Peru
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
Travellers should make sure they have been granted a sufficient number of days when they enter Peru. I assumed that i had automatically been given 90 days (as I had in Argentina & Chile) but it turns out they'd written 20 days in my passport and I hadn't noticed. At immigration on the Chilean border, I had to pay a dollar for every additional day I'd been there (23 US dollars in total) so I wasn't too happy. Apparently it's the traveller's responsibility to ask for the necessary amount of days.
Rachel Lawrence, UK (May 05)
Travelling in Peru is fun, but crossing the border to Bolivia in Desaguerdo is terrible! If you don´t take an expensive bus you have to walk over a bridge over the border-river. There are hundreds of Peruvian and Bolivian people crossing the border every day for dealing and buying stuff - and a few for pickpocking travellers who could be helpless in all that chaos. The border-police aren´t a help, on the contrary! Peruvian policemen stole my money while they pretended to check my luggage for drugs. I tried to be careful, but I was tired and there were 5 of them. I asked them more and less politely to give me my money back but they gave me laughter. Well, it was an experience...
Jan Obracaj, Germany (Apr 05)
The border crossing between Ecuador and Peru through Huaquillas: Do not exchange your dollars to sols here. Many bills are fake and if you don't know how to spot them, chances are good that you'll get one ( on genuine bills the 50 or 100 sol on the side of the note will change color depending on the angle you hold it at to light and the line underneath the writing at the top is actually tiny letters, so if it's a solid line it's a fake or if the number doesn't change color it's a fake). Most fake bills are 50 sol and 100 sol, so if it's necessary to change some, make sure you get denominations of 10s and 20s. People will tell you anything to make you change your money there: the banks are closed, the bank machine doesn't work, there's a strike, you can't use US dollars at all... Also a problem are the taxi drivers, who will do the same about transit options: there are no collectivos to Tumbes, it's too dangerous, etc. Also, make sure you ask the bus driver to stop at the immigration office (and tell you when he does) on the Ecuadorian side when coming from Machala. This will save a couple of dollars on a taxi. There are banks in Tumbes if you can hold off until there to get your sols. Most of this info is in my opinion quite essential to this border crossing due to the amount of people that will tell you very convincing stories about bank closures and collectivo "holidays."
Jason Martyn, Canada (Jan 05)
Travel Tips
I just read on the website, in the Tips section, of an unfortunate incident when a tourist from the UK, pays a bartender in a pub in Peru, with a 100 soles bill, the bartender came back after switching the bill and told the tourist it was fake, the tourist knew it wasn't fake, as it had been taken from an ATM. Very much to my dislike, talking to the manager of the bar was a futile endeavour. There is an easy way locals avoid this from happening, when giving the high denomination bill to pay for something, simply write down the numbers of the bill, and make sure you do it informing whomever you are paying of it, furthermore ask the person to match the numbers on the bill with what you've written down, IT WORKS, they know now, you are aware of this wrong practice.
Javier Esbona, Peru (Feb 07)
ATMs distribute primarily $100solas - a unit which most stores are hesitant to take for both fear of counterfeiting and because most are small stalls and this can sap their change drawer. Next trip, I will take my $100s to a bank to get a roll of $5solas and a stack of $10solas.
Chris Arnberg, USA (Jan 06)
In Aguas Calientes, there is a really bad sand fly problem. Every traveller we saw, including us, was covered in bites straight away. Bug repellent should really be applied before you get off the train...they're that quick and hungry.
Shannon Keenan, USA (Jan 06)
It is worth mentioning that almost none of the products sold in cusco stalls that say 100% alpaca (or 70% alpaca, 30% silk) are actually made with alpaca. The only times we saw things actually made of alpaca were in alpaca store (such as Alpaca 111 or SOL Alpaca) or at the alpaca farm. One can tell whether something is real Alpaca just by the price which the retailer is asking for. There is no way that a hat supposedly made of alpaca will cost 40 soles. Any asking price under 100 soles for anything supposedly being Alpaca really cannot be alpaca.
