Inhabitants of the manmade Uros islands must keep their homes afloat by replenishing layers of reeds atop Lake Titicaca. Photo by Carolina Ospina | Pixabay

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In Peru’s Colca Canyon, tourists watch condors at eye level. An affordable hop-on, hop-off bus provides access to many of the country’s historic sites and natural wonders. Photo © Rodrigo Llopisg | Dreamstime

Through three decades of traveling together, my husband and I avoided bus tours. We relished our independence, traveling on our own by train, bus or rental car — until we planned a trip to Peru.

Tourists typically fly from Lima to Cuzco, visit Machu Picchu, then fly home. But Bob and I wanted to see more of the country, so we asked Peruvian friends for advice.

Forget public transportation, they said; train and bus routes rarely extend outside major cities. As for renting a car, our friend Andres warned, “Driving there is anarchy.”

Our salvation was Peru Hop, a tour bus for people who dislike bus tours.

Peru Hop operates like a hop-on, hop-off city bus stretched across 700 miles. Passengers buy a ticket that allows them four to 10 stops. Our eight-stop pass cost us $219 each.

We would start in Lima, then travel along a U-shaped route to Cuzco. At every stop, we could choose where to stay, how long, and what tours we would take. English-speaking guides on the bus could help arrange tours and lodging, if we wanted help.

We took several of the paid tours they recommended but handled our own hotel accommodations. Bob and I also took the five free tours Peru Hop offers along our route.

We liked every destination enough to stay at least two nights. Peru Hop stops at each one daily. We could move on whenever we were ready, as long as we reserved our bus seats at least 12 hours in advance.

Galápagos-like wildlife

Our journey took us first to the seaside town of Paracas, known as the poor man’s Galápagos. We understood why as our tour boat floated thrillingly close to sea lions, Humboldt penguins and Peruvian boobies sunning on small, rocky islands.

Then it was on to the Andes. In Arequipa, we signed up for a day-long tour of Colca Canyon. Our group stood in awe atop a cliff as dozens of Andean condors, wings spanning up to 12 feet, soared endlessly overhead.

Only later, looking up from a hot spring we visited at the bottom, could I appreciate the canyon’s 12,000-foot depth, twice that of the Grand Canyon.

Next we rode the bus more than 10 hours from Arequipa to Puno, the longest leg of Peru Hop’s route. Traveling by land had eased the adjustment to Arequipa’s 7,660-foot altitude. Puno, though, would take us almost 5,000 feet higher.

“Dizziness, nausea and lightheadedness is to be expected,” our guide said as the bus started. “The time to take something is now.”

Bob and I tried chewing coca leaves but preferred drinking coca tea. The tea might have helped some, though we both felt lightheaded and out of breath during our first couple of days at high altitude.

From lakeside Puno, we traveled to Lake Titicaca, our favorite destination in Peru. There we stayed overnight in a wood-frame bungalow on one of the lake’s 125 floating Uros islands. Floor-to-ceiling windows gave us a panoramic view of the lake and mountains beyond.

Our English-speaking Airbnb host told us that when local men marry, they make an island and house from reeds for his bride and her family. To keep their homes from sinking, they add new layers of reeds to the island periodically.

Bob and I experienced a different culture two days later, when we joined some 30 others on a tour boat to Amantaní, the lake’s biggest island and home to speakers of the Quechua language. The tour included an overnight stay with a family who treated us to traditional meals and an evening of circle dancing for the entire group.

The next morning, we traveled by boat to nearby Taquile Island. Locals captivated us as they danced in the town plaza dressed in brilliantly colored vests, sashes, capes and feather-topped hats.

Inca ruins

Bob and I skipped Machu Picchu and instead explored Inca ruins in the nearby, less crowded Sacred Valley. Peru has hundreds of Inca sites, and about a dozen survive in the valley, including temples and hillside terraces.

Archaeologist guide Wilbert entertained us with his insights on Incan culture.

“You drink 10 soles ($3) worth of corn beer, and you’ll be on another planet,” he said. “But the next day, no hangover.”

Three weeks after starting our Peru Hop tour, I was happy to board a 90- minute flight from Cuzco to Lima. But I was happier we could travel between the two cities over land, thanks to a bus tour that beat the heck out of driving in anarchy.

If you go

For information and prices on Peru Hop routes, free tours and recommended paid tours, visit the website bushop.com/peru.

Lodgings offering discounts to Peru Hop passengers are listed on the website, too. We made our own reservations through Booking.com. In general, you pay less if you book while you’re in Peru rather than before you leave.

For information and reservations at the Lake Titicaca Airbnb in Puno, Peru, visit Airbnb.com.