to machu picchu and stay there for three days ? As my main thing to do in Peru is Machu Picchu and I just come across and see that Huacachina seems to be really great 🙂 …thanks for your advise and I just want to know if Peru Hop is really really reliable and not a scam ? cause it seems to good to be real :-S
Thanking you guys.
Dae Stafford
I wouldn’t advertise any scams! We honestly travelled with them for our full trip and recommend them.
I really loved Huacachina because the sandboarding/skiing was fun and the partying was a good laugh. It depends what you want out of your trip but if you like the idea of those two things go for it!
I agree with you! it seems too good to be true!! 😀
but I am sure it’s not a scam. lots of people talk about them on the web.
I was feeling undecided too but booked through them yesterday and will go south to cusco next Monday!
😀
YAY! I hope you make lovely friends and drink lots of Pisco. Come back and let me know how you get on. Gracias!