Max Reimpell, UK (Sep 05)
USD currency must be in excellent shape, i.e. no tears, torn corners, etc. The Peruvians will not accept damaged currency. We had 4 x $100 USD bills, which were unuseable in Peru. For those carnivores who like their steaks "rare", it is recommended to have the steaks medium to well done. Even at the upper end restaurants (el caretta in Lima), I had Argentinian steak, rare, and I was sick as a dog the day after with what may have been the rare steak. I was drinking bottled water, and did not have any ice nor salad.
David M. Cvet, Canada (May 05)
Peruvian vendors apparently do not commonly keep much change in their tills, which may cause aggravation for you when you try to pay and do not have the exact amount. Some vendors may run to other stores to get change for you, but this is the exception. Most will throw up their hands until you are able to produce a smaller bill. I encountered postcard sellers who insisted that I buy more postcards, since they did not have change, and a taxi cab driver who asked for a tip after stopping by a gas station to get my 50 soles note broken so I could pay the fare. If you get money from the ATM upon arrival in Peru, be sure to try to get some of it changed into small bills and coins immediately or you may end up with a more expensive taxi ride than you bargained for. Your small coins and bills are very valuable in Peru! Hang on to them and hoard them and never use them to pay for something when a larger bill will be accepted. To conserve the precious change even more, you might consider bringing one dollar bills to use for tips, especially near the beginning of your trip, when you may not have accumulated very much change yet.
Doreen Pon, USA (May 05)
A tip for anyone without an ISIC card but with other student ID - do not wait until you get to Cusco to get an ISIC card. Cards issued in the office there are not accepted by the Inca Trail/Machu Picchu authorities, but they do demand ISIC ID to get the substantial student discounts for these sites. Apparently this is due to a number of forgeries/dodgy applications that had been authorised by the office recently...
At Machu Picchu itself we were eaten alive by sand flies so consider wearing thin long trousers even if the weather is good. Your legs will thank you for weeks afterwards. The bites itch like hell and DEET does nothing to dissuade them of your tasty status!
Antonia Cobb, UK (Jan 04)
When trekking, to help avoid altitude problems:
- Drink plenty of water, at least 1.5 liters per day.
- Small sweets to suck on are most helpful. As well as providing energy, they help you to salivate which can be hard at high altitudes.
- If you get breathless, take a short break then keep walking. The longer you break the harder for your body to get going. Frequent short breaks are better than infrequent long breaks.
- Chewing on coca leaves is beneficial but if you can't stand the taste, coca tea also helps.
- But above all, nothing will help you more than being acclimatized in the first place. So try to settle into new destination before plunging straight into an extended trek.
Laura Hughes, Australia (Aug 02)
Moving About
If you need to buy long-distance bus tickets in Lima, don't go to the ticket counter near Plaza Grau. There's a much safer and guarded ticket counter in the suburb La Victoria. Even locals try to avoid this particular area.
Mareen Weber, USA (Jan 06)
Travelers hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu should make sure they carry enough money with them not only to buy water and food and tip their porters, but also to buy a train ticket back to Cusco in the event that their tour company leaves them stranded in Aquas Calientes.
When I got to Aquas Calientes my guide and I discovered that the tour company had reserved a 4th night in town instead of purchasing me a train ticket back to Cusco for that night as they had said they would do. This wouldn't have been a problem except that I needed to be back in Cusco that night so that I could catch an early morning flight back to Lima and then on to the US. To get back to Cusco that night I needed to buy my own ticket, and unfortunately I only had $9 US to my name and no credit or debit cards. The cheapest one-way ticket back to Cusco is almost $40 US. Thankfully a kind Spanish couple whom I had met on the trail loaned me the $40 US I needed to buy a ticket home, and a sympathetic Peruvian Railways employee bent the rules to get me a ticket on a what the ticket agents said was a "full" train back to Cusco.
