Right after deciding that our next destination after Cusco would be La Paz, Bolivia, we began searching online to see what transport alternatives were available.

Preliminary research gave us a couple of options, which didn’t work for us:

• Flight – prices on Skyscanner range between $128-$183 per person (too expensive),
• Land transport – according to our research, if you want to take a bus, you would need to:
  1. Take a bus from Cusco to Puno,
  2. From Puno, take another bus to either the Khasani or Desaguadero border into Bolivia,
  3. After getting stamped out of Peru and into Bolivia at the border, take a collectivo to La Paz (another 2 hour ride).

This can be a little daunting if you’re not accustomed to taking public transportation, or carrying a lot of luggage. So, we tried to find a bus company that offered direct (i.e. Cusco to La Paz without having to change vehicles) services between Cusco and La Paz.

Direct bus (best option)

We used redBus to look for direct buses, and found three bus companies offering this very route. We chose the company Transalvador, since they were the cheapest on the list.

After booking our seats on the bus, we checked online for any reviews on Transsalvador. We were alarmed at the stuff we found in the travel groups we were members of – I will rephrase, but basically, here’s what was being said:

• This trip does NOT EXIST,
• Transalvador does not have an office in Cusco and is unresponsive to queries,
• Buses are NOT allowed through the border (so we would still need to take a collectivo into La Paz, so the route is not really “direct” as advertised).

This was not great news, but since we’d already bought our tickets, we hoped for the best.

We called the number of Transsalvador (+51974216171) and managed to speak to someone right away. Somehow, in our broken Spanish, we managed to confirm that:

• They do exist and they do respond, through WhatsApp and FB Messenger,
• The itinerary on our ticket is correct AND it is a direct journey from Cusco all the way to La Paz.

Of course, after reading the online chatter, we were still not 100% convinced. We decided we would be the guinea pigs and report on what happened to us (whether good or bad).

After a journey of 16 hours – GOOD NEWS! This route DOES EXIST, so there is no need to worry about getting scammed or getting left at the border to fend for yourself.

Requirements to enter Bolivia

Aside from passports and visas (if you need one), there are a couple of other things you will need to enter Bolivia. However, based on our own experience crossing the border, we were only asked for our PCR test results and health insurance. Some of our fellow bus passengers told us while we waited for our bus that they did not get asked for anything. As in many border crossing situations, different travelers get asked for different things, so it is best to be as prepared as possible.

Another very important thing to remember is that all these required documents NEED TO BE PRINTED. That’s right, no digital copies will be accepted. In some online forums, we read that you need TWO COPIES OF EVERYTHING. So, we made two copies of each document that was required. Turns out, at least in our case, one copy would have sufficed. They barely even glanced at our papers, let alone bother to at least keep them for their records or future reference, so having more than one copy does not make sense at all.

• Negative PCR test – “Certified negative RT-PCR test for people over five (5) year of age.
  
  1. Up to seventy-two (72) hours before boarding in the country of origin, for nationals or foreigners coming from outside the country by airway;
  
  2. Up to seventy-two (72) hours before entering the Plurinational State of Bolivia for nationals or foreigners, who enter the national territory by land, river or lacustrine. (Source),
  
• Health insurance – particularly one that covers Covid-19 treatment,
• Declaración Jurada De Salud Del Viajero para prevenir el CORONAVIRUS form – you need to fill this up and have a printed copy with you at the border,
• General Direction of Migration – After getting stamped into Bolivia, you will be given a piece of paper with a QR code and link to the SIGEMIG web site, where, within 48 hours of entering Bolivia, you need to create an account and declare where you will be staying in Bolivia,
• *Yellow fever vaccine certificate – We read online that some border officials asked for this document; however, we DID NOT get asked to furnish this during our border crossing. To be safe, we also decided to get our yellow fever vaccine while in Cusco.

A few important things to know when taking this route

Ticket price per person – It cost us only 120 Soles at the time, although prices seem to have gone way up since we booked – on the redBus web site, we’re seeing 250-300 Soles per person!

Bus terminals in Cusco and La Paz – There is more than one bus terminal in Cusco – make sure to go to Terminal Terrestre de Cusco. Once you are in La Paz, you will be dropped of at Terminal de Buses La Paz. In both stations, you can find places to eat and buy snacks. In the La Paz terminal, you will find a bunch of ATM machines and a couple of stores where you can purchase a SIM card.

Duration – In total, with the almost three-hour wait at the border for the bus, about 16 hours.

Changing money – 30 minutes from the Desaguadero border, the bus driver will make a stop at place where you can change your remaining Soles/Dollar/Euro into Bolivianos, get a cup of coffee or some snacks. Exchange rates not the best, but you can change your remaining Soles here, as it might be difficult to change them inside the country.

Snacks for the long wait at the border – After entering officially into Bolivia, we had to then wait for our bus to take us to La Paz, which was another two hours away. So we waited … for almost three hours! Not sure if this is normal, but just in case, make sure you have something to snack on. Although there were many “mini market” stores around us at the Desaguadero border, we arrived on a Sunday – hence, most of them were closed.

Step-by-step guide: Direct bus from Cusco to La Paz and some observations

1. Purchase ticket on redBus,
2. On day and time of departure, go to the right Cusco bus terminal (Terminal Terrestre de Cusco),
3. Once inside the terminal, go to the Transalvador booth (they are located near the stairs – you can buy tickets directly there or book in advance through redBus (they accept credit cards),
4. If you book through redBus, show them the PDF you received from redBus when you purchased your ticket. They will check your names at the counter and give you a physical ticket,
5. Pay the “departure tax” of 10 soles per person at the counter,
6. They will tell you to come back to the counter at a certain time, to get ready to board the bus (during which time they will give you the gate number),
7. Bus has onboard toilet, three seats per row, 160 degree recline, and USB charging points,
8. Bus will drop off passengers in Puno, and pick up new passengers from there bound for the border,
9. Bus will stop 30 minutes before border – for toilet/snack/money change break,
10. Upon reaching Desaguadero border, take all your luggage and walk to the Peru immigration building for your exit stamp (they will ask if you have PCR test ready before stamping you passport in preparation for Bolivia entry),
11. After officially exiting Peru, walk across the bridge to the border of Bolivia, and tell the guard you want to go to immigration – they will let you through and point you to a small building where you will see a line of people. Join the line.
12. Once you get your Bolivian entry stamp, exit the building the same way you entered and wait for the bus just outside the building, along the road,
13. Prepare to wait a long time and make friends with your fellow bus passengers. We waited almost 3 hours for our bus to clear immigration. According to the bus conductor who was waiting with us, it normally takes a while for buses to be fully processed at the border,
14. Once we got back on board, it was another two-hour journey to Terminal de Buses La Paz, where all passengers were dropped off,
15. Don’t forget to create an account and complete the General Direction of Migration online within 48 hours of entry (a slip of paper with a QR code and link will be handed to you by the immigration office after you get stamped into Bolivia.

We hope you find this useful! Have a safe journey!