r/GoingToPeru

I’ve visited over 60 countries so far, so please believe me when I say this: if you enjoy walking, think twice before coming here.

This country is wonderful and the people are kind, but they are lunatics in traffic. I am seriously thinking about leaving, because my greatest pleasure when traveling is walking a lot.

Learn to drive, everyone. And, what's more, learn to respect others.

Trip to Peru planned for December 2026. In reading it has come to my attention that the only acceptable drinking water is bottled. I have some questions.

1. Will my Katahdin water filtration bag with drops help or just buy bottled water?

2. Staying in Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley. Assume there are plenty of reputable places to buy drinkable water. Is this correct?

3. Are there rules regarding buying water from street vendors? I know some countries have people that "recycle" the water bottles and glue the caps back on to make it seem like a new bottle.

4. What are the rules regarding ice? Just dont use it?

Thank you all for your answers and your knowledge.

I came home from Peru with a little textile doll from the artisan market in Chinchero. Naturally, the vendor assured me it was an authentic Incan astronaut. I don't think either of us believed the story, but it was too good to leave behind, so I bought it for myself.

My brother-in-law, meanwhile, came away with a tiny soapstone carving of a funeral skeleton. He's fascinated by ancient aliens, archaeology, and the stranger corners of history, so it seemed fitting.

Neither souvenir needed to be historically accurate. They simply captured something true about Peru. It is a country remarkably comfortable letting history, mythology, commerce, and imagination coexist without feeling any urgency to sort them apart.

That exchange ended up feeling strangely representative of the whole trip.

Peru has a way of refusing to explain itself. There are terraces that have outlived empires, salt mines worked continuously for centuries, mountains considered sacred long before Europeans arrived, and enormous carvings etched into desert hillsides whose purpose is still debated.

Everywhere you go there are stories. Some are historical. Some are legendary. Many occupy that comfortable middle ground where no one seems particularly interested in separating one from the other.

For someone who spends most of his life trying to pin things down with words, it was refreshing.

Peru also refuses to become anyone's fantasy. The postcard version exists, but so do the tour buses, the traffic, the souvenir stalls, and the vendors who somehow know exactly when you've made accidental eye contact from thirty feet away.

Sometimes you couldn't walk twenty feet without someone offering another hat, another flute, another alpaca sweater. You learn to smile, decline politely, and keep walking. Eventually you realize they aren't interruptions to Peru. They're part of it. They're people trying to make a living in the shadow of places the world has decided everyone should visit.

The famous places mostly deserved their reputations, though not always in the way I expected. The Sacred Valley seemed almost engineered to humble you. Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain, and the Amazon each somehow managed to exceed expectations that had been building for months.

Machu Picchu was more complicated. The ruins themselves are extraordinary, but the crowds never quite let me forget I was visiting one of the world's great tourist destinations. It's difficult to lose yourself in a place while thousands of other people are trying to have the same transcendent experience.

Aguas Calientes felt much the same: crowded, expensive, and undeniably shaped by tourism. Yet it retained a certain charm. Once I stopped wishing it were something else, I found myself appreciating it for what it actually was: a small mountain town carrying the weight of global fascination.

What has stayed with me most, though, isn't any single landmark. It's Ollantaytambo, where crystal-clear water still rushes through narrow stone channels engineered by the Inca centuries ago. The water never stopped.

Around it flowed another current: tourists, guides, vendors, families, children chasing one another across plazas, traditions adapting to a modern economy. Ancient engineering quietly continued doing its job while modern life swirled around it. Tourism intersected with people working hard to support their families. Ancient culture wasn't preserved behind glass. It was hanging on, adapting, changing, surviving.

Cusco revealed another layer. Twelve-sided stones fit together with impossible precision beneath Spanish balconies. Colonial churches stood atop Inca foundations without erasing what came before. During the days surrounding Inti Raymi, the festival seemed almost persistent. Music echoed through the streets. Dancers appeared unexpectedly around corners. Processions drifted through plazas.

Yhe celebration wasn't confined to a schedule. It became part of the city's atmosphere. One block held centuries-old stonework, the next a ramen shop where I celebrated Father's Day with my family.

Somehow none of it felt out of place. Cusco wasn't trapped in its past. It was carrying its past forward.

Puerto Maldonado felt like another frontier altogether. Tourism was steadily building its own world at the edge of the selva, with lodges, guides, boats, and visitors all reaching into the rainforest.

Yet the jungle never felt conquered. It watched us through towering trees, poisonous plants, venomous creatures, giant river otters, caimans, monkeys, macaws, and insects that had been there long before us and will almost certainly remain long after we're gone. The Amazon tolerated our presence without ever surrendering itself.

