Travel advice for Peru
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Peru
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Female Empowerment Tour
From meditations in Miraflores over visits to craftswomen in Chincheros to gratitude rituals in the Sacred Valley. This itinerary will allow you to reconnect with your feminine energy and learn more about women's lives in Peru.
customize ⤍Culture, Nature and Adventure in Peru
Get to know Peru through its locals and breathtaking trails- full of history. Hop aboard a motorboat to get to know the local way of life of the Uros people, before you start the great Inca trail, where beautiful landscapes, archaeological sites and fresh air are waiting for you.
customize ⤍The Inca Empire and the Nazca Culture
Peru has a rich history and culture, this itinerary will give you a taste of just how special it is. Take a flight over the mysterious Nasca lines, head to Cusco for some brilliant archaeological sites and discover the Inca cities. This trip will leave you wanting more!
customize ⤍Peruvian Inca Domains
Ideal for everyone wanting to explore the Inca history and combine it with today's culture and traditions. Fly over the mysterious Nasca lines, visit the penguins on Ballestas islands, sail the Titicaca Lake and discover the stunning Sacred Valley with Machu Picchu.
customize ⤍Witness the Sun Ceremony Inti Raymi in 2024
Celebrate the spectacular Sun Ceremony in Peru in 2024. This trip starts on the 24th of June 2024 to be able to witness the ceremony. Extensions and pre-programs are readily available.
customize ⤍Machu Picchu, Titicaca & Uyuni
The highlights of every Peru and Bolivia trip: the fascinating ruins of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, followed by a trip to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Afterwards, continue via La Paz to the Salar de Uyuni, the incredible salt flats.
customize ⤍Coast, Mountain Ranges and the Amazon Rainforest
Discover Peru, it's history, nature and culture. You will start in the captivating city of Lima, from where you will make your way to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu only to end in the Peruvian jungle....where you can find lakes, nature trails and stunning views.
customize ⤍Wonders of Peru and Bolivia
Start your trip by exploring Lima before heading out to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Spend a few days exploring these wonders before heading off to Lake Titicaca. Just a short hop across the border lies Bolivia with the de facto capital La Paz, ready to be explored.
customize ⤍In most places in Peru, a good meal can still be found for under S/25 (US$8.50), transport is very reasonable, a comfortable double room costs S/60–180 (US$20–60) a night, and camping is usually free, or under S/15 (US$5) per person. Expect to pay a little more in the larger towns and cities, especially Cusco and Lima, and also in the jungle, as many supplies have to be imported by truck. In the villages and rural towns, on the other hand, some basic commodities are far cheaper and it’s always possible to buy food at a reasonable price from local villages or markets.
In the more popular parts of Peru, costs vary considerably with the seasons. Cusco, for instance, has its best weather from June to August, when many of its hotel prices go up by around 25–50 percent. The same thing happens at fiesta times – although on such occasions you’re unlikely to resent it too much. As always, if you’re travelling alone you’ll end up spending considerably more than you would in a group of two or more people.
Bank ATMs are a target for muggers in cities, particularly after dark, so visit them with a friend or two during daylight hours or make sure there’s a policeman within visual contact. Armed mugging is rare but does happen in Lima, and it’s best not to resist. The horrific practice of “strangle mugging” has been a bit of a problem in Cusco and Arequipa, usually involving night attacks when the perpetrator tries to strangle the victim into unconsciousness. Again, be careful not to walk down badly lit streets alone in the early hours.
Theft from cars and even more so, theft of car parts, is rife, particularly in Lima. Also, in some of the more popular hotels in the large cities, especially Lima, bandits masquerading as policemen break into rooms and steal the guests’ most valuable possessions while holding the hotel staff at gunpoint. Objects left on restaurant floors in busy parts of town, or in unlocked hotel rooms, are obviously liable to take a walk.
Cities are most dangerous in the early hours of the morning and at bus or train stations where there’s lots of anonymous activity. In rural areas robberies tend to be linked to the most popular towns (again, be most careful at the bus depot) and treks (the Inca Trail for instance). Beyond that, rural areas are generally safe. If you’re camping near a remote community, though, it’s a good idea to ask permission and make friendly contact with some of the locals; letting them know what you are up to will usually dissolve any local paranoia about tomb-robbers or kidnappers.
