Travelling by bus from Santiago to Peru

My friend and I are planning to go from Santiago to Peru by bus. We plan to go to the border town of Tacna in Peru and perhaps move onto Arequipa.

Does anyone have any recommendations on which bus companies to use? It the crossing at the border easy? How long will the bus ride from Santiago to the border take?

Any other information would be appreciated.

Hi Ringsingkang,

I would definitely recommend TurBus. I used them a lot in Chile and they are a great service. To get from Santiago to the border with Peru will take you 2 days approx, assuming you aren't stopping anywhere along the way. If you have the time to spare, I would recommend busing to San Pedro de Atacama (a straight 24 hour trip from Santiago), spend a day there to break the journey and then bus from there to the border (Arica).

When you arrive at Arica (on the Chilean side) you can get a collectivo to the Tacna bus station (Peruvian side). There you show your passport and can arrange transportation to Arequipa. I would recommend travelling with Cruz del Sur bus company or Ormeno on the Peruvian side.

Hope that helps