Travel to Peru: best time to visit Peru and Machu Picchu
On a trip to Peru, weather conditions vary depending on the area you plan to visit. On the coast, summer runs from December to April. During this period, the whole coast is bathed in sunshine wherever you are. June to September is winter, though it is always mild. During the day, temperatures normally reach 20°C, while at night they can drop to 10°C. This makes it possible to visit Peru's main destinations – Nazca, Ica, the Ballestas Islands and Lima – all year round.
In the Southern Andes of Peru (the area where our tours are concentrated), there are only two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season runs from April to October, months during which days are generally clear with relatively high temperatures that drop quickly at night, reaching as low as zero degrees in July and August. In the rainy months (November to March, but particularly January and February) daytime temperatures in Peru are mild, around 18°C, and 15°C at night, though rain can be persistent. The best months to visit Cusco and Lake Titicaca are probably May to October. The rainy season can make traveling in the Andean areas more difficult; even so, the experience can be more rewarding and prices more appealing.
Travel to Peru: passport and visa
With few exceptions (some African, Asian and communist-regime countries), a tourist visa is not required for your trip to Peru. However, it's important to note that your passport must be valid for at least six months from your departure date. On entering Peru, you will receive a tourist stamp at the airport valid for 30 days, or up to 90 days if you tell the customs officer you intend to stay in Peru for more than a month.
Travel to Peru: altitude
On a trip to Peru, altitude sickness is often the result of a rapid ascent to altitudes above 2,500 meters. Symptoms can include headache, nausea, vomiting, malaise and loss of appetite. We recommend drinking plenty of water, eating light meals, avoiding overexertion, and refraining from smoking or drinking alcohol.
The use of acetazolamide (Diamox) is recommended, especially if you fly directly from Lima to Cusco. Take 125mg or 250mg two or three times a day, starting 24 hours before ascending and continuing for 48 hours after arrival. Acetazolamide should not be given to pregnant women or anyone with a history of sulfa drug allergy.
An alternative to acetazolamide is dexamethasone 4mg, taken four times a day upon arrival at altitude. Dexamethasone should not be given to diabetics, as it is a steroid.
In Peru, local people are used to chewing coca leaves. A good alternative for tourists on a trip to Peru is to drink plenty of “mate de coca” (coca leaf tea).
The ideal way to acclimatize to Peru's altitude is to spend a couple of days in Arequipa (2,335 meters) before visiting Puno and Cusco.
Peru InsideOut recommends having a medical checkup before departure, given the altitudes that can be reached during the trip.
Travel to Peru: medical information
- Vaccinations for a trip to Peru
To travel to Peru, vaccinations are not mandatory. However, we recommend visiting your family doctor or a specialist at a travel clinic before departure. As a recommendation, Peru InsideOut suggests being vaccinated against:- Tetanus
- Typhoid
- Polio
- Hepatitis A
- Medicines to bring with you to Peru:
- Antibacterial for cuts and abrasions
- Acetazolamide (Diamox) for altitude sickness
- Anti-diarrhea medication (Loperamide) and an antibiotic for diarrhea (Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin or Azithromycin)
- Anti-inflammatories (Ibuprofen)
- Antihistamines
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Thermometer
- Oral rehydration salts
- Physical fitness for a trip to Peru:
- Our trips do not require a particularly high level of physical fitness. We recommend training a little before your arrival so you can walk for an average of 30 minutes.
- We recommend letting us know in advance about any specific medical conditions or illnesses prior to your trip to Peru. This gives us a fuller picture, allowing us to take appropriate care of you during the trip.
- Trekking: if you're planning intense trekking in Peru (which we can organize for you), your fitness level should be excellent.
Travel to Peru: food and water
Food – In Peru we will only take you to restaurants with high hygiene standards. We have tried every restaurant you will visit. However, during your free time on your trip to Peru, or if you're tempted to try some local specialties, we strongly recommend always eating cooked foods or fruit and vegetables you can peel yourself. In our experience, salads are the dishes most likely to cause stomach problems. If you decide to eat raw salads, always ask that they be washed in boiled water. As a precaution we recommend avoiding salads for the duration of your visit, since your stay is usually not long enough to build up resistance to local bacteria. Doing this, and with a little care, you should enjoy a trouble-free stay.
Drinking water – We recommend drinking only bottled water. We will help you with this. To reduce the amount of waste we produce, we buy and share large bottles of water (which are hard to carry), pouring the contents into 1-liter or half-liter bottles that each traveler will carry.
Travel to Peru: safety
A trip to Peru is generally safe. There can be some issues, as in other parts of the world – New York, Paris, Rome – and so on. As a matter of common sense, we recommend taking particular care in crowded areas such as airports and bus stations in Peru. During our guided tours we generally provide an extra layer of safety. We will be there for any questions or concerns you may have before and throughout the trip.
