Peru was one of my favourite countries on my trip backpacking through South America this year. The rich culture, history and architecture mixed with some of the most incredible landscapes I’ve ever seen made almost every stop a highlight of my trip. Long hikes, unusual activities and even views from the bus window made every moment in Peru something special, and something to look forward to.
However, there are a few things that I wish I’d known before I went to Peru that would have made the whole trip a lot easier. There are a few things I found out before I went that made my trip a whole lot easier – so some of those have made it onto this list, too!
Whether you’re planning out your whole trip to Peru in advance or just turning up at Lima Airport with a backpack and winging it, here are some things it’s probably a good idea to know before you go.
14 things to know about Peru before you go
Altitude Sickness Isn’t Inevitable
Before I’d even stepped foot in Peru, someone told me that the buses in Peru were colloquially known as the “vomit bus”, because they frequently change altitudes and take a lot of winding roads. Whilst this might be true, you’ll be happy to know that I took a lot of buses in Peru and didn’t see, smell or hear anybody vomit.
On some of the higher altitude journeys, like the bus from Arequipa to Cusco, they did provide a snack pack containing various brands of salted crackers and a bottle of water, which I assumed were to settle the stomach and worked very well.
It’s also common to get altitude sickness if you fly straight into Cusco, because it’s 3,400m above sea level which, for context, is almost three times the altitude of the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK (fun fact: I’ve been there, too, and there was over a metre of snow at the top).
If you go straight from sea level (Lima, for example) to Cusco, then yes, you’re likely to get altitude sickness for a couple of days. You can stave this off by chewing coca leaves or drinking coca tea (or with altitude sickness tablets), but if you introduce your body to altitude slowly, you might not have to do this at all.
I avoided altitude sickness all together by spending several days in Arequipa, at 2,340m, and acclimatising to this altitude before going up further to Cusco. It is possible to get altitude sickness in Arequipa, but it’s unlikely. Personally I did notice that the air was a little thinner, but not to the point that it overly bothered me!
There’s More than One Hike to Machu Picchu
Knowing that you have to book the Inca Trail hike six months in advance, and not wanting to limit my spontaneity whilst travelling, I had originally decided not to go to Machu Picchu on this trip to Peru (I was going to save it for another trip).
It wasn’t until I was already in Peru that I learned about the other treks you can do to Machu Picchu, the most popular of which (other than the Inca Trail, of course) is the Salkantay Trek, which I ended up booking just a few days in advance.
There’s More to See in the Sacred Valley than Cusco
I didn’t plan much before I arrived in Peru, and whilst I had known that I wanted to reach the city of Cusco, I didn’t know much about what there is to do there other than Rainbow Mountain and Machu Picchu. By the time I was making my plans for Cusco, I’d already decided to do the Salkantay Trek and wouldn’t have time for much more.
If I had had more time, or perhaps if I had spent less time travelling from Lima to Cusco, there are quite a few things I would have liked to see. For example, you could spend a couple of days in Aguas Calientes before or after Machu Picchu, visit Pisac (a town with local markets and its own Incan and pre-Incan ruins), go to Ollantaytambo, an alternative site to Machu Picchu, and much more!
🇵🇪 More on Peru: How to Plan the Perfect Peru Itinerary
You Don’t Need Cash Before You Go
Because I flew into Lima I was apprehensive about not carrying any of the local currency (previously on my trip I’d been travelling by bus and boat, so I’d always exchanged some cash at the border). The local currency in Peru is Peruvian soles, and US dollars are not widely accepted (some accommodations and tourist locations will allow you to pay in US dollars, but generally with bad exchange rates).
Wherever you go, I always recommend taking some US dollars in cash. It’s one of the easiest currencies to exchange or pay in in an emergency. So, I did have my emergency US dollars to fall back on, but other than that I arrived in Lima without any cash in the local currency.
There are several ATMs in the arrivals hall of Lima airport, as well as a money exchange booth. These options are not likely to give the best rates, but suffice for a small amount of cash if you want to take a taxi from the airport. I didn’t need to do this as I’d pre-booked transport from the airport to my hostel.
If you’re arriving at Lima, read this article to find out how to get from Lima Airport to Miraflores.
Don’t Forget Your Vaccines
When I went to see a travel doctor before my trip, I thought I’d just need a couple of vaccines updated as I’d already travelled to Central America a couple of years previous. The doctor I saw turned out to be on the cautious side and made me a series of recommendations that included various vaccines including typhoid, hepatitis A and B, and yellow fever. I ended up having to get the accelerated course of some vaccines and spent my last few weeks at home stressing over sourcing vials and booking appointments!
Wherever you go, it’s important to get vaccinated to protect yourself and the people around you, too.
Peru Is A Safe Country to Travel
When I was travelling in safer countries, like Costa Rica, earlier in my trip, a few friends I made in hostels looked at me like I was mental when they heard about my plans to travel in Colombia and Peru. Whilst, of course, these countries are less safe than Costa Rica on the whole, if you take care while you travel then there really isn’t anything to be worried about.
It’s important to use common sense, research places before you go, and stick to the tourist areas unless you’re with a local that you trust. Remote areas in Peru can be unsafe, and certain bus routes can be unsafe as well (but as long as you research before you go, you’ll be fine). In each city, there are safe areas and less-safe areas. Usually the historical city centre is the safest place to be in a city, but in Lima the safer areas are Miraflores and Barranco, downtown Lima is not typically very safe for tourists, especially at night.
