Peru travel tips

Stumble Upon
Monday, 12 November 2012
Written by 
Tagged under

 

From the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu to the wonders of the Nazca Lines, Peru offers an array of amazing attractions to explore. But travellers who haven’t visited this country before should do a bit of homework before they arrive. Follow these simple tips to get the most out of your visit to Peru.

 

Travel at the right time
Peru’s peak tourism season stretches from June to August. This is when the weather is dry in the highlands, providing the best conditions for hiking the country’s world-famous trails. From January to April, the trekking is quite muddy.

If you’re interested in relaxing on Peru’s beaches, you will want to travel there during the sunniest months between December and March. The coast is layered in mist the rest of the year. Peru’s eastern rainforests receive a large amount of rain year-round, however, it’s wettest from December to April. But don’t let that discourage you: it rarely rains for more than few hours in this region.

 

Be cautious with money
The currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol, but many businesses also accept U.S. dollars. Make sure that the bills you use are in immaculate condition. Vendors won’t accept notes that have even the smallest tear in them.

Most cities in Peru have ATMs, however, fraud and card-copying is an issue in tourist-heavy destinations like Cusco. Visiting a bank is a safer option, but prepare to spend some time waiting in line. Remember to be cautious whenever exchanging money. Don’t lose count of the amount you are given and make sure you understand the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and the Nuevo Sol.

 

peru travel tips market in cusco
Many vendors in Peruvian markets are willing to bargain.

Picture copyright by Angela Rutherford

 

Prepare for altitude sickness
Many of the most popular tourist destinations in Peru are located more than 3,000 meters above sea level. This puts visitors at risk of altitude sickness if they don’t come prepared. Not everyone experiences problems with high altitudes, but those who do will endure headaches, dizziness, nausea and exhaustion.

Getting the proper amount of rest, avoiding alcohol and drinking plenty of water will often counter the effects of altitude sickness. Prescription medication is also available to combat this problem.

 

Be a smart shopper

You can find some great handcrafted products in Peru. Most regular stores have fixed prices that are not negotiable, however, street merchants and those selling goods in markets are more flexible. In fact, some Peruvians will hike their prices for foreigners. It’s up to each traveller to determine how much they are willing to pay; some tourists are OK with paying higher prices because Peruvian street merchants are often very poor. But if you think you’re being taken advantage of, just walk away.

 

peru travel tips lima coastline
Coastal cities like Lima experience sunny weather only between December and March.

 

Phone calls / internet
Even budget hotels can charge a small fortune for long distance calls. Instead, purchase international phone cards or look for call centres, called locutorias, in cities like Cusco. There are also plenty of Internet cafés from which you can e-mail friends and family at very affordable rates.

 

Don't miss our additional tips and infos: Become a Facebook fan, follow us on Twitter. Thank you!

 

Related items

  • 10 comments

    • Comment Link Administrator Wednesday, 08 May 2013 11:46 posted by Administrator

      Dear Derwick,
      I'm glad you enjoyed the article.

      With my best regards to you
      Charles

      Report
    • Comment Link Derwick Wednesday, 08 May 2013 07:40 posted by Derwick

      hey that's actually a large Information and i like this and thanks for distributing it with us!I have read a couple of of the articles on your website now because I was looking for data about this topic. and I am really impressed with your way of writing

      Report
    • Comment Link Photos of interesting landmarks close to Prague Monday, 22 April 2013 10:54 posted by Photos of interesting landmarks close to Prague

      What's up everyone, it's my first go to see at this web
      page, and piece of writing is truly fruitful designed for me,
      keep up posting these types of content.

      Report
    • Comment Link Charles2 Saturday, 08 December 2012 10:27 posted by Charles2

      Hello,
      I'm glad to hear that! Wish you a lot of success!
      You can track my blog by following it with RSS, Facebook or Twitter. I'm using Joomla, so anything Wordpress specific wouldn't work.
      Kind regards, Charles

      [quote name="Family vacation Colo"]In fact your creative writing abilities have inspired me to start my own wordpress blog now about on Tapis sensitif .[/quote]

      Report
    • Comment Link Charles2 Saturday, 08 December 2012 10:22 posted by Charles2

      Thank you!

      [quote name="Yoga retreat"]By looking into this blog I can now able to know all the valuable information or the news about the circuits which I cant get from anywhere. Thanks for sharing all the recent happenings.Thanks.[/quote]

      Report
    • Comment Link Family vacation Colo Saturday, 08 December 2012 08:11 posted by Family vacation Colo

      In fact your creative writing abilities have inspired me to start my own wordpress blog now about on Tapis sensitif .

      Report
    • Comment Link Family vacation Colo Saturday, 08 December 2012 08:08 posted by Family vacation Colo

      It is really indeed an enlightening topic you have here. I would like to have your future posts tracked.

      Report
    • Comment Link Yoga retreat Thursday, 06 December 2012 11:41 posted by Yoga retreat

      By looking into this blog I can now able to know all the valuable information or the news about the circuits which I cant get from anywhere. Thanks for sharing all the recent happenings.Thanks.

      Report
    • Comment Link Charles2 Wednesday, 05 December 2012 04:42 posted by Charles2

      Thanks for the compliments! :-)

      [quote name="snowmobile tours sum"]I like this site..Its nice and it gave us lots of ideas..Thanks for sharing great info. on tours and travels,[/quote]

      Report
    • Comment Link snowmobile tours sum Tuesday, 04 December 2012 07:10 posted by snowmobile tours sum

      I like this site..Its nice and it gave us lots of ideas..Thanks for sharing great info. on tours and travels,

      Report

    Leave a comment

    Make sure you enter the (*) required information where indicated. HTML code is not allowed.

    back to top

    Article


    Follow Don't worry Just travel

    or receive our

    e-mail newsletter.

    Enter your address below:

    Twitter Roll Deluxe - The Module

    Wish Box

    Enter your wished for this web site. If you would like a reply please add your email address.