Cusco City Guide - Getting Around

Since the city centre is so small, the cheapest and easiest way to get around is by walking from place to place. There is no metro or urban rail service in Cusco, so the alternatives are to hail a taxi, to use the city bus network or to take a collectivo bus.

The complicated bus network is cheap and fast, if you can work out where it's going. Most buses are unregulated and simply chalk their destinations in the window. More useful are the large number of collectivos that run up and down Avenida Sol every couple of minutes, charging a flat fare and stopping wherever you want them to. The Tranvia (tel: (84) 224 377) is a free-rolling tourist tram service, which departs from Portal Comercio on the Plaza de Armas to conduct twice-daily, two hour hop-on, hop-off tours of central Cusco.

Taxis can be flagged down on most streets, particularly around Plaza de Armas, Avenida Sol and the central market. Taxis belonging to an official company have a roof light and company phone number and are safer than unregulated pirate cabs, which have occasionally been linked to tourist muggings.

It is safest to order a taxi through your hotel, so that they know who you are going with. Reliable firms include Aló Taxi (tel: (84) 222 222; website: www.alocusco.com) and Llama Taxi (tel: (84) 222 000), both of whose drivers are licensed and carry photo ID. There is a standard fare for rides within the city centre. You can also hire a taxi for a day to visit sites around Cusco, in which case you should pay the driver half the fare at the start of the service and half at the end.

You won't need a car to get around Cusco. Should you wish to explore further afield, a decent selection of vehicles can be hired from Avis who have outlets at the airport and at Avenida Sol 808 (tel: (84) 248 800; website: www.avis.com). You must be over 25 to drive a hire car and daily rates vary.

Loreto Tours (tel: (84) 226 331) rent out bicycles and motorbikes for the day.