2025 updated information on Cruz Del Sur buses, their routes, and schedules. Discover all of the information you need to know before booking your bus ticket below.
For over 50 years, Cruz del Sur was one of the most well-known bus companies in Peru. Their focus on quality made them a top choice for travelers, and until 2015, they dominated the market. However, when Peru Hop launched, offering a service designed specifically for tourists, things began to shift.
Apart from this, Cruz del Sur’s quality has drastically dropped. Since Covid, reviews have highlighted growing concerns about safety and poor customer service. Many travelers mention receiving little to no help from staff when accidents happen. As more complaints surface online, it’s important to review and make the best choice for your trip through Peru.
Cruz del Sur has various different types of buses, from buses with personal TV screens and cama (bed) seats, to more economical and basic buses.
Below is a summary of the types of buses they use:
Cruz del Sur tends to be safe, however they have recently reported accidentssometimes report accidents and bus hijackings have been taking place over the last 5 years on their Lima-Ica-Nazca-Cusco Route. The main reason for this is that Cruz del Sur, like most other public bus companies in Peru, always crosses the Andes mountains when going between Lima and Cusco and vice versa. This is the quickest route (it saves about 5 hours compared to going the longer way via Arequipa) however as the bus cross the middle of the Andes, they lose GPS signal.
Local thieves are aware of this, and so using a local person on board, they coordinate the arrival of the bus to a certain point and put big rocks in the middle of the road which grinds the bus to a halt. They then proceed to threaten the driver with their guns until they open the doors and let them on board to steal credit cards, passports, laptops etc of all the tourists on board. There was a recent hijacking of a Cruz Del Sur bus in which the passengers on-board were robbed of $50,000!
This, unfortunately, is quite common on this route and Oltursa and other famous companies have also experienced the same issues. It is why companies like Peru Hop always use the longer route via Arequipa, however local Peruvians need to get to their destination quicker, and so this is why Cruz del Sur and other bus companies operate this quicker but more dangerous route.
Cruz del Sur covers most of the major bus routes across Peru.
If you are looking for a bus on any of the following routes, see our link for information as to whether they cover that route or not
In one of our other articles, we analyzed and compared the best Peruvian bus companies in relation to safety, reliability and customer service.
The answer to this question is no. Due to recent reviews and feedback from travelers, it’s service has drastically dropped compared to a few years ago. We suggest opting for another Peruvian bus company.
