Great Empire of the Incas, Peru is the favorite destination for all types of travelers. With great natural beauty, places with Inca ruins a diverse ecosystem and excellent gastronomy, Peruvian cuisine being one of the most varied in the world, Peru is a destination of many wonders
Places to visit in Peru
One of the most famous places in Peru is without a doubt the great Machu Picchu. While this ancient citadel is a must-see, there are many other places worth visiting. Some of the most prominent places in the city of Cusco are; the ancient Inca Trail, the Salkantay Trek and the impressive Sacred Valley. Other places worth visiting are the wonderful Peruvian Amazon jungle, the colorful rainbow mountain of 7 colors and the Humantay lagoon.
We have the great tourist corridor of the south starting the tour in the city of Lima then passing Paracas following Ica Huacachina then Nazca Lines then arriving at the White City of Arequipa and one of the deepest Canyons in the world is Colca and the Volcanoes Valley. If we continue there is Puno and the great Lake Titicaca after this of course our great route ends in the city of Cusco and Machupicchu.
Which months are the best to visit Peru?
Generally, winter (May to October) is the driest season making it the preferred time to visit Peru’s tourist attractions. The summer season (November to April) is warmer, but it also has the most amount of rain. Traveling at this time offers certain advantages, such as a greener landscape and exploring the main attractions with fewer tourists.
Requirements to enter Peru
Most tourists can stay in Peru for a period of up to 90 days. Citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union are not required to apply for a visa before traveling. It is necessary to have a valid passport with at least one empty page for the entry stamp that they give you when entering the country. However, visitors from other countries may need to obtain a tourist visa before arriving in the country. For more information on entry requirements, contact the nearest Peruvian Consulate.
Travel Budget
Peru is a fairly inexpensive destination. Including accommodation, you can survive on just € 18 to € 23 per day. This includes budget accommodation and eating at local restaurants. But due to the many attractions across the country, traveling to historic sites will add to your costs. Before leaving, make sure you have carefully and carefully planned your activities in Peru.
Transportation in Peru
With 5 international airports and 18 national airports, one of the best ways to travel in Peru is by plane. Buses are another popular and inexpensive option, with many companies operating short and long-distance routes. Check our articles or contact us.
Peru Travel Tips Do you need help finding the best travel destinations, restaurants and accommodation in Peru? We can help you! Keep looking at our detailed articles on Peru or Get in touch with us Contáctanos.
Tips for traveling to Peru written by travelers who have already visited Peru
1. After having thought, decided or chosen the things to see in Peru, we recommend that you do a plan to put them in order with a certain sense and thus not walk, as we always say.
2. The ideal is to make an itinerary since in a country like Peru, which has so much to see and is so large, it is very necessary. It is not a destination to go «on the fly» if you do not have time (if you can afford free time, no problem) but you will miss a lot of things. A good option is to evaluate an authorized agency like us.
3. Another tip that we suggest “strictly” is to take a copy of the passport to leave the original stored in the accommodation where you are since you can lose it and then it is a “problem” to do the paperwork. You can take some photos and send them by mail to access them from any device.
4. One suggestion, perhaps not so important because it depends more on your travel style, is to take the main booking made in advance. These would be for us the Nasca overflight,the train and entrances to Machu Picchu and, if you have decided to do so, the excursion of several days to the Peruvian Amazon. All this will be included if you have opted for a specialized agency.
5. Wearing comfortable shoes in Peru is essential since you are going to walk a lot and above all surely in some of your routes you will come across sections of trekking so even more so this advice is almost essential.
6. In Peru, as in other countries you can perfectly use your credit card depending on the conditions of your bank, however we also recommend that you bring cash that you can perfectly change there, generally in exchange houses. The currency is the Peruvian sol and as of the date of this article, the exchange rate is € 1 = PEN 4.73 and 1USD american dollars =PEN 4.00.
7. The electric current in Peru is 220v as in Spain so you will not need transformers.
8. Find out very well before starting your trip to Peru about the so-called «altitude sickness» since Peru is one of the countries where you can easily suffer it (and that can perfectly annoy your trip). We know it as soroche or mountain sickness and it is the possible lack of oxygen when it reaches certain altitudes, especially when the person is not used to it. Chewing coca, hydrating and many other remedies are viable to avoid this «altitude sickness» Be very careful, go to your doctor and take it only under a medical prescription as will be correct for you.
