Cusco/Practical advice
How to get to Cusco, and the new flight from São Paulo
Almost every trip to Cusco begins with a short flight. How often the planes leave Lima, which cities fly in directly, what changes in 2027, and how to spend the first hours on the ground.
At a glance
- FROM LIMA
- About 1 h 20 min
- SÃO PAULO
- From March 29, 2027
- TO THE CENTER
- About 20 minutes
In this article
Cusco has its own airport, Alejandro Velasco Astete, inside the city. Most travelers reach it by air, and for most of them the trip runs through Lima. That is about to change for one country: from March 2027, Cusco gets its first direct flight to Brazil.
From Lima
KAYAK counts about 230 nonstop flights a week from Lima to Cusco over the past three months, around 33 a day, flown by LATAM, Sky, and JetSMART. The flight takes about an hour and twenty minutes.
With that many departures, the flight is rarely the hard part. The harder choice is the hour. An early flight gives a full afternoon in Cusco, and that afternoon is best spent doing very little.
From abroad
A few cities fly straight to Cusco. LATAM flies from Santiago de Chile and is raising the route from 7 to 10 flights a week. Sky adds a daily Santiago flight from January 3, 2027. Avianca flies to Bogotá, and about seven times a week to La Paz, a flight of about an hour and a quarter. Schedules change by season, so check the airline for your dates.
No route from North America or Europe lands in Cusco without a stop. Long-haul trips connect in Lima or in one of the cities above.
New in 2027: São Paulo to Cusco
LATAM Airlines Perú will fly between São Paulo's Guarulhos airport and Cusco from March 29, 2027, four times a week. It is the first direct connection between Cusco and Brazil, with no change in Lima.
Flights from São Paulo leave on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 7:40 a.m. and land in Cusco around 10 a.m. Flights back leave Cusco on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 11:30 p.m. and land in São Paulo at 5:40 a.m.
The planes are from the Airbus A320 family, with Economy and Premium Economy. Times are local. Tickets went on sale in September 2026, and the first date has been reported both as March 26 and March 29, so confirm yours with LATAM.
A morning landing, a quiet afternoon, and the long days after that.
A morning arrival leaves the whole afternoon to rest, which is what the altitude asks for.
The airport
In 2025 the airport handled about 4.8 million passengers, more than any other in Peru outside Lima, according to CORPAC figures compiled by ComexPerú. Since December 2025 it has stayed open 22 hours a day, from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day, two hours longer than before. The late São Paulo departure falls inside those hours.
From the airport to the center
The airport sits about 5 kilometers from the center, around 20 minutes by car. Take an official taxi or a transfer arranged by your hotel. Uber also works across Cusco, but confirm the pickup point, since vehicle access in the historic center is sometimes restricted.
The first day
Cusco sits at around 3,400 meters. Drink water often, skip alcohol on the first night, eat lightly, and sleep early. The long days, Machu Picchu among them, belong later in the trip. We wrote more about it in Why altitude changes the shape of a Cusco trip.
A new airport is being built at Chinchero, in the hills above the Sacred Valley. We found no confirmed opening date as of October 2026, so every flight in this guide uses the airport in the city.
For what comes next, read How many days in Cusco? and The train to Machu Picchu: what to know before you ride.
Worth knowing
- Mountains close the Cusco valley on three sides, so planes land at the city airport from one direction only.
- Keep the afternoon you land quiet: Cusco sits at around 3,400 meters, and the first day is for doing very little.
- Cash is still king. Cards work in central spots. Keep some cash for taxis, markets, and tips.