Peter Ormand, USA (Nov 05)
We hiked the Inca Trail and loved it. However I do not think the guidebook is as forthcoming as to the difficulty of the trail as it could be. My thinking going into the trail was that I was a middle-20s guy, in good shape, thousands of people a year hike the trail, so I shouldn't have a problem. While hugely rewarding, the trail was very difficult. I would let people know that they need to be in good shape and be ready for a difficult four days. In the end, my opinion is that anyone will think hiking the trail has been worthwhile, but it's maybe only at the end you'll think that. Also, I would highly recommend hiring an extra porter. Especially if you're not used to high altitudes and are not acclimatized, a climb of 700 meters (which we did on our first day) might just about kill you without someone else carrying part of the load. For the casual trekker, an extra porter or two is well worth the money. The porter must be booked in advance. The regulations of how many can go on the trail includes all the porters and guides, so don't expect to show up the day before the hike and be able to get a porter.
Anthony Gill, USA (Oct 05)
The train from Cusco to Puno is absolutely amazing. In the last edition of LP it sounds more like a travel necessity but we found it to actually be an experience in itself. It takes 10 hours and the scenery is absolutely unbelievable. Especially the last 2 hours, when the sun begins to go down feel like out of a western. In the â??Backpacker classâ??, which we took one way, it is advisable to bring oneâ??s own food as there are almost no shops on the way and the prices charged on the train are extremely high. The other way we went â??First Classâ?? which costs $100 and one sits in large armchairs. The food is amazing, and the end of the train has an â??open carriageâ?? where one can stand and sit and enjoy the scenery â?? this is where the last 2 hours really feel like in a Spaghetti Western. This train ride was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the whole Peru trip and I think it might be a good idea to mention it in more depth.
Max R, UK (Sep 05)
We recently returned from a month long trip through Peru. The only thing that worried us in our travels was the reckless driving and the sketchy buses and other vehicles we were in. Flying was definately the way to go; it was cheap and of course much safer. In the time we were there, there were 3 bus crashes that we heard about that killed a number of tourists. Don't worry so much about the extreme stories about people being held at gun point and being robbed etc. They lived to tell about it, and it is highly unlikely it will happen to you. It is more likely that you will travel by bus or by car from A to B and could end up in a head on collision or over the edge of the road. We were not the only ones to comment on our close calls!! Tell your driver politely to slow down. Better yet, if you hire a driver, set your conditions first; we don't want to drive fast! It works!! Practice those phrases in Spanish; you'll need them!
Christine Penn, Canada (Jun 05)
Scams & Warnings
My daypack was robbed on the cheap bus from Lima (Peru) to Pisco. Even if you pay maximum attention this is very hard to prevent. I was told that this is very common and happens nearly every day. It was the "higly recommended" Ormeño Bus. They will sit behind you and pull your pack from underneath your seat or open it and take out any valuables they find.
Anja Schaefer, Germany (Jan 06)
Chiclayo: theft is beyond rampant and gringos are few and far between.
Travellers should look out for all kinds of theft, mostly in the street. Money should not be kept in pockets if possible. Within 24 hours we had something stolen in an internet cafe (gotta watch under those chairs, but even wise travelers forget from time to time), an attempted pickpocketing incident and another attempted robbery that was stopped by a kind stranger. All incidents took place in the downtown area during the day. Our hostal staff said that "people rob everything they can here" and that all stolen items are resold in the black market area about 4 blocks from the witches market.
Rayann Gordon, Peru (Jan 06)
The climb up Huayna Picchu is definitely worth it and although the climb up is not difficult the short section leading to the very top is more difficult. The rocky slabs you end up on at the very top are not level and the first section of the descent from those slabs is quite dangerous - the first section down is an almost smooth huge slab at a steep angle. As it is smooth it is difficult to find footholds on the slab. I'd still recommend the climb but perhaps warn people that they might either want to stop at the terraces just below the peak or climb up only if they are prepared for a bit of scramble coming down!
Deepesh Patel, UK (Dec 05)
Warning for Chan Chan: We followed your advice to stay to main paths and not to visit late in the aftrenoon. However, unfortunately yesterday we were robbed at gun point, on the main drive, between the musuem and the Palace, at one in the afternoon. PLEASE advise all travellers it is not safe to walk even between areas of the main complex. After talking to one of the locals back in town after the incident, he says that this happens quite a lot, and so it is obviously not an isolated incident.
