Overland Adventure through Peru & Bolivia
It’s happening, on Monday, we’re flying into Peru! After weeks of planning, navigating a maze of flights, and working out the logistics of overland travel through two countries, we’re finally set. And rather than zipping through on quick flights, we’re taking the scenic (and slightly chaotic) route traveling overland from Lima to La Paz, Bolivia, and then looping back up to Cusco, Peru.
We’re following the famous Gringo Trail, a well worn backpacker route through the best of Peru and Bolivia, taking buses through deserts, mountains, lakes, and ancient ruins. This means long rides, overnight buses, and the kind of slow travel that lets us truly see the country.
First Stop: Lima (4 Nights)
We’re kicking things off in Lima, spending a few days exploring the coastal cliffs of Miraflores, the historic centre, and most importantly food. Lima is the culinary capital of South America, and we’re ready to eat our way through it, especially after 2 flights to get there, Expect a lot of ceviche, empanadas, and anything that pairs well with a Pisco Sour.
Then, the real adventure begins.
The Route: Lima → La Paz → Cusco
We’re heading south, crossing into Bolivia, and then looping back into Peru because why take the easy way when we can make things even more complicated? Here’s what the journey looks like:
🇵🇪 Peru: Lima → Puno
• Lima → Paracas – A small coastal town known for the Ballestas Islands, aka Peru’s version of the Galápagos. Seals, penguins, and dramatic cliffs.
• Paracas → Huacachina – A desert oasis surrounded by massive sand dunes, where we’ll be sandboarding and riding dune buggies like maniacs.
• Huacachina → Nazca – Famous for the mysterious Nazca Lines, massive ancient geoglyphs carved into the desert. Flying over them is an option, but so is the viewing tower (for those of us who prefer solid ground).
• Nazca → Arequipa (Overnight Bus) – This is our first big overnight journey, arriving in Arequipa, the “White City”, home to colonial streets, volcano views, and our first real taste of high altitude.
• Arequipa → Puno (Lake Titicaca) – Our final Peruvian stop before Bolivia, where we’ll visit Lake Titicaca and the floating Uros Islands.
🇧🇴 Bolivia: Puno → La Paz
• Puno → Copacabana (Bolivia) – We’ll cross the border into Bolivia (which should be an adventure in itself) and stop in Copacabana, a lakeside town where we’ll take a boat trip to Isla del Sol, the supposed birthplace of the Inca civilization.
• Copacabana → La Paz – Bolivia’s high-altitude capital, where we’ll ride the city’s famous cable cars, explore the witches’ markets, and maybe even check out Death Road (if we’re feeling particularly brave).
🇵🇪 Back to Peru: La Paz → Cusco
• La Paz → Cusco (Overnight Bus) – One final overnight haul through the Andes before we cross back into Peru and arrive in Cusco, the historic capital of the Inca Empire.
• Cusco → Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu – The grand finale! Exploring the Sacred Valley, trekking (or training) to Machu Picchu, and soaking up every last bit of Incan history.
Why This Route?
Because this is the way to actually experience Peru and Bolivia. Sure, we could just fly between the big cities, but we’d miss everything in between. The unexpected roadside stops, the random markets, the crazy landscapes we’d never see from a plane.
Yes, it’s going to be long, we will break the journey up staying at locations for a few days each, but there will be overnight buses, early mornings, and a lot of hours staring out of bus windows. there will also be deserts, mountains, ancient ruins, lakes, wildlife, and experiences we couldn’t get any other way.
This one’s going to be big. From racing through the dunes in Huacachina to crossing the Bolivian border, overnight buses through the Andes to standing at Machu Picchu, we’ll be sharing every part of it.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to overland through South America, stick with us and ill let you know, I’ll also let you know how the kids get on too!
Peru, Bolivia, we’re on our way! 🚍🇵🇪🇧🇴
Overland Adventure through Peru & Bolivia!
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