Lima completed the picture. It was gritty, sprawling, energetic, and occasionally exhausting. There was visible hardship alongside remarkable generosity. Neighborhoods polished for visitors blended into neighborhoods simply living their ordinary lives. The city breathed freely into the Pacific as paragliders floated above the cliffs of Larcomar, while countless dogs wandered the streets in what seemed like peaceful communion with their human neighbors. Some had owners. Some belonged to entire blocks.

They seemed less like strays than fellow citizens quietly participating in the rhythm of the city.

But the places alone aren't what keep replaying in my head. Our Airbnb host, Ana, catching us accidentally checking out a day early because I had forgotten I intentionally booked an extra night so we wouldn't have to drag luggage across Lima. She smiled, gently informed us that leaving early was un poco raro, and insisted we leave our bags with her anyway.

The women in Huilloc Bajo patiently showing us how alpaca wool becomes yarn, and yarn becomes art. Watching traditions survive not because they're preserved in museums, but because they're Tuesday.

The jungle lodge where six days without cell service sounded like deprivation until it quietly became relief. The girls adapted faster than any of us expected. Apparently children can survive perfectly well without YouTube if you replace it with monkeys, macaws, giant river otters, piranha fishing, butterflies, and the occasional tarantula.

Watching a little girl in the Matsigenka community burn her hand while learning about fire, barely react, and simply continue being a kid. It wasn't better or worse than the way we raise children. Just different. Another reminder that there are countless ways to build a life.

The hikes became their own family joke. Every trail was advertised as "just a short walk," which apparently translates from Peruvian into "a million stairs." Somehow both girls kept climbing.

My youngest daughter especially earned my respect. She quietly became tougher than any reasonable person would expect from a nine-year-old hiking at elevations where adults stopped every twenty feet to renegotiate with their lungs.

On Father's Day, my older daughter insisted I come home with a bright yellow Inca Kola hat. I probably never would have picked it out myself, which is precisely why I love it. Every time I wear it, I'll remember not just Peru, but the quiet certainty with which she decided it belonged to me.

And then there was the food.

I expected Peru to become one of my favorite culinary destinations. It didn't. We had some memorable meals, and I'll happily remember the fresh fruit, the coffee, and the chocolate. I spent an embarrassingly long time trying to track down huacatay to bring home and somehow never succeeded, which became its own running joke. I did, however, find ramen in Cusco for Father's Day because, for reasons I still can't explain, that suddenly felt important.

Overall, though, the cuisine simply wasn't our favorite. Not every famous dish landed, and that's okay. Travel isn't a scorecard. Sometimes discovering what doesn't resonate is just as valuable as discovering what does.

The entire trip quietly dismantled one assumption after another. I expected to admire history. Instead I found living cultures. I expected dramatic landscapes. Instead I found places that almost seemed to have personalities.

I expected the Amazon to feel dangerous. Instead it mostly felt alive in a way that is becoming increasingly rare.

I expected to spend most of my time looking at Peru. Instead I found myself looking at my family.

Travel does that. It removes the familiar background noise of everyday life and lets you notice the people you've been living with all along. I watched my daughters become braver. I watched my wife throw herself into every experience with the same curiosity that makes traveling with her such a joy. Somewhere between mountain passes, jungle rivers, chocolate workshops, horseback rides, sunset sandboarding, and countless "short walks," the four of us settled into a rhythm that felt wonderfully uncomplicated.

Near the end of the trip I found myself thinking about something I've wondered before. Maybe the point isn't to collect countries like baseball cards.

Maybe the universe isn't asking us to optimize experiences or conquer bucket lists. Maybe it simply invites us to participate. To walk the trail. To eat the unfamiliar food, whether you love it or not. To laugh at the mistakes. To accept kindness from strangers. To hold a butterfly for thirty seconds. To buy the ridiculous Incan astronaut. To wear the bright yellow hat your daughter picked out. Conscious participation in the great unfolding of everything that is.

By the end, I realized I hadn't visited ancient Peru or modern Peru. Tourist Peru or authentic Peru. Sacred Peru or gritty Peru. I had visited all of them.

The kindness, the tourism, the spirituality, the food, the mountains, the jungle, the desert sand, the pushy vendors, the endless dogs, the persistent festival, the water running through Inca streets, and the quiet moments with my family all became threads in the same tapestry.

None of them diminished the others. Together they became Peru. A stunningly beautiful country that refuses to become just one thing.

And, of course, I came home with one authentic Incan astronaut. Or at least that's what the vendor told me.

Hello, traveling to Peru, end of the month.

Been concerned on how to pay for things. Is it better to pull out cash or card when traveling around?

Any recommendations on where to do currency exchange?