Anonymous, UK (Nov 05)
Travellers that arrive into Piura by bus: especially the ones that their teminals are located in Av. Sanchez Cerro. There is a lot of pick-pocketers and luggage thieves around who take advantage of tourists not paying enough attention or distract them somehow. They operate in groups and are non-violent.
Martin Berendson, Peru (Oct 05)
I had a terrible accident at Machu Picchu. I got there early in the morning (walking from Aguas Calientes), after walking around for a couple of hours, at around 10AM my boyfriend and I decided to climb Huayna Picchu. We past the control were you sign and after a couple of minutes walking (we went past a sign that said to uchuy picchu and to huayna picchu) I stopped to talk a picture. I stood at the side of the path. The ground (soil) was loose (after they told it was because it had rained) and I fell around 50 meters downhill. I broke my ankle, wrist, a rib, and my upper jawbone. I want it to be clear that it wasn't because I was doing something foolish, I didn't slip or anything, the ground moved and fell with me.
Soledad De Gregorio, Chile (Oct 05)
We were assaulted at knife- point by two men on the steps leading down from the Larcomar Mall in Miraflores (near Lima), which is pointed out in your book as a safe and popular area for wealthy Peruvians and tourists alike. Tell visitors not to decend from the mall towards the beach area as there is no police protection there. We noticed that police presense was extremely high around most businesses and tourist centers, but that the city became very rough very quickly as you left these areas (even within a hundred meters or so) - unemployment in Lima is up around 40% and rising; things are not good at the moment. Our other destinations - Cuzco , the Inca Trail, the Sacred Valley , and Puerto Maldonado (rainforest) were all fantastic and I would highly recomend them.
Kevin Sloan, USA (Sep 05)
In Cusco, I visited a pub and paid for drinks with a 100 sole note, the barmaid took the note then returned saying it was a fake. I had already had my money (obtained from an ATM) checked so i knew the barmaid had swapped the note, however i had not seen her do this as she took it out of my sight and it was my word against hers so the manager refused to believe my complaints (obviously not wanting to admit the possibility that a staff member could steal from a customer) and said the bank must have given me fake money. I have been told by the police that when paying with large notes that sellers do sometimes swap them when they are out of you sight and that there is nothing that can be done unless you see the switch. I assumed in a good pub i could trust staff but have seen that this is not the case, tourists need to watch their money if they pay with a large note to ensure this does not happen to them.
Kay Ledgerwood, UK (Sep 05)
Though in most of the places in Peru I experienced touting, they never came right to my face unlike those in Nazca. It was 6am when I arrived and all I wanted was a good rest place and so I followed the guy to Hotel Estrella del Sur which is recommended in the Lonely Planet. Upon arriving at Estrella del Sur, there was a guy in the hotel recommending tours and I thought that he was a guy from the hotel so I agreed to tour a pottery demonstration factory and a mummification cemetery site. He came in a local taxi and took only myself to the pottery factory which was 5 mins from the hotel. At this point I was rather dubious of the tour as I was alone! The people in the factory were very accommodating and when they were done with the demonstration I went out and the guide was gone! I waited around an hour to see if he would return. I had to take a taxi back to the hotel. I confronted the front desk about the guide who had already received payment an did not fulfill his job (I even had a bogus receipt that I failed to realise at that point). They just behaved nonchalantly. Though the money lost is only 10USD it is very frustrating that the hotel allowed a fake guide in. My advice to travellers is that never trust anyone without an office for tours even if it's someone that "represents" your hotel.
Anonymous (Aug 05)
We took a one day trip on Lake Titicaca from Ponu to see the floating island and the Tequila island. We were supposed to be back in our hotels at 17:00 PM on the same day. When we got to the harbor to take our boat back to the main land, we were told that the lake is too dangerous now and that we need to stay for the night. We were shocked! The waves were not big at all, we had an engine boat and there was no reason to keep us on that island over night. We have also had big waves on the way to the island, so they should have known they will not be able to get back, and even though, they kept on sailing to the island. Furthermore, any weather forecast could forecast that in advance.
