If you are going to
One is the international bus, normal, time consuming at the border crossings and boring.
Please be advised that prices mentioned are subject to change as with other information as the world does change.
The other way is by private vehicle (collectivo) which is faster in almost all cases, a lot more interesting and fun. The current cost be about 4,000 peso per person or a bit over 8 US dollars. You will also need to pay for a ticket, 250 Pesos at the ticket booth which is at the entrance gate of the area where the collectivo vehicles are parked. This is a sort of user fee, but it is required for the driver to depart the parking area so all passengers, even locals must purchase this ticket.
Both options begin at the same place which is the bus terminal with the exception of where you go for the bus or private vehicle.
I will detail the private (collectivo) vehicle which in my mind is a more interesting, easier and fun way of making this border crossing. It may seem a bit more difficult, but it is really very simple. This method will take you to the main bus terminal in the Peruvian city of Tacna where you can book a bus from Tacna to Lima or toward Arequipa
First let me make this note, there is a 2-hour time difference between Arica, Chile and Tacna, Peru. Therefore, if it is 8AM in Arica, it is actually 6AM in Peru. With that being said I am going to give a little advice. Assuming your destination is Arequipa, you will want to arrive at the bus terminal in Arica prior to 8AM, find your ride as quickly as possible and if you do not waste time or run into issues then you can arrive in Tacna in time to book a bus out of Tacna to Arequipa for the 8:45AM departure and be in Arequipa within 5-6 hours later.
On the outside of the bus terminal in Arica there is a parking area where the private vehicles are parked and since you will be taking a taxi to the bus station, just tell the driver, "collectivo" and he should drop you off at the entrance. Click this link for the map of where the bus terminal is located inArica
When you get there, you will notice many different vehicles, all of which do the same thing. They will load 5 passengers plus their baggage and take you to both border check points, the Chilean side and the Peruvian side then to Tacna, Peru. It will seem chaotic, but it is very easy. You will find many drivers standing around waiting to fill up their vehicle, depending on the size of your group, either you are traveling alone or with others, then this will determine which vehicle you can use as well as how long it takes the driver to get 5 passengers which is usually not very long as there are many going to Tacna at that time of day.
These vehicles will range from some newer and small vehicles to older large American 4 door sedans with a very large trunk (boot) for you Brits.
When I make this trip, I always look for the largest vehicle I can find. I will ask the driver and make sure there is room for me as a passenger. These vehicles will not depart until they are full, but they usually fill up fast so in most cases there is not much of a wait till the driver is ready to depart. If you are in a hurry, then you can pay extra for the lack of other passengers and the driver will depart. A word of warning, if you have too much luggage which prevents the driver from taking 5 passengers then due to this, he will charge you the difference for the loss of those passengers because you had too much baggage for others in the vehicle. This is one reason why I find the largest vehicle.
First let me make this note, there is a 2-hour time difference between Arica, Chile and Tacna, Peru. Therefore, if it is 8AM in Arica, it is actually 6AM in Peru. With that being said I am going to give a little advice. Assuming your destination is Arequipa, you will want to arrive at the bus terminal in Arica prior to 8AM, find your ride as quickly as possible and if you do not waste time or run into issues then you can arrive in Tacna in time to book a bus out of Tacna to Arequipa for the 8:45AM departure and be in Arequipa within 5-6 hours later.
On the outside of the bus terminal in Arica there is a parking area where the private vehicles are parked and since you will be taking a taxi to the bus station, just tell the driver, "collectivo" and he should drop you off at the entrance. Click this link for the map of where the bus terminal is located in
When you get there, you will notice many different vehicles, all of which do the same thing. They will load 5 passengers plus their baggage and take you to both border check points, the Chilean side and the Peruvian side then to Tacna, Peru. It will seem chaotic, but it is very easy. You will find many drivers standing around waiting to fill up their vehicle, depending on the size of your group, either you are traveling alone or with others, then this will determine which vehicle you can use as well as how long it takes the driver to get 5 passengers which is usually not very long as there are many going to Tacna at that time of day.