Hey guys

I’ll go to Cusco in August and was on my plan to go to Humantay Lake, but I was searching online and the trail seems a little bittle dangerous…

Anyone who went recently could tell me if it’s dangerous or not ?

Thanks in advance !

Hi all, I'm currently in Peru for another 3 weeks or so, before going back home. My flight home leaves at 5.30 pm so I'd have to be at Lima airport between 1.30-2.30 pm (3-4 hours before the flight leaves).

However, my trip ends in Cusco, so I'd have to get a flight from there to Lima. I'm thinking of doing this the same day, before the flight to Lima. This would mean for example: get a flight from 10.48 am-12.25 pm from Cusco-Lima, grab my checked in luggage, go from domestic arrivals to international departures and there fulfil the usual steps (check in luggage, go through security etc.).

So a few questions about the feasibility:

1. How punctual are domestic flights? If I book the above-mentioned flight, will I be guaranteed that the flight arrives at the indicated time (or at least that the delay won't be more than, say, half an hour)?

2. How long does the process from leaving the domestic flight to going through security for the international flight typically take? I'm flying to Amsterdam (Netherlands), should that matter.

3. I'm reading online that for international flights, one should arrive 3-4 hours before the flight departure. How accurate is that?

4. Are there any pitfalls I'm forgetting?

Worst case I can always take an earlier flight from Cusco to Lima, if necessary even the day before.

Thanks in advance!

*EDIT - my flight back to Europe is actually at 17:30!! So I have 2 more hours!*

Hi,

In early August, I will have a flight from Santiago arriving LIM at 08:30, then I'll have to catch my international flight back to Europe at 15:30, so I have some awkward hours in between my flights.

My tour guide suggested me to stay at the airport, as the return trips to Lima tourist spots would take a good 3 hours; then I would also need to find a place to store luggage and there maybe traffic, so he wouldn't recommend me going anywhere.

But 6 hours at LIM airport?! What am I going to do 🙁 Anyone has any suggestion? Is that too risky / Not worthing doing it with all the effort?

Thanks for any advice or suggestion!

I am in the beginning stages of planning a a trip to the Amazon in Peru. I originally planned to find a guided group to go with but was surprised to find I didn't see toooo many options? (I hiked the Inca trail last year and there were hundreds of different hiking groups to go with so figured the Amazon would be similar, but it doesn't seem to be so). I am now leaning towards a hotel options that has included excursions. This would be a solo trip, so I am definitely looking for a group / guided focused exploration.
Does anyone have any suggestions or any advice?
Pretty open to either Puerto Maldonado or Iquitos

We’re not foodies. Don’t get me wrong, we love a good meal but spending a day eating is not our thing. Every search we do for activities close to or in Cusco involves eating your way around town, or three hour drives each way to see cool stuff. We already have an Amazon basin trip and four days of MP and SV trips planned, just have one more day before flying home. We don’t want to spend 6+ hours in transit that day.

Would be interested in active flora and fauna, possibly more archeology, or stargazing activities but not planetarium or museums. Anything suggestions off the beaten path?

where could i go to /i could walk or take a taxi id its not too far away. i want to film wirh a drone from above,and i know historic sights are not legal to film with drone. any tips? i would like to document this beautiful city with my drone bur know where. im open to 30 min with taxi

Hello, everyone

In early september I'll be travelling to Cusco, Peru. I'd love some help with my itinerary. So far, I'm thinking

Day 1 : Cusco arrival in the early morning and do a city tour (3400m)

Day 2 : Sacred Valley (2900m)

Day 3 : Machu Picchu (2430m)

Day 4 : Palccoyo Mountain (4900m) or Ausangate 7 Lakes Hike (4800m) - I don't know which one yet

Day 5 : Humantay Lake (4200m)

Day 6 : City tour and rest to take the flight at night

Is it good for acclimatization, or should I change the order in the last 3 days? I went to Atacama last year and did Lagunas Altiplanicas / Piedras Rojas and Ruta de los Salares back to back and didn't have any problems with altitude. Although they were not actual hikes

I'm still not sure about day 4. Is there any other nature tour worth doing that I could go on day 4?

Visiting macchu picchu on august 15
Looking for advice
Where do
We buy ticket ? If we book a tour do we still need to buy entry tickets with government or agency will take care of
Any recommendations of agency will
Be highly appreciated
Thank you

		lodging
Day 1	Fly into Lima, arrive in evening	Lima
Day 2	enjoy Lima	Lima
Day 3	Fly to Cusco, cab to Ollantaytambo, moras & moray, chinchero	Ollantaytambo
Day 4	sacred valley, womens only textile tour, pisac	Ollantaytambo
Day 5	travel to cusco, hyperbaric chamber, relax	cusco
Day 6	???	cusco
Day 7	Machu Picchu Excursion	cusco
Day 8	rainbow mountain	cusco
Day 9	enjoy cusco, fly to lima	Airport
Day 10	fly home

Hi!