The only reason the people of that place did what they did is to get more money from us. Money for hotels, money for food and water and money for bribe to get back. We and other people didnâ??t have much money, didnâ??t have warm clothes or anything that can help us through the night, because we thought we will be in our hotel at 17:00.
People had plane tickets, bus tickets and hotels already paid for back in Ponu. We begged and shouted but nothing helped. People with money took rooms, bought food and drinks (the highest prices in the entire trip). We told the guide to take care of us, to buy us food and a place to sleep, but his response was that it was not his responsibility. So, we spent the night freezing, hungry and fatigued and counting the minutes to the morning. They didnâ??t even bring us blankets, food or a place to sit. I became sick for 3 days after this night. It was the most horrible night you can ever imagine.
Yoav Kamar, Israel (Aug 05)
I was lucky not to have anything stolen from the Taxi Seguro I was in one night en route to the airport in Lima; some thieves broke the window at an intersection and tried to take my bags. I would recommend including the advice I received at every retelling of the story: keep your bags in the trunk, or at least out of sight beneath the seat.
Amanda Fulmer, USA (Aug 05)
An update and a warning on the walking trail between Wilcahuain and Monterrey. The trail is beautiful and everyone we met was friendly and helpful - with the exception of the masked bandit with a gun who tried to rob us near a small shrine towards the Monterrey end of the trail. Fortunately we were able to get away unharmed without losing anything, but we recognize that this is likely an exception. The trail is well worth walking, but be on your guard - be sure to stay in a group of 4+ or follow closely behind locals on trail. Happy travels.
Anonymous, Canada (Jun 05)
On Sunday 19th June, my friend and I arrived into Cusco, Peru at 5:30am from Arequipa. We took a taxi outside the bus station. The taxi stopped on a dirt road, another car came from behind. Three men jumped in the car one with a gun one with a knife. They drove us to a hill over looking the city. Tied us up for 2 hours. Searched us. Demanded our pin numbers. They robbed our accounts...Altogether over $5000 worth of cameras, mobiles, travel stuff, money from ATM. We were sickened to hear from the police later that day that two Scottish girls had a similar occurrence only 3 days prior. They were raped as well. This morning at the Tourist Police Station (had to go that last night a Brazilian man had a similar taxi incident, only he resisted and was slashed.
Basically the best advice to prevent muggings and express kidnappings such as the one I was involved in is to get the hostel or bar staff to ring a reputable taxi firm. In Cusco for example theirs is 222 222 and 222 000. As some taxi firms/taxi car owners rent out their taxis to almost anyone...ie potential kidnappers. So the 'Autorizada' sticker and black and yellow painted checks and the number inside the doors and quarter panel doesn't mean a great deal (this was told to me by the Touristica Police). When they pick you up get them to ask for you (say your name) and check that their phone number is on the roof of the taxi (on the lightned box above the roof). The taxi will CB in to the head office as too where they are going and you will hear the head office answer back. I always let the driver see me record the licence plate also (after the incident).
Mark Burley, Australia (Jun 05)
My boyfriend was drugged and robbed in a Cusco night club. Sometime later, he woke in an unknown hotel, with an allergic reaction to the 'herb' that he had been given, unable to breathe properly.
To add insult to injury, when the police were notified, they visited his hospital bed (thanks LP for the great hospital recommendation!), and invented all sorts of claims, including accusations of taking cocaine and soliciting prostitutes. In making these false claims, they were trying to take advantage of the situation and extort money from us. One phone call to the embassy and a talented lawyer later soon sent them scurrying for the hills.
We have since been told all sorts of stories from hospital staff, locals and other travellers nightmares about the gangs who work the clubs in Cusco, especially those that offer "free" drinks. The girls chat you up and ensure you are separated from your mates. Apparently these herbs take 5 mins to kick into action, and then you're unconscious for 3-4 hours. Enough time to get you into a waiting taxi (after paying off the bouncer) who takes you to a local hotel where you are robbed of all your possessions.
