Essential Things to Know Before Traveling to Peru

Peru is a destination like no other—home to ancient civilizations, breathtaking mountains, colorful cultures, and world-renowned cuisine. But before you head off to explore Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, or Lima’s food scene, it’s important to prepare well. This guide covers essential Peru travel tips, safety advice, and practical info. From what to bring to Peru to things to know before visiting, here’s everything you need for a smooth and unforgettable journey.

CAPITAL
Lima

LANGUAGE
Spanish & Quechua is the official language of Peru. English is generally used for official and business purposes.

ELECTRICITY
220 volts. Sockets are a mixture of the European, two-pronged round variety and US flat-pin.

LOCAL TIME
The standard time for Peru is calculated from Lima. Peru Time (PET) is 5 hours behind GMT.

PASSPORT & VISA
A valid passport is required. Currently EU, US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand citizens can visit Peru for up to 90 days (ask on arrival for a 90 day entry as 30 days is the standard issued) without a visa. However, the situation does change periodically, so you should always check with your local Peruvian embassy before departure. All nationalities need a tourist or embarkation card (“tarjeta de embarque”) to enter Peru. This is issued at frontiers or on the aircraft before landing. Tourist cards are usually valid for between 60 and 90 days (60 for US citizens). In theory you have to show an outbound ticket (by air or bus) before you'll be given a card, but this is rarely checked. For your own safety and freedom of movement, a copy of the tourist card together with a copy of your passport must be kept on you at all times - particularly when travelling outside of the main towns. You must also retain this card for when you exit Peru.
All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Passports are required; in addition travelers are advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding Visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is sole responsibility of the traveler.

On Arrival at Lima International Airport:
please follow these procedures:
1. Show passport or ID and boarding pass to the Immigration Agent
2. The Immigration Agent will ask passengers to register a fingerprint and then a photograph will be taken; this photo will be compared with the one on their Passport or ID
3. The Immigration agent will issue the Virtual TAM and stamp the passport accordingly, and will only print it upon the passenger's request and/or when the ID does not allow to place stamps (plasticized ID)
Please make sure you request a printed virtual Immigration Card and to double check that your passport has been properly stamped.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN

Please note that in order to protect children and teenagers from potential harm, Peru has recently put into effect a new law (Ley N° 30802) that requires travellers to carry documentation with them when travelling with minors. If you are travelling with a child/children please not the following new requirements:

For children travelling with one or both parents:

• Passport of the minor as well as the long form birth certificate (includes both parents’ names)
• Passport of the parent(s) travelling with the minor

For children travelling with a responsible person (such as grandmother, or chaperone):

• Written authorization by both parents, notarized  
• Passport of the responsible person
• Passport of the minor as well as the long form birth certificate (includes both parents’ names)

For children travelling with a teacher:

• Documentation that shows the legal or judicial relationship of the tutor with the minor
• Passport of the tutor

• Passport of the minor as well as the long form birth certificate (includes both parents’ names)

If these documents are not in either English or Spanish, please ensure you have these documents legally translated so that immigration offices/hotel reception staff can verify the documents in order to ensure you don’t have any inconveniences while travelling in Peru.

VISITING MACHU PICCHU:

New rules have been implemented with regards to bags entering the archaeological site:

• Backpacks  cannot  exceed   40 x 35 x 20 cms  or   have  a  capacity  larger   than 20 litres.
• At  the  entrance  of    the  citadel,   security staff will measure any bags that do not seem to confirm to the rules.

Backpacks that exceed the indicated measures will need to be checked in to the storage facility at a cost of approximate $2.

Please also note that single-use plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic straws or Styrofoam containers are banned from Machu Picchu. We recommend bringing a reusable water bottle.

LOCAL CURRENCY
Nuevo (new) Sol (PEN; symbol S/.) = 100 céntimos. Nuevo Sol notes are in denominations of S/.200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of S/.5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 céntimos.
Note: US Dollars are also in use and accepted for payment, particularly in tourist areas. While effectively interchangeable, it is best to use local currency wherever possible, and it is always good for tourists to have some local currency in small denominations, to pay for buses, taxis and goods in some small establishments..

Credit cards:
All major credit cards are accepted, but usage may be limited outside of Lima and tourist areas. Visa and MasterCard are the most commonly accepted. It is also sensible to carry some cash rather than rely on cards.

