Civa Bus in Peru: 2025 Independent Guide

Updated Date: November 26, 2025

Author: The Only Peru Guide Editorial Team

Quick Summary: Civa is one of Peru’s biggest public bus operators with nationwide coverage and three passenger classes (Econociva, Superciva, Excluciva). It’s cost‑effective but service quality can vary by route and vehicle. For long or multi‑stop trips focused on tourist sites and hotel pickups, visitor‑oriented options such as Peru Hop or the Cusco–Puno day service with Inka Express can be better fits. Always verify terminal locations in Lima and observe Peru’s 90 km/h intercity bus speed rule.

What Civa Is—and Where It Goes

Having over 45 years’ experience in the bus industry, Civa is one of Peru’s most popular bus companies. Covering most of the routes in Peru, they have daily departures from all of the main cities such as Lima, Trujillo and Arequipa. For 15 years, from 1999 to 2014, Civa were the official bus company for Peru’s national football team. They were also once pioneers in the bus industry in Peru as they were the first company to bring on-board hosts/hostesses on to their buses! Civa have earned themselves a good reputation throughout the years for their customer service, comfortable buses (160-180° cama/semi-cama seats) and by starting to operate along more routes in Peru.

Civa Seat Classes and On‑Board Features

CIVA have 3 different types of buses in operation for transporting passengers and one type for carrying heavy loads:

• THE EXCLUCIVA – These buses are for luxury travel with CIVA, they offer seats with 160° and 180° recline, LCD monitors, GPS tracking systems, a host/hostess, WC, and a speed controller (90 km/h)
• THE SUPERCIVA – The first floor has 140° semi-bed seats, the second floor has 160° semi-beds seats, there is a host/hostess on board, a WC, a GPS system, and a speed controller (90 km/h)
• THE ECONOCIVA – All seats recline up to 140°, WC, GPS system, DVD and speed controller (90 km/h)
• CIVA CARGO – with this bus, you can send anything from a suitcase to a letter. All CIVA CARGO buses are monitored with GPS, and they let you know once the parcel arrives to its destination.

ENTERTAINMENT TIP: If looking for fun at night, or to watch sports during the day, or even a taste of home, visit the Wild Rover Hostels Chain for great food, sports and beer! Entrance to their bars is free even for non-guests

Are Civa Safe

Civa definitely provide a good standard of service with safe and comfortable buses. However, as with many other Peruvian bus companies, they suffered a hijacking in March 2015, which happens quite often on some routes (especially on the shorter route from Lima to Cusco), because they take the slightly faster, more dangerous way. Along with this, there have also been videos of a bug manifestation on a Civa Bus.

To ensure traveller comfort, safety and security, tourist bus companies such as Peru Hop travel on the slightly longer, safest route to get from place to place which usually isn’t convenient for locals as it means travelling for longer. Locals, in general, need to get to their destinations faster, so for them, taking the risk of travelling with Civa or other local bus companies is not as much of a consideration.

Routes And Bus Schedules Covered 

Civa cover a range of different cities in the North such as Chiclayo, Mancora, down towards the South to places like Puno and Cusco, and in more Central locations to Ayacucho and Chincha. All of Civa’s schedules and bus routes are available on their website.

Do We Recommend Taking Civa?

Yes, if you’re looking for luxurious travel around the north of Peru in style. Civa’s upper classes buses have one of the best services with their 180° reclining semi-bed seats, although you will pay significantly more for these tickets. Travelling on these buses mean getting a good nights sleep on a long journey and not arriving as tired as you usually would to your destination. Their more economical buses, however, are much less comfortable. Our recommendations for all travellers who are planning to travel around the south of Peru without sacrificing comfort while still on a budget is to travel with Peru Hop. In our opinion, they are much a safer option and a better bus company.

Terminals, Boarding and How Lima Works

Lima has no central bus station—each company uses its own depot, often far apart across a city notorious for heavy traffic. You’re expected to arrive ~45 minutes before departure, so build that into your timing for both outbound and return legs. For broader context and operator choices, see our Lima bus primer.

