Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Peru. We try to cover the most frequently asked questions here, however, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to contact us so our team of experts can provide you with the advice you need.

What does Cultural Perú Tours do?

Cultural Perú Tours is a pioneering specialist in the design of luxury, sustainable and tailor-made tours in Peru. Their team of experts specialise in the creation of custom multi-day tours that include transfers, guides, hotels, activities, cruises, train tickets and entrance tickets. All tours are bespoke, specially designed to suit your interests, budget and the time available to travel. Cultural Perú Tours draws on its privileged network of specialists in different fields to offer exclusive access to private collections and insider experiences.

Peru is a year-round travel destination. Due to the great geographic diversity, with jungle, desert, and mountains, the climate in Peru will vary from region to region at any time of year. The Andes and Machu Picchu have a dry and rainy season, and the months around the changes have a varied climate. The dry season is from May to October with daytime temperatures of 18-25°C/65-77°F. The rainy season runs from December to March, with daytime temperatures of 20-26°C/68-79°F. The highest chance of rain is generally in late January and February. The months at the beginning and end of the rainy season (April and November) have less chance of rain.

In Lima and on the desert coast, including the beaches of Mancora and Moche, there is little or no precipitation. Lima is humid and can be cloudier between May and October. Average daytime temperatures are 23-28°C/74-82°F. In the jungle, the dry and rainy seasons are the same as in the mountains, but the temperature is higher and fluctuates relatively little throughout the year, with an average temperature of 21-30°C/70-86ºF.

There are also many traditional and colorful festivals taking place throughout Peru, especially in Cusco, which can be ideal when you are traveling through this region. Major festivals include Candelaria (Lake Titicaca, February), Semana Santa (national), Señor de los Temblores (Cusco, March), Corpus Christi (Cusco, May) and Señor de los Milagros (Lima, October).

How to get to Peru?

There are a variety of options depending on where you start your journey from. Almost all international flights arrive in Peru’s capital, Lima. From the US, there are direct flights from many major US cities, including New York, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles via a range of airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue and LATAM. If you are travelling from Europe, there are also direct flights from cities such as Madrid (for example, with Iberia) and London (British Airways). There are good connections to other South American countries such as Colombia (Avianca) and Chile (LATAM). There are very limited international flights to Cusco from Colombia, with Avianca.

There are also many traditional and colourful festivals taking place throughout Peru, especially in Cusco, which can be ideal when you are travelling through this region. Major festivals include Candelaria (Lake Titicaca, February), Holy Week (national), Lord of Earthquakes (Cusco, March), Corpus Christi (Cusco, May), and Lord of Miracles (Lima, October).

Do you organize international flights?

We organize trips to Peru and can arrange domestic flights. We specialize in organizing ground services in our region (transfers, trains, boats, etc.) rather than flights, so we cannot offer international flights to or from your home country.

This depends on your passport. Citizens of most Western European countries and the United States and Canada entering Peru as tourists do not require a visa in advance and are issued visas upon arrival. However, anyone traveling on a U.S. passport requires a visa for Bolivia, though not for Ecuador. Travelers who require visas in advance can typically obtain them at embassies or consulates in their countries of residence. For specific and timely information, please contact your nearest consulate. For citizens who require visas, Cultural Peru Tours can provide documentation to support the purpose of the visit (e.g., visa letter).

Organizing trips for solo travelers?

As all of our itineraries are tailor-made, we are happy to design trips for individual travelers, whether you plan to travel alone for part of the trip or the entire trip.

At Cultural Peru Tours we organize private and group tours. Previous tours of this type have included a special conference cruise trip on the Amazon or a founder-led trip to Uyuni. If you have your own group, we are happy to help. We have designed tailor-made tours for many groups, from multi-generational families to specialist interest groups and organisations visiting Peru.

How do I book and pay?

All itineraries on our website are exemplary as we always custom design each trip to suit each passenger. Simply contact us to let us know what you are interested in and we will design a custom itinerary for you. You can pay either by bank transfer or online with Visa, Mastercard or Amex. Depending on how soon your trip is, we may request a deposit payment first.

We strongly recommend that you visit your doctor for professional clinical advice and the most up-to-date requirements, according to your personal health and medical history.

No specific vaccination is required to enter Peru. However, for those traveling to the jungle, the yellow fever vaccine is recommended by the CDC and WHO. Travel to the jungle regions of Peru previously required the yellow fever vaccine, and while the rules are less strict, it is not uncommon for certification to be requested. The vaccine is normally required or recommended for all rainforest regions around the world and must be administered at least 15 days before arrival. If you are continuing your travels directly from Peru, check to see if a valid vaccination certificate is required to enter your next destination. Additionally, for certain areas of the rainforest, anti-malaria pills are recommended but not mandatory. It is best to check with your doctor before traveling.

There are different ways to alleviate any side effects that may occur during your trip from being at a high altitude. Diamox can help when taken a couple of days before ascending and a couple of days once at altitude. Once you are in Peru, a natural remedy is coca tea, which will be helpful during your stay at high altitude. You should also drink plenty of water before your high altitude flight and during your stay. Eating lightly before and after you arrive and resting also minimizes the effects of altitude, which can include headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, or loss of appetite. Arriving a few days before the start of a high altitude trek will help your body acclimatize naturally. Cúltural Perú Tours organizes itineraries for activities in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu before arriving in Cusco (which is at a higher altitude), to adapt to the altitude more easily.

Cultural Peru Tours has a basic medical kit but you may want to bring some of your own medications, especially for trekking or adventure activities, e.g. anti-diarrheals (Imodium), Pepto Bismol for stomach pain, antihistamines (both capsules and balm), painkillers, band-aids and blister plasters, and insect repellent. There are pharmacies in all cities and towns in Peru, but if you have specific medical needs, please bring your medication with you.

Travel insurance is not usually a requirement, but we strongly recommend that you have insurance. We will request evidence that you have medical insurance for some specific activities (e.g. treks from lodge to lodge) which includes evacuation cover if you are in a remote location. We strongly recommend that you travel with insurance whatever your activities, to cover flight cancellations, theft, lost luggage and general cancellation in case you are unable to make your trip due to illness or unforeseen circumstances. It should also cover any possible medical expenses incurred during the trip in the event of illness or accident.

Renting a car in Peru is possible with a tourist visa. However, our tailor-made tours include a driver. There are certain disadvantages to renting a car in Peru, including the fact that more rural areas (including the Sacred Valley) have no signage (or correct location on Google maps, etc.). Some roads are of poor quality, depending on the regions you visit, and in general, driving standards are less rigorous in Peru than in more developed countries, so you need to be a very experienced and confident driver.

Due to its diverse geography, you will likely experience several microclimates during your trip. Layering works well for this, especially in the Andes. We provide detailed packing recommendations if you book with us, with general suggestions along with suggestions for specific activities or destinations, such as hiking or visiting the Amazon. Outside of Lima, in major tourist destinations, travelers tend to dress casually, even in hotels. We recommend that you bring appropriate footwear for walking around the cities, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.

Here are some key suggestions:

• Comfortable sneakers or walking boots.

• Short and long sleeve polo shirts.

• Waterproof

• Polar jacket

• Jeans or casual pants.

• Camera (with film if analog) and perhaps binoculars.

• Backpack.

• Insect repellent, eye drops, lip balm and sunscreen.

• Binoculars