8 tips to keep in mind when traveling to Peru
Peru is one of the best tourist destinations in South America. It is located on the central coast of the Pacific Ocean. It has a large stretch of the Andes Mountains, as well as a vast Amazon rainforest, making it a megadiverse country. Its main tourist attraction is Machu Picchu in Cusco. However, there you can also visit places such as the city of Lima, the Colca Canyon, the Nazca Lines, the beaches of Mancora, the Amazon rainforest and more. If you plan to visit Peru, don’t miss the opportunity to read these 8 tips to keep in mind when traveling.
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Tips to enjoy Machu Picchu to the fullest – Machu Picchu is the main destination for the thousands of visitors who come to Peru. The most important tip for getting to know it is to book your entrance or tour online as availability is limited. Once there, you should bring light clothing for the sun and, just in case, a rain poncho. There are many mosquitoes in the Inca city for much of the year so you should bring repellent. At the entrance there is a service for storing clothes or luggage to make the visit easier. If you have the opportunity to go on a hiking route, do it as it is a unique experience.
Book hotel online
Peru has a good range of tourist hotels, from backpacker services to luxurious 5-star services. The cities with the best hotel offerings are Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Trujillo and Puno. Whether in the high tourist season (from April to August) or in the low season (from October to March), it is recommended to book your accommodation online.
By making a hotel reservation online, tourists know exactly where to arrive when they arrive at the airport in Lima, Cusco or the tourist destination of their choice. This is advantageous for security reasons. Also, during the high season it is possible not to find a hotel room of the quality they are looking for. Remember that you can get better prices online.
- More information – In the city of Lima there are 5-star tourist hotels such as the Country Club Lima Hotel, the Iberostar Selection Miraflores, the Hyatt Centric San Isidro Lima, the Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center.
- Another tip – There are web platforms on the internet that offer hotel services at good prices. You can compare and choose the service that best suits your needs.
Reliable transportation
Peru has public transport services, taxis and private transport. In some hot cities there are motorcycle taxi or tuk tuk services. To enjoy the main tourist destinations it is recommended to use reliable transport, especially for pick-ups and transfers to the airport, such as, for example, upon arrival in the city of Lima.
At the Lima airport there are taxi services and even a public bus for the trip to Miraflores, the most touristic area of the city ( Airport Express Lima ). Check that the taxi drivers have a certificate from the Lima airport. The same for trips from the Cusco or Arequipa airport. Safety comes first.
- More information – The cost of a trip by public transport with the airport buses to Miraflores in Lima is 20 soles (6 US dollars on average).
- Another tip – Tours in Peru already include private tourist transportation service.
Personal belongings
Peru, like most Latin American countries, has high rates of robbery and assault. Statistics indicate that 24% of the Peruvian population was a victim of robbery in the last 12 months. This rate is 33% in the city of Lima. However, because visitors tend to be in tourist areas (such as Miraflores in Lima) this percentage is reduced.
However, it is recommended to be careful with personal belongings such as suitcases, cell phones or passports, especially if you are staying in Lima for several days. Cusco has a low incidence of robberies against tourists, but you should also be careful in places with crowds of people such as Inti Raymi (June 24).
- More information – Cusco is a very safe city for tourists. Tourists tend to stay in the historic center of the city, an area with a lot of police surveillance.
- Another tip – Make a photocopy of your ID or passport to use in case you are the victim of a robbery.
Peruvian food
Peruvian cuisine is one of the best in the world. Its signature dish is ceviche, made from chunks of fish marinated with lemon, salt and chili. In addition, there are other very famous dishes such as lomo saltado, ají de gallina, pollo a la brasa, causa rellena, cuy al horno and more. Tourists visiting Peru should not miss the opportunity to enjoy these exquisite dishes.
The best restaurants are in the city of Lima, in the districts of Miraflores, Barranco or San Isidro. A clear example is the Maido restaurant, winner of the best restaurant in the world in 2023. In Cusco, the best restaurants are in the Historic Center of the City. The same in the city of Arequipa. In addition to food, don’t miss the opportunity to try the pisco sour, the flagship cocktail in Peru.