Safety: What to Expect and What Peru Requires

• Peru’s transport watchdog SUTRAN enforces a 90 km/h cap for public passenger buses on national highways and requires a visible in‑cabin speed display; passengers can report speeding to SUTRAN.
• SUTRAN reiterated the 90 km/h cap and live GPS monitoring in 2024–2025 advisories, noting >7,000 interprovincial buses tracked.
• Civa’s fleet pages highlight 24/7 GPS monitoring and speed control on its services, which is standard across major operators.

Reality check: Like other public companies, Civa has had isolated incidents over the years (including a 2015 hijacking reported at the time; travelers should always check recent reviews on their exact route). Peru’s consumer authority also sanctioned Transportes Civa with a 700‑UIT fine in 2020 over terminal licensing (first‑instance decision; appeal permitted).

Night vs day, downstairs vs upstairs

• On winding Andean routes, downstairs seats ride steadier and put you closer to exits; upstairs offers scenic views on daytime coast segments.
• For mountain corridors, aim for daytime legs when possible—visibility and response options are simply better.

Civa vs Alternatives: Which Fits Your Trip?

• Choose Civa if you want a budget‑friendly, point‑to‑point ride on busy domestic corridors and you’re comfortable navigating local terminals in Spanish. Excluciva can be very comfortable when the scheduled unit shows up as sold.
• Choose Peru Hop if you prefer hotel/hostel pickups, an onboard host, border and logistics help, and curated “hidden‑gem” stops (e.g., Slave Tunnels near Chincha, Paracas viewpoints). This model also sidesteps Lima terminal taxi runs and builds a community vibe on board.
• For the scenic Cusco–Puno “Sun Route,” Inka Express offers a full‑day, guided cultural service with multiple stops and now satellite Wi‑Fi noted for 2025—a very different product to a public night bus.
• Heading to Bolivia? Sister service Bolivia Hop runs Lima/Cusco–La Paz with border assistance and similar hop‑on flexibility.

FAQ

Is Civa safe for long‑distance travel?
Civa operates GPS‑monitored coaches with speed control and follows Peru’s 90 km/h highway limit, enforced by SUTRAN. As with any public line, quality can vary by route and unit; read fresh reviews for your specific corridor and time of day. If you want hotel pickups, tourist‑only stops and onboard hosts, consider Peru Hop.

What’s the difference between Econociva, Superciva and Excluciva?
Think recline and extras: Econociva (≈140°) is the basic option; Superciva adds 160° seats on the first deck with semi‑cama upstairs; Excluciva is the step‑up with full‑flat 180° suites upstairs and 160° cama downstairs, plus amenities such as USBs and A/C. Pick based on route length, time of day and budget.

How early should I get to the terminal in Lima—and which terminal is it?
Arrive about 45 minutes before departure and double‑check the address; Lima lacks a central station and operators use different depots (Civa has separate addresses for Excluciva vs. other classes in La Victoria). Heavy traffic can easily add 30–60 minutes each way.

Can Civa take me directly to Huacachina or the Slave Tunnels near Chincha?
Public buses are licensed for terminal‑to‑terminal service only; they can’t enter hotel zones or stop at tourist attractions. Tourist‑licensed buses—like Peru Hop—can pick up at hotels and access sites such as Huacachina and the Slave Tunnels.

How do I report unsafe speeding during my trip?
SUTRAN maintains a 90 km/h cap and provides channels to report violations; the in‑cabin display must show speed. You can alert SUTRAN’s monitoring center using the published contact channels in their advisories.

Limitations

Bus timetables, fleets and policies change frequently, and trip quality varies by exact unit, driver and weather—always re‑check directly with Civa 24–72 hours before travel and scan recent route‑specific reviews. If information is missing or inconsistent, use Civa’s own pages plus SUTRAN and a comparison site (then book direct) to minimize surprises.

Source

This article is a part of our series “2025 Travelers Choice”. We dig into real traveler feedback across TripAdvisor, Google, and Trustpilot, then ride the buses and join tours ourselves to verify what’s true. Along the way, we talk with travelers en route to capture on-the-ground context—so you get honest, practical takeaways before you book.