When I was travelling in South America this year, I did just about everything I could to try every different bus journey, activity and tour available so that I could come and tell you all about it. Of course, when I was in Peru, I couldn’t miss trying the hop-on-hop-off bus tickets by Peru Hop (and other similar companies) that are so popular with backpackers in Peru.
I first heard about Peru Hop from two Peruvian girls I met travelling in Panama. To be honest, when I was still all the way up in Panama I hadn’t given a second thought to how I was going to make my way through Peru, but given the opportunity I took every piece of wisdom possible from them. They told me all about Peru Hop, the great Peru Hop reviews they had heard from their friends and other travellers, and told me it was not much more expensive than travelling by bus anyway.
When I looked into it, it was almost twice as expensive as booking the public buses yourself, but this doesn’t include potential taxis to and from the bus terminal, the private tour guide, and smaller stops you make on the way to your destination with Peru Hop.
I booked a short transfer within Peru with one of my hostels, and when I got on the bus, it turned out I’d accidentally booked a very small portion of a Peru Hop tour. I also (intentionally) booked a Peru Hop / Bolivia Hop bus (I’m not sure where one starts and the other one ends, but they’re all one company) from Puno (Peru) to La Paz (Bolivia) a couple of weeks later. So, although I didn’t book the full Peru Hop experience, I had two experiences on Peru Hop buses and met a lot of travellers along the way who were using Peru Hop, too.
As I have mentioned in previous articles, I think Peru Hop is a great idea for any traveller, but I especially think it’s the best way to see a lot of Peru if you don’t have much time, or if you’re a slightly more nervous or first time solo traveller (as the structure of it can help to put your mind at ease).
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What is Peru Hop?
Peru Hop is a private bus company especially designed for tourists. They cover the full south of Peru & Bolivia (the buses in Bolivia are called Bolivia Hop, but it is the same company). Essentially it is a hop-on-hop-off bus service that goes between all the major cities and towns in southern Peru and Bolivia. You choose how many stops you want to make, buy your ticket in one package, and then plan the trip yourself. You can book all of your buses in advance, or book a bus with just a few hours’ notice (although this is subject to availability and they recommend you plan at least 24 hours in advance to make sure you get a seat).
You can book all of your tickets through their app or by talking to customer service. As I said before, it is more expensive than taking local buses, but the buses are comfortable and of course the Peru Hop guide on board helps, too. They also make additional stops on every trip with some experiences included. Although it would be possible to plan yourself, the itineraries are designed to help you make the most of your time.
They also advertise exclusive discounts at some restaurants and accommodations, but to be honest these discounts are often available through other apps like booking.com and hostelworld. It’s nice to have, but I didn’t see anyone save more than a dollar or two here and there.
Peru Hop is a great alternative to taking a guided trip (like the kind you can book with Intrepid or G Adventures, which I do love but for different reasons), firstly because it’s much cheaper, and secondly because you can still travel independently as a solo traveler at your own pace. I always say that the best thing about solo travelling is that you can do your own thing, on your own schedule, and you don’t have to wait around for a group. So, I really love that Peru Hop still allows you to do this whilst giving the security of an organised trip to people that aren’t ready or don’t feel comfortable to fully solo travel.
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Peru Hop Destinations & Added Tours
One of the great things about Peru Hop is that they have a bunch of different options, from the classic “Full South to Cusco” ticket that takes you all the way from Lima to Cusco, hitting every stop along the way, to shorter sections and even day trips. Here’s a rundown of the stops you can make with a Peru Hop ticket:
Lima
Lima is, of course, the capital of Peru and where most Peru Hop tours start. You can also start from Cusco, La Paz or Arequipa, but it’s less common to do it this way round (and if you’ve read any of my Peru itineraries you’ll know why I think this is a bad idea altitude sickness wise).
Between Lima and Paracas they make a stop for the Secret Slave Tunnels Tour, which is included in your ticket price.
Paracas
In Paracas, a small town home to Paracas National Reserve, you get a “Golden Shadows Trek” and a tour of Paracas National Reserve included in your ticket price. You can also book a boat ride to do the Ballestas Islands Tour (I recommend doing it) for an additional cost. Almost all tours coming in and out of Lima stop at Paracas.
Huacachina
Between Paracas and Huacachina you’ll have the option to stop for a Pisco Vineyard Tour which is included in the price, but this stop falls around lunch time and lunch is not included, so you kind of “have” to buy lunch with them. (This is what I heard from other travellers, not what I experienced myself, as I wasn’t using Peru Hop for this part of my trip.)