In hindsight, we made matters worse by complaining to the police. The Cusco 'tourist' police are corrupt, which meant we forked out costs for lawyers & tests to prove my boyfriends innocence. Our lawyer informed us that Peruvian law presumes guilt and the onus is on the accused to prove your innocence. A fact that the police are only too happy to take advantage of.
All in all, between stolen money, hospital fees & lawyers fees, missed transport etc we are down $USD 1000. And we've spent the last week rearranging our plans and dealing with the emotional mess this experience has had on us.
So my advice to you -
i) Keep your wits about you if you visit Cusco clubs & bars, especially those in the touristy areas. Beware of those offering free drinks. Lonely Planet recommends loads of good places that don't.
ii) Keep an eye out for your mates and let them know when you're going home
iii) Resist the temptation to stay out until the sun comes up
iv) Watch out for the locals. Sometimes they want more than just to get to know you!
v) Forget about making any real complaints to the police except for filing the bog standard form required for insurance.
vi) If you do suspect foul play with the police, get in contact with your embassy asap.
Anonymous, (Jul 05)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Another trip in Puno that's worthwhile in the morning (when the sun is in the right place for pictures of the town and the lake) is to hire a cab up to the big condor on the hillside. Roundtrip plus waiting time is no more than 10 Soles. The condor itself is amazing, and there are great views from way up there on the hill. Total roundtrip time can be kept to 30-45 minutes depending on how long you stay at the top.
Anthony Gill, USA (Oct 05)
Puno: East of the Handicrafts market (over the railway lines and 2 blocks down) is a great, HUGE local food & tools market. This seems to be where the locals buy their daily needs and it is great to just wander around, if just to see about 50 different types of potato. We saw no other tourists, were not approached by anyone at all and did not feel uncomfortable at all. This market as undoubtedly one of the highlights of our time in and around Puno.
Max Reimpell, UK (Sep 05)
In Cusco, the Cathedral is now not included in the price of the Boleto Turistico. Instead a price of S/14 (i.e around $4) is charged. But the most exciting thing is that have now opened up the roof for tours! This "Circuito Aéreo Catedralâ?? costs a further S/10 (i.e. around $3) but is spectacular and for me the best part of the visit to the cathedral. You are accompanied up a dark stairwell which is illuminated by only candle lit lanterns. You emerge directly onto the roof and greeted by the sight of humps in the roof which you realise are the tops of the domes. You are issued with a guide (probably to ensure that you donâ??t fall off!) and then allowed to wander over the rooftop humps â?? I found walking over the tops of the domes that Iâ??d been viewing from the inside of the building to initially be quite a strange sensation. The views of the surrounding hills around Cusco are fantastic and the view down into the Plaza and over the rooftops is spectacular. The guide then takes you to view the great bell in the bell tower (supported by â??ropesâ?? made of llama skin). This is a new tour and seemed infrequently visited by tourists (probably because it hasnâ??t yet entered the guide books) and so we were wandering the tops of the cathedral domes by ourselves with our guide pointing out several interesting buildings in the distance. Our guide then took a great photograph of us to remind us of this great new tour.
Diane Marshall, UK (Aug 05)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
We traveled with our one-year-old baby boy Camiel. To many of our family and friends it seemed quite an expedition in itself (even before we started), but up till now we experience it as an enrichment to travel. OK, most hostels have never heard of baby beds or cribs, but if you join two double beds together there's enough space for 3 people. Diapers can be found in even the smallest villages (although the Peruvians themselves don't use them), but mostly you buy them by the piece. Which isn't that uncomfortable if you have only two backpacks to store everything in. The contact you make with the local people is great. The only thing our blond boy got really tired of, was the enormous attention from Peruvian women. 'Ay, que lindo bebe' was repeated in every calle. At last, Camiel started shouting whenever someone tried to touch him. We also felt very safe traveling as a family (as if no one would hurt us).
Cees & Arlinde Vletter, The Netherlands (Jan 02)
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