Best airline for stunning ice peak mountain views during flight to Cusco

Peru travel advice: Always fly P.O.S.H. to Cusco (“Port Out, Starboard Home”)

If you haven’t already heard, when you fly to Cusco from Lima, you’re going to want to grab a window seat on the port (left) side of the cabin. On the way back to Lima, you’re going to want to cross the aisle to the starboard (right) side.

From those vantage points, on a clear day, you will witness glorious views of some of the world’s most majestic ice peak mountain ranges.

Best Seats for Clear Views on Airbus A320 & A321 Family Aircraft

The three airlines currently with regular flights between Lima and Cusco are pretty much equally suited for this purpose.

Here’s a breakdown of the best rows to aim for, depending on the airline and specific aircraft model.

Latam Peru Airbus A320-200

Latam operates multiple versions of the A320-200, each with slight variations in seating configuration. The following rows are the best for clear views:

• Version 1: Rows 1-9 and 23-26
• Version 2: Rows 1-9 and 23-27
• Version 3: Rows 1-8 and 24-28
• Version 4: Rows 1-9 and 24-28

Sky Peru Airbus A320neo

Sky Peru’s A320neo has fewer variations, making seat selection easier:

• Rows 1-9 and 21-29 offer unobstructed views.

Sky Peru Airbus A321neo

On the larger Airbus A321neo, the clear view rows are more extensive:

• Rows 1-15 and 26-38 are your best options.

JetSmart Airbus A320neo

JetSmart’s A320neo features clear view rows in these ranges:

• Rows 1-9 and 22-30 provide the best visibility.

How to Choose the Best Seat

• Forward of the Wings: Rows at the front of the aircraft (e.g., Rows 1-8) are consistently clear of obstructions. These seats are often labeled as premium or extra-legroom, so check for additional costs. (On LATAM, the seat upgrade typically starts at $12.60 USD.)
• Behind the Wings: Rows behind the wings (e.g., Rows 23 and beyond) provide pretty good views of the landscape and are typically standard economy seats.

Otherwise, you’re going to see a whole lot of wing and jet engine — something akin to the hotel room with a view of a brick wall.

By the way, when flying during the day from Lima up along the northern coast to Trujillo, Chiclayo or Tumbes, you’re going to want to employ the opposite seating strategy to P.O.S.H. (I guess that would be S.O.P.H. — Starboard Out, Port Home.)

On a clear morning, flying due north up along Peru’s Pacific coast, you can look out that right side window and, for about an hour, the prodigious Cordillera Blanca range is a sight to behold.

What Mountains Are Worth Seeing In Cusco?

Once you finally touch-down in Cusco, you will most likely be scrambling to see some of these glorious peaks up and close. Salkantay (which is one of the largest we see during the flights) can be reached with a multi-day hiking tour, although you’ll need to be in good physical condition for this trek. Another impressive mountain is Ausangate, which is a more simple hike although you will still need to prepare well for the higher altitudes.

The other more simple hike to do here is along the Inca Trail and explore the glorious site of Machu Picchu. Not only is the walk at a lower altitude and is overall more comfortable, you will find it less demanding too.

Along the trek we will see numerous ancient archaeological sites such as those of Sayacmarca and Wiñay Wayna, and it’s also possible to see exotic wildlife too such as Spectacled Bears, the Giant Hummingbird as well as the emblematic Cock-of-the-rock bird.

Explore Cusco’s Stunning Mountains with Fertur Travel

Whether trekking through the elements or enjoying views from the comfort of a plane, there’s an assortment of beautiful mountains worth seeing when around Cusco.

Here at Fertur Travel we operate a customizable Peru tour where you can choose to spend longer in Cusco and hike to several of these mountains. Just remember to spend your first couple of days acclimating in the city in order to avoid getting any unwanted altitude sickness symptoms.

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