The country's political situation is very stable, and the economy has recorded the highest growth rates in all of South America in recent years. To avoid any misunderstanding or misinformation, we want to stress that terrorist activity in Peru ended more than 15 years ago.
Travel to Peru: flights
For domestic flights within Peru, we recommend using Peru's main airline, LAN (a Chilean company), part of the One World Alliance with British Airways, American Airlines and others. LAN operates a fleet of modern aircraft (Boeing and Airbus) with excellent standards of service and reliability. Taca (a Brazilian company) and Sky (a Chilean company) are also good airlines.
For international flights, LAN from Madrid, KLM from Amsterdam, or Air France from Paris are very reliable and offer excellent service to Lima (Peru's capital). From Sydney, LAN flies to Santiago, Chile via Auckland, while Qantas flies directly to Buenos Aires.
Travel to Peru: transportation
The buses, mini-buses, trains and boats we use on our trips offer the highest safety standards in Peru. Whenever we use public transport, we rely only on the best national providers: Cruz del Sur, Oltursa, Peru Rail and Inca Rail. Boats on Lake Titicaca have already been vetted, and as an extra safety measure we check every boat before the trip. The safety of our travelers is a priority for us!
Travel to Peru: insurance
Travel insurance is mandatory for everyone traveling on a Peru InsideOut tour. Clients must have adequate insurance coverage for the entire duration of the tour, covering medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and early departure.
Travel to Peru: accommodation
Not compromising on quality is one of our values. On all our organized tours we use three- and four-star accommodations. We have personally inspected every property we use during our trips. We have visited and checked every accommodation we offer in all our destinations!
When it comes to customized tours, we can offer the widest range of accommodations, including Orient Express Company, Libertador, Sonesta, and Casa Andina. For your trip to Peru we can also provide modest but clean hostels.
Travel to Peru: electricity
Peru's electrical system is 220V, 60Hz AC. Two-pin outlets accept both flat (North American) and round (European) plugs. Low-voltage electronic devices (110V to 120V North American appliances) must be used with a transformer to avoid damaging them.
Travel to Peru: currency
The Peruvian currency is the Peruvian Nuevo Sol (PEN). US dollars are widely accepted in Peru. It's a good idea to carry some small-denomination bills ($10, $20). Note: US dollar bills must be intact, clean and unmarked. Currency exchangers are very strict about this. Torn, dirty or crumpled US dollar bills are often refused when trying to make a purchase or exchange them.
Credit cards are widely accepted: mainly Visa, but increasingly also Master Card, Amex and Diners Club. Expect to pay 8-10% commission on credit card transactions. It's usually better to withdraw cash from an ATM to make payments. You can use your credit card to withdraw cash. ATMs dispense both US dollars and PEN, the local currency.
The exchange rate is approximately: USD 1 to PEN 3.20, GBP 1 to PEN 4.30, and EUR 1 to PEN 3.80.
Bank branches are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and are also open Saturday mornings. Banks accept credit cards, so exchanging currency should not cause any problems.
Travel to Peru: Peruvian cuisine
What a delight! On your trip to Peru, Peruvian cuisine will surprise you, just as it does every newcomer to Peru. There are many delicious, unusual ingredients for Western consumers, such as chirimoya, purple corn (maiz morado), passion fruit (maracuya), quinoa, prickly pear, tuño, as well as potatoes (the potato was introduced to Europe after the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire).
Among the most typical Peruvian dishes we suggest you try:
- Ceviche: a mix of fish marinated in lime juice, chili and onion, served with corn and boiled sweet potato (camote). Peruvians consider ceviche part of their identity and have declared it the national dish!
- Lomo saltado: chopped steak stir-fried with onions, tomatoes and potatoes, served with white rice.
- Lomo de alpaca: a lomo saltado as described above, but made with alpaca meat, which has half the fat of beef. This dish is typical of the Andes and can be accompanied by quinoa cream (cooked vegetable mixed with milk and cheese).
- Rocoto relleno: spicy pepper stuffed with vegetables, typical of Arequipa.
- Adobo de chancho: pork, aji (chili pepper), garlic, onions, vinegar and salt.
- Chicharron de chancho: fried pork with choclo (the giant corn of the Sacred Valley), typical of Cusco.
- Trucha (a typical fish found in Andean lakes): fried, served with white rice, chuño (freeze-dried potato), typical of the Lake Titicaca region.
- Cancacho: roasted pork or lamb marinated in aji (chili pepper) and oil.
- Cuy chactado: guinea pig, pan-fried under a heavy flat stone (this dish is not for the faint of heart!), typical of Arequipa.
Promoting Peru as a country and its cuisine has been at the heart of a highly original advertising campaign, “Marca Perú”.
Travel to Peru: restaurants
We offer an innovative selection to ensure total satisfaction... Every restaurant is unique in its flavors, aromas, style, decor, atmosphere and service.
Where to eat in Peru - Restaurants »