Every trip on this page is different, and the right itinerary depends on your dates, your fitness level, and what you actually want to see. Get in touch with our team and we'll help you build it, from Machu Picchu logistics to the Amazon, without the guesswork.
It was the best tour of my life! My best friend and I were fascinated by the diversity and beautiful nature in Peru.
Harry, Austria
Every trip on this page is different, and the right itinerary depends on your dates, your fitness level, and what you actually want to see. Get in touch with our team and we'll help you build it, from Machu Picchu logistics to the Amazon, without the guesswork.
It was the best tour of my life! My best friend and I were fascinated by the diversity and beautiful nature in Peru.
Harry, Austria
Machu Picchu is the obvious highlight, but Peru rewards travelers who go beyond it. Cusco, the Sacred Valley, the Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek, the Peruvian Amazon, and Rainbow Mountain each offer a completely different side of the country. See our full list of 17 must-visit cities in Peru and the top 18 things to do in Peru to start narrowing down your route.
Finding where to stay matters just as much as where to go. Check out our guide to the best places to stay in Peru.
No trip is complete without the food. Start with the best Peruvian dishes to try and pair them with a few typical Peruvian drinks. If Arequipa is on your route, don’t miss our picks for the best restaurants in Arequipa.
It depends on what you’re there for. Winter (May to October) is the dry season and the most reliable window for the Andes, Machu Picchu, and the Inca Trail. Summer (November to April) brings more rain but also greener landscapes and thinner crowds at the major sites. See our full best time to visit Peru guide for a month-by-month breakdown.
If you’re visiting the desert coast, sandboarding near Lima is worth building into your itinerary, and the Andes are one of the best places anywhere to see llamas and alpacas up close. Here’s how to tell them apart.
Most tourists, including citizens of the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and the EU, don’t need a visa to enter Peru and can stay for up to 183 days. You’ll need a passport valid for your full stay with at least one blank page for the entry stamp. Travelers from other countries may need a visa in advance; check with your nearest Peruvian consulate before booking.
Bring more local currency than you think you’ll need for smaller towns and markets; see our guide to money exchange in Peru for where to get the best rate.
Peru can be genuinely affordable if you stay flexible: budget travelers get by on $20-25 a day covering basic accommodation and local restaurants. Add historic sites, guided tours, and domestic flights, and costs rise quickly. Plan ahead with our full Peru travel budget guide for 2026, and make sure your Peru packing list is sorted before you go.
Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport is the country’s main international gateway, with onward domestic flights to Cusco, Arequipa, Iquitos, and other regional hubs. Long-distance buses are a popular, inexpensive alternative between major cities, with several operators running both budget and premium services.
If you’d rather not plan the logistics yourself, Exploor Peru runs small group tours across Peru that handle transport, permits, and timing for you.
Picking up a few words of Spanish goes a long way too. Here are 20 Spanish phrases worth knowing in Peru.
If this is your first trip to South America, start with how to prepare for a trip to Peru and our list of 11 things you should know before traveling to Peru.
Machu Picchu sits just under 8,000 feet, lower than Cusco itself, but it’s still worth giving your body a day or two to acclimate. Read our full guide on how to avoid altitude sickness.
A few more practical things worth knowing before you land: check the current rules on flying drones in Peru if you’re bringing one, and get ahead of connectivity by learning how to get a SIM card in Peru and where to find free wifi in Peru.
Not sure where to start? Plan your perfect Peru tour in 5 minutes, or go straight to Exploor Peru’s customized Peru tours and let us build it with you.
