Peru Travel Guide

Peru compresses an extraordinary range into one country. You can stand on Pacific desert cliffs, cross a 4,600 m Andean pass and descend into cloud forest within a week. It is also the country with the most developed trekking infrastructure in South America, from the heavily regulated Inca Trail to multi-day circuits in the Cordillera Blanca that see a fraction of the traffic. Altitude is the recurring theme — Cusco sits at 3,400 m, and most visitors feel it on day one.

At a glance

Reference facts for planning Peru.

Capital

Lima

Currency

Peruvian sol (PEN)

Language

Spanish, Quechua, Aymara

Drives on

the right

Plug type

A/B/C, 220V

Best time to visit

Where the good months sit, and why.

Months to think twice about: Flying straight into Cusco and starting a demanding trek the next morning. Spend two or three days acclimatising at altitude first; it is the difference between a great trip and a miserable one.

Where to go

The places that justify the trip, and the guides we have written for them.

• Cusco and the Sacred Valley

  Andes

  Inca terracing, salt pans and weaving villages, all at altitude and all worth a slow approach.

• Cordillera Blanca

  Huaraz

  The largest tropical mountain range on earth. The Santa Cruz trek and day hikes to turquoise lakes rival the Himalaya for scenery at a fraction of the cost.

• Colca Canyon

  Southern Peru

  Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, with condors on a reliable morning thermal and hot springs at the bottom.

• Amazon headwaters

  Madre de Dios, Iquitos

  Lowland rainforest with clay licks, oxbow lakes and genuine remoteness a short flight from the mountains.

Visas & entry

Most Western visitors enter visa-free for up to 90 days as tourists.

• Citizens of the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and many others need no visa for tourism stays of up to 90 days.
• The standard entry stamp is 90 days; ask for the full period you intend to stay, as shorter stamps are sometimes issued.
• Keep the paper immigration form (or the digital record) safe — it is checked at exit.
• The Inca Trail requires a permit booked months in advance through a licensed operator; independent trekking is not permitted.

Confirm entry rules with Peru's official immigration authority (Migraciones) before travelling.

Daily budget

Rough per-person costs, excluding international flights.

• Long-distance buses are comfortable, cheap and cover the country; overnight services save a night's accommodation.
• Independent trekking in the Cordillera Blanca costs a fraction of a guided Inca Trail permit.
• The Peru Tourist Rail and bus alternatives to Machu Picchu vary tenfold in price — the cheapest option involves a long road leg.
• Bargaining is expected in markets; it is not expected in shops or restaurants with printed prices.

Recommended routes

Three ways to structure a trip, depending on how much time you have.

Getting around

Peru is a bus country for most budgets, with comfortable overnight services on the main routes. Domestic flights save a day between Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and Iquitos and are worth it if time is short. Trains serve Cusco–Machu Picchu and Puno–Cusco at premium prices. Roads in the Andes are improving but remain slow and winding.

Safety & hazards

Altitude is the main health risk; take the acclimatisation advice seriously. Petty theft and bag snatching occur in tourist areas of Lima and Cusco. Some remote border and coca-growing regions have a poor security record — check current government travel advice for the specific areas you plan to visit, and use registered operators for treks.

Peru guides

Long-form guides published for this destination.