9. As for the vaccines needed to travel to Peru, you really wouldn’t need any unless you visit Lake Sandoval. The Peruvian jungle does require prevention of yellow fever and prophylaxis against malaria, in addition to the consequent precaution against mosquitoes.
10. Making a check-list can be a good idea since this way you will know that you do not forget anything important: passport in date, purchased flight, contracted travel insurance, decided accommodations, unexpired credit cards, excursion options and purchased transfers in advance in print or on the device.
TO CONSIDER: It is always necessary to take out insurance to travel to any country in the world, but in Peru it is perhaps essential since, although medical care is good, it is very expensive. You can find yourself with a big hole in your budget if you need their services for something and you do not have insurance.
11. The difference in temperatures on a trip to such a large country will make you doubt what to pack so, in this case, it is best to take a little of everything with light clothing if you go to the coast but with something warm for the mountain areas and even a raincoat jacket or a pair of boots if you go between November and April.
12. Peru is a country with a fascinating history, so it can be good advice to read a good book about the civilization of the Incas but also about the pre-Inca cultures. It will put them fully into everything you visit.
Tips to travel to Peru useful during your experience
13. One very important thing to consider in all your trips is the issue of water, and in Peru it must also be taken into account. You should not drink tap water but it is always bottled and the same happens with salads or ice, it is better not to consume them. Really, many times this is not so much because it is bad or anything like that, but because being on a trip and used to a type of water, the stomach can decompose and give you “a little” trouble.
14. You have to enjoy Peruvian cuisine since it is one of the best in the world, with a great variety of dishes that will delight anyone.
15. A precaution that must be taken into account is that in Peru they drive quite badly. In case you travel with a guide … If you feel uncomfortable, let him know to slow down.
16. As in almost all countries with large capitals, the usual security precautions must be taken. Lima is no different and you shouldn’t wander around at night without knowing where you are. However, in the rest of the country it is not necessary (well, precautions always) because they are charming and take maximum care of tourism.
17. Don’t forget that Peru is a fascinating country so you will have millions of things to photograph. Make sure, therefore, to bring enough extra batteries for your camera so that you don’t have anything left unrecorded (in the Amazon jungle they only put the electric generator on for certain hours, for example)
18. MachuPicchu without Peru has no place and Peru without MachuPicchu would not be the same, so we know that it will be one of your goals and even a dream to fulfill. Our recommendation is that you always get up early on your trips but especially if you are going to know the Sacred City. It is a joy to see how the first hour clouds rise, leaving a Machu Picchu in all its splendor in the open.
19. On your trip to Peru you will not spend too much since it is a fairly cheap and affordable country but it may be that in some area around Machu Picchu such as Aguas Calientes prices skyrocket, so keep in mind in your daily spending.
20. As for transportation, you have multiple options. Public transport is adapted for everyone, so you can use this service even to combine with your organized circuit if you have it.
21. For the above reason, we advise you to move at night on certain days of the tours of Peru, since the distances are so great there will be long journeys and the transport so good they have you will not even find out. Surely your specialized agency will already include this option in its proposal for certain days (especially the one from Nazca to Arequipa).
22. Drinks are very cheap in this country, both water and soft drinks (the latter especially). Perhaps it is a good idea to always carry some with you to avoid buying in other more touristy places.
23. If you are thinking of flying over the Nazca Lines, another of the famous and impressive excursions, keep in mind your sensitivity to motion sickness. The planes make many turns and turn from side to side causing you to end up dizzy (and even vomiting). Hydrate yourself or take a fan to enjoy them in their splendor. If you are sensitive to dizziness, think about it.
24. The culture of tips exists here but it is not mandatory, there is no set amount established, it will depend on the satisfaction of the service. Still the normal would be 10 to 20%.
25. In Peru you will find a lot of crafts and typical things to buy, so on this trip you will have plenty of memories to choose from. A Pisco Sauer or Chilcano liquor can be one of the options or a variety of pieces of clothing made with alpaca wool.
26. It is also very common that the bathrooms of the places where you stop to have a drink are outside and that you have to pay to use them, with what you have planned in addition to always carrying toilet paper if you can since you may find yourself in a bind.
27. An old acquaintance among our advice is that you go with more time since surely you have not reached anything and you have a thousand things to visit or enjoy.