Peru

Peru at a glance

Peru packs desert coast, high Andes and Amazon rainforest into one country, but most first trips follow a single line: fly into Lima, connect to Cusco, spend a few days in the Sacred Valley and finish at Machu Picchu. That core route takes a week to ten days and gives you Inca stonework, colonial churches, mountain villages and one of the best food scenes in South America. The currency is the Peruvian sol (PEN, written S/), and Spanish is the main language, with Quechua widely spoken in the highlands. English is common in hotels and tour offices in Lima and Cusco, less so elsewhere.

Best time to visit Peru

• May to September: the dry season in the Andes and the best months for Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain. Days are sunny, nights are cold, and June to August is the busiest and most expensive period.
• April and October: shoulder months with fewer crowds, mostly clear mornings and the odd afternoon shower. A good compromise if your dates are flexible.
• November to March: the rainy season in the mountains. Trails get muddy and clouds can hide the views, but the hills are green and prices drop. The classic Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance.
• Lima and the coast: sunny and warm from December to April, and grey under a low sea mist (the garúa) from roughly June to October.

How long to stay

Ten days is the sweet spot for a first visit: two nights in Lima, two in Cusco to adjust to the altitude, two in the Sacred Valley, one near Machu Picchu and time for a day hike such as Rainbow Mountain. Seven days works if you fly straight from Lima to Cusco and skip the extra hike. With two weeks you can add Lake Titicaca and Puno, or the Colca Canyon and Arequipa. Our 10-day Peru itinerary lays out the route day by day, with ticket prices and train times.

Where to go

• Lima: the capital and the country's food capital, with cliff-top Miraflores and Barranco, ceviche at lunch and a historic centre full of colonial balconies.
• Cusco: the old Inca capital at about 3,400 metres, with Inca walls under Spanish churches, the Plaza de Armas and the San Blas quarter.
• Sacsayhuamán: giant zigzag Inca walls on the hill above Cusco, an easy first outing while you acclimatise.
• The Sacred Valley: lower and warmer than Cusco, with the terraces of Pisac, the circular terraces of Moray, the Maras salt pans and the fortress town of Ollantaytambo.
• Machu Picchu: the 15th-century Inca citadel above the Urubamba river, reached by train to Aguas Calientes and a bus up the mountain, or on foot via the Inca Trail.
• Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca): striped mineral slopes at around 5,000 metres, a long but popular day trip from Cusco.
• Lake Titicaca: the high lake on the Bolivian border, with the reed islands of the Uros and the quieter Taquile and Amantaní islands.
• Arequipa and the Colca Canyon: a white-stone colonial city and one of the deepest canyons in the world, where Andean condors ride the morning thermals.

Getting there and around

Almost every international flight lands at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima. Direct routes run from Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris and several US hubs, and the rest of Europe connects through them. From Lima it is a flight of about 1 hour 20 minutes to Cusco (CUZ), with several airlines and many daily departures. To reach Machu Picchu, take a PeruRail or Inca Rail train from Cusco (Poroy or San Pedro stations, depending on the season) or from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, then the Consettur shuttle bus up to the site. Long-distance buses connect Cusco with Puno and Arequipa, and in the Sacred Valley you can hire a driver for the day or join a tour.

Costs and tickets

Machu Picchu tickets are sold by route and entry hour on the official Ministry of Culture site. In 2026 a foreign adult pays S/152 for a standard route and S/200 for a route that adds Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, plus an S/11 protected-area fee since 1 May 2026, so roughly US$47 or US$61 in total (Oct 2026). Daily numbers are capped, so book weeks ahead in the dry season and months ahead for Huayna Picchu. Around Cusco, the Boleto Turístico del Cusco costs S/130 (about US$38) for 16 sites over 10 days, including Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Moray, or S/70 for one circuit. It is sold in person in Cusco, not online. Mid-range hotels in Cusco start at around US$40 to US$60 a night, and a set lunch (menú) in a local restaurant is often S/15 to S/25.

Altitude, safety and etiquette

Altitude is the main health issue: Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres and Rainbow Mountain tops out near 5,000. Take the first day slowly, drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol, and consider sleeping in the lower Sacred Valley first. Talk to your doctor about altitude medication before you travel. Peru is a well-trodden destination, but petty theft happens in busy markets, bus stations and night buses, so keep valuables close and use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps in Lima. Political protests occasionally block roads and rail lines, so check your government's travel advice before and during your trip. Ask before photographing people in traditional dress, as many expect a small tip.

A Tourison tip

Lock in your Machu Picchu entry time and train first, then build the rest of the trip around them. The deals below cover a Machu Picchu day trip from Cusco, a Sacred Valley tour, a Rainbow Mountain hike, Cusco hotels and flights from Madrid. If you route through Madrid or Lisbon, our Portugal page makes an easy stopover.

Hero photo: Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu behind, by Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).