Due to its location, Cusco attracts many visitors from the city of Puno as well as Lima. Much closer than Lima, the trip from Puno to Cusco is only 388 km and takes about 7-8 hours over land. Flights from Puno are also available and reach Cusco rather quickly.

Air Travel
Like Lima, flights depart daily from the Puno airport and tend to leave very early in the morning because pilots need clear visibility to navigate through the Andes and arrive at Cusco safely. Flight duration lasts about 45 minutes, but depending on the airline you choose, you may find a stop over in Arequipa before finishing the journey. Flights that stop in Arequipa tend to take about 2 hours and sometimes involve a flight change. Either way, flights do tend to leave very early in the morning, so when planning your flight realize that it will be a very long day of travel, but very easy. LAN Peru is the biggest airline that has these trips so visit their website:
Official LAN Peru Website

Train Travel
Train travel between Cusco and Peru is fairly simple. The train station in Puno is located directly in the center of town and one can make reservations for a train one day in advance. Since prices change, to arrange a reservation, check the Peru rail website for all up-to-date information on price and schedule please visit:
Official Peru Rail Website

Land Travel (local buses)
Local buses leave daily from Puno and head for Cusco. Ranging from about 8- 10 US Dollars, the trip takes about 8 hours, which varies based on which company you choose to ride with. Some companies know the roads better than others and know when to expect turns so travel at a bit of a faster rate. Trips leave at all times of the day, with a majority leaving in the early in the morning or the late afternoon. After the 8 hour ride, if you find yourself in Cusco too early in the morning and it seems that the whole city is asleep, the buses are very accommodating and will usually let you remain on the bus until the city is awake around 7am.

Special Tourist Bus
In addition to the local buses that leave daily from Puno to Cusco, some companies have organized quality packages designed specifically for tourists who are interested in visiting not only Cusco and Puno, but stop at some of the remarkable sights and archaeological remains in between the two cities. All of these bus companies arrange for stops along the way and provide a guide who explains the sights and scenery as one passes by. Usually, these tours run about 30 US dollars and include a small lunch buffet including some Peruvian cuisine mixed with typical lunch foods. One can purchase tickets for these tourist buses at most travel agencies in Cusco at least one day in advance of the planned travel.

First Class and Inka Express are two very popular bus companies that run these $30 offers, which stop at places of interest along the way. It is typical to find cheaper prices, but cheaper prices reflect quality of service, time at places of interest, and accommodations on board of the buses.

  Cusco Overview

  Highlights:
    Plaza de Armas
    Coricancha
    San Blas Neighborhood
    Churches
    Museums
    Important Streets

  Lodging and Hotels
    Luxury Hotels
    4-Star Hotels
    3-Star Hotels

  History

  Weather

  Transportation
    From Lima
    From Puno

  Nearby Highlights:
    Machu Picchu
    Sacred Valley