The only certain precaution you can take is to insure your gear and cash before you go. Take refundable travellers’ cheques, register your passport at your embassy in Lima on arrival (this doesn’t take long and can save days should you lose it) and keep your eyes open at all times. If you do have something stolen, report it to the tourist police in larger towns, or the local police in more remote places, and ask them for a certified denuncia – this can take a couple of days. Many insurance companies will require a copy of the police denuncia in order to reimburse you. Bear in mind that the police in popular tourist spots, such as Cusco, have become much stricter about investigating reported thefts, after a spate of false claims by dishonest tourists. This means that genuine victims may be grilled more severely than expected, and the police may even come and search your hotel room for the “stolen” items.
In general, the police rarely bother travellers but there are certain sore points. The possession of (let alone trafficking of) either soft or hard drugs (basically marijuana or cocaine) is considered an extremely serious offence in Peru – usually leading to at least a ten-year jail sentence. There are many foreigners languishing in Peruvian jails after being charged with possession, some of whom have been waiting two years for a trial – there is no bail for serious charges.
Drugs aside, the police tend to follow the media in suspecting all foreigners of being political subversives and even gun-runners or terrorists; it’s more than a little unwise to carry any Maoist or radical literature. If you find yourself in a tight spot, don’t make a statement before seeing someone from your embassy, and don’t say anything without the services of a reliable translator. It’s not unusual to be given the opportunity to pay a bribe to the police (or any other official for that matter), even if you’ve done nothing wrong. You’ll have to weigh up this situation as it arises – but remember, in South America bribery is seen as an age-old custom, very much part of the culture rather than a nasty form of corruption, and it can work to the advantage of both parties, however irritating it might seem. It’s also worth noting that all police are armed with either a revolver or a submachine gun and will shoot at anyone who runs.
If you feel you’ve been ripped off or are unhappy about your treatment by a tour agent, hotel, restaurant, transport company, customs, immigration or even the police, you can call the 24-hour Tourist Protection Service hotline for the tourist police in Lima (T01 423 3500 or free at T0800 22221, or at the airport, T 01 517 1841). There are also Policía de Turismo offices throughout the country, including all major tourist destinations, such as Cusco, Arequipa and Puno.
Punctuality has improved in Peru in the last twenty years or so, but for social happenings can still be very lax. While buses, trains or planes won’t wait a minute beyond their scheduled departure time, people almost expect friends to be an hour or more late for an appointment (don’t arrange to meet a Peruvian on the street – make it a bar or café). Peruvians stipulate that an engagement is a la hora inglesa (“by English time”) if they genuinely want people to arrive on time, or, more realistically, within half an hour of the time they fix.
Try to be aware of the strength of religious belief in Peru, particularly in the Andes, where churches have a rather heavy, sad atmosphere. You can enter and quietly look around all churches, but in the Andes especially you should remain respectful and refrain from taking photographs.
A Migraciones office is the place to sort out new visas if you’ve lost your passport (having visited your embassy first) and to get passports re-stamped.
Student visas (which last twelve months) are best organized as far in advance as possible through your country’s embassy in Lima, your nearest Peruvian embassy or the relevant educational institution. Business visas only become necessary if you are to be paid by a Peruvian organization, in which case ask your Peruvian employers to get this for you.
In case you don’t get your shots before you leave for Peru, there is a useful 24-hour vaccination service at the Sanidad de la Fuerza Aérea on the first floor of Jorge Chávez airport in Lima (T01 575 1745); remember to bring your passport as you will need to show it before getting the vaccination (S/85).
Similar symptoms, plus rotten-egg-smelling belches and gas, indicate giardia, for which the treatment is again metronidazole. If you suspect you have any of these illnesses, seek medical help, and only start on the metronidazole (250mg three times daily for a week for adults) if there is definitely blood in your diarrhoea and it is impossible to see a doctor.
