Peru Travel Guides

Practical guides written from Cusco: Machu Picchu tickets, Inca Trail permits, altitude, trains, best time to go and how much a trip really costs.

All guides

• Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu: Month by Month
  May and September are the sweet spot: dry weather without the July crowds. What each month is actually like, when the Inca Trail closes and when to avoid.
• Peru Itinerary by Days: 6 to 15 Day Tour Packages Compared
  Peru in 6, 7, 8, 10 or 15 days: what fits, what to cut, how to acclimatize from Lima to Puno and the from price of each package. Best months: May to October.
• How Much a Trip to Machu Picchu Costs in 2026, Line by Line
  Between US$250 and US$580 per person from Cusco, and more than half of it is the train. Ticket, train, bus, guide and hotel, with 2026 figures.
• Colca Canyon Guide: Condors, Cruz del Cóndor, Fees and Days
  3 hours from Arequipa over a 4,910 m pass. Condors 8 to 11 a.m. at Cruz del Cóndor, S/70 fee, Colca in 1, 2 or 3 days and the hike down to Sangalle.
• Humantay Lake Guide: Altitude, Hike, Fee and Best Time
  About 4,200 m up and 3 hours from Cusco, with a 1 to 1.5 hour climb from Soraypampa. Fee, best months, packing and Humantay vs Rainbow Mountain.
• Machu Picchu Tickets 2026: Prices, Circuits and How to Buy Them
  What a ticket costs in 2026 with the new conservation fee, what each of the ten routes shows and how long it allows, where to buy and how far ahead.
• Is Peru Safe for Tourists? An Honest Answer from Cusco
  Yes, for the routes most visitors take. The real risks are altitude, road travel and opportunistic theft, not what the headlines suggest. What to actually watch for.
• Huacachina: What to Do at the Oasis, What It Costs, and How to Get There
  An oasis among the dunes five hours from Lima. Dune buggies, sandboarding, the Ballestas Islands and the Nazca Lines, with prices and what to pack.
• Where to Eat in Cusco: Best Restaurants, Picanterías and Markets
  Chicha, Cicciolina, Organika, La Chomba and Quinta Eulalia, San Pedro Market hours, cuy in Tipón, coca tea and safe eating: our guides' Cusco picks.
• Peru Entry Requirements for US Citizens: Visa and Passport 2026
  No visa, a passport valid 6 months and an onward ticket. How long you can stay, the TAM Virtual, CDC vaccine advice and the land border from Bolivia.
• Peru Packing List 2026: What to Bring, and the Luggage Limits Nobody Mentions
  Three published rules decide the size of your bag before you pick a single garment: the train, the Machu Picchu gate and the porters. The full list by region, the layer system, and
• Peruvian Food: Traditional Dishes by Region and Where to Try Them
  Ceviche, lomo saltado, cuy, pachamanca and juane: traditional dishes of the coast, Andes and Amazon, drinks, desserts, a glossary and where to try them.
• Nazca Lines Guide: Flights, Viewing Tower, Safety and Figures
  Who made them, how big they are, flights from Nazca or Pisco, the roadside tower, the 2026 crash and what our 2-day tours include.
• Community Tourism in Peru: Amantaní Homestay, Taquile, Llachón
  What a night with a family on Amantaní or Llachón is like, Taquile's UNESCO weaving, gifts and etiquette, and weaving communities near Cusco.
• Salkantay Trek Guide: Day by Day, Pass, Weather, Difficulty
  5 days and about 68 km to Machu Picchu, a pass near 4,600 m, Humantay Lake on day 1, month-by-month weather, altitude and packing.
• First Time in Cusco? Essential Tips for Altitude Acclimatization and High-Altitude Treks
  Worried about altitude sickness in Cusco? Discover essential local tips to acclimate properly, stay safe, and enjoy your high-altitude Peruvian trek.
• Lake Titicaca Guide: Where It Is, Altitude, Islands and Travel
  At 3,812 m between Peru and Bolivia. Getting to Puno from Cusco, the Uros, Taquile and Amantaní, how many days, altitude and Candelaria in February.
• A Peru Honeymoon: How Many Days, When to Go, and What It Costs
  Eight days for Cusco and Machu Picchu, fifteen if you add Titicaca or Uyuni. Where to sleep so altitude does not cost you day two, and the Andean ceremony almost nobody knows about
• Peru All-Inclusive Vacation Packages: What Is Really Included
  What a Peru package really includes: hotels, train, Machu Picchu ticket, meals, flights and tips. Prices from US$727 and how to read a quote.
• Vinicunca, Palcoyo, or Pallay Punchu: Which Cusco Rainbow Mountain is Best for You?
  Planning to see Cusco's Rainbow Mountain? Compare the classic Vinicunca, the easy Palcoyo, and the dramatic Pallay Punchu to find your perfect trek.
• Choosing the Best Machu Picchu Circuit: A Complete Guide to the New Entry Routes
  Confused about the new Machu Picchu entry rules? Discover the best Machu Picchu circuit for your travel style, views, and photo spots in this local guide.
• Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: 4-Day and 2-Day Hike Guide
  42 km in 4 days from Km 82 to Machu Picchu over Dead Woman's Pass at 4,215 m. Day by day, difficulty, February closure, porters and the 2-day trail.
• The Perfect Cusco, Sacred Valley & Lake Titicaca Itinerary (7 to 10 Days)
  Planning a trip to Peru? Discover the perfect 7 to 10-day itinerary combining Cusco, the premium Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and the stunning Lake Titicaca.
• Things to Do in Cusco: 10 That Are Worth It, and How Many Days You Need
  Three days is the minimum. What to see in the city, what to leave until you have acclimatised, and how many days you need depending on what you want to include.
• Arequipa, Peru: Things to Do, Altitude and How to Get There
  At 2,335 m and 1 hour by air from Cusco: Santa Catalina (S/50), Juanita, Yanahuara and El Misti, picanterías, and the altitude step before Colca and Puno.
• Paracas, Peru: 2026 Guide to the Reserve and Ballestas Islands
  Paracas National Reserve, 272 km from Lima: S/11 entry, the Ballestas Islands boat, rules, and adding Huacachina and Nazca to the trip.
• Salkantay Trek vs Inca Trail: Which One to Choose, and Why
  One needs a permit months ahead, the other needs none. One arrives through the Sun Gate, the other by train. Distance, altitude, difficulty and price, compared.
• Peru Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco and Lima
  San Pedro Market, 4 to 6 hour cooking classes from US$70, Barranco food tours, pachamanca, picanterías, diets and safe water. How to choose well.
• Machu Picchu Train Guide: Comparing Vistadome, Expedition, and 360° Services
  Planning your trip to Machu Picchu? Compare Expedition, Vistadome, and 360° train services. Discover the best views, comfort, and prices for your journey.
• Peru Shaman and Despacho Ceremony: Andean Spiritual Guide
  What a despacho is, who the paqo is, coca k'intu, August and the Pachamama, our Aymara Baptism on Titicaca, etiquette, and why ayahuasca is something else.
• Inca Trail Permits 2027: Availability Month by Month
  How the 500 daily permits work, when 2027 goes on sale, which months sell out first, February closure and what to do if there is nothing left.
• Rainbow Mountain Peru: Vinicunca Hike Hour by Hour
  Vinicunca at 5,036 m: 4 a.m. pickup, a 1.5 to 2 hour climb from Llacto, horses, Red Valley, weather by month and altitude sickness tips.