We're three friends travelling to Peru from December 1st–12th.

We're into good food, beer, cocktails, nature and unique experiences. Museums aren't really our thing, but we're definitely interested in local culture.

Originally we wanted to do an Amazon river cruise from Iquitos, but the ones we liked ended up being way over our budget. So we're probably doing a 2-day jungle lodge instead, which seems like a good compromise. (Unless there are recommendations for an affordable cruise)

Our rough itinerary looks like this:

• 2 nights in Lima (food, bars and exploring the city)
• 3 nights in Iquitos/Amazon (2-day jungle lodge + 1 night in Iquitos)
• 4 nights for the final part of the trip
• 2 final nights in Lima before flying home

For those 4 nights, we're considering a few different options.

Option 1 (our current favourite)
Rent a car and head south:
Paracas → Ballestas Islands → Ica → Huacachina → pisco distillery → Lunahuaná (rafting/ATVs) → back to Lima.

Option 2
Fly to Arequipa.
Colca Canyon, condors, hot springs, good food and beer.

Option 3
Fly north to Máncora.
Beach, seafood and just slow things down for a few days.

Option 4
Cusco + Machu Picchu.

I know Machu Picchu is incredible, but with only 12 days I'm wondering if we'll spend too much of the trip travelling.

At the moment we'd rank them like this:

1. South coast road trip
2. Arequipa
3. Máncora
4. Cusco + Machu Picchu

Would you change that order?

Anything obvious we're missing?

Are there any cruises on the Amazon that are affordable? We do not need a luxury option.

Any restaurants, bars, breweries or experiences you'd tell your own friends not to miss?

We're still in the planning stage, so don't be afraid to tell us if we're making a mistake. We'd much rather change the plan now than regret it later.

Thanks!

My girlfriend and I are coming to Peru in September to hike the Salkantay Trek and visit Machu Picchu. We've already arranged all that with Alpaca Expeditions. We are going to be picked up in Cusco early Monday morning to start our 5 day, 4 night hike.

We are taking a red eye flight that lands in Lima at 7 AM on Friday. Originally, we had planned to spend the day and night in Lima and fly to Cusco early on Saturday, but we are now thinking it would be better to have an extra night's sleep in Cusco to make it at least 3 nights and 2 days to acclimatize instead of just 2 nights. We are healthy and in our late twenties, but we live at sea level and are not used to the altitude.

We really hoped to see Lima, because realistically we don't have any expectations to return to Peru soon.

What is your advice on the following options:

1. Spend Friday in Lima and fly to Cusco on Saturday morning as originally planned. (2 nights, nearly 48 hours to acclimatize)
2. Book a long (8-10+ hr) layover through Lima and travel into the city for a few hours to see some of Miraflores (3 nights, 2 days to acclimatize)
3. Book a shorter layover (4-6 hr) and stay in the airport (3 nights, 2+ days to acclimatize)

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the tourist visa requirements for entering Peru as a EU passport holder.

According to the official Peruvian government website, as well as several other sources, EU passport holders do not need a tourist visa to enter Peru.

However, I’ve also come across a list of requirements that has left me a bit confused:

• A valid machine-readable passport (with barcode)
• A completed and signed visa application form
• One digital colour photo (maximum 16 KB)
• A return ticket or reservation showing the dates of arrival and departure
• Hotel reservation and/or confirmation of a tourism package
• Proof of sufficient funds (the last 3 months of bank statements showing at least £1,000, plus an ATM mini-statement from the day the visa is requested)

For anyone with an EU passport who has recently travelled to Peru:

• Were you actually asked to provide any of these documents (aside from Passport and application form)
• Is there any visa application form that needs to be completed, or is that only for people who require a visa?
• If there is a form, should it be completed before travelling, or is it done on arrival?

Thanks in advance for any clarification!

Has anyone in here done Huayhuash Circuit? Planning to do it next summer and looking for some input.

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a trip to Machu Picchu and I'm wondering whether it's worth organizing everything myself instead of booking through an agency.

My idea is to buy the entrance ticket and the train ticket on my own, then hire an official guide at the entrance.

For those of you who have done it this way, would you recommend it? Is there any real advantage to booking a tour through an agency instead?

Also, are there any common mistakes or important things I should be aware of if I book everything independently?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hi there, I am travelling to Peru in September 2026. I am solely looking for volunteering experience (not for travel recommendations)and accommodation included is important. I have ample NGO work experience. Any advice or tips would be fantastic.