In Huacachina you can do a Dunebuggy/Sandboarding Tour for an additional cost and, again, I highly recommend doing this!
Nazca
You can hop off the bus and spend time in Nazca, but I didn’t stop there and I also didn’t hear anyone else staying overnight there either; I don’t think there is much to see there. Peru Hop recommends that you travel straight through from Huacachina to Arequipa, stopping at the Nazca Lines Viewing Tower, which is another activity included with your ticket. You can also arrange to arrive earlier in Nazca for an additional cost if you want to book a flight tour of the Nazca lines.
The main thing I don’t like about this itinerary is that the night buses leave early and arrive early. For example, the night bus from Nazca to Arequipa leaves at 6pm and arrives at 5.30am the next day. I always prefer to take later buses that depart just an hour or two before you go to sleep, and wake up at a more normal time when the day is ready to get started.
Arequipa
After arriving in Arequipa (a little too early for my liking, but the hostel I stayed in, Arequipay Backpackers, let us leave our bags, take a shower, and hang out in the common areas when we arrived off the night bus).
Peru Hop offers a full day tour of Colca Canyon at an additional cost (although if you have time I highly recommend doing the multi-day hike), as well as a stop off at Lagunillas Mirador Viewpoint (included in your ticket price) on the way from Arequipa to Cusco.
*some of the other links on this website are affiliate links, but not the Peru Hop links, I am completely unaffiliated with them
Cusco
Depending on the trip you choose, you may go from Arequipa to Puno to Cusco, or from Arequipa to Cusco to Puno. I’ve put them in this order because this is the order that I travelled (not with Peru Hop for this section). But this just shows that you have options and flexibility!
I personally travelled from Arequipa to Cusco on the overnight bus, and I preferred it that way; I don’t know why Peru Hop have you doing this 13-hour bus ride by day, but that’s just my opinion. Of course, Peru Hop offer various trips to Machu Picchu at an additional cost through their partnership with Yapa Explorers.
Puno (Lake Titicaca)
So, as I mentioned, you can either stop at Puno on your way to Cusco, or you can go there after Cusco. This second option (the way I did it) makes more sense if you’re planning to go to Bolivia next. I took a local bus from Cusco to Puno, stayed overnight, and then took the Peru Hop bus from Puno, across the border into Bolivia, and up to La Paz.
Between Puno and La Paz, they do make a stop to do the Floating Islands of Uros Tour for an additional cost, but we were stuck at a roadblock for four hours and missed ours! You can also do an Isla del Sol Boat Tour from the Bolivian side of the border on this route.
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My Full and Honest Peru Hop Review
So, the main experience I had of Peru Hop was from Puno to La Paz, making a stop at Copacabana in Bolivia by Lake Titicaca. When I was first picked up from my hostel in Puno by a small, rickety transit van my hopes plummeted to the floor, but we were only in this van for about ten minutes before we pulled up and transferred to the proper Peru Hop bus.
There were only about ten of us on a full-sized coach with comfortable seats, USB ports, air conditioning, the lot. It was a really comfortable, clean bus, and our guide was really helpful in preparing us to cross the border into Bolivia. He went through everyone’s documentation individually to make sure there wouldn’t be any problems, and told us a bit about what we could expect when we arrived into Copacabana, our first stop in Bolivia.
From Copacabana to La Paz we switched buses, drivers and guides, and although the bus was less comfortable they did put on a movie and hand out popcorn to everyone (well-timed, because popcorn became my new obsession after doing the Salkantay Trek). This part of the service is often sold under the brand Bolivia Hop, for obvious reasons, but it’s all one company.
Peru Hop vs Booking Your Own Buses
Whilst I do think Peru Hop misses something of the authentic experience when it comes to travelling (navigating bus stations, locals on buses, and the spontaneity of having nothing planned always lead to more stories and adventure than anything pre-planned can possibly give you), it’s a great package deal for anyone nervous about travelling, travelling alone for the first time, or who wants more of a “holiday” (aka stress-free) experience.
I made some friends for life just by starting conversations with fellow Peru Hop passengers, and the weekend I spent in lockdown in a hostel in La Paz (long story, follow along if you want to hear it!) wouldn’t have been the same without my Peru Hop bus friends.
Whilst Peru Hop is quite a bit more expensive than booking the buses yourself, I personally think it’s still good value for money. With the added tours, the quality of service and the convenience all thrown in, I think it’s worth every penny if those are things you’re looking for in a travel.
Like I said earlier, I’m a fan of chaos when I travel, but if that’s not your vibe then Peru Hop may be a great option for you.
Overall, it’s a decision only you can make.