Know before you go: Peru

For nationalities that do not need a visa, including the United States, Canada, the UK, EU countries and most of Latin America, US passport holders receive tourist entry authorization on arrival, whether landing at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima or crossing at an official land border, with nothing to apply for in advance. In practice, tourist stays are granted at the immigration officer’s discretion, typically up to 90 days, with a legal maximum of 183 days within any 365-day period, and the stay cannot be extended from within Peru, so travelers planning a longer trip should request the full amount of time at arrival.

Make sure your passport has at least six months of remaining validity, since Peruvian migratory law requires a minimum of six months’ passport validity at the moment of entry, otherwise authorities may deny entry. Travelers from countries that are not on the visa-exempt list must apply at a Peruvian consulate in advance; visa on arrival is not an option for non-exempt nationalities.

One recent change worth noting: since February 2025, Peru requires a Transit Visa for foreign nationals who need to transit through Peruvian territory, applied for in advance and valid for six months from issue, with a standard authorized stay of up to two calendar days. This mainly affects travelers connecting through Peru to a third country who hold certain passports, not standard tourists landing and staying in Peru.

Because entry rules, visa-exempt lists and permitted stay lengths are updated periodically, confirm your specific situation on the official Migraciones and Foreign Ministry pages before booking, and double-check the exact number of days stamped in your passport before leaving the airport.

In Lima, the cheapest options are the elevated Metro (Línea 1) and the Metropolitano bus rapid transit system. Línea 1 offers good value: adult fare S/1.50 (students S/0.75) and a reloadable card at S/5.00, running along the Villa El Salvador to San Juan de Lurigancho corridor. The Metropolitano runs on dedicated lanes connecting districts popular with visitors, including Miraflores and Barranco; Metropolitano fares run S/3.20 trunk or S/3.50 integrated with feeder buses, with student discounts, and the card tops up at more than 1,200 authorized points such as convenience stores and pharmacies.

For taxis, use Uber or Cabify, since unlicensed cabs charge tourists inflated fares. Agree on a fare or confirm the app price before getting in, and avoid hailing cars off the street late at night.

Outside Lima, long-distance buses (companies like Cruz del Sur and Oltursa) connect major cities cheaply, domestic flights link Lima with Cusco, Arequipa, Puno and jungle gateways like Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado, and the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu is reached by train (PeruRail or IncaRail) combined with a bus up to the citadel. Book Machu Picchu entry tickets and, if hiking, Inca Trail permits well in advance, since daily visitor numbers are capped.

Peru’s official currency is the sol (symbol S/, code PEN), subdivided into 100 céntimos, with banknotes in 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 soles and coins in 10, 20 and 50 céntimos plus 1, 2 and 5 soles. Lima and tourist spots generally take cards, but markets, buses and rural areas around Cusco run mostly on cash soles.

ATMs are widely available, but the local bank typically charges its own fee of 15 to 30 soles per withdrawal, and your home bank may add an international withdrawal fee plus a foreign-exchange markup on top. Most machines cap withdrawals at 700 to 1,000 soles per transaction, though some bank machines allow up to 2,000. Whenever an ATM or card terminal offers to bill you in your home currency, decline it: choosing to be billed in soles rather than accepting the “conversion” offer gets you a meaningfully better rate. For cash exchange, licensed money-changing houses (casas de cambio) in city centers consistently beat airport counters and hotel desks.

As a daily budgeting guide, a budget traveler typically spends 120 to 180 soles per day, a mid-range traveler 220 to 380 soles, and a comfort-level traveler 400 to 700-plus soles. On tipping, around 10 percent is customary at restaurants unless a service charge is already included, tour guides generally receive S/30 to 50 per day on multi-day tours, and rounding up a taxi fare is appreciated though not required.

The best time to visit Peru is from May to October, during the dry winter season which brings clear, sunny days that are ideal for outdoor activities. This is also the prime window for trekking: June through August is officially peak season for hiking, so travelers wanting fewer crowds should aim for the quieter shoulder months of May and September, which still offer good weather. Note that the Inca Trail closes entirely in February each year for maintenance and ecological recovery, so plan around that if trekking is a priority.

For the Amazon, conditions differ slightly: the best time for nature walks is June to October, during the low-water season, when you can set off on foot and have a better chance of seeing migratory birds. Conversely, the wet season from December to March brings peak biodiversity in the Amazon, as higher water levels bring wildlife closer to boats. There is no single perfect month for the whole country, so pick your season based on whether the Andes/Machu Picchu or the jungle is your priority.

Save these numbers before you travel: call 105 for the National Police, 116 for the fire brigade and 106 for SAMU, the public ambulance service. The tourist police can be reached on 0800-22221. For general travel help and translation support, iPerú can be reached via WhatsApp at 944 492 314, and the Tourist Police central line in Lima is 01‑460‑1060 or 980 122 335.

Be aware that ambulance services are not present or unreliable in most areas except Lima and other major cities, so in remote regions getting to a clinic yourself by taxi may be faster than waiting for an ambulance. As of this writing, the US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory dated September 4, 2026, and Lima and Callao have been under a 60-day crime emergency declared on 28 August 2026. Conditions like this can be extended or lifted on short notice, so check your home country’s current travel advisory shortly before departure, keep your embassy’s contact details handy, and use common-sense precautions such as licensed taxis, indoor ATMs and discretion with phones and valuables in crowded areas.