Apart from bottled water, there are various methods of treating water while you are travelling, whether your source is tap water or natural groundwater such as a river or stream. Boiling is the time-honoured method, which is an effective way to sterilize water, although it will not remove any unpleasant tastes. A minimum boiling time of five minutes (longer at higher altitudes) is sufficient to kill microorganisms. In remote jungle areas, sterilizing tablets are a better idea, although they leave a rather bad taste in the mouth. Pregnant women or people with thyroid problems should consult their doctor before using iodine sterilizing tablets or iodine-based purifiers. There are also several portable water filters on the market. In emergencies and remote areas in particular, always check with locals to see whether the tap water is OK (es potable?) before drinking it.
Peruvian food cooked on the street has been frequently condemned as a health hazard, particularly during rare but recurrent cholera outbreaks. Be careful about anything bought from street stalls, particularly seafood, which may not be that fresh. Salads should be avoided, especially in small settlements where they may have been washed in river water or fertilized by local sewage waters.
A more obvious problem is the mosquito, which in some parts of the lowland jungle carries malaria. Repellents are of limited value – it’s better to cover your arms, legs and feet with a good layer of clothing. Mosquitoes tend to emerge after dark, but the daytime holds even worse biting insects in the jungle regions, among them the manta blanca (or white blanket), so-called because they swarm as a blanket of tiny flying insects. Their bites don’t hurt at the time but itch like crazy for a few days afterwards. Antihistamine creams or tablets can reduce the sting or itchiness of most insect bites, but try not to scratch them – if it gets unbearable go to the nearest farmacia for advice. To keep hotel rooms relatively insect-free, buy some of the spirals of incense-like pyrethrin, available cheaply everywhere.
Be aware that parcels take about one month to arrive and are particularly vulnerable to being opened en route – in either direction – and expensive souvenirs can’t be sure of leaving the building where you mail them. Never send money through the Peruvian post!
There are many poor-quality newspapers and magazines available on the streets of Lima and throughout the rest of Peru. Many of the newspapers stick mainly to sex and sport, while magazines tend to focus on terrorism, violence and the frequent deaths caused by major traffic accidents. Meanwhile, many get their news and information from television and radio, where you also have to wade through the panoply of entertainment-orientated options.
International newspapers are fairly hard to come by; your best bet for English papers is to go to the British Embassy in Lima, which has a selection of one- to two-week-old papers, such as The Times and The Independent, for reference only. US papers are easier to find; the bookstalls around Plaza San Martín in Lima Centro and those along Avenida Larco and Diagonal in Miraflores sell The Miami Herald, the International Herald Tribune, and Newsweek and Time magazines, but even these are likely to be four or five days old.
One of the better weekly magazines is the fairly liberal Caretas, generally offering mildly critical support to whichever government happens to be in power. There’s one environmental and travel magazine – Rumbos – which publishes articles in both Spanish and English and has excellent photographic features.
Alternatively, you can tune in to Peruvian radio stations, nearly all of which play music and are crammed with adverts. International pop, salsa and other Latin pop can be picked up most times of the day and night all along the FM waveband, while traditional Peruvian and Andean folk music can usually be found all over the AM dial. Radio Miraflores (96FM) is one of the best stations, playing mainly disco and new US/British rock, though also with a good jazz programme on Sunday evenings and an excellent news summary every morning (7–9am).
Dollars are also accepted in many places, including smart hotels, tour companies, railway companies and classy restaurants. The main supermarkets in Lima also take dollars, as do some taxi drivers (especially those picking up from airports).
ATMs are common in all of Peru’s cities and main towns, with the BCP (Banco de Crédito del Peru) probably being the most common, but all the main banks’ ATMs seem to work well with standard credit and debit cards. Travellers’ cheques and cash dollars or euros can be cashed at casas de cambio. Cash can be changed on the street, sometimes at a slightly better rate than the banks or casas de cambio, but with a greater risk of being short-changed.
