Peru
Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Lima's food scene, and the Amazon.
Peru packs three completely different trips into one country. Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley are the obvious must-do. Lima has become South America's serious food destination. Add the Amazon, the high desert at Arequipa and Colca Canyon, or the rainbow mountain trekking — the variety is unusual.
At a glance
- Best time
- May, June, July, August…
- Climate
- Mild
- Budget
- Backpacker – Budget
- Trip length
- 2–5 weeks
- Language
- Spanish (Quechua in highlands)
- Currency
- PEN (Sol)
- January: avoid
- February: avoid
- March: fine
- April: fine
- May: peak
- June: peak
- July: peak
- August: peak
- September: peak
- October: peak
- November: fine
- December: avoid
Avoid: January, February, December. Shoulder: March, April, November.
Highlights
-
Machu Picchu & Sacred Valley
Cusco as the base, plus 3-4 days in the valley.
-
Lima
World-class food. Stay in Miraflores or Barranco.
-
Arequipa & Colca Canyon
The white city plus condors and one of the deepest canyons on earth.
-
Amazon (Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado)
Jungle lodge — caiman, monkeys, macaws.
Practical info
- Visa
- Visa-free for most Western passports (90 days).
- Currency
- PEN (Sol). Roughly 3.7 PEN ≈ 1 USD.
- Language
- Spanish (Quechua in highlands). Limited English.
- Safety
- Generally safe in tourism. Altitude sickness in Cusco is the bigger concern.
- Getting around
- Domestic flights for distances. PeruRail to Machu Picchu.
- Tap water
- Tap water not safe.
- Plug type
- Type A Type B Type C 220V
- Money
- Cash dominant outside Lima; cards in tourism.
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Last updated 2026-05-04