- More information – On the trip to Machu Picchu you can enjoy delicious Peruvian food in the tourist restaurants of the town of Aguas Calientes, all of excellent quality.
- Another tip – On your trip to Cusco you can try cuy al horno, made from guinea pigs. This is a festive dish for the people of Cusco.
Cash
Cash is a must when traveling to Peru. Credit or debit cards are also accepted, but in very few shops, especially in the tourist areas of each city. The official currency of Peru is the Peruvian Nuevo Sol (S/.), which has an average value of 3.7 soles per dollar. The dollar and the euro are also accepted, but in very few shops.
In the tourist areas of each city there are ATMs, banks and exchange offices. It is recommended to use these exchange offices as they offer a better rate when exchanging currencies such as the dollar or the euro for the Peruvian Nuevo Sol. When receiving this currency, it is recommended to check that it is an original coin or bill as there may also be cases of counterfeiting.
- More information – In the historic center of the city of Cusco there are exchange offices for many world currencies, such as: the dollar, the euro, the Brazilian real, the yen, the Mexican peso, the Canadian dollar and more.
- Another tip – In some tourist shops, paying by credit or debit card does not include an additional 4 or 5 percent commission. Therefore, it is recommended to pay in cash.
The entrance to Machu Picchu
Visiting Machu Picchu is the goal of the vast majority of tourists who come to Peru. The Inca city receives around 5,000 visitors every day, a figure that reaches 1.5 million tourists a year. Due to this high demand, and the limited availability of tickets, it is recommended to buy the ticket online two to three months in advance. The same is true if you book a tour.
To buy tickets to Machu Picchu online, you must visit the official website of the Ministry of Culture of Peru. Another alternative is to make the purchase through an official travel agency. There are 10 tickets in total, of which the tickets Machu Picchu Classic (circuit 2) and Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu are the ones that sell out the fastest.
- More information – Entrance to Machu Picchu does not include the train ticket, which is the way most visitors get to the Inca city. You can buy the train ticket on the Peru Rail or Inca Rail website.
- Another tip – At the entrance to Machu Picchu you can hire a tour guide service, either in a group or private service.
Mountain sickness
The Andes mountain range in Peru covers 1,500 kilometers and a large part of the country, from the border with Ecuador to the Vilcanota junction in Cusco and Puno. Important cities such as Ayacucho, Arequipa, Huancayo, Apurímac, Huánuco, Cajamarca and Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire, were established in its mountain ranges. This city is located at 3,399 meters above sea level.
Mountain sickness is a natural ailment for people who suddenly ascend to mountainous geographies above 2,400 meters in altitude. That is, people who visit tourist attractions such as Cusco may suffer from its symptoms, such as nausea, headache, fatigue and excessive agitation. Acute symptoms usually disappear after two or three days of acclimatization. In any case, it is recommended to stay sufficiently hydrated during the first days in Andean geographies.
- More information – Machu Picchu is located at 2,430 meters above sea level. Symptoms of altitude sickness can occur there, although with mild symptoms.
- Another tip – To reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness you can try coca tea or anti-soroche pills sold at any pharmacy.
Mosquitoes in the jungle
The vast Amazon rainforest occupies 60.3 percent of the total territory in Peru. It is one of the main sources of oxygen in the world. Its main tourist attractions in Peru are the cities of Iquitos (Loreto department), the city of Tarapoto (San Martín department), the city of Pucallpa (Ucayali department) and the protected areas of the Madre de Dios region, such as Manu or Tambopata.
Due to its hot, tropical climate with heavy rainfall, mosquitoes are abundant throughout the Amazon region. To avoid becoming a victim of a mosquito-borne disease, it is recommended to get vaccinated against diseases such as yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A, tetanus-diphtheria, as well as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR vaccine). Of these, only the yellow fever vaccine is mandatory.
- More information – The main symptoms of yellow fever are headache, vomiting, yellowing of the skin and fever.
- Another tip – When visiting the Peruvian jungle, don’t forget to use mosquito repellent, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and whatever else you need for the high temperatures.
By Machupicchu Terra – Last updated, November 25, 2024