Peru’s more important ancient sites and ruins usually have opening hours that coincide with daylight – from around 7am until 5pm or 6pm daily. Smaller sites are rarely fenced off, and are nearly always accessible 24 hours a day. For larger sites, you normally pay a small admission fee to the local guardian – who may then walk around with you, pointing out features of interest. Only Machu Picchu charges more than a few dollars’ entrance fee – this is one site where you may find it worth presenting an ISIC or FIYTO student card (which generally gets you in for half-price).
Churches open in the mornings for Mass (usually around 6am), after which the smaller ones close. Those which are most interesting to tourists, however, tend to stay open all day, while others open again in the afternoon from 3 to 6pm. Very occasionally there’s an admission charge to churches, and more regularly to monasteries (monasterios).
Phonecards (eg Telefónica Tarjeta 147) are the cheapest way to communicate by phone either domestically or internationally; indeed, international calls from a fixed phone often work out cheaper than ones to Peruvian mobiles or between Peruvian cities. Each card has directions for use (in Spanish) on the reverse and most are based on a scratch-card numeral basis. You can buy phonecards from corner shops, farmacias or on the street from cigarette stalls in the centres of most towns and cities. With free wi-fi available in most places, Skype is probably the most convenient form of long-distance calling.
Of course, most Peruvians live in cities with massive supermarkets and a pharmacy on each street corner. Shopping centres are springing up all over Lima, each more or less a replica of the other. Traditional craft goods from most regions of Peru can be found in markets and independent shops in Lima. Woollen and alpaca products, though, are usually cheaper and often better quality in the mountains – particularly in Cusco, Juliaca and Puno; carved gourds are imported from around Huancayo; the best places to buy ceramic replicas are Trujillo, Huaraz, Ica and Nazca; and the best jungle crafts are from Pucallpa and Iquitos.
If you get offered an “ancient” pot or necklace, remember that Peruvian law stipulates that no items of archeological or historical value or interest may be removed from the country. Many of the jungle crafts which incorporate feathers, skins or shells of rare Amazonian animals are also banned for export – it’s best not to buy these if you are in any doubt about their scarcity. If you do try to export anything of archeological or biological value, and get caught, you’ll have the goods confiscated at the very least, and may find yourself in a Peruvian court.
Travelling around the country is perhaps the most difficult activity with children. Bus and train journeys are generally long (twelve hours or more). Crossing international borders is a potential hassle; although Peru officially accepts children under 16 on their parents’ passports, if they have their own it will serve to minimize problems.
The major risk around the regions is a bad stomach and diarrhoea from water or food; you should be ready to act sooner than usual when treating children under 10 with rehydration salts. In Lima, where the water is just about good enough to clean your teeth, but not to drink, the issues for local children are mainly bronchial or asthmatic, with humid weather and high pollution levels causing many long-lasting chest ailments. This shouldn’t be a problem for any visiting children unless they already have difficulties.
While there are still few hotels or resorts that are well designed enough to ensure access for all, Peru, and Lima in particular, has made progress in recent years. The hotel chain Sonesta Posadas del Inca (Wsonesta.com) caters well for disabilities and has places in Lima, Lago Titicaca/Puno and the Valle Sagrado; other pioneers in Peru include the travel agency Apumayo Expediciones, Rainforest Expeditions and InkaNatura Travel. Accessible Journeys, meanwhile, offers tours specifically designed for travellers with physical disabilities, including a thirteen-day trip to Lima, Cusco, the Valle Sagrado, Machu Picchu and Nazca.
Mostly these are situations you’d deal with routinely at home but they can seem threatening without a clear understanding of Peruvian Spanish and slang. To avoid getting caught up in something you can’t control, any provocation is best ignored. In a public situation, however, any real harassment is often best dealt with by loudly drawing attention to the miscreant.
In the predominantly indigenous, remote areas there is less of an overt problem, though surprisingly this is where physical assaults are more likely to take place. They are not common, however – you’re probably safer hiking in the Andes than walking at night in most British or North American inner cities.
If you’re camping, it’s a good idea to get to know the locals, which can give a kind of acceptance and insurance, and may even lead to the offer of a room – Peruvians, particularly those in rural areas, can be incredibly kind and hospitable.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Peru
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