These vehicles will range from some newer and small vehicles to older large American 4 door sedans with a very large trunk (boot) for you Brits.
When I make this trip, I always look for the largest vehicle I can find. I will ask the driver and make sure there is room for me as a passenger. These vehicles will not depart until they are full, but they usually fill up fast so in most cases there is not much of a wait till the driver is ready to depart. If you are in a hurry, then you can pay extra for the lack of other passengers and the driver will depart. A word of warning, if you have too much luggage which prevents the driver from taking 5 passengers then due to this, he will charge you the difference for the loss of those passengers because you had too much baggage for others in the vehicle. This is one reason why I find the largest vehicle.
Your next step is to go to the ticket booth, purchase your ticket. The driver will in most cases show you where the ticket booth is but it is not hard to locate as they are in the small offices surrounding the parking area or the driver will load your baggage into the vehicle then take your passport to their respective office where all the paperwork will be process by the staff in the office, do not worry about this step, it is safe but if you are concerned, go with the driver. He will return your passport with the needed immigration documents for Peru back to you and off you go.
The total distance from Arica to Tacna is about 53 kilometers and the total ride time, this includes both border check points should not be much over one hour of course this all depends on a few factors but in all my times doing this, the border check points have been very quick without problems. Your circumstances could be different depending on unusual factors but for the most part it is a very easy crossing.
You will stamp out of Chile, no need to remove your luggage for this step, get back in the vehicle, drive less than 5oo meters to the Peruvian check point, remove all your luggage, follow the driver to the immigration counter, hand them your passport and the document the driver gave you in Arica, tell the immigration officer how long you wish to stay in Peru, in my case I always ask for at least a 90 day stay which I always receive, then you will put your luggage through their x-ray scanner and unless you are doing something illegal, then there will be no inspection. You will then proceed out the door to the awaiting vehicle where you will reload your luggage and then off you go down the motorway driving to the Tacna bus terminals.
The nice point about doing this is that you will not be waiting for a bus load of passengers to have their papers and passports processed at each border check point.
Once you arrive at the bus terminal in Tacna
Going to Arequipa there are two bus companies which I suggest, one being Flores and the other is Oltursa both of which have nice buses including Cama seating. I booked a Cama seat with Oltursa, paid 40 Soles and the ride was wonderful. You can also pay with a credit card, but they will add about 3.4 Soles to the total price but this is still an excellent option for those who wish to use a credit card.
There is at least one ATM machine in the smaller bus terminal so you can get your Peruvian money at that point or go to the Cambio exchange inside the same terminal where you will actually receive a very fair exchange rate for which ever currency you may be exchanging and this would include currencies from Chile.
Going to Arequipa there are two bus companies which I suggest, one being Flores and the other is Oltursa both of which have nice buses including Cama seating. I booked a Cama seat with Oltursa, paid 40 Soles and the ride was wonderful. You can also pay with a credit card, but they will add about 3.4 Soles to the total price but this is still an excellent option for those who wish to use a credit card.
There is at least one ATM machine in the smaller bus terminal so you can get your Peruvian money at that point or go to the Cambio exchange inside the same terminal where you will actually receive a very fair exchange rate for which ever currency you may be exchanging and this would include currencies from Chile.
Below is a link for booking a bus and paying online for one Peru
Cruz del Sur is the largest bus company in Peru but does not go everywhere and they stopped service to Arequipa. Take this link Cruz del Sur for online booking and payment of buses in Chile. Remember, not all bus companies go everywhere but this bus company is one of the best in Peru.
I personally use this bus company, and it is like those in Argentina
Unless I have already booked my bus from Tacna or I am not sure what time I will leave Arica and arrive in Tacna, I will wait till I get to Tacna
As with all things, details are subject to change such as costs, but these should give you a good idea of what to expect.
If you decide to use the personal vehicles (collectivo), it would be helpful for other travelers if you would leave a comment if there is any information which is needing to be updated.
As travelers we all share in knowledge of others, so share your experience.