ATM:
ATMs are now generally regarded as one of the best ways to obtain money in Peru. They are found almost everywhere, including in small towns, although when travelling in remote places it is best to have some cash just in case the nearby ATMs are not working or have run out of money. In bigger cities, use ATMs inside banks for greater security, especially at night. Many banks have gun-carrying security guards.

Travellerscheques:
Banks will exchange traveller’scheques although it can be a slow process outside Lima. The ability to use traveller'scheques is also quite limited in some areas so you should check whether or not they will be accepted in the area you are visiting prior to travel. The use of ATMs is generally preferable, but if you do decide to bring traveller'scheques, the best currency to bring them in is US Dollars.

Banking hours:
Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1300 (may vary during the summer).

CLOTHING
As a general guideline, clothing should be lightweight, loose fitting, hard-wearing and easily washed. In the hot summer months, cotton clothing is much more comfortable than man-made materials like nylon. Be prepared for cooler evenings - for this reason you will generally find it better to pack several thin layers rather than one thick layer. A fleece can be invaluable and double as a pillow. Water resistant jackets and trousers are essential during the rainy season between November and April.

Internet
As with everywhere, the easiest and cheapest form of communication is via the Internet. You will find Internet cafés in every major Peruvian town/city. The average cost is approx. US$0.40c per hour. Connection is generally slower in the smaller more remote places, do your emailing in Lima, Arequipa and Cuzco if possible. These bigger cities are now starting to offer internet phone calls which can cost as little as US$0.15 per minute to anywhere in the world.

Phone
Another option is to go into one of the many phone offices and pay approx. US$0.60- 0.80 per minute, or buy a phone card which will cost about the same but will allow you to call from any phone in Peru (it has a free phone number on the back of the card with pin number and instructions in Spanish and English).

Post
The postal service is good and stamps are available everywhere.

WEATHER & CLIMATE
Peru is unique in its wide variety of ecosystems ranging from the driest/hottest desert in the Americas, to the high Andean peaks (over 7,600m above sea level); and a two-thousand-kilometer-long belt of cloud forest, rich in flora and fauna, to a vast area of lowland Amazon jungle, covering more than half the country. The three main zones of Peru are known as La Costa (the coast), La Sierra (the mountains) and La Selva (the jungle). Over the last few years, the Peruvian weather has been rather unsettled possibly as a result of global warming. However, it still rarely rains on the coast, although the Lima region does experience substantial smog, coastal fogs or mists and even drizzle; particularly between the months of May and November. The climate in the Sierra and Selva regions can be divided into a wet season (Nov-April) and a dry season (May-Oct). There is, of course, some rain during the dry season, but it is much heavier and much more frequent in the wet season. Don’t be put off by the expression “rainy season” however, as this normally means a couple of downpours each day rather than continuous rain. Again, weather conditions have been quite unsettled in these regions over the last ten years or so, with the Altiplano zone around Puno being affected by serious droughts, which have left the water level of Lake Titicaca at its lowest for years.

Lima: (approx)

Cusco: (approx)

Iquitos: (approx)

FOOD
Peru’s basic diet focuses around chicken, beef or seafood, mostly with French fries or rice (or both) and possibly a little salad. Soups are also common and good value. Coastal dishes are seafood based and include “ceviche” which is fish marinated in lemon juice, onion and hot peppers traditionally served with corn on the cob, cancha (toasted corn), yucca and sweet potatoes. “Escabeche” is fish with onions, green and red peppers, prawns, cumin, hard boiled eggs, olives and sprinkled with cheese. The most common fish is “corvina” (sea bass) which can come simply grilled or fried or with sauces. “Chupe de camerones”, a prawn stew, is another delicious dish certainly worth trying.
Corn and potatoes are Peru’s main vegetables – particularly in the highlands. “Causa” is a dish made from yellow potatoes, lemons, peppers, hard-boiled eggs, olives, lettuce, sweet corn, sweet potato, and cheese and onion sauce. “Choclo con queso” is a large corn on the cob snack with very salty cheese. Other local favorites’ include “tamales” which is like a boiled corn dumpling filled with chicken and wrapped in banana leaf and “lomosaltado” which is a kind of stir-fry beef with tomatoes, onions, fried potatoes on a bed of rice. An interesting local specialty is cuy (pronounced: cooee). This is roasted guinea pig which some people say tastes like chicken, others, like cooked cardboard!
In most of the larger cities and towns you will find an array of international cuisine. There are pizzerias on every corner and Chinese (chifas) food is very common. In places like Cuzco even Indian and Japanese restaurants have now opened. A cheap, filling 3 course lunch (normally called a “menúeconómico”) can often be had for about US$1.50.