The place I felt safest in Peru was in Huacachina; as a desert oasis, it’s secluded from the main city of Ica and is very touristy.
Getting a SIM Card Can Be a Pain
A few friends that I met travelling in Peru had trouble getting a working SIM card. I exclusively used an Airalo eSIM throughout my whole trip (except for in Argentina), and I can honestly say it was a dream.
It was more expensive than buying a new SIM card in each country, but an eSIM is definitely the way to go if you’re travelling through several countries. Switching out SIM cards is a pain, they can be difficult to activate (you often have to give your passport and various pieces of information to the cashier), and you don’t always know how good your coverage will be.
If you’re travelling cheaply and will spend a long time in Peru, then it’s probably worth it to buy a Peruvian SIM card, but otherwise I’d recommend an eSIM.
📱 Before you go: Get your Airalo eSIM here
🇵🇪 More on Peru: An Ultimate Guide to the Peru Backpacking Route
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Be Careful in Lima Airport
Before I arrived in Lima Airport I had been warned about various scams by taxi drivers and not to take an Uber from the airport (Ubers aren’t allowed in the airport, so they might charge you without picking you up).
I was arriving late at night so I pre-booked a transfer from Lima Airport to my hostel, and it was the best thing I could have done. When I arrived, the airport was full of people and total chaos, and since I was tired from the flight I was very happy to see someone holding a sign with my name on it.
If you’re arriving during the day, there’s a really affordable shuttle bus that takes you from Lima Airport to Miraflores, which I think is the best way to do it.
Peru Hop is An Easy Way to Get Around
So, this is another one that I actually did know before I arrived in Peru, thanks to two lovely Peruvian girls I met on a bus in Panama. They told me about these hop-on-hop-off bus tours you can take through Peru, that show you the sights and let you travel in a more structured and safer way than taking the public bus.
In the end I took mostly public buses, but I did catch a few rides with Peru Hop, and I wrote about it in this review of Peru Hop buses. The tourism industry in Peru is really booming at the moment, and services like this are great examples of that!
Leave Time to do the Colca Canyon Hike
This one is a bit specific, I’ll admit, but I was so focussed on getting to Cusco to complete the Salkantay Trek that I missed out on seeing Colca Canyon all together. Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world, deep in the Peruvian Andes mountains, and is one of the best things to do in Arequipa. I met a lot of people who had visited Colca Canyon or had hiked the whole thing (typically takes 3-4 days), and I really felt like I’d missed out!
Lake Titicaca is… Just a Lake
Okay, not to disappoint anyone dreaming of Lake Titicaca, but I found it quite underwhelming.
Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake, at 3,812m altitude, sitting on the border between Peru and Bolivia. Other than flying, I suppose, taking the bus between Peru and Bolivia, stopping for a few days in (or on) Lake Titicaca is one of the most common ways for travellers to make this journey.
I don’t know what I imagined, exactly; maybe it was more picturesque views, lakeside villages, or just something a little more special than the slightly industrial lake it turned out to be. (I say industrial probably because my one experience of crossing it was on a boat with a very smelly engine).
Now, this absolutely isn’t to say you shouldn’t go! You can go to the floating islands on the lake and visit the indigenous Uro people, paddle on a kayak, or watch the sunset over the lake on Isla del Sol. I guess I was just a little too eager to see it before I went…
It Rains Even During the Dry Season
Rainy season in Peru lasts from December until March, and I went in March, so although it was technically still during the rainy season, I thought I would catch the tail end of it. In general I was very lucky with the weather until I started the Salkantay Trek, where it’s said it can rain any day of the year (and it did… every day).
And, just as I experienced a lot of dry spells during the rainy season, you can experience downpours during the dry season. So, consider yourself warned!
Lima is the Gastronomical Capital of the World
Before going, all I had really heard about Lima was that it’s a great place to surf, and not to stay too long because there are much cooler things to see elsewhere in Peru. Whilst I do agree with the latter statement, there’s more to see in Lima than most people make out.
There are several cities around the world that are hailed to be the gastronomical capital of the world (does anyone officially decide that, by the way?), but Lima is a common favourite. Lima is home to Central, the best restaurant in the world, and is full of other local restaurants and street food vendors to try Peruvian delicacies like guinea pig, lomo saltado, ceviche and more. (And don’t forget to wash it down with a pisco sour!)
🇵🇪 More on Peru: My 7-Day Peru Itinerary
You Can’t Drink the Tap Water
You can drink the tap water in many major cities in South America, but Peru is an exception. You cannot drink the tap water anywhere in Peru, and it’s not customary for your accommodation to provide drinking water for you, either. This came as a surprise to me, because everywhere else on my trip so far there had been clear and abundant free drinking water if the tap water was unsafe. But, in Peru, be prepared to buy it for yourself!
(If you’re in a hostel with a bar, they will usually fill a small bottle with drinkable water for free, but this generally isn’t enough to keep you going, especially in the heat!)
The Amazon Rainforest is Far From Everything Else
Okay, yeah, I guess if I’d properly looked at a map before going on my trip, this one would have been obvious. But, especially coming from Europe, it’s quite hard to grasp just how big South America is. If you want to visit the Amazon Rainforest, which is in northern Peru, you have to take a domestic flight from the south of Peru. There isn’t a way to travel there by land, and if there was, it would probably be quite dangerous!