The Ultimate Peru Travel Guide

Peru is definitely one of the most outstanding destinations in South America. In my case it was love at first sight – Peru stole my heart from the very beginning. I spent 3 weeks exploring this beautiful country and I could stay even few months more if it wasn’t because of the other plans I had. Anyway, I think 3 weeks is enough time to get to know Peru and visit the most important places. Please find below my Ultimate Peru Travel Guide – everything you should know about this country before you take the plane!

What is Peru famous for?

Without no doubt, Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is the biggest attraction of Peru and the first place on the bucket list of many travelers. However, there are many other splendid places in Peru, such as Titicaca Lake, Rainbow Mountain or Ica Desert. I will share with you my list of top 10 destinations in Peru a little bit later. 

Is Peru safe?

From all the countries I visited backpacking South America, I consider Peru the most secure one. It used to had worse reputation few years ago due to high crime percentage in big cities, but the situation has improved a lot. I really felt safe during my visit, but you always have to keep your eyes open and check on your belongings. Robbery, especially in public transport, is still common. Remember – always put your safety on first place.

The best time to visit Peru

Peru is a big country and deciding when to travel depends of what exactly you are planning to visit but speaking in general, I would suggest to travel during the driest season which is from May to September. Keep in mind that the seasons in South America are opposite to Europeans – our Summer is their Winter. I traveled in May, at the end of local Autumn, when the days were still warm but not too much. Winter is considered the best period to visit Machu Picchu. The local summer (December – March) is the wettest season with frequent rainfall, so I wouldn’t decide for this season.

Transportation in Peru

The most popular way to travel in Peru is by bus. In this article I explained how to get around in South America and I recommended you to check bus schedules first because it’s not only the cheapest, but also a very comfortable option. My favorite company to travel in Peru was Cruz del Sur. The prices were maybe a little bit higher than usual but they were always including meals, blankets, TV screens and reclining seats. The itinerary was always direct so we didn’t have to stop 10 thousand times before we got to the final destination.

Accommodation in Peru

My average price for accommodation in Peru was 15 USD per night, sharing room with my friend and having a private bathroom for only two of us. It means that the standard double room costs around 30 USD. It’s really easy to find cheap and nice place to sleep in Peru, making your budget very affordable.

Budget to visit Peru

When I was backpacking South America, I didn’t split my budget per country. I had a total budget for two months. However, I was writing down my daily expenses and I spent almost 600 USD in 3 weeks in Peru, which means 200 USD per week and 28 USD per day, all included. Please remember that flight tickets and insurance come apart because I paid them before traveling. I will prepare a separate post about my budget for 2 months and how I kept it organized during the whole trip. I hope you find this Ultimate Peru Travel Guide useful for your future travels and if you have any doubt or need an advice, please contact us! 🙂