Specialties:

• Ceviche (uncooked fish marinated in lemon or lime juice and hot chilli pepper).
• Cuy (roasted guinea pig, a Peruvian speciality; served complete with head, teeth, claws and whiskers).
• Causa relleña (potato cakes with chicken in the centre, but also cooked with avocado or crabmeat).
• Tamales (boiled corn dumplings filled with meat and wrapped in a banana leaf).
• Mazamorra morada (purple maize and sweet potato starch jelly cooked with lemons, dried fruits, cinnamon and cloves).
• Salchipapas (particularly popular in Chiclayo, this sausage and chips dish is eaten as an evening snack in many fast food-style restaurants).
• Papas a la Huancaína (boiled sliced potatoes served on lettuce with a slightly spicy cheese sauce, and either a piece of hard-boiled egg or olives; popular in Lima and along the central coast, and often part of menús del día).
• Pollo a la Brasa (chargrilled chicken which has been gutted and cooked over a flame; served with chips and salad with sauces).
• Chicharrones (salted pork fried in its own fat).

DRINKS
You should be wary of drinking the local tap water. Bottled water, carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices are widely available and are generally safe to drink. Please note however that fruit juices are sometimes made with unboiled tap water and could upset your stomach. An easy way around this is to order juice “con leche” (with milk) instead. The choice of different juices is incredible e.g. mora (blackberry), piña (pineapple), naranjilla (mixture between mandarin and orange), maracuya (passion fruit), tomato de arbol (like a tomato but with a harder texture and sweeter), guanabana (custard apple) and curia (which has a great taste – just try it!).

Regional drinks:

• Pisco (the national spirit, a brandy distilled from grapes).
• Pisco sour (the national cocktail, a bittersweet pisco-based drink made with lime juice, egg white and sugar).
• Other pisco-based drinks are algarrobina (pisco and carob syrup), chilcano (pisco and ginger ale) and capitán (pisco and vermouth).
• Chicha de jora (a strongly alcoholic drink made of fermented maize).
• Chichamorada (non-alcoholic purple corn juice, a cheap and popular drink dating from Inca times; usually found in big vats in local restaurants, it tastes similar to cold mulled wine).
• Inca Kola (the bottled soft drink of choice, beating Coca-Cola on sales; it’s nothing like cola, and is bright yellow).
• Peruvian beers include Cuzqueña from Cusco and Arequipeña from Arequipa, along with Pilsen and Cristal.
• Peruvian wine is traditionally quite sweet, and you can visit the vineyards at Ica to try different types.

SUGGESTED TIPPING SCALE
It is a way of showing your appreciation and will be welcomed by the recipient, although if you decide not to tip in a particular circumstance, this doesn’t mean you’ll receive a lower level of service. Ultimately, tipping is discretionary and should be done at a level that feels comfortable.

Here are some guidelines that you may find helpful:

*As a general rule there is a percentage sales tax and a percentage gratuity added to all restaurant bills. These taxes and gratuities vary from location to location, but the percentages being charged are always printed on the bill. It is customary to leave an additional tip so that the total percentage of gratuity comes to 15 - 20% for good to excellent service.

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES
As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Sickness can strike even the fittest, healthiest traveler. As soon as you pass the 8,000 feet mark, you are at risk from acute mountain sickness (AMS), the mildest and most common form of the condition. There is no way to know beforehand if you are susceptible to altitude sickness.

Parts of your trip go above 2800 metres / 9200 feet where it is common for travellers to experience some adverse health effects due to the altitude - regardless of your age, gender and fitness. Some pre-existing medical conditions are known to severely worsen at high altitude and be difficult to adequately treat on the ground, leading to more serious consequences. It is imperative that you discuss your pre-existing medical condition/s with your doctor

We understand certain medications are reported to aid acclimatizing to high altitude and we highly recommend that you contact your doctor or local travel health clinic to discuss this and any other health issues that might be of concern to you.

Altitude Sickness Prevention

Successful prevention is obviously preferable to treatment, so keep the following guidelines in mind before heading to high altitude locations:

• A slow ascent is always the best option. Whenever possible, give your body time to adjust to the altitude. Proper acclimatization is the best defense against altitude sickness.
• Take it easy for the first 24 hours at altitude -- don’t overexert yourself and don’t go any higher. This is particularly important if you’re arriving by plane.
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco and sleeping pills.
• Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Eat high-carbohydrate foods (such as pasta, potatoes and bread).
• Drink coca tea or chew coca leaves upon arrival at altitude and during your stay. While largely unproven scientifically, the locals swear by it. Be aware that coca leaves, while legal in Peru, can make a drug test prove positive for cocaine.
• Medication is also an option. Always consult your doctor before taking altitude sickness medication.

Altitude Sickness Symptoms and Treatment

Symptoms of acute altitude sickness include:

• headaches
• nausea
• vomiting
• dizziness
• lethargy
• poor sleep
• loss of appetite

** In all cases, the best treatment is descent. If heading to a lower altitude isn’t an option, stay where you are and rest for a day or two.

Here are some notable destinations located close to 8,000 feet or above:

Cerro de Pasco 14,200 feet (4,330m)

Puno and Lake Titicaca 12,500 feet (3,811m)

Cusco 11,152 feet (3,399m)

Huancayo 10,692 feet (3,259m)

Huaraz 10,013 feet (3,052m)

Ollantaytambo 9,160 feet (2,792m)

Ayacucho 9,058 feet (2,761m)

Machu Picchu 7,972 feet (2,430m)

VACCINATIONS
it is now mandatory for all tourists travelling into the jungle area of Peru to carry an up-to-date Yellow Fever vaccination certificate with them. The vaccination must have been had at least 10 days before departure, and you will be required to carry your vaccination certificate with you as proof. Please may we remind you that it is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain any vaccinations and precautionary or preventative medicines for the countries you are visiting.We strongly advise that you check with your doctor or a medical centre for specific health advice.

TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Your home country health plan may only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance, however they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable.

FAQs: Things to Know Before Traveling to Peru

1. Is Peru a good place to visit?

Absolutely. Peru is a top destination for adventure seekers, history lovers, and foodies alike. From Incan ruins and Amazon jungles to high-altitude cities and delicious street food, Peru offers a diverse and enriching travel experience.

2. Is Peru safe for tourists?

Yes, most parts of Peru are safe for tourists, especially popular areas like Cusco, Lima, Arequipa, and Machu Picchu. However, like any destination, stay alert in crowded places and avoid wandering unfamiliar neighborhoods after dark.

3. How safe is Peru for tourists?

Overall, Peru is moderately safe. Petty theft (like pickpocketing) can occur in busy markets or on public transport. Using licensed taxis, avoiding night travel in rural areas, and staying in reputable accommodations are good safety practices.

4. How safe is Peru for American tourists?

American tourists are welcomed warmly in Peru. Just follow general precautions—don’t flaunt valuables, use registered tour operators, and stay informed about local travel advisories.

5. What are some essential Peru travel tips?

• Acclimate to high altitudes slowly—Cusco sits at 11,000 ft!
• Carry small change—many places don’t accept large bills.
• Learn a few Spanish phrases; English isn’t spoken widely outside tourist areas.
• Tap water isn’t safe—always drink bottled or filtered water.

 

6. What should I bring to Peru?

• Layered clothing for changing climates
• Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots
• Sunscreen and bug spray
• Reusable water bottle with a filter
• Altitude sickness medication if needed
• Power adapter (Peru uses types A & C plugs, 220V)

 

7. Tips for visiting Peru during the dry season?

The dry season (May–September) is ideal for visiting Machu Picchu and trekking. However, it can get cold in the Andes at night, so pack warm layers and book accommodations early—this is peak tourist season.

 

8. What are things to know before traveling to Peru?

• The altitude affects many travelers—take it easy on day one.
• Local food is delicious, but start slow if you’re not used to it.
• Bargaining is common in markets.
• Don’t flush toilet paper—use the bin provided.

 

9. What are things to know before visiting Peru?

• Peru has three main regions: coast, highlands, and jungle—each with different climates and cultures.
• The country uses the Peruvian Sol (PEN)—carry some cash, especially in rural areas.
• Sundays can be very quiet in smaller towns as shops and restaurants may close.

 

10. Are there Peru local travel tips that tourists should know?

Yes!

• Try local transport like colectivos (shared taxis) for a real Peruvian experience.
• Be respectful of indigenous communities and always ask before taking photos.
• Don’t skip lesser-known spots like Colca Canyon or Huacachina oasis—they’re hidden gems!