🇵🇪 Peru travel: cost, safety & when to go

Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, the Amazon and Lake Titicaca.

💰 Local prices ≈ 52% of the US (Nov 2026)

🛡️ Level 2 · Increased caution — Safety · per US State Dept (Nov 2026)

🌤️ Best time to visit Peru

The best months to visit Peru are May, June, July and August, judged on weather and seasonality.

Things to do in Peru

🎒 Top things to do

• Machu Picchu & Inca Trail (Cusco) — The lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, reached by the multi-day Inca Trail or train from Cusco, is South America's top sight.
• Food scene (Lima) — Lima is a global culinary capital, home to several of the world's 50 best restaurants and the birthplace of ceviche.
• Amazon (Iquitos) — Iquitos, reachable only by boat or plane, is the gateway to Amazon jungle lodges and river cruises.
• Lake Titicaca (Puno) — From Puno you visit the Uros people's floating reed islands on the world's highest navigable lake.

🗓️ What's in season

• Inca Trail / hiking (dry season) (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — May-September is the dry season — the best window for the Inca Trail and Andean hiking.
• Inca Trail closed (maintenance) (Feb) — The classic Inca Trail closes each February for maintenance, though Machu Picchu itself stays open.

Visa (US passport): Visa-free entry · 90 days. Checked June 2026; verify before booking — rules change.

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