We would like to give you some useful information on travelling to Peru. Especially those who are visiting the first time.
Peru generally is very diversified country of different climates, altitude, languages, safety and so on. The most popular place to visit is Cusco. Cusco sits in the altitude of 3300 meters above the sea level and the most visited place is Machu Picchu. Cusco has many attractions to offer and we would like to help you with choosing the right attraction for you whether it is exploring the country on motorbike or by bus.
Safety is an issue in Peru. Lima is found to be very dangerous city and we would not recommend visiting areas in Lima except for Miraflores which is the safest area in Lima. Having lived in Cusco for some years I never had any issues in terms of safety. Police are seen at every corner but still be mindful of that bad things can happen just like at any other country.
Local business can be also an issue. First buying tours with an agent online, just make sure that agent has physical office in the center of Cusco. There are many so called informal travel agents without proper licence and office. You might book a tour with this agent but tour operator does not always turn up and you might loose all your money. So please be aware of this issue as it is very frequent issue.
Choosing the right agent can be hard as there is many of them in Cusco. I would highly recommend to shop around as the very common practice which is disgusting is to overcharge international tourists tour price. This can be substantial and you might end up being upset when you find out that the tour you just paid is sold for half price some where else. Usually the service is very much the same. This issue has been our main focus since the start of operating our own agency.
How much money to bring? First try to calculate how much you want to spend and if you want to buy tours online or directly in the office of Cusco travel agents. Peru has dual currency system being Peruvian Sol and American dollar. Both are widely used and every agent will accept USD to buy tours. Food and other small things is only paid in soles. If you need to withdraw money, it is possible to withdraw in USD or Soles. The best bank is BCP that is very easy to find and there are 2 cash machines right in the main square of Cusco.
BCP is definitely the best for international tourists as the maximum withdrawing limit is 700 soles. Other bank have only 400 soles. Each bank charge you substantial fee. BCP is charging 27 soles and others 20 soles. This fee is fixed and if you only withdraw 20 soles or 700 soles, fee is still the same. Therefore we recommend you to bring cash in USD with you.
Outside of the big shops, in most places you pay with a VISA card, although the situation is still improving.
When paying online by card, it sometimes happens to travellers that the system does not accept the card – for example, the card is not accepted by the system. at LATAM. This is due to higher verification of payment security. I have tested that Česká spořitelna has this security from Czech banks (e.g. Fio or Air bank do not have it and the system will not take the payment) for Australia there is then a problem with St.George bank.
A great alternative for free withdrawals is the Revolut Card, which is used by many travelers. You can easily transfer as much money from your own account (at a more advantageous rate) to the card as you need to use.
Altitude can be an initial problem for you as Cusco sits at 3300 meter above the sea level. Give yourself time to acclimatise. 2 days should be plenty and start your tours by visiting Cusco city tours. Almost every hotel will have coca leafs or tea which is great drink to help you with altitude sickness. You can always ask your doctor in your country for medication. However we have our own medication and oxygen bottles that will always relief your symptoms.
Many travellers carry a small bottle of chlorophyll (Chlorophyll as in plants) drops that they had bought at a pharmacy back home. As they intake few chlorophyll drops they were never affected by altitude sickness. This is a natural home treatment. The chlorophyll increases the amount of red blood cells in your system; the more red blood cells there are, the more opportunities you have to absorb oxygen, thereby reducing the effects of altitude sickness.
Weather is very tricky in Cusco. Cusco has 2 seasons, dry and wet. Wet season starts at November and finishes around March. The wet season is summer season and daily temperature is at around 20 Celsius with nights being cold. The rain during this period lasts only for couple hours during the day but it comes heavy with occasional hails. Winter season is same in terms of temperature but this is the dry season where there is no rain at all. Plan your tours accordingly and should you choose to travel on motorcycle the best season is winter season.
The most suitable period from a financial point of view is January to April, for this period you can get tickets the cheapest. Promotional tickets can sometimes be reached for May or October/November. On the contrary, the most expensive tickets are during the Christmas period, when most Peruvians are heading home, and during the summer holidays: July-August.
If you do not mind flying from another European city, you can get cool in the off-season at a price below 15 thousand.
Ticket graders – eg. skyscanner or azair will find you the cheapest connections. I recommend buying a ticket from a specific carrier, because of any changes and complaints.
The official language is Spanish, which you can speak in most places. In secluded places in the mountains, you can meet the fact that the locals will speak only Quechua. In the vicinity of Lake Titicaca, the original language is Aymara.
English can be spoken at tourist places, otherwise most Peruvians do not speak much English. English is enough on the way, but if you want to experience more local culture or do not want to act like a typical “gringo”, I recommend you learn at least a few basic Spanish words.
No visa is required to enter Peru. Upon entry, you will receive a stamp in your passport for 3 months (however, in the current covid era, stamps are not put in the passport). The maximum period of stay in the case of tourism is 180 days, the immigration officer has the opportunity to grant you these 180 days upon your entry, but it will always be necessary
If you exceed 180 days, no one will rip your head off, only on departure you will pay a fine of about 4 sols / day (depending on the number of days illegally spent).
In Peru, it is not a problem to find good accommodation at a reasonable price (e.g. a double room with private bathroom for 50-70 sols). There are many cheaper hostels, but also quality hotels.
However, beware of different holiday seasons – traditionally Christmas and Easter and various local celebrations, such as Inti Raymi in Cusco during the summer solstice, when hotels and hostels are occupied.
More expensive hotels have an appropriate level of hotels in Europe (even here it is necessary to keep an eye on the rating, exceptions can be found).
For cheaper ones, count on the fact that it may be harder to flow hot water (or not at all). And they tend to be noisier, Peruvians like to play TV or music at night.
Airbnb – Peru has 3. Airbnb’s largest market in South and Central America. Which means that in Lima, Cusco and other larger cities , it is not a problem to stay through this service. Negative experiences are not here.
Couchsurfing – this service is also known in Peru, but it is most widespread in Lima. In smaller towns, people are primarily trying to ensure their own livelihood.
For a trip to Peru , it is advisable to get an adapter. On many places you will encounter the fact that they have combined sockets (such
“commas with wheels”) suitable for our cables, but it cannot be relied upon . Adapters can also be found on site.
Every year, the availability of the Internet in Peru is improving. You can expect it in most hotels and it is also widespread in restaurants. Mobile data is cheaper than with us.
Claro has the best coverage and Bitel has the cheapest mobile internet.
SIM card can be purchased in official stores (Claro, Movistar, Bitel, Entel), they are also at the airport. However, not every store allows the sale of a SIM card to foreigners on a passport.
The data is quite cheap – Claro (in 2021) has a package of 4.5 GB with a validity of 1 month for 30 sols (less than 180 CZK). If you run out of data, you have facebook and whatsapp for free. Recharge then you can as needed, for example for 5 sols. They have charging points almost everywhere, for example in a pharmacy.
In Peru you can get most of the things as elsewhere. Cosmetics are best bought in the supermarket or pharmacies.
Contact Details
+51 968 731 451 English, Czech & German speaking
Cusco – Activities has been established in 2020 just before the pandemic by European traveler Ales Cervenka from the Czech Republic and his Peruvian girlfriend Analy Cuba.
Monday – Friday 7:00 – 19:00
Saturday 7:00 – 19:00
Sunday 8:30 – 18:00
at 463 Calle Ruinas